6 worst mistakes you should avoid in the early hours of Persona 5 Royal

Persona 5 Royal is a dense game. While the vanilla Persona 5 was nearly 100 hours long, Royal clocks in around 130 hours, 33 percent longer than the initial release. With all the extra content, it can be difficult to decide what’s worth your time. Although you’ll certainly learn a thing or two through your first playthrough, it’s infinitely better to enter with an idea of what not to do while wandering Tokyo as a Phantom Thief.

Here are 6 things you definitely shouldn’t do during your first Persona 5 Royal playthrough.

6. Don't intentionally read books until July

Although being a voracious reader is an attractive trait in real life, doing so until July will only waste your time. Most initially accessible books will require two sessions and only award three social stat points after the second session. There are far more efficient was to earn those points, like crossword puzzles and part-time jobs.

When July rolls around, the Shujin school library will begin to lend out a book titled “Speed Reading.” It only takes a single session to read cover to cover, and doing so will double your reading time. Afterward, you’ll be able to read two-session books in a single sitting, making the social stats gained far more comparable to other activities.

5. Don't go anywhere without a book

While you shouldn’t intentionally devote time to reading prior to obtaining Speed Reading, you’ll occasionally encounter a lull in your school commute. When this happens, Morgana will suggest that you pull out a book to pass the time. These instances won’t take away from your days free time whatsoever, so make sure to have a book on you that can be enjoyed when the moment calls for it.

It’s even better if you run into a commute lull after completing Speed Reading, you’ll then always leave train rides with three more social points than you had when the ride began. Books can be obtained through a variety of means like your school library, perusing bookstores found in Shibuya and Shinjuku, and completing missions.

4. Don't ignore any NPCs

When you go anywhere in P5R, you’ll be bombarded by numerous people speaking to you. They’ll be denoted by either having a black and white cloud containing three white dots or two white quotation marks. Don’t be shy, speak to everyone.

Each person has a chance to give you a new item, a Mementos mission, and insight into the overall storyline. Conversing with a stranger can never be a detriment to your overall game. If you’re still hesitant, at least make sure to interact with characters that seem to have unique models: those characters will always have more weight in your playthrough if utilized properly.

3. Don't ghost Mishima

After finishing the first Palace, Mishima will text you... a lot. Make sure to pay heed to his texts. Often he’ll give you a lead for a new mission in Mementos. Mishima is one of those people you should never ignore, even if his fawning fanboy antics can try your patience.

Despite how annoying interacting with him can be, he'll only lead you to greener pastures. As you deepen your relationship with Mishima, you’ll get more EXP and chances to strengthen your party. Don’t sleep on his texts or confidant events.

2. Don't go to bed unless forced

In the original version of Persona 5, Morgana was a total nag, forcing you to head to bed well before you were ready. It was frustratingly limiting, leading to oodles of op-eds, memes, and a special reading of the book Go the F**k to Sleep performed by Morgana’s English voice actor Cassandra Lee Morris. Among the host of changes made to Persona 5 while developing Royal, Morgana’s commands have been muffled a bit, giving you far more time to improve yourself.

These extra moments of free time, can’t necessarily be used to strengthen your bonds, you’ll be able to boost your stats with the activities available in LeBlanc like studying, cleaning up the cafe, crafting tools, and more.

Nevertheless, don’t go to be unless forced. If you need to go to bed, Morgana will stop you from going downstairs or interacting with anything in the vicinity. Always test Morgana’s limits by interacting withy anything nearby during the evening. Thy breaketh Morgana’s chains, summoning the wings of rebellion.

1. Don't purchase gear

Early in Persona 5, you'll unlock a gear shop in Shibuya, where you can purchase new equipment. Never purchase anything there. Buying new items from the shop just isn't necessary. Iwai only stocks so-so items. You'll get better gear by just roaming the latest palace

If you'd like something better, wait until you unlock the ability to itemize your personas in the Velvet Room or use the laundromat to clean up any dirty equipment. Buying gear outright will just drain your funds, which can be used more effectively elsewhere.

Persona 5 Royal is now available for PS4.