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Is Persona 5 Royal Longer Than Persona 5? A Comprehensive Comparison

The short answer is a resounding yes, Persona 5 Royal (P5R) is definitively longer than Persona 5 (P5). While both games share the same core storyline and much of their content, Persona 5 Royal introduces significant additions that extend the overall playtime, sometimes substantially. This article will delve deeper into why P5R is longer, breaking down the new content and providing a detailed comparison to help you understand the difference in playtime and overall experience.

The Core Game vs. The Royal Additions

At their heart, both Persona 5 and Persona 5 Royal are sprawling JRPGs with a fixed calendar structure. This means that the core narrative progression, focused on battling through palaces and developing social links, is largely the same in both versions. However, the enhancements and additions in P5R result in a significantly longer gameplay experience.

Persona 5’s main storyline will take approximately 97.5 hours to complete according to the website HowLongToBeat. For completionists striving for 100%, you can easily clock 173 hours into the original. Contrastingly, for Persona 5 Royal, the main storyline without side content will take roughly 102 hours. Including basic side activities like Mementos, it can easily stretch to 123 hours. This alone demonstrates that P5R adds several hours to the playthrough, but it goes well beyond just a few additional hours.

New Content in Persona 5 Royal

The primary reason P5R is longer lies in its substantial additions:

The Third Semester: This is the most significant addition. P5R introduces a completely new semester with new characters, a new palace, and new story elements, accounting for an extra 15-20+ hours of gameplay, according to the source. This is not simply an epilogue. The third semester is fully integrated into the story and greatly enhances the narrative.
New Characters and Social Links: P5R introduces Kasumi Yoshizawa and Takuto Maruki as significant new characters with their own social links, and they are critical to the third semester story. These characters not only add more narrative depth but also require a time investment to max out their links, lengthening the game even further.
Expanded Mementos: The Mementos dungeon has been enhanced with new areas, additional quests and new enemies, encouraging players to spend more time exploring.
New Battle Mechanics: P5R incorporates new battle mechanics such as Showtime attacks and new persona evolution mechanics. The impact of these enhancements might not immediately add more time but will add more layers of complexity into gameplay
Quality of Life Improvements: P5R includes numerous quality-of-life improvements, such as the ability to craft more equipment with limited material and a new side area called the Thieves’ Den. These improvements can lead players to take their time and explore the game’s world even further.

The Final Verdict

While the core storyline in P5 and P5R is largely similar, the additional content in Persona 5 Royal extends playtime by a significant margin. You’re not just getting a slightly longer game. The new additions are interwoven into the main story in ways that create a wholly improved and more satisfying experience. The inclusion of the third semester alone adds hours of gameplay. The result is a game that, on average, takes approximately 120 hours to complete, compared to the original Persona 5’s average playtime of around 100 hours if you are just aiming to complete the main storyline. However, for completionists, P5R can easily surpass the 173 hour mark of P5, reaching over 110 hours of content for a standard playthrough. Therefore, Persona 5 Royal is not just a longer experience, but a more complete and enriching one.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Here are 15 frequently asked questions to further clarify the differences between Persona 5 and Persona 5 Royal and help you understand their respective length and content:

1. How much longer is Persona 5 Royal than Persona 5?

On average, Persona 5 Royal is approximately 20 hours longer than Persona 5 for a standard playthrough focused on the main storyline. If you factor in side content and 100% completion attempts, the time discrepancy can be even greater.

2. What makes Persona 5 Royal so much longer?

The primary reason is the addition of the third semester, alongside new characters, social links, expanded Mementos areas, and overall quality-of-life improvements.

3. If I’ve played Persona 5, is Persona 5 Royal worth the time investment?

Absolutely. While you will experience the core game again, the new content in P5R is substantial and transformative. It’s worth sitting through to get to the new content and experience the more complete narrative.

4. Is Persona 5 the longest game in the series?

No, while Persona 5 was the longest at release, Persona 5 Royal is the longest game in the Persona series, offering over 110 hours of content.

5. Is Persona 5 Royal one of the longest video games ever made?

Yes. P5R clocks in over 100 hours on average for just a standard playthrough, placing it among the longest single-player games ever made. HowLongToBeat lists the average story completion time at around 101 hours, but that does not include the new side content in P5R, which leads to even longer playtimes.

6. Is Persona 5 longer than Persona 4?

Yes, Persona 5 is longer than Persona 4. Persona 4 Golden took players around 80 hours, while P5 takes an average of 100 hours to complete for the main story.

7. Is Persona 3 shorter than Persona 5?

Yes, Persona 3 is shorter than Persona 5. Persona 3 Portable takes an average of 65 hours, while Persona 3 FES clocks in at roughly 80 hours to complete.

8. How long does it take to 100% complete Persona 5?

Achieving 100% completion in Persona 5 will take approximately 173 hours.

9. How long does it take to 100% complete Persona 5 Royal?

Persona 5 Royal will typically take well over 125 hours for completionists aiming for 100% completion.

10. Are there multiple endings in Persona 5 Royal?

Yes, there are five possible endings in Persona 5 Royal: three bad endings, one good ending, and the true canonical ending.

11. Is Persona 5 Royal repetitive?

While some players may find the game repetitive due to the amount of repeated dialogue and the downtime between palaces, the new content in P5R significantly lessens this issue, creating a better gameplay experience.

12. Should I play Persona 5 first before Persona 5 Royal?

Generally, it’s recommended to go straight to Persona 5 Royal if you haven’t played either, as Royal includes all of the original game’s content and then some with additions that make it the definitive version. There is no reason to play P5 first.

13. Is there a day limit in Persona 5?

Yes, Persona 5 operates on a calendar system with a fixed number of days, so players will need to manage their time wisely to maximize social links and complete all tasks before time runs out.

14. Is the gameplay in Persona 5 different from Persona 4?

Yes, Persona 5 features improved mechanics over Persona 4. It introduces more complex combat options, more exploration, and additional difficulty options.

15. Are Persona 4 and Persona 5 connected?

While the primary stories of Persona 4 and Persona 5 are separate, the Persona Q series of games connects the characters across the series in a standalone story. Dialogue in the second Persona Q game also suggests that Persona 5 takes place a few years after Persona 4.

Hopefully, this extensive comparison and FAQ section have provided you with a clear understanding of the differences in length between Persona 5 and Persona 5 Royal. If you’re looking for the full Persona 5 experience, Royal is the way to go due to its extensive new content and additions.

Is P5R longer than P5?