Art has been defined as an application of human creative skill and imagination, made to be appreciated primarily for its beauty and/or emotional power. For the most part, this leaves what you believe to be art as subjective. Subjectability leads to many arguments. One of, if not, the biggest discussion in the art community is if video games are art. Not only are video games art, but it’s quite simple to find the best examples of this case. Persona 5 is more of a work than a Jackson Pollock painting.

Persona 5 is an rpg/life simulation game where you take control of a high schooler with the name of your choosing who was wrongly accused for assault and forced to move away for a year on probation. During this year, you learn to take control of the manifestation of your personality and spirit, called a Persona. You use this Persona to defeat enemies in a physical manifestation of the unconscious known as the Metaverse. In the Metaverse, you infiltrate Palaces, which are the twisted desires of people in the real world. You infiltrate these Palaces to steal the treasure hidden deep within, which will destroy the Palace and change the mind of the owner of that Palace. In order to do this, you team up with recently made friends to form the Phantom Thieves of Hearts, and make even more friends along the way.

Although P5 is the 5th entry in the Persona franchise, there is very little connection between this game and its predecessors. The only constants are the setup of a high schooler moving away for a year, it’s day to day presentation, and the bare bones of the combat system along with the Jungian psychology surrounding the combat’s themes. The story, setting, characters (with one exception), and themes are entirely different from any previous Persona game. This way, anyone willing may be able to enter the franchise starting with this game.

The themes of this game are clear. You are a child who is being ridiculed for something entirely out of your control, and must rebel against society’s boundaries to do what is right and be the one who you want to be. Rebellion and freedom are everywhere. From the flashy, fiery red that colors a majority of the game outside of the normal world, common terms such as “the wings of rebellion,” and the many symbolical visuals of chains shattering. Almost every enemy is some sort of figure abusing his or her power. As the phantom thieves, you help the oppressed by forcing those figures to confess their crimes with their own mouths.

The incredible themes aren’t only what makes this game a piece of art. It’s not only packed with some astounding music, but it’s also a visual masterpiece. The entire game is littered with dramatic visual flares, such as sharp edges and intense shading. Everything, especially the the menus, have fluid and aesthetically pleasing animation. And the battle user interface is especially rememberable. Graphic designers know they’re doing a good job when people cosplay the u.i., alone. The music is astounding, with the typical genre being acid jazz. These include my fan favorites, like “Rivers in the Desert,” “Life Will Change,” and “Last Surprise.”

This game has so much going for it. It’s even getting representation in the greatest crossover of all time, Super Smash Brothers. Persona is now recognized as an icon, and more than deserves the title of an artistic masterpiece.