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Can Persona 5’s UI be Justified by its Style?
The Decision to Sacrifice Functionality for Punk Aesthetics
Two weeks ago, I analysed Persona 5 with five UI principles and realised that it wasn’t enough. Sure, Persona 5 didn’t have the most intuitive and clean UI, but it was always clear to me that the team wanted to do something else. They wanted a recognisable, flamboyant style for their interfaces.
But why? Today I wish to dive into why Persona 5’s UI, despite breaking conventional rules, established a brand for itself in the JRPG genre and the game industry.
If you haven’t read my last article, you can check it out here. It is more of a straight-forward analysis, but we’re going to have a bit more fun today diving into the aesthetic side of UI.
What Makes Persona 5’s UI So On-Theme
Time and time again, I emphasised Persona 5’s deliberate decision to stick with style over function. The team behind the series is known to use a certain colour for each game; a strong blue for Persona 3, a bright yellow for Persona 4, and, of course, a passionate red for Persona 5.
That is not without reason; just like how Persona 3 wanted to use a moodier, melancholic blue to accompany the bittersweet story, Persona 5’s red brings excitement, anger, and determination, representing the spirit of the Phantom Thieves.
Like the colour red, the Phantom Thieves are all bound together with one emotion— anger. The thieves are angry at the adults, their society, and those in positions of power who cannot be held accountable for their sins. They are united by passion, to cleanse society of these corrupted hearts. They are fueled by excitement, aiming to shake the world as underdogs and make a difference. Red aptly captures all these emotions.
It is to no one’s surprise that, other than the colours, the style of the game heavily references punk subculture. Made with a non-conformity, anti-authoritarian, and do-it-yourself ethic, the rebellious movement established a distinct…
