Last summer, Atlus dropped a bit of an unwelcome bomb on us NA fans: the game was getting delayed in our region, unlike what had been promised to us earlier ("You'll get it in 2016, just like Japan!"). But at least we had a release date: Valentine's Day, 2017. And then pre-orders opened and alleviated a little of the grumpiness some of us felt. At least we could now order it, and we could see what we were getting. I had initially planned to just pick up the PS3 version and put off buying the Playstation 4 a little while longer (until there were more games on it that I wanted to play, at least).
And then I saw it, and my heart was instantly stolen (which was probably the whole point of it). Atlus was offering a beautiful deluxe collector's edition unlike anything they had ever offered before. But only for the PS4! I stared at the Amazon page for a moment, and then something in my brain just said, "Yes," and I found myself clicking that "Buy" button faster than I ever have before in my life. I got into the Megami Tensei franchise after Persona 3 and 4 were released, and I remember stewing in jealousy after finding out that there had been collector's editions which I of course would never be able to get now. So for the first time, a Persona game released while I was in the fandom! With a job paying me all the monies I need to buy a collector's edition! Wooooooooo!
(Honestly, though, now that Atlus has a new game engine for the PS4, plus a lot of high-quality art assets, I think it will be a no-brainer for them to make some more PS4 games. That's what happened when they made the jump into 3D gaming with the PS2; once they'd made Shin Megami Tensei 3, they were able to reuse the assets for several other games on the same console. So it was good that I finally decided to get a PS4.)
So let's get into this review, looking at each item piece by piece! (I might review the game itself later, but for now, let's look at these fun goodies.)
I feel like first up should be the game case. As promised, the TYH edition houses the game in a Steelbook, which is a premium metal case for A/V materials. It's intended to be both beautiful and functional. The case features our protagonists strolling down a city street, in a sharp silver-and-red redesign. It looks sleek and stylish. Other than that, the Steelbook just does what it's supposed to...provide sturdy protection for your game. There is also a plastic slipcover printed with all the normal things you'd find on a game case (The Playstation logo, company logos, ratings, etc). I guess you'd want it if you like to have game titles on the spines of your games? I can see lots of people pitching it, though,
Second, like most Atlus collector's editions, the game comes with a soundtrack CD. As time has gone on, these offerings have had fewer and fewer tracks on them, and are less soundtracks and more soundtrack samplers. (I'm looking at you, Persona Q. 4 tracks, seriously?) This time around, we get 19 full-length tracks, which is basically the length of your average CD and is 5 times longer than most bonus CDs Atlus has been offering lately. Now, it's not a full soundtrack, mind you; the official Persona 5 soundtrack has 3 discs and over 100 songs. This CD, "Sounds of Rebellion," offers the greatest hits of the soundtrack, if you will; the pieces that you'll hear most frequently, plus some of the big hits like "Life Will Change." It's perfect for scratching the itch to listen to some Persona 5 on a whim. My main gripes are that the version of "Wake Up, Get Up, Get Out There" included is the shorter version played during the introduction movie (the one that plays when you start up the game each time), and that the version of "Beneath the Mask" offered is the instrumental-only version, not the voiced one. Both of those tracks, I feel, are iconic of the game, and should have been included in full. But I can't complain too much, since we've finally received something resembling the pack-in soundtracks of old.
Third is the art book, Persona 5: The Aesthetics, which is very welcome indeed. It's hardcover this time around, which definitely echoes the "premium" feel they're going for here. It's 64 pages long, and mostly filled with official art of the protagonists, their Personas, and several other important characters. There's also a great selection of promotional art, and a little section on the "making of" the game's final cover image. (If you're getting the Take Your Heart edition, the premium box has a large slipcover over top; that has the game's true cover image. It's not the design on the Steelbook!) There is a larger, more in-depth official art book coming in a few months, which is a whopping 500 pages long! I have a feeling that most fans will be satisfied with "The Aesthetics," as it provides a good amount of character art.
Fourth is what I'd been desperately hoping beyond hope for: a plushie of the game's "mascot," the mysterious (and adorable) Morgana. I refuse to believe that his character design was not made with merchandising in mind, since it's perfect for a cuddly plush toy. This plushie is simply too cute! It stands about 4 inches tall, which is honestly way smaller than I thought it would be. But it looks and feels well made, and looks just like the character design. I'm a little torn on how to feel; it would look and fit great on my desk, but I still would love a bigger, almost "life-size" plush.
Fifth, and possibly the coolest, is a life-size school bag, designed to look exactly like the ones the characters carry. Like a messenger bag but sturdier. This replica looks a bit like a gym bag or tote bag. It has the Shuujin school crest embroidered on the front--nice embroidery, too--and a plaid lining. The straps are long enough that you can carry the bag over your shoulder. I have seen unboxing videos where the reviewer warns people not to put things like laptops in them, since the bags are not sturdy enough to full protect delicate things like that. I probably wouldn't put heavy things, like textbooks, in them, but this would probably make a great bag for carrying around some necessities.
Finally (although this may not count for some people), everything comes in a massive "collector's box." I mean, it has to be big in order to get the bag in, but damn. It's about 15 inches long, 7 inches wide, and about three inches tall. Everything fits nicely inside. I am going to admit, though, that it's my least favorite part of the set. The box appears to be made out of a thin chipboard-like material, but is shoddily constructed. It's like it's been glued together with a gluestick, and will peel apart at times. I had to use some Gorilla Glue to get it to stay together. Additionally, it closes with a magnet, but doesn't close easily. You have to push down pretty hard on the flap to get it to close.
This Premium Edition contains a lot of great goodies, although some (the CD and the book) are really more "samplers" of full-length products out there. For those fans who would want the game with the art book and/or the soundtrack and not so much the goodies, definitely skip this. You can buy the PS4 game in a Steelbook and pick up the full-length art book and import the soundtrack easily. But if you're not sure if you'll want either the full-length book or the full-length soundtrack, this might be a great option. You'll get a "sample" of both, plus some other goodies. And obviously, if you're a hardcore enthusiast, I won't need to sell you too hard on anything, haha!
Have a great weekend! Miss Scarlett, signing out!
