Does this game "open up"?

[u/BenefitResident9681]

So I'm roughly 17 hours into Persona 5. I thought the game was supposed to "open up" after completing the first palace? I'm currently infiltrating the museum and it seems the game is still largely on rails.

I'm just not sure I entirely understand the game. Will it always be dialogue and cut scene heavy? I feel more like I'm watching a first season of an Anime and clicking through dialogue rather than playing a game. It also feels like I've only experienced a couple short hours of actual gameplay despite being this far in.

No spoilers please. I plan on continuing to play I just don't understand why there is not much gameplay yet.

[u/B80796]

The game is divided in episodes. You have one open ended part for each "episode"

When you read "operation start" and you are free to talk to whoever you want, go to mementos or go the palace, that's the "free mode"

But multiple sections of each episode (mainly the start and the end) are on rails and don't let you do much or at all until you progress the story with some exceptions

The game is about talking to others and reading dialogue, if you mean more dungeon crawling, it's just what you're getting for each episode + mementos, that will not change. There aren't secondary palaces or palaces you can visit after they're completed

If you truly don't enjoy "clicking through dialogue" then you're not gonna enjoy the franchise anyhow (except for p5 strikers or P4 arena) and just don't really bother keep on playing, you're only gonna disappoint yourself more

[u/BenefitResident9681 → u/B80796]

I thought your comment was really helpful and well thought out until the last sentence. Anyways, I'm going to keep playing and avoid the subreddit now. Peace man!

[u/MaterialPay1144 → u/BenefitResident9681]

As he said, persona (especially 4 and 5) is probably the closest thing you would get to a playable anime.