- School
Each one of the five main Persona games features a school as a prominent location. In Persona 3 and Persona 4, it became even more important, with tests, school festivals, school clubs, and student council having rather large bearings on the plot. That mold will be followed by Persona Zero, as well. The characters have just entered high school, and a great number of events will be linked to that fact. So many things happen in high school, you have to decide what you want to be when you grow up, you could wind up falling in love, sharing a first kiss, find your talents, make friends, stay sane... High school is a roller coaster, and that is something that I definitely aim to portray in Persona Zero.
- Friends
Friendship is something else that plays a crucial role in the Persona series. Going through school, going through hardships, finding who you are, saving the world... They are all done with your friends by your side. Just like in Persona 3 and Persona 4, the Protagonist will form Social Links with other characters.
Social Links are a strong bond, be it family, friendship, love, or anything inbetween. Each Social Link represents one of the Major Arcana, and grants more power to Persona of that corresponding Arcanum as the bond grows stronger. Once the bond becomes unbreakable, the ability to summon the Ultimate Persona of that specific Arcanum. Over the course of the Social Link's growth, you get to know the other person on a spiritual level, and help them overcome whatever problems their Arcanum represents. By the links end, a mutual Agape, that is, unconditional love, is present.
- Persona
Ah, Persona. Put bluntly, to anyone that doesn't already know, a Persona is the physical manifestation of your personality.
The world of Persona follows Jungian lore, specifically the idea of a 'collective unconscious', known in Persona as the 'Sea of the Soul'. The manifestation of mankind's self-destructive urges, Nyarlathotep, is involved in a bet of sorts, with the manifestation of mankind's creative curves, Philemon. Will mankind achieve enlightenment, or will they destroy themselves first?
Nyarlathotep cheats, repeatedly, and lets loose manifestations of mankind's base instincts, their id, known as 'Shadows' - and that's exactly what they are, in the Jungian sense. There are two main types of Shadows. Manifestations of humanities animalistic urges, as said above, and, manifestations of a specific individual's inner turmoil. These are known as 'Shadow Selves', and if each character represents an Arcanum, then their Shadow is the same Arcanum in reverse. But they are still part of us. They may be our negative thoughts and emotions given form and voice, but they are still part of us. Ordinarily, a Shadow Self will reveal the innermost feelings and thoughts of it's other half, and if the other half rejects what they say, they go berserk and transform into a monster, in an attempt to kill their other half. If they have the courage to accept and acknowledge the Shadow's words as true, if not the whole truth, the Shadow Self will recombine with their other half, transforming into a Persona, that can be called upon at will from that moment on. Personae can be awakened in other ways, but I'll talk about that another time. If a Shadow is the id, then once it is dominated by the ego, it becomes the psyche, a Persona. In-game, they are referred to as 'the facade used to overcome life's hardships'.
When it comes to evoking a Persona, there are multiple ways it can be achieved, and they vary wildly depending on the circumstances.
In Persona, and Persona 2, due to outside influences on the world bt outside forces, Personae could be summoned by concentration alone.
In Persona 3, things were different, and a higher degree of mental stress/trauma was required, resulting in the use of modified guns, known as Evokers to 'mime suicide', by pointing the gun at their head, and firing.
In Persona 4, concentration was all that was needed once again, with their determination taking the form of a spectral tarot card bearing the character's Arcanum, which is then shattered to call forth their Persons. But only in the TV World. The characters in Persona 4 could enter television sets via the screen, to the world in the backside of the TV, which aided in their Persona abilities. It is later revealed in Persona 4 Arena, that Evokers are still required to summon Personas in the real world, and that the TV World is part of the Sea of the Soul, domain of Philemon.
In Persona Zero, the COMP will play a crucial role in allowing the characters to summon their Persona, from both in the Real World, and within the realm of Shadows. Using a modified media tray, Persona cards are inserted, which will call forth the corresponding Persona once the correct command is used.
Each Persona belongs to one of the twenty-two Major Arcana, and, most people only get to use one, fixed to whatever Arcanum represents them. Once a resolution has been taken up within one's heart, the Persona will undergo an evolution, to better represent the individual to whom the Persona belongs.
The protagonists of Persona 3 and Persona 4 have a unique ability known as the 'Wild Card' - a unique ability that allows them to call upon the powers of a potentially unlimited number of Persona. The protagonist of Persona Zero will share this ability as well.
Whilst Nyarlathotep directly intervenes, Philemon is bound by honour not to, but aids the protagonist indirectly through his servants, and the room they inhabit. The Velvet Room. The Velvet Room is a blue room, it is always blue, and always draped in velvet, but from there, it varies. It was a music hall in Persona, and Persona 2, an elevator in Persona 3, and a limousine in Persona 4. In Persona Zero, it will be a train. The moving theme as of late represents the protagonist's journey.
The proprietor of the Belvet Room is Igor, a bizarre, long-nosed man with blood-shot eyes, and inhumanly long limbs. He governs Persona Fusion, the fusion of two or more existing Personae into a stronger one. Nameless and Belladonna perform the ethereal music of the room, Aria of the Soul. Belladonna covers her ears when singing, and Nameless covers his eyes while playing. Igor is frequently accompanied by another attendant, who watches over the Persona Compendium - the book registering any and all Personae that the Wild Card has granted access to.
I THINK that's everything... If not, I'll just post again.
I'll try and post something else tomorrow...
