The Persona franchise has quickly become one of the biggest in the world thanks to the explosive popularity of Persona 5 and Persona 5 Royal alongside the recent PC port of Persona 4 Golden. Much of Persona's success is due to its most recent entries emphasizing the social link system and developing relationships with party members outside of the typical dungeon-crawling elements of a JRPG series.
Of course, social links aren't the only thing that the Persona series is known for and that's especially true for fans of Persona 1 and Persona 2. With more games taking on similar mechanics to the Persona series and JRPGs branching out to different genres in general, there's plenty of options for every kind of Persona fan. With Persona 6 likely to be in development for a while, here are some similar games that Persona fans shouldn't miss.
Shin Megami Tensei
Although the Persona series was originally a spinoff from the Shin Megami Tensei series, its popularity has far eclipsed all other spinoffs and even the main series itself. That being said, Shin Megami Tensei is where it all started and it's a natural choice for Persona fans looking for a heavier emphasis on the dungeon-crawling elements of the franchise as opposed to the social links. The two franchises share a number of similarities in their combat mechanics and recruitment of demons/shadows.
However, the main difference is that Shin Megami Tensei's gameplay loop mostly revolves around dungeon-crawling. Instead of the typical balance between school life and dungeon-crawling found in later Persona games, Shin Megami Tensei is focused on combat. Although some Persona fans might dislike the shift away from social links, Shin Megami Tensei is a natural fit for fans of dungeon-crawlers or anyone looking for a difficulty spike. For newcomers, the usual recommended starting points are Shin Megami Tensei 4 and the recently released Shin Megami Tensei 3: Nocturne HD Remaster.
Trails of Cold Steel
The Trails series has largely flown under the radar in the West but remains one of the best JRPG series in terms of worldbuilding, featuring an interconnected plot across all of its games. The characters and storylines that players come across in one arc will carry over to future ones as well. While it's highly advised to start the series from the Trails in the Sky arc, the Trails of Cold Steel arc is where the Persona similarities become much more pronounced.
The Trails of Cold Steel arc places an emphasis on social bonds much like the Persona series and allows players to immerse themselves in a daily school routine whenever there's downtime. Persona fans who are looking for a similar school setting with a heavy emphasis on social bonding should look no further than the Trails of Cold Steel games. The immersive narrative and world design in Trails games remain some of the best in the JRPG genre.
Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Although Fire Emblem: Three Houses differs from the Persona series in that it's more of a tactical RPG, they nonetheless share numerous similarities with social bonding and time management systems. Players will take on the role of Byleth, a mercenary turned professor who is in charge of leading a house of students through strategic combat as well as day-to-day school activities.
Fire Emblem: Three Houses features a similar calendar system to the Persona series where players must manage their time to engage in events, battle segments, and free-time activities. Although Persona fans might need some time to adjust to the tactical RPG combat system found in Fire Emblem: Three Houses, the social bonding and time management systems will be quite familiar.
Digimon Story: Cyber Sleuth and Hacker's Memory
On the other hand, Digimon Story: Cyber Sleuth and Hacker's Memory is a great choice for Persona fans who enjoyed the process of strengthening and fusing their Personas. Both Digimon Story games take place in modern-day Japan and center around the mechanic of raising and breeding different Digimon.
However, there isn't a social bonding system in the Digimon Story duology as it puts more emphasis on the monster collecting and dungeon exploration aspects. The Digimon franchise is well-known for its intricate evolution mechanics and wide range of customizable movesets. While Persona games have a better-developed narrative and characters, Digimon Story is an excellent choice for fans that enjoyed collecting and customizing different Personas.
Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE
A crossover between Persona's parent series, Shin Megami Tensei and Fire Emblem, Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE merges together mechanics from both franchises. Similar to Persona games, the game centers around dungeon exploration and turn-based combat. Throughout dungeons, players will encounter hostile beings called Mirages which they must fight with their allied Mirages. When not in dungeons, players have the ability to explore modern-day Tokyo and interact with NPCs.
Although Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE takes much of its gameplay from the Shin Megami Tensei games, there's still plenty for Persona fans to enjoy. In particular, the turn-based combat should feel familiar for Persona fans as they exploit enemy weaknesses and engage in combination attacks. With the recent port to the Nintendo Switch, the game is more accessible than ever and Persona fans shouldn't skip out on it.
Danganronpa
The Danganronpa series is a little different from the standard JRPG in that it's a murder mystery visual novel but it nonetheless captures a lot of what makes Persona such an engaging franchise. The gameplay elements are undoubtedly lighter given that the games are visual novels but it does share similarities to Persona in regards to its narrative and character relationships.
Much like Persona games, the Danganronpa series uses free time events to allow players to interact with their fellow classmates during downtime. Spending time with other characters or giving them gifts will strengthen bonds and even grant special skills. Although the free time activities are usually a little more limited, they help improve the story greatly by giving player insight into character backstories and motivations. For Persona fans looking for an engaging narrative with strong character development but want to shift away from the combat, Danganronpa should be right up their alley.