2014: The Year of Persona? Atlus Announces New Games for PS3/Vita/3DS

Today is a big day for Persona fans as they waited weeks for new announcements by Atlus about what's next for the franchise. Persona has been arguably the best Japanese RPG franchise in recent years and there is a lot to look forward to for the next year with tons of new games on a variety of platforms. Keep in mind that the dates announced are only for Japan so far, but I'm pretty sure all of these games will come out to the states and other regions eventually. First off is Persona Q: Shadow of the Labyrinth for the 3DS coming out on June 5, 2014. This game is a spinoff RPG that is Etrian Odyssey style starring characters from both Persona 3 and 4. The visual style has the cast in Chibi form, which is something different for the series. Folks that play the Etrian Odyssey games will be familiar with the dungeon crawler-like gameplay this game will offer since Daisuke Kaneda, EO4's director, is at the helm for this one. Next up is a game already announced months back, but it is actually coming out this week at Japanese arcades. Persona 4: The Ultimax Mega Suplex Hold is the expansion-like sequel to Persona 4 Arena, my favorite fighting game last year and will continue the story that ended on a cliffhanger. From the trailer above, the Persona 3 characters get kidnapped and shadow versions of the Persona 4 cast return to fight as well. New characters that will be playable are also seen. Despite the crazy and long title, Persona 4: The Ultimax Mega Suplex Hold comes out on Summer 2014 for the Playstation 3. The Vita continues getting love by Atlus next year with Persona 4: Dancing All Night, a button-based rhythm game starring the Persona 4 cast. The soundtracks for the Persona games are some of the best JRPG music I listened to in recent memory, so I guess it is no surprise Atlus can make a rhythm game showcasing them. This game is coming out sometime in Fall 2014 only for the Playstation Vita. Atlus definitely saved the best for last as Persona 5 is finally official. The teaser above is literally a teaser with the quote, "You are slave. Want emancipation?" Five chairs along with five ball and chains were also shown, so it is best to assume that a new cast of characters will be in this highly anticipated sequel. Persona 5 comes out on Winter 2014 only for the Playstation 3. All of these announcements do make you wonder, why are any of these not coming to next-gen consoles? Atlus has a track record releasing games way late into a console cycle even with new consoles out, so the platform announcements are not surprising. 2014 is shaping to be the year of Persona. Are fans excited what is come for the next year for the franchise? Let us know in the comments below.