WESTFIELD, Mass. — Local gamer Jakob Barnes announced that he was starting a new “Persona 5” playthrough in recognition of the new school year, sources confirm.
“Yeah, I’ve only beaten the game seven or eight times, to be honest,” said Barnes. “I had been working my way through all of the ‘Baldur’s Gate 3’ trophies on PS5 all summer, but I kind of felt it was time for me to get back to work. I’m a little nervous, but also really excited. I mean, this could be my chance to get the Akechi ending! It’s a fresh start, and I’m looking forward to it.”
Evan Wyman, the person who Barnes described as his “best friend,” reacted to the news of Barnes’ new save.
“Oh, Jakey? Yeah, I remember him,” said Wyman. “We used to hang out and play video games way back when. Like, high school days. I guess we drifted apart after I went to college, and got a job, and got married, and bought a house, and had kids. I guess it’s nice to hear that he’s still playing games, even if I’ve never heard of this ‘Pursono’ thing he’s into. I hope he’s enjoying himself.”
Kazuma Kaneko, co-creator and character designer of the Persona series, said that he had been inspired by back-to-school advertisements.
“I was feeling burnt out by my work on ‘Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Summoner,’ and I didn’t know if I could continue,” said Kaneko. “I turned on my television to try and unwind. Immediately, I was bombarded with commercials from Target and Walmart and countless other retailers. It was impossible to get the idea of going back to school out of my head. It consumed me. I decided I should do something productive with that energy, and boom, Persona was born. It’s not surprising to me that fans pick up on that impulse.
At press time, Barnes was reportedly too scared to tell his parents about a poor result he received on a test that he should have had memorized by his third playthrough.
