When it comes to Persona 3: Dancing in Moonlight and Persona 5: Dancing in Starlight, people have options. They could grab the PlayStation Vita versions of the games and enjoy the games anywhere they want. They could get the PlayStation 4 versions and sit and enjoy them at home. Both are fun rhythm games, even if they are a bit more rudimentary than Persona 4: Dancing All Night, and each one has benefits that might make them a better fit for certain people.
This may come across as a bit unexpected, since some might expect a console version of a game would be better, but I feel like the PlayStation Vita versions of Persona 3: Dancing in Moonlight and Persona 5: Dancing in Starlight are superior. Yes, you might have better speakers with your big screen and the characters’ performances may seem better, but it is evident that the Persona Dancing series was created with the PlayStation Vita in mind. Persona 4: Dancing All Night showed it. And the layout of the indicators and inclusion of scratch notes shows it. The PlayStation 4 version gives you options with these games, letting you hit scratch notes with the analog sticks, touchpad, or trigger buttons, but it feels more natural and easier to do so with the PlayStation Vita’s touchscreen. There is less stretching and it is easier to perform the swipes needed while hitting notes.
The presentation is also easier to appreciate in the Persona 3: Dancing in Moonlight and Persona 5: Dancing in Starlight PlayStation Vita versions. Things are tidy and right in front of your face. Think of it as being similar to playing a Hatsune Miku game on the handheld, as opposed to the PlayStation 4. It works on both, but there is a luxury that comes from having it in your hands. Especially since you can pop on headphones and easily get into the beat and focus on what is in front of you.
Don’t take this to mean that the PlayStation 4 version is somehow subpar. Persona 3: Dancing in Moonlight and Persona 5: Dancing in Starlight look amazing on a big screen. I feel like you can really appreciate the movements and the more elaborate videos present in some of the songs. The DualShock 4 is more comfortable to hold and use for the standard inputs, and someone can easily unlock the custom mode that lets you have the game automatically hit those otherwise troublesome scratch notes for you.
The PlayStation 4 versions of Persona 3: Dancing in Moonlight and Persona 5: Dancing in Starlight also tend to be a bit more novel. I’m speaking about the PlayStation VR support. You can look at characters dressed up in their outfits. It is a neat little option for folks who have the peripheral. Also, it can be much easier to capture screenshots, share them on social media, and record your performances with that Share functionality.
No matter which platform you choose for Persona 3: Dancing in Moonlight or Persona 5: Dancing in Starlight, there are things Persona fans will enjoy. Also, there is cross-save support, which means you could get both versions of the game and still carry over your progress. Each game is basically the same, with the classic Persona 3 and Persona 5 songs and the characters you know and possibly love. Each one will offer something to enjoy.
Persona 3: Dancing in Moonlight and Persona 5: Dancing in Starlight will come to the PlayStation 4 and PlayStation Vita outside of Japan on December 4, 2018. They are immediately available in Japan.
