From the editor: w/c Tuesday 13th June

I might sing and dance and write about the live arts scene a lot, but it would be remiss of Latest 7 to not pay attention to other mediums too. I arranged a Project Brighton piece on a successful local app company for example (bit.ly/2s8XQRX), and feature gaming & technology on my Brighton Lights Latest TV show at thelatest.co.uk/brighton-lights.

One of the most important arts events this year was the release of Persona 5, a wild, idiosyncratic PS4 game which utilises social simulation but is so much more than simple dialogue choices. You play as a Japanese high school student who builds up relationships by spending time with people, learning their foibles, buying gifts and saying the right thing at the right time.

The other half of the game focuses on more traditional role playing game elements: there are monsters to defeat using magic, weapons and so on. The beauty of the game lies in how these dungeon-crawling sessions are presented and contextualised. Firstly, a ‘dungeon’ is in fact a sort of supernatural subconscious for a villain, whose distorted desires manifest in grotesque contorting monsters you have to defeat.

Secondly, the game looks fantastic, with high contrast reds and blacks in abundance and hyper-stylish presentation. Menu screens are colourful, dialogue boxes have jagged edges that leap around, dramatic realisations are heightened by comic book style exclamations across the screen.

Persona 5 is challenging and overwhelming at first, but I urge you to try it out and persevere. I died a few times early on and wondered if the game would be a lengthy slog (completing it clocks in at around 80-100 hours) but I’m so glad I stuck with it. It will take me some time to finish but I’m in no rush: the boundless creativity in the game ensures it’s an absolute joy to play.

Joe Fuller
editorial@thelatest.co.uk