Gaming

Persona 5 review: Can style override substance?

Published

May 2, 2017

Joseph Berida

Persona 5, the biggest JRPG release of 2017, has been out for weeks. Clear of the game’s launch hype, is it deserving of stealing the public’s heart or is it merely a bombastic masked pretender that needs exposing?

Art design is aces

Bold red, black, and white serve as its visual foundation. This arresting palette kip-ups to life and sweeps you off your feet with the gentleman thief/punk rock/latex fetish design of the main cast. It bumps and bounces in the menus, shaking up the UI when you button through. All-out attacks culminate in wallpaper-worthy graphics, and it’s never not satisfying.

There’s elegance to every transition. From winning battles to navigating between areas, the colors slink and slide across the screen, and you can’t help but smile at every context-sensitive swipe of the display.

Smooth-grooving audio

Pressing O or X to cancel or confirm actions gives a satisfying squee. That precision glass shatter of a critical hit jolts of excitement. Every gunshot crackles staccato.

Series composer Shoji Meguro matches the rebel imagery with a super-slick soundtrack. The music effortlessly switches from sweeping jazzy strings and keys to grinding hard guitar riffs, all the while riding funky bass licks and finger-snapping percussion.

Criminally good opening animation:

Rebellious spirit restricted

It’s technically not part of Persona 5’s overall design, and I wrote about it in an earlier article, but the irrationality of Atlus in restricting capturing footage of the game bears repeating. I enjoy archiving my playthroughs on the PS4 with screenshots and videos. Atlus denies me and millions of other players that simple pleasure of keeping our own memories of an enjoyable experience. It’s harsh and petty, and I pray that future installments aren’t shackled by this backwards mentality.

Atlus has softened its stance on streaming since the game’s release, but the restrictions on the sharing features of the PS4 still stand.

Regressive representation

Persona 4 took on the issue of gender identity head on with two of its main characters, shining a light on the struggles teens go through when reconciling their sexuality with society’s expectations on masculinity and femininity. It wasn’t perfect, but at least it had some nuance.

Persona 5’s “contribution” to the issue? A homophobic scene showing an age old stereotype of gay men as predatory pedophiles played solely for laughs. It’s one moment in a 100+ hour journey, and that might make it easy for some to wave off, but it only stands out even more to me as an inexcusable stain on an otherwise inspiring epic adventure of resistance.

Heavy topics done halfway right

While previous titles focused on personal turmoil, this latest entry serves up larger social issues like institutionalized abuse, labor exploitation, and political corruption for the good guys to take down.

It’s admirable and reflective of the large-scale “wokeness” we’re seeing in the youth now, but the shonen anime trappings, which Persona 5 indulges a little too much in, hamper the serious messages with long-winded exposition and, at times, clunky English translations from the original Japanese text. The always impressive voice acting performances do manage to carry most scenes, but not all of them.

The old-school, turn-based battles are now layered with shooting, enemy negotiation, and more team synergy that allow you to combo more attacks for quicker ends to fights. The year-long slice of high school life where you bond with schoolmates and strangers is as rewarding as ever with its weird, wacky, and intimate tales, while also being more exploratory as you can hang out with your friends all over Tokyo, too.

The most significant improvement is in the dungeons, or as the game calls them, the Palaces, that your gang of Phantom Thieves have to infiltrate and steal the treasures within to overcome the main antagonists. Each one is a fantastical psychological tableau that comes alive through unique puzzles and ways of navigation. What felt like a chore in the earlier Personas plays like a dream in Persona 5.

That is until you hit the last couple of areas that feel like they just go on forever for no reason other than to pad length and difficulty, which is especially egregious in the last couple of dungeons.

Supreme style and stunted substance

If you’re up for committing around 70 to 120 hours to complete one game, I do think Persona 5 is worth the time for its cool creativity, thematic ambitions, and irresistible gameplay hooks. Just steel your heart for the obnoxious narrative failings, and don’t expect to have much of a shared experience with your friends.

[irp posts=”13247″ name=”Persona 5’s developer doesn’t want you doing this — it’s nonsense”]

Gaming

2026’s The Game Awards will stream live on Disney+

Published

November 13, 2026

Luigi Leonardo

Annually, The Game Awards have become a sort of second Christmas for gamers. Besides a celebration of the past year in the world of videogames, the event hosts trailers for games of the upcoming year and beyond. Though it’s already free on several platforms, viewers can now tune in to Disney+ to watch this year’s Game Awards.

Hosted as always by Geoff Keighley, 2026’s The Game Awards will happen on December 10 at 7:30pm ET. Most of the event will award the best titles of various categories for the year. Several publishers and developers also use the event to announce their upcoming titles. It’s for these reasons that a lot of gamers catch the event every year.

This year, The Game Awards is streaming live on Disney+. This is in addition to its usual platforms including Twitch and YouTube. The Disney+ stream will be available in the United States and select territories internationally.

For now, gamers can also vote on their picks for various categories via the event’s website.

On the other hand, Disney+ has been pushing live events more adamantly. In the Philippines, for example, the platform is the home for live NBA coverage. Though it’s not as strong as Netflix’s gaming push with its assortment of free games, Disney+’s addition of the annual awards show is a worthy go for gamers.

Accessories

Secretlab brings Pikachu, Gengar, and Eevee to its Pokémon gaming chair collection

Pokémon-themed gaming chairs

Published

November 13, 2026

Rodneil Quiteles

Secretlab is bringing some iconic Pokémon to your gaming setup. The Secretlab Pokémon Collection introduces three new TITAN Evo gaming chairs inspired by Pikachu, Gengar, and Eevee.

Each chair features distinct design elements inspired by its respective Pokémon. The collection also incorporates microsuede and velour detailing for added texture and depth.

Fans can find several hidden details throughout the designs. These include each Pokémon’s Type symbol and Pokédex number on the backrests. The collection also pays tribute to the original 151 Pokémon.

Three Pokémon, three distinct designs

The Secretlab TITAN Evo Pokémon Pikachu Edition puts everyone’s favorite Electric-type Pokémon front and center.

Pikachu appears in plush velour detailing against bold Electric-type symbols. The chair features 11 unique Pikachu motifs across its side wings. A black-to-yellow gradient completes its overall design.

Fans can also spot the differences between male and female Pikachu.

Meanwhile, the Secretlab TITAN Evo Pokémon Gengar Edition embraces a darker aesthetic. Gengar takes center stage on the backrest alongside Ghost- and Poison-type symbols.

Gastly and Haunter also appear across the side wings. A spectral purple gradient ties the entire design together.

Finally, the Secretlab TITAN Evo Pokémon Eevee Edition celebrates Eevee and its eight evolutions.

Eevee appears on the backrest with plush velour detailing. The chair features warm cream-and-brown gradients and a Normal-type symbol. Its design also incorporates all eight Eeveelutions, from Vaporeon to Sylveon.

The TITAN Evo experience

Beyond their Pokémon-inspired designs, all three chairs retain the Secretlab TITAN Evo’s ergonomic features.

The chair uses medium-firm, patent-pending cold-cure foam. This material contours to the body while providing weight distribution and pressure relief.

Its sculpted pebble seat base features gently sloping side wings. These guide users toward the middle while leaving room to switch sitting positions.

The TITAN Evo also features 4-way L-ADAPT lumbar support. It moves up, down, in, and out to accommodate the natural curvature of the lower back.

Secretlab’s SoftWeave Plus fabric provides a soft, breathable knit surface. Its construction also allows detailed Pokémon motifs to appear throughout the material.

Availability

The Secretlab Pokémon Collection features the Pikachu, Gengar, and Eevee Editions of the TITAN Evo.

Interested buyers can learn more about the collection through Secretlab’s official website, Shopee, and Lazada.

Gaming

How to change your Nintendo eShop region

Hint: You can’t find it on your Switch.

Published

November 11, 2026

Luigi Leonardo

With Nintendo finally opening the eShop and Nintendo Switch Online in the Philippines, you might be wondering how you can switch your account’s region to the right country. After all, before today, you might have set your shop to the neighboring Singapore or other countries that aren’t named the Philippines. If you’re in the same boat, here’s a quick how-to, so you can enjoy paying for services in Philippine peso.

First, you need to log into your Nintendo Account. Take note: you can do this only through their website via a browser, so don’t fiddle around with your Switch or Switch 2 just yet.

Upon logging in, you’ll be redirected immediately to your profile’s information, including your country or region of residence. Just click Edit and select your desired country in the drop-down menu.

Nintendo will then present you a few notices regarding changing your region. The important bit is that you can’t carry over your account balance to the next region. So, if you have a hefty sum tucked away in your current region, it might be wise to spend it before switching. Likewise, your credit card might not work if it was issued from the current region.

Once you agree to the terms, everything’s set!

All you need to do is access the eShop on your console and sign in again. Afterwards, the corresponding services should be in your currency of choice.

For a list of detailed changes and prices, check out our coverage here.