Where to Start · Persona
Where to Start with Persona
Persona is Atlus's JRPG series — a spinoff of the Shin Megami Tensei franchise that became larger than its parent series in the West. Each numbered entry is a standalone story following high school students in modern Japan who awaken the ability to summon Personas — manifestations of their psyche — and battle Shadows in surreal dungeons while managing their social lives, part-time jobs, and friendships in the real world.
The social simulation layer — the Confidant and Social Link systems — is as important as the dungeon crawling. The series commits completely to both halves.
If you only play one Persona game
Play Persona 5 Royal (2020). It is the best entry in the series and one of the greatest JRPGs ever made — the Phantom Thieves stealing the corrupt hearts of adults, Kamoshida's Palace as one of gaming's best opening acts, and a story that runs 80-100 hours without feeling padded. Royal is the expanded version of Persona 5 with an additional semester, new characters, and balance improvements. It requires no prior Persona knowledge. Available on PS4/PS5/Xbox/Switch/PC. If you are going to play one Persona game in your life, Royal is the answer.
Persona 4 Golden — the fan favourite
Persona 4 Golden is the other candidate for best in the series — a smaller town, a murder mystery, and a warmer tone than Persona 5's urban rebellion. The Inaba setting and the Investigation Team are beloved by fans who consider P4G superior to P5R. Golden is the expanded version of Persona 4 with additional content, a new character (Marie), and improved systems. Available on PS4/Xbox/Switch/PC. If the cosy small-town murder mystery tone sounds more appealing than Tokyo rebellion, start with P4G.
Persona 3 Reload
Persona 3 Reload (2024) is the definitive version of the game that established the modern Persona formula — Tartarus as a procedurally generated dungeon, the Social Link system, and a story about confronting mortality that the series has never matched emotionally. The original Persona 3 and its FES expansion are classics. Reload is a complete remake with modern visuals and quality of life improvements. Available on PS4/PS5/Xbox/PC and on Game Pass. Play it after P5R or P4G — the story is the most emotionally demanding of the three and lands harder if you are already invested in the formula.
Which game is best — the honest answer
Persona 5 Royal for style, heist narrative, and production quality. Persona 4 Golden for warmth, characters, and mystery. Persona 3 Reload for emotional depth and the most mature themes. All three are exceptional. The series does not decline across entries — each has devoted champions who consider it the best. Start with whichever setting appeals most.
The older entries
Persona 1 (1996) and Persona 2 (1999-2000) predate the social simulation formula and play like traditional SMT dungeon RPGs. They are worth exploring for series historians after the modern trilogy. Persona 2 in particular has an interesting dual-game structure (Innocent Sin and Eternal Punishment) with a story that the modern games reference. Neither is a starting point for newcomers.
Persona spinoffs
Persona 4 Arena and Ultimax are fighting game spinoffs — excellent games developed by Arc System Works. Persona 4 Dancing, Persona 3 Dancing, and Persona 5 Dancing are rhythm game spinoffs. Persona Q and Q2 are dungeon crawler crossovers on 3DS. All are optional bonus content for fans of the main series. None are starting points.
What platforms you need
Persona 5 Royal — PS4/PS5/Xbox/Switch/PC. Persona 4 Golden — PS4/Xbox/Switch/PC. Persona 3 Reload — PS4/PS5/Xbox/PC (Game Pass). The original Persona 3 FES is PS2/PS3 only.
Recommended order
Persona 5 Royal first — best production, most accessible entry point. Then Persona 4 Golden. Then Persona 3 Reload. The release order (3, 4, 5) is not necessary — each is standalone.