Best Persona Games
Image: Nintendo Life

Persona has become one of the most recognisable RPG series of the modern era. Starting life as a Shin Megami Tensei spin-off in 1996 with Revelations: Persona on PS1, Persona took a while to reach a wider audience. A shift in tone, some more slice-of-life and school elements, and a gradual upgrade and explosion in style and aesthetics put Atlus' turn-based RPG series on the map. It's far eclipsed SMT in popularity nowadays, with Persona 5 being one of the most recognisable games in the genre.

While Shin Megami Tensei has a storied history with the Big N, Persona took much longer to make the jump to Nintendo systems. A few years of spin-offs on the 3DS and Switch paved the way for Persona 5 Royal and, eventually, the other "modern" Persona games to come to Switch.

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But what's the best Persona game? That's down to you, dear readers. Below is a list of every single Persona game available on Switch and any other Nintendo console, ranked by you. You can vote for each game by clicking on the star next to each title and giving it a score out of 10. And don't forget, this list is fluid and is updated in real-time. So you can influence things!

This list also only includes Persona games and Persona spin-offs. Shin Megami Tensei is its own series at this point, and we have a separate list ranking all of those games.

With that out of the way, it's time to make history and find out what the best Persona game is.

8. Persona 4 Arena Ultimax (Switch)

Persona 4 Arena Ultimax offers up an approachable, yet incredibly deep 2D fighting combat system, and a neat RPG-lite mode that guarantees solo players will have lots to do. All this is presented in Arc System Works’ signature and striking hand-drawn art style, showcasing the best of the Guilty Gear developer's skill with the genre. While the story mode is a complete bore and there’s no rollback netcode in this version, we think P4AU on Switch is still worth your time, particularly if you like the portability, although if you're going to be playing online, you'll likely want to investigate the game on other platforms first.

7. Persona Q: Shadow of the Labyrinth (3DS)

Persona Q: Shadow of the Labyrinth has something for everyone. If you’re a Persona fan, you’ll get a huge kick out of seeing your old Gekkoukan and Yasogami classmates in an all-new adventure, and Etrian Odyssey fans open to a change will love it — this is the story-driven experiment of Etrian Odyssey Untold taken to the next level, with a stylistic overhaul to match. This is also welcoming to newcomers, too, as isn’t just a great crossover, it’s a fantastically fun RPG in its own right, with colourful characters, engaging gameplay, and a whole heap of style. Persona fans will undoubtedly get the most out of the fan service, but even if you can’t tell Junpei from Junes, you’ll still have a blast exploring Persona Q.

6. Persona Q2: New Cinema Labyrinth (3DS)

Despite launching two years after the launch of Switch, Persona Q2: New Cinema Labyrinth proved to be a fantastic note to end on for the 3DS. The style and characters of the Persona series fit perfectly into the Etrian Odyssey-style mould, and this entry in the Q sub-series is surer of itself than the previous one. The movie aesthetic is well-handled throughout this lengthy adventure, the exploration and combat is as gripping as ever, the Persona system is pleasingly deep and flexible, and the stellar soundtrack ties it all together extraordinarily well. If you consider yourself an RPG fan and still have your trusty 3DS, we’d highly encourage you to look into picking this one up.

5. Persona 3 Portable (Switch eShop)

Persona 3 Portable remains an enjoyable JRPG, but we would say this is the most skippable of the mainline Persona games on Switch at present. An engrossing story and well-balanced gameplay loop easily justify a purchase, though things like Tartarus’ repetitive floors, the visual novel presentation, and the lack of FES content hold this one back from the heights its successors reached. If you have other gaming platforms, the remake — Persona 3 Reload — totally eclipses this entry, besides the lack of a female protagonist. P3P is still a great installment for Persona fans and will be best appreciated by players who have that contextual series knowledge, but its rougher edges may put others off.

4. Persona 5 Tactica (Switch)

Persona 5 Tactica is a thrillingly varied tactical RPG that fans of the Phantom Thieves and the genre should take note of. It's a little on the easy side, but the varied gameplay, excellent soundtrack, striking visuals, and lovable characters all make for a very easy recommendation. We’d especially suggest you pick this up if you really enjoyed Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle, as we noticed a lot of parallels. It remains to be seen if this is the last time we’ll be seeing the Phantom Thieves don their masks, but if this does turn out to be their finale, Persona 5 Tactica is a massively enjoyable sendoff for the beloved crew.

3. Persona 5 Strikers (Switch)

Persona 5 Strikers is a slick and stylish spin-off that manages to successfully combine a surprisingly strong story with some satisfying Musou-inspired hack-and-slash action.

There are a few issues here and there, with some necessary grinding at points, slight difficulty imbalances and a camera that can be a bit of a pain during busy battles but, overall, this is a thoroughly entertaining action RPG that comes highly recommended.

2. Persona 4 Golden (Switch eShop)

Persona 4 Golden remains a thoroughly enjoyable and engrossing RPG that, for the most part, has stood the test of time.

Although its visuals might be a bit dated, the gameplay and story presented here do more than enough to justify the purchase, while all the tweaks and additions that came with this ‘Golden’ edition round out most of the rougher edges from the initial PS2 release.

If you're looking to give the Persona series a shot, Persona 5 Royal is a good place to start, but P4G is an excellent entry in the series and one that we would recommend you pick up when you can.

1. Persona 5 Royal (Switch)

Persona 5 Royal is the very definition of ‘required reading' for JRPG fans.

A deep and moving story, stylish presentation, amazing soundtrack, and decision-driven gameplay all combine to make for an unforgettable and exceptional experience that proves itself to be every bit deserving of the hype and praise it’s already received.

While those who have played this elsewhere may want to consider whether Switch's portability is enough to justify a full-price double dip, it suits the system perfectly. Persona 5 Royal easily stands as one of the very best RPGs of the last decade and you’d be doing yourself a disservice to miss out.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many mainline Persona games are on Nintendo Switch?

There are currently three mainline Persona games on Switch: Persona 3 Portable, Persona 4 Golden, and Persona 5 Royal.

Persona 3 Portable is a port of the PSP version of Persona 3, Persona 4 Golden is an enhanced port of the PS Vita version of Persona 4, and Persona 5 Royal is a port of the enhanced release of Persona 5. Not confusing at all, right?

Do I need to play the SMT games to understand Persona?

Nope! Not at all. Persona is a stand-alone series at this point, and while it follows many mechanical steps that SMT established, there are no narrative links between either series.

Are they worth playing, though? Yes! The latest game in the series, Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance, is excellent.

What order should I play the Persona games in?

It doesn't matter, at least if you consider the mainline games. While every single Persona game takes place in the same world, there are very few connections — and even those are just easter eggs or character references.

What might tip the scales is what kind of game you're looking for. Persona 3 Portable is visually very stripped-back, the story is presented more like a visual novel, and the game's main dungeon is a tower with randomly generated floors. Persona 4 Golden and Persona 5 Royal are essentially what modern-day Persona is, with full 3D exploration, themed dungeons (though 4's dungeons are also randomly generated), and a lot more voice acting.

In terms of spin-offs, you probably want a bit more experience with the main series. Persona 5 Strikers and Tactica, for instance, might not make much sense without playing Persona 5.

What are the differences between Persona 3 FES and Portable?

Oh boy... Persona 3 FES is a PlayStation 2-exclusive entry in the Persona series, and like P3P, is an enhanced version of the original Persona 3.

FES features new social links, some quality-of-life upgrades, and a new post-game chapter called 'The Answer'. Persona 3 Portable doesn't include this post-game story, but it allows you to play as a female protagonist, who gets all new social links compared to the male lead. Portable is also more like a visual novel in its presentation, while FES sets the template for the future of the Persona series.

Obviously, the biggest difference here is that Persona 3 Portable is available on Switch, while Persona 3 FES isn't.

Persona 3, 4, and 5
All three mainline games together — Image: Atlus

Is the Persona 3 remake coming to Switch?

Persona 3 Reload, a remake of Persona 3, launched on PlayStation, Xbox, and Steam at the beginning of 2024. But, despite the slate of Persona ports on Switch, it skipped out on the console.

And, unfortunately, it's pretty unlikely. The remake's director has said that the idea did come up during development but was quickly taken off the table. Switch 2 might be a possibility, though. Let's wait and see...

Are Persona 1 and Persona 2 being remade for Switch?

At the moment, we have no idea. Persona 1 and Persona 2: Innocent Sin and Eternal Punishment, previously stuck on PlayStation, got remakes on the PSP, and rumours about new remakes emerged earlier in 2024.

But Atlus hasn't confirmed anything yet. At this point, we expect if they do exist, they'll either be cross-platform or on the Switch successor. We'll see, though.

Did you see those rankings coming? Don't forget, you can make a difference by scoring every Persona game you've played by clicking on those stars