Persona 5 Royal Difficulties Explained

Persona 5 Royal has officially launched for Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S. However, whether you are a returning veteran to the series or a newcomer, you may be unsure which of the game’s five difficulties will provide the best experience for you. This guide will give a quick rundown for each of the difficulties and provide some important information to help you in your difficulty decision.

Safe Difficulty in Persona 5 Royal

According to Persona 5 Royal, Safe Difficulty is “For those who wish to enjoy the story. If you fail in battle, you can retry as many times as you like. Note that you cannot change the difficulty once selecting this option.” Simply, Safe is the easiest difficulty, as according to the Megami Tensei wiki page, players only incur half of the damage they typically would from enemies, while dealing 1.6 times more damage to their foes, furthermore they also receive 1.5 times the experience and money respectively. Enemies also can’t track down players between fights as easily and the security level does not increase as quickly as on higher difficulties. However, be warned, if you choose this difficulty, you won’t be able to change it for the duration of the game.

Related: Persona 5 Royal Achievements – Listed

Easy Difficulty in Persona 5 Royal

Easy is actually the second easiest difficulty in Persona 5 Royal, as according to the game’s settings, Easy is “For those looking for a casual experience. Battles are optimized for beginning players, and you can change the difficulty at any time.” According to the previously mentioned Megami Tensei wiki page, similarly to Safety difficulty, players only incur half of the damage they typically would from enemies, while dealing unaltered (1.0 times) damage to their foes, furthermore they also receive 1.2 times the experience and money respectively. Enemies also can’t track down players between fights as easily and the security level does not increase as quickly as on higher difficulties. Simply, it is a slight step up from Safety but is much easier than the other difficulties found in Persona 5 Royal.

Normal Difficulty in Persona 5 Royal

Normal is the benchmark difficulty of Persona 5 Royal. Normal difficulty is described as being, “For those who want balance between exciting gameplay and a riveting story. You can change the difficulty at any time.” In terms of damage dealt, damage received, experience earned, and money gained, there are no deductions or bonuses. Furthermore, it is the medium level for the rate of increase for the Security Level and enemy awareness outside of combat.

Related: How to Get the Batting Cage Awards in Persona 5 Royal

Hard Difficulty in Persona 5 Royal

Hard difficulty is the second toughest challenge available in Persona 5 Royal. It is described as being, “For those seeking expert-level challenge with little margin of error in battle. You can change the difficulty at any time.” According to the previously mentioned Megami Tensei wiki page, players incur 1.6 times the damage they typically would from enemies, while dealing only 80% damage to their foes, however, they receive the same amount of experience and money as the Normal difficulty setting. Enemies are better aware of players sneaking around outside of combat and the security level increases at a higher rate.

Merciless Difficulty in Persona 5 Royal

Merciless difficulty is the ultimate challenge found in Persona 5 Royal. It is described as, “The most difficult setting, tailored just for those seeking a ruthlessly brutal challenge. You can change the difficulty at any time.” According to the aforementioned Megami Tensei wiki page, similarly to Hard difficulty, players incur 1.6 times the damage they typically would from enemies, while dealing a measly 65% damage to their foes, however, they receive 20% more experience than the Normal difficulty setting. Enemies are at peak awareness of players outside of combat, and the security level increases at its highest rate.

Achievement Hunter Notes for Persona 5 Royal

For achievement and trophy hunters seeking to earn all of the accolades in Persona 5 Royal, you can simply choose whichever of the five difficulties sounds the best to you, as there are no difficulty-related achievements or trophies found in the game.

For more news, reviews, guides, and information on Persona 5 Royal and the videogame industry in general, Prima Games is your go-to source.