PSC (YouTube)

Half my enjoyment of Strikers came from its exploration, story, and food. The other half is all soundtrack (and a lil’ bit of combat.) I love what Kitajoh’s done with the music. I loved the remixed tracks, the incorporations of old favorites, and the new songs that play when you visit new locations. There were frequent times when I would stand in the middle of a busy street in Sendai or Sapporo and just vibe—the music is that good.

Rivers in a dry land
The last ace in a lost hand
When the hope of new beginnings burned our feet
Now we need it:

This year is only barely two months old, but I can confidently say Persona 5 Strikers will be on my game of the year list. I didn’t expect a musou spin-off to be a competent sequel to one of my favorite games of the last five years. It’s almost unfair to call Strikers a musou game, as it doesn’t feel like a Dynasty Warriors game at all. For as much as I love Koei Tecmo’s tentpole action series, Strikers’ combat is too slick and too varied, and too stylistically Persona to be called a typical musou. And I think it’s that combat that saves an otherwise sparsely appointed game.

A heartbeat for a tin man
An oasis in a singed land
Remind us what we’re here for:

With Persona 5 Strikers Koei Tecmo took a chance, deviating from its regular approach to these kinds of crossovers, creating something greater than the sum of its parts.

Creating new life
Creating rivers in the desert

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