Persona 6’s Mature Rating Has Me More Interested In The Series Than Ever Before

Persona 6‘s brief teaser trailer already shows an entirely new story for the iconic JRPG franchise, continuing the franchise beyond just remakes of older titles. Past Persona games have never shied away from their Mature ratings, mainly for the deceptively layered subjects tied to psychological tension in their settings. Although the last few games in the series have taken place in a vibrant high school setting, there are clues suggested the latest entry may be moving in a different direction.

Although brief, the Persona 6 trailer marks the game as a PS5 and PC title, with no clear release date as of this time of writing. Announced alongside the anticipated Persona 4 Revival and its gameplay changes, Persona 6 didn’t show much, not even what the main protagonist might look like. With the lessons developer Atlus has learned from its more mature fantasy-themed RPG Metaphor: ReFantazio, perhaps the darker tone of Persona 6 shown so far is intentional to some degree.

Persona 6 Seems To Have A Stronger Emphasis On Horror & Mature Themes Than Past Games

Very reminiscent of Persona 3 and the older titles in the series, the Persona 6 trailer immediately has a foreboding atmosphere, depicting a mass grave in the rain. Shown almost through a dark film grain, a much larger gravestone seems to be under a sickly green sky, with a series of dead trees in the background. Almost displaying the grave as part of a large crater, the trailer then cuts to someone reaching out to the center of this strange location through only their shadow.

A series of almost serial killer cut out photographs is rapidly put together through a lens of decaying film, showing flashing images that are somewhat disturbing. A series of hands, including a demonic red one, pointing out in accusation conveys a much harsher mystery than players of Persona 4 or Persona 5 may connect with. Some players have speculated that this imagery is meant to evoke found footage horror of some sort, almost communicating a noir-like narrative within the typical setting of Shadows and the minds of ordinary people Persona is known for.

It’s likely that Persona 6 could provide a more serious supernatural angle to its story, utilizing its Mature rating to its fullest. Almost calling back to Persona 2, the game could provide a less glamorous urban environment for players to explore, rather than the vibrancy of a major metropolitan area within Japan. Shadows are sometimes shown as goofy enemies in the series, so making them tied into curses or dark deeds calls back to the severity of their impact that has been lost somewhat in newer Persona entries.

The Persona Series Has Never Been A Stranger To Serious Narratives

This isn’t to say that recent Persona games have shied away from its horror roots, as each game in the series has tackled a variety of serious or mature subjects. For example, the entirety of Persona 4‘s story is trying to unravel a series of murders within a small town, as a deadly fog slowly creeps in. Meanwhile, Persona 5 deals with heavy stories behind abuse and neglect, especially in the game’s opening chapter that has a student try to commit suicide due to sexual assault.

However, all this being said, these mature ideas are somewhat only surface level at times. While there are plenty of quests and stories in Persona 3, 4, and 5 about tackling the complex emotions and mindsets of certain people, these games’ social sides are heavily skewed toward being far more light-hearted. High school hi-jinks and comedic moments outweigh mature topics often, with the exception of Persona 3‘s excellent and mature ending. In some players’ opinion, the sleek aesthetic of Persona 4‘s TV world and Persona 5‘s Palace dungeons sometimes diminish the serious nature of those location’s subject matter.

Deliberate Focus On Mature Topics Rather Than High School Antics Could Create Something Fresh For The Series

Having less serious social moments is crucial for any Persona game, so simply making every interaction bleak or steeped in horror would alienate plenty of fans. However, with a darker atmosphere as its focus, Persona 6 has a chance to adopt a story line that is more consistent to its Mature rating, perhaps taking its social relationships out of the classroom and into the real world. Similar to how Persona 2 split its narrative between a traditional high school and a time shift to young adults out of education, the latter could be Persona 6‘s deliberate framework for its characters.

At the very least, bringing back the horrific appearance of Shadows and their supernatural horror origins could be a great way for the franchise to evolve. The themes of death, paranoia, and mystery already in the first trailer suggest this direction, or at the very least a narrative that exists longer in the dark. Regardless of its direction, hopefully Persona 6 can look at the vibrant and stylish directions of Persona 4 or 5, and pick a new path that helps the series mature with its growing audience.

What do you think the direction for Persona 6 should be? Leave a comment below or join the conversation in the ComicBook Forum!

Persona: 10 Best Anime to Scratch the Itch While You Wait for Persona 6