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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.
