Persona 3 Dancing in Moonlight, Persona 5 Dancing in Starlight, and Persona 4 Dancing All Night – these titles might pique your interest if you’re a fan of the Persona series. But are these Dancing Games essential additions to the Persona universe, or are they just side dishes? Let’s break down what you need to know about these rhythm-based spinoffs.
For starters, you don’t need to play P3D and P5D to understand the main Persona storylines. Think of them as fun, lighthearted fanservice. These dancing games offer more character interaction and development outside of the intense storylines of Persona 3 and Persona 5. The narrative in P3D and P5D is minimal; it’s more of a setup to get your favorite characters on the dance floor together. Imagine a simple premise like, “Let’s have a dance party!” and you’ve pretty much grasped the story’s depth.
Unless you’re a dedicated rhythm game enthusiast, it’s best to approach P3D and P5D after experiencing the emotional journeys of Persona 3 and Persona 5. Playing the base games first provides crucial context and emotional resonance that enhances your enjoyment of these dancing games. Jumping into P3D or P5D without playing P3 or P5 is like starting a concert at the encore – you’ll miss the build-up and the deeper connections.
However, Persona 4 Dancing All Night (P4D) takes a slightly different approach. Unlike P3D and P5D, P4D features a legitimate story that ties into the broader Persona 4 narrative. To fully appreciate P4D, it’s highly recommended to have played Persona 4 and possibly even the Persona 4 Arena fighting games (Arena and Ultimax). P4D contains callbacks and references that will resonate more deeply if you’re familiar with these previous installments.
Why were P3D and P5D released simultaneously? The likely reason boils down to commercial strategy. Atlus, the game developer, probably saw an opportunity to expand the Persona brand and cater to fans eager for more content. In the game’s narrative, the synchronized release is humorously explained by a dance-off competition orchestrated by the Velvet Room attendants, who become jealous upon hearing about the events of P4D.
To help you navigate the Persona universe, here’s a rough timeline of the games: P1 -> P2IS -> P2EP -> P3 -> P4 -> P4Arena -> P4Ultimax -> P4D -> P5 -> P3D and P5D.
The 3DS titles, Persona Q: Shadow of the Labyrinth (PQ1) and Persona Q2: New Cinema Labyrinth (PQ2), fit into this timeline around the middle of Persona 3/4 and Persona 3/3P/4/5 respectively. (Persona 3 Portable (P3P) is a remake of P3 with a female protagonist option). It might seem convoluted, but the core Persona experience is more accessible than it appears.
You can confidently start your Persona journey with any of the bolded titles, which represent the mainline games. For the spin-off titles, especially Arena/Ultimax, PQ1, P4D, and P3D/P5D, playing the corresponding base game first is strongly advised. While some might claim these spin-offs are newcomer-friendly, you’ll gain a much richer experience by understanding the characters and worlds from their origin games. So, if you’re curious, starting with Persona 5 is a fantastic entry point. If you enjoy it, you can explore Persona 5 Dancing in Starlight afterward without feeling too lost. The same principle applies to Persona Q2, which features Persona 3, 4, and 5 characters. However, for Arena/Ultimax, PQ1, and P4D, playing Persona 3 and/or Persona 4 beforehand is highly recommended.
Ultimately, don’t feel overwhelmed by the Persona series’ complexity. See if you connect with Persona 5 first. If you do, then the world of Persona dancing games and other spin-offs awaits!
