It doesn’t feel like four years have passed since Persona 5 was originally released in 2016. Atlus’ PlayStation 4-exclusive RPG developed a fervent fanbase and, thanks to their efforts, the title has remained an ever-present part of gaming culture. Persona 5 is a game that, in more than a few ways, was built to linger in the mind and stay in conversations. Its themes and subject matter are complex and its characters are nuanced. Everything from their visual design, to their personalities, and their place within the story resonated with people.
It can’t be easy, then, to go back and introduce something new to the game after the fact. Changing something that such a huge number of people have fallen deeply in love with is a daunting challenge, but to have that change be a brand new character placed at the center of the story is a potentially overwhelming one. But that’s exactly what Atlus has done for Persona 5 Royal, and the task of designing the new character fell upon Shigenori Soejima.
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Soejima has defined the Persona series as we know it and, many of gaming’s most recognizable characters come from his mind. In this episode of Audio Logs, Soejima shows us exactly how he approaches creating a character. More specifically, how he created Kasumi, the newest member of the Phantom Thieves, who makes her debut in Persona 5 Royal.
From the inspirations for her profile to the fairy tale aesthetic of her Persona, Cendrillon, Soejima breaks it all down. The legendary designer puts a great deal of thought into even the smallest details and to be given insight into the thinking behind them is a rare treat, check it out above.
You can check out more episodes of Audio Logs on YouTube, where you’ll find the entirety of Season 1 of the show, as well as numerous episodes from Season 2. We’ve got episodes for Death Stranding, Control, Gears 5, Cuphead, and more–they’re all well worth watching.
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