It’s no secret that Persona 5’s changing release date has been the subject of jokes among some fans. Previously, launch windows have been specified for Persona 5, albeit ahead of much information regarding characters and plot themes. That aside, Persona 5 has the distinction of being one of the latter prominent titles to release across console generations, for any holdouts who haven’t purchased a PS4.
Atlus announced the news of a February 14 (Valentine’s Day!) release date for the Americas ahead of an upcoming E3 promotional blitz. Alongside this news, Atlus has announced two special editions to be made available in the Americas.
First is the “Take Your Heart” Premium Edition, in keeping with the Valentine’s Day theme surrounding the release date. Atlus’s description covers all of the loot:
Persona 5 has a launch date, and that date is Feb. 14, 2017. The best part about the game releasing on Valentine’s Day? It matches up so nicely with the “Take Your Heart” Premium Edition! And since Persona 5 is the most-awaited title in ATLUS’ history, we had to go ALL OUT with our collector’s edition. Let’s peek inside, shall we? (Remember, this edition is exclusive to the PS4 version of the game.)
First? Because no one knows style quite like the Persona design team, we’re including a 64-page hardcover art book of Persona 5 artwork, jam-packed with the drawings of character designer Shigenori Soejima. (Reminder: Soejima will be at our E3 booth to give a talk about the character designs in the game1)
Some companies might stop there, BUT NOT FOR ATLUS, AND NOT FOR A GAME LIKE PERSONA 5.
We’re also including a 4-inch plush figurine of Morgana — a member of the Phantom Thieves, and de facto mascot of the group! Morgana is a cat by day and a cat-like, Persona-wielding thief by night. The plush is of Morgana’s Phantom Thief outfit, complete with resplendent bandanna and mask!
We’ll also have an official SteelBook® collectible case for the game, emblazoned with Persona 5 art!
To complement the game, we’re including a Soundtrack CD containing a selection of works from the game. Legendary composer Shoji Meguro lent his talent to create the new, jazz-filled soundtrack, and this disc collects a number of the amazing Persona 5 tracks!
Because school life is such a central theme to the Persona series, we’re including a school bag modeled after Japanese-style school bags! It’s full size, and bears the crest of the game’s Shujin Academy!
And because a special edition this massive needs an equally colossal box to contain it all, we’re designing a huge, Persona 5-themed box to hold it all in.
The “Take Your Heart” Premium Edition retails for $89.99/CA$109.99.
Retailers such as Amazon and Gamestop have opened preorders.
Another option is the Steelbook Launch Edition, which is available to those who preorder and/or a limited edition of day-one purchases depending on supply. A situation we should be familiar with – a recent reference point here would be the steel case for the Valkyria Chronicles Remastered release. It will retail for $59.99 US /$79.99 CAN.
I’d like to make one note before closing out this article. Dual audio has been a staple of a handful of localized games in recent years. 2008’s Valkyria Chronicles on PS3 was a dual-audio release. Tales of Zestiria marked the first Tales game to featured dual-audio for its Western release, after years of English-only releases. Guilty Gear Xrd -SIGN- featured dual audio options (though its sequel -REVELATOR- will only feature Japanese voice acting), recent Atelier series games have dual audio, and so will the second and third Zero Escape series games.
John Hardin of Atlus and SEGA of America PR recently took to Twitter to discuss a handful of topics surrounding Persona 5’s release in the Americas. Besides talking about the difference in Morgana’s position between the Americas and Japanese boxart, Hardin suggested that Japanese voice tracks for Persona 5’s Americas release are uncertain, and could prove difficult to include. Be on the lookout for more news on this in the future.
With all of this covered, check out the boxart for both the PS4 and the PS3 versions of the game! There’s a press statement to read below, too!
Persona 5 is a game about the internal and external conflicts of a group of troubled high school students – the protagonist and a collection of compatriots he meets in the game’s story – who live dual lives as Phantom Thieves. They have the typically ordinary day-to-day of a Tokyo high schooler: attending class, after-school activities, and part-time jobs. But they also undertake fantastical adventures by using otherworldly powers to enter the hearts of people. Their power comes from the Persona, the Jungian concept of the “self”; the game’s heroes realize that society forces people to wear masks to protect their inner vulnerabilities, and by literally ripping off their protective mask and confronting their inner selves do the heroes awaken their inner power, and using it to help those in need. Ultimately, the group of Phantom Thieves seeks to change their day-to-day world to match their perception and see through the masks modern society wears.