New Persona Game Trailer Shows Casts From 3, 4, And 5 Together; Japanese Release Date Announced

The next RPG in the Persona franchise, titled Persona Q2: New Cinema Labyrinth, just received a new Japanese trailer (see below) that revealed plenty of new details. Casts from the past three mainline games are brought together in what appears to be a charming, yet mysterious adventure with cinema as the central motif. Cinematics and gameplay were shown off, as well as adorable chibi versions of Persona 5's Phantom Thieves to fit the Persona Q aesthetic.

Like the first Q spin-off game--with Rei and Zen--new characters are thrown into the mix. The currently unnamed character is shown standing in front of a theater screen and later falling from a building; there's also shadow-like figure standing in a film room. During the brief gameplay clips in the trailer, you can see a party made up of the three main protagonists, Makoto Niijima, and Yukari Takeba. Afterward, you can see the Persona 3 protagonist casting a spell with a Persona 5-style graphical cut-in for effective attacks. A dialogue sequence also shows Ann Takamaki talking with Teddie and Yu Narukami, Caroline and Justine tripping over themselves, and Ann with Goro Akechi investigating the theater.

It seems there's a misunderstanding as the Persona 4 and 5 main characters; they're seen fighting each other hand-to-hand. Lastly, a wonderful surprise comes at the end of the trailer which shows the optional female protagonist from Persona 3 Portable.

The long-running franchise is known for its stellar character development and dynamic turn-based combat. As spin-offs of Shin Megami Tensei, Persona 3, 4, and 5 in particular merged elements of the social simulation genre and traditional RPGs to create unique and powerful experiences. Persona Q adopts the dungeon-crawling exploration and modified turn-based combat style seen in the Etrian Odyssey franchise while staying true to the spirit of the core Persona games.

Persona Q2: New Cinema Labyrinth launches in Japan on November 29, 2018 for Nintendo 3DS. Details on a localized version for the West has not yet been revealed. More information on the game will be given on August 6.

We consider Persona Q: Shadow of the Labyrinth one of the best 3DS games available; it unites the Investigation Team and SEES for a challenging and charming RPG. We also awarded second place to Persona 5 in our best games of 2017 list. This year marks the 10-year anniversary of Persona 4, be sure to read our retrospective feature in celebration of the game's impact and legacy.