History VideoGame / PersonaQ2NewCinemaLabyrinth

** Continuing from the previous game as well from the period of time in ''P4'' when he is at his worst, Teddie continues to be an annoyance to everyone, from his constant flirting to the girls, his treatment towards both Koromaru and Morgana, his stupidity and crave for attention and an overall pain in the ass.

** The postgame BonusBoss challenge involves fighting through the Velvet Attendants. You start off against Caroline and Justine, then Margaret joins the fight as a third combatant while the twins get back up. The third combatant you face will be replaced with Theodore and finally Elizabeth as you complete each phase.

** Any high-end Sub-Persona verges on this, as you would expect to complete the game by the time your characters are around level 70 to 75, and the only remaining content that may warrant their use is the postgame BonusBoss fight. Huang Di is a very big example, since he carries three unique PurposelyOverpowered skills but is only accessible from level '''89'''.

* CuttingOffTheBranches: In ''Persona 3 Portable'', the female protagonist could choose between Elizabeth or Theodore as the Velvet Room attendant. This game makes it clear that Theodore is the canonical attendant for the Female Protagonist's universe, as he's the one familiar with her.
** The first ''Persona Q'' had two separate routes for both the P3 and P4 that had minor variations in plot, but had unique interactions within. This game basically ignoring the first game's story effectively makes it so that the writers don't have to choose which route was the canon one, along with allowing newcomers to more easily get up to speed in this one.
* DarkerAndEdgier: While the game is still LighterAndSofter than ''VideoGame/Persona5'', it is still darker than the previous game. Whereas the first game sugarcoats its darker elements by giving the first two labyrinths the rather lighthearted elements of a Wonderland and wedding themes, this game straight off the bat give labyrinths where the "protagonists" of the movies are just as bad as the antagonists of ''VideoGame/Persona5''. In fact, the very first antagonist the Phantom Thieves encounter is a figure resembling Kamoshida, who is both a bully and rapist in the real world.
** To make things worse, the major original character of the game, Hikari, [[spoiler:was being given a disturbing background story.]] And unlike Rei, you can tell something is wrong with her right at the beginning.

* DeusExitMachina: As with the previous game, Igor's whereabouts is unknown only this time with good reason. [[spoiler:The Igor from the period of time the Phantom Thieves are from was captured and replaced by an imposter, whose personality wouldn't fool the other three protagonists one bit. Needless to say the imposter also needs to keep tabs on his territory in Tokyo-Mementos.]]

* DevelopersForesight: Each party composition has unique dialog with each other during battle, moreso than the first game. The characters from ''3'' and ''4'' also make sure to call the ''5'' cast by their code names during battle, something you would expect to be overlooked. Even your navigators have unique interactions with each other, such as after battle the one you have set to battle support commenting as they hand the exploration side to the other one.

** Q2 is one of the few SMT games where three-way fusion has to be unlocked via an ''optional'' sidequest, and this quest only opens mid-way into the 2nd labyrinth. Since some Arcanas are exclusive to triple fusion, this heavily limits your Persona options early in the game. (And if you don't pay attention to the sidequest rewards, you might not unlock the option at all)

* FateWorseThanDeath: Near the end of the game, [[spoiler:Nagi, or more accurately, Enlil]] reveals that the Cinema acting as the hub is [[spoiler:only Hikari's Cinema, and the setting of the game is actually a series of LotusEaterMachine Cinemas lining up in a twisted street.]] Not only that, [[spoiler:each of these Cinemas have a depressed person inside, and all of them seemed lethargic/catatonic, are incredibly sullen and almost looked borderline suicidal.]] The movies in the Cinemas are actually [[spoiler:pure negative emotions flowing from the floor of the street into the Cinemas taking the form of a documentary, with ''all'' traces of positivity cut off from them. Even though this is clearly a wonderful way to drive a depressed person to commit suicide, Enlil ''doesn't'' have an idea that it's inappropriate to consider that as helping people of any sort or form; [[ObliviouslyEvil She genuinely thinks that this actually helps.]]]]
** Apparently Hikari [[spoiler:acts ''exactly'' like those people when being trapped inside the Cinema,]] at least before [[spoiler:Doe made the movies came to life and made them capable of drawing in Persona users. Just imagine [[DrivenToSuicide what happens]] to her (or them) if you came just ''one step'' late.]]

** The Female ''P3'' Protagonist doesn't seem to recognize Yukiko being the same girl she met during her visit to Inaba. Yukiko on the other hand might not recognize her since the Female Protagonist came from a different universe.

* {{Foreshadowing}}: A.I.G.I.S greatly foreshadows the events that will eventually happen to the cast of ''Persona 3''. Namely, the robot who gains individuality takes the form of Aigis, similar how the actual Aigis becomes more human near the end of the game. Similarly, the AI behind the robot society resembles SEES' advisor, Shuji Ikutsuki, [[spoiler:foreshadowing his true nature]].

-->''Thin tights that provide warmth and protection.'' Description

* HateSink: [[spoiler:Hikari is this In Universe, the 4th cinema portrays her as an abnormal horrible person who disobeys the social status quo, however she never did anything wrong making this a subversion.]]
** [[spoiler:Played Straight with the people shown in the 4th Cinema (except Hikari’s Father) who all bullied her for being different and being the cause of her mental breakdown.]]
* HappyEndingOverride: As discussed under ForegoneConclusion, this game, like it's prequel, while everyone has their share of laughs and CharacterDevelopment, the casts are merely days away from tragedies when they return to their respective timelines:
** Persona 3: [[spoiler:Shinjiro is killed trying to protect Ken from Takaya.]]
** Persona 4: [[spoiler:Nanako will be kidnapped by Taro Namatame and is then brought into the TV world.]]
** Persona 5: [[spoiler:Akechi will betray the Phantom Thieves, leading to Joker to be arrested by the authorities]].

** Safety

** The girls (especially Chie, Yukiko, and Rise) are known to be ''terrible'' cooks, but this time, Yosuke manages to convince them to look for ingredients while the boys handle the cooking in order to lure a dinosaur [=FOE=] away. The ingredient search leads to terrible reactions: Haru finds a smelly herb, Chie finds a dinosaur egg, and Yukiko finds a ''carnivorous plant'' (which is introduced with a screaming sound effect). The only appealing ingredient was the mushroom that Ann and the ''P3P'' heroine found. The meat turns out well until Chie adds special sauce to it, and when the boys are asked to try it, Teddie feeds it to Yosuke. [[spoiler:It ends up tasting good.]]

** Persona Q songs has the song Tea Break, while Persona Q2 has the song Coffee Break.

-->''A catsuit with a black cat on the chest.'' -Armor description

* SuddenlyVoiced: The ''[=P3P=]'' Heroine is a HeroicMime in her home game and hasn't appeared in any other games since then. She is now fully voiced alongside her male counterpart and the ''P4'' Hero (both whom have lines in the previous game depending on the route taken).

* ThrowTheDogABone: After being a victim of Mystery Food X on multiple occasions, Yosuke finally manages to eat something that taste good. It helps that the ''P4'' Hero and Joker [[SupremeChef know how to cook]] and the ''[=P3P=]'' Heroine manages to find decent ingredients, which are able to counter the horrible sauce made by Chie and Yukiko.

* TheNicknamer: Futaba calls the Velvet Room attendants “the Blue Brigade,” Akihiko "Hikohiko," Elizabeth "Zabby," and Koromaru as just "the doggy."

* TheNicknamer: Futaba calls Akihiko "Hikohiko," Elizabeth "Zabby," and Koromaru as just "the doggy."

* EverythingsBetterWithDinosaurs: One of the movies has dinosaur-themed shadows in it.

** To make things worse, the major original character of the game, Hikari, [[spoiler:was being given a disturbing, yet ''highly'' realistic background story for a video game character.]] And unlike Rei, you can tell something is wrong with her right at the beginning.

** In life there will inevitably struggle and strife. However, instead of engaging in a fit of self-destruction and {{Escapism}}, you should shrug off the despair and stand against them head on without giving up.

* ArcWords: "Why do you have to be like that?" [[spoiler:This question was asked to Hikari every time she was judged and mistreated by others for not fitting in, becoming a full-on TraumaButton. When her beloved father asked her the same question out of genuine concern, not realizing just how horrible those words were for her, it shattered her completely]].

** The shading for the character artwork of this game is noticably heavier compared to the original ''Q'', making the characters look more three-dimensional.

* OddlyCommonRarity: The power of the Wild Card is rare but this game has more wielders together than any other games. While ''VideoGame/Persona4ArenaUltimax'' has a total four Wild Cards together, this game takes it UpToEleven by having five of them (both ''P3'' Protagonists, ''P4'' Hero, Joker and [[spoiler:Goro, unbeknownst to everyone else]]), and two who have yet to receive them ([[spoiler:Aigis and Elizabeth]]).

** Any high-end Sub-Persona verges on this, as you would expect to complete the game by the time your characters are around level 70 to 75, and the only remaining content that may warrant their use is the postgame BonusBoss fight. Huang Di, especially, since he carries three unique PurposelyOverpowered skills but is only accessible from level '''89'''.

** In one of the dead ends in ''A.I.G.I.S.'', Yosuke and Ryuji are discussing what would be the perfect date. Ryuji suggests bringing a girl to a ramen shop. Those who have played ''VideoGame/Persona5'' would know that one of his favorite hangout spots is a ramen shop. In the same event, Teddie also teases Yukiko for picking up a "hot stud", and she threatens to set him on fire.

** In a side quest involving fishing, Joker can mention his skills are not on the same level as Kawakami. Likewise, the P4 protagonist states the things he's managed to fish up range from a bus stop sign and the Sea Guardian (one of the items needed to complete the Hermit Social Link in ''Persona 4'').

** Junpei once again brought up the "Have Pity Ordinance".

* DivergentCharacterEvolution:

** Naoto and Akechi both specialize in Bless, Curse, and Almighty skills with a smattering of support skills. Here, Naoto plays closer to how they originally played minus the support skills while Akechi's skillset is reworked to focus on Bless and physical skills.

* EverybodyLives: Unlike most ''Persona'' games, [[spoiler:every human character involved comes out alive and well....at least for the duration of this game.]]

** Nobody seems to take Caroline and Justine seriously in this game, and their tactics against the P5 hero clearly just makes them the butt of jokes by other cinema residents.

** The girls (especially Chie, Yukiko, and Rise) are known to be ''terrible'' cooks, but this time, Yosuke manages to convince them to look for ingredients while the boys handle the cooking in order to lure a dinosaur [=FOE=] away. The ingredient search leads to terrible reactions: Haru finds a smelly herb, Chie finds a dinosaur egg, and Yukiko finds a ''carnivorous plant'' (which is introduced with a screaming sound effect). The only appealing ingredient was the mushroom Ann and the ''P3'' female protagonist found. The meat turns out well until Chie adds special sauce to it, and when the boys are asked to try it, Teddie feeds it to Yosuke. [[spoiler:It ends up tasting good.]]

* LoopholeAbuse: In the Ultimate Boss fight against [[spoiler:the Velvet Rangers]], the Twins will instantly wipe out the party with a 9999 damage Megidolaon if anyone in it equips the Omnipotent Orb. That is, if your party has a member that ''exactly'' equips it. If your character somehow nulls/repels/absorbs all elements without equipping the orb, they proceed on normally.

** The player will regularly acquire one-of-a-kind accessories from various chests in the game. These are pins named after various classes in the ''VideoGame/EtrianOdyssey'' series.

* {{Nerf}}

** Almighty skills which cost HP such as Shinkuuha no longer receive buff from the ChargedAttack skills Power Charge/Fury Order, though they can still be buffed by other means.

** Any high-end Sub-Persona verges on this, as you would expect to complete the game by the time your characters are around level 70 to 75, and the only remaining content that may warrant their use is the postgame BonusBoss fight.

[[caption-width-right:350:''[[ThematicThemeTune Your life planned out, written by someone for you!]]'']]

* {{Nerf}}: The formerly game-breaking Hama and Mudo OneHitKill skills are much harder to come by, especially when the game also has the Kou- and Ei- skills to inflict damage in their elements. They also no longer contribute to triggering an All-Out Attack, which is crucial to getting the most rewards out of a single battle.

** To make things worse, the major original character of the game, Hikari, [[spoiler:was being given a disturbing, yet ''[[AdultFear highly]]'' [[AdultFear realistic background story]] for a video game character.]] And unlike Rei, you can tell something is wrong with her right at the beginning.

* AdultFear: The game has this as well, and managed to portray an ''even more realistic'' but equally disturbing scenario as ''Persona 5''.
** Near the beginning, Kamoshidaman has [[BadassInDistress captured Makoto and Haru]]. This is bad enough on its own, but knowing [[{{Ephebophile}} the kind of man Kamoshida is]] and [[RapeIsASpecialKindOfEvil the kind of things he does]], the situation starts to look even bleaker for the two. Thankfully, Kamoshidaman [[ContrastingSequelAntagonist isn't a sexual predator like the original Kamoshida]]; he kidnaps them only because he thinks that they are criminals.
** A more fitting recipient of this trope is probably the ''entire game itself'', as it turns out the movie world is [[spoiler:the physical embodiment of a girl's C-PTSD and suicidal depression]].
** All of the labyrinths are ''disturbingly'' accurate metaphors of potential childhood traumas that can kill off a person as easily as anything seen in ''Persona 5'':
*** ''Kamoshidaman'' portrays how school teachers are basically incapable of being resisted by their students, regardless if they are wrong or right.
*** ''Junessic Land'' portrays how a newcomer student is driven into becoming a bully because everyone that is not related to the bullies isolated them.
*** ''A.I.G.I.S'' is a portrayal of parents actively preventing their children from getting a job that they want and denying its worth.
*** The fourth labyrinth [[spoiler:is a compilation and embodiment of a girl's childhood traumas and depicts how she got driven to suicidal depression.]]
** The first thing that comes to mind is the ''Persona 3'' female protagonist. When venturing the movie labyrinth ''A.I.G.I.S.'', she encounters what appears to be her S.E.E.S comrades, [[spoiler:aside that they don't recognize her ''at all'' and the recognition is one-sided, since the female protagonist can still recognize all of the S.E.E.S members. It was pretty clear that these are just identical looking {{Doppelganger}}s from another reality, and the female protagonist was here alone all the time.]] Now her StepfordSmiler just ''crashed'' and she just felt...isolated and maybe a bit traumatized, since the female protagonist values her comrades a lot and HatesBeingAlone.
** It's revealed in the end-game that Hikari, the {{Deuteragonist}} of the game is in fact [[spoiler:completely screwed up in her childhood, with her tormentors destroying her emotionally and ''only emotionally'', there are no murders, no deaths, no physical/sexual abuse and no terminal illness; All just because she acted differently from others. Surprisingly, the traumas are ''very mundane'' even for video game standards, but it doesn't make them any less disturbing.]] These include [[spoiler:her primary school teacher labeling her as a [[TheScapegoat scapegoat]] for poisoning the class rabbit that she probably didn't care for, befriending a bullied student only to be bullied in return and isolated by her GirlPosse friends in secondary school, and then having her film director future wish rejected by her relatives who threatened to talk with her father. This drives her into becoming a borderline suicidal shut-in, which is only made ''worse'' by having her LivingEmotionalCrutch father asking her the exact [[TraumaButton trigger word]] that people said to her before they poured in more abuse. Even though he was actually expressing genuine concern towards her deteriorating mental health, it doesn't stop her from being ''destroyed completely''.]] This caused her soul to [[spoiler:be "imprisoned" in one of Nagi/Enlil's Cinemas where she escapes reality by watching movies made of pure negativity. Obviously, this doesn't end well.]] The entire situation is similar to the {{Hikkikomori}} phenomenon, just imagine the [[spoiler:computers as theaters.]]
** Oh and remember that there are actually [[spoiler:''grown men and middle aged women'' in Nagi's Cinemas too, and they don't seem to be particularly cheery, either.]]

** The Female ''P3'' Protagonist doesn't seem to recognize Yukiko being the the same girl she met during her visit to Inaba. Yukiko on the other hand might not recognize her since the Female Protagonist came from a different universe.

** The Phantom Thieves' distrust in Akechi is apparent in this game, especially with Ryuji, who's the most vocal about it. In their battle banter, whenever Crow gets a good hit in, he replies in a condescending tone, and in the beginning of the game, when Crow suggests marking the stairs on the map, 2/3 of the choices involve being rude to him, where you can either ignore him or tell him to stop making suggestions. He gets along better with the Investigation Team and S.E.E.S. since they don't have any bad history with him.
** Nobody seems to take Caroline and Justine seriously in this game, and their tactics against the P5 hero clearly just makes them the stuff of jokes by other cinema residents.

* LostInTranslation: An early conversation between the heroes and Nagi has her tell them they call the strange Shadow like doll Doe. Ryuji mistakes the word doe for dough, as in, cookie dough. This joke is supposed to be about GratuitousEnglish and how there are many words in English that are pronounced the same but are spelled differently and mean different things. The joke falls more flat in English because by translating it, it makes it obvious what the intent was, as Doe refers to John Doe, something Akechi points out since it's rare to hear in Japan except for police work. An alternate reason why the strange shadow-like creature is called Doe is that [[spoiler:it comes from "'''Do'''ushite Omae Ha Sounanda," which roughly translates to "Why are you like this." When people were about to flip out on Hikari, they always say this in a nearly-identical phrasing, making it her trigger word. Hikari's father said exactly that to her at the worst time possible because he was concerned about his daughter withdrawing herself, which obviously caused her to snap instead. This is translated universally as "Why '''do''' you have to be like that," but it might still not be obvious at first glance.]]

* SpotlightStealingCrossover: Unlike the previous game, which gives focus on both casts regardless of the route chosen, the Phantom Thieves have the most focus in this game, with only the [=P3P=] Heroine having the same level as them since she joins them early. Aside from the Protagonists, the other members of SEES and the Investigation Team do not have much focus after the movie they joined.
* SpyCatsuit: One of of the armors you can buy in the Store is called "Primary Cat Suit."

* ItIsPronouncedTroPAY: The third film is named A.I.G.I.S, which seems like an anagram pronounced the same way as the party member from Persona 3, but early dialogue reveals it's supposed to be pronounced [[Film/AIArtificialIntelligence A.I]]-gis, making it a PunBasedTitle.

* DivergentCharacterEvolution: The ''P3'' protagonists start out with their respective versions of Orpheus, but are given different Ultimate Personas. The male protagonist gets Orpheus Telos, while the female protagonist gets Messiah. While both characters have Fire as their elemental specialty, they learn entirely different skill sets -- the female protagonist is focused around {{Combos}} through Link attacks, while the male protagonist is a well-rounded JackOfAllTrades.

* NeverBeHurtAgain: [[spoiler:This was the entire premise of the Theatergoers of the game and the reason why their will ended up in Enlil's LotusEaterMachine theaters; They simply wanted to avoid the pain and strife of living in a conformist and abusive society.]]

* SawItInAMovieOnce: The female protagonist volunteers to talk to a police officer in the manhole of Kamocity, and he asks her what the password is to verify her identity. When it turns out that there was no password, and the police officer was using it to bait her, ''[[TapOnTheHead she suddenly knocks him unconscious by chopping him in the neck]]''. All the boys are appalled, while [[YouGoGirl Ann is excited]]. The female protagonist then excitedly says she's always wanted to do that ever since she saw it in a movie.
** On a darker version of this trope, ''Kamoshidaman'' and ''Junessic Land'' are [[spoiler:actually perverse versions of movies that Hikari watched when she was young, with their morals twisted by her past traumas.]]

* SpiritualAntithesis: The game appears to ''completely contrast'' the original ''Q'' in may form or ways while maintaning a similar premise.
** Instead of throwing the player into a place that resembles the Yasogami High that everyone knew and loved, this game outright throws you into the first Labyrinth then puts you into a seemingly barren Cinema where the first person you meet is a strange, black ''thing''.

* ThrowTheDogABone: After being a victim Mystery Food X on multiple occasions, Yosuke finally manage to eat something that taste good. It helps that [[SupremeChef the ''P4'' Hero and Joker]] know how to cook and the ''[=P3P=]'' Heroine manage to find decent ingredient, which are able to counter the horrible sauce made by Chie and Yukiko.

* HeroicBSOD: The ''[=P3P=]'' Heroine loses her usual genki-ness gradually as she is worried sick of the whereabouts of her companions and it reaches rock bottom when she is reunited with them only to find out they are from a parallel universe. At this point, she's NotSoDifferent from her male counterpart and spends most of the time moody while pretending that she is okay until S.E.E.S. cheer her up.

* BaitAndSwitch: The ''Junessic Land'' labyrinth likes to play this; It's the ''entire premise'' of its plot. The movie trailer makes you think that the Carnivores and the BigBad of the movie; In reality, that's the Herbivores who suffocate and mindbreak any of their pack members whose opinions don't match theirs.

* LotusEaterMachine: [[spoiler:It was later revealed that the entire setting of the game is one itself, aside that it's more like a flat-out horrible nightmare for the people trapped in it.]]

* ArcWords: "Why do you have to be like this?" [[spoiler:Hikari often gets asked this question by people who judge her for not fitting in, and eventually, by her father, the one person who understood her]].

** At the start of the game, when the party goes back to the Theater, Yusuke begins to talk to a spirit popping out from the seats. Nagi and Hikari then emerge among them. While the physical Hikari is defintely alive, the one you encounter for most of the game [[spoiler:is really her spirit and not her physical person.]]

** Near the beginning, Kamoshidaman has [[BadassInDistress captured Makoto and Haru]]. This is bad enough on its own, but knowing [[{{Ephebophile}} the kind of man Kamoshida is]] and [[RapeIsASpecialKindOfEvil the kind of things he does]], the situation starts to look even bleaker for the two. Thankfully, Kamoshidaman [[ContrastingSequelAntagonist isn't a sexual predator like the original Kamoshida]]; he kidnapped them only because he thinks that they are criminals.

** All of the labyrinths are ''disturbingly'' accurate metaphors of potential childhood traumas that can kill off a person as easily as anything seen in ''Persona 5''.
*** ''Kamoshidaman'' portrays how school teachers are basically unresistable by their classmates, regardless if they are wrong or right.
*** ''Junessic Land'' portrays how a newcomer student is being driven into becoming a bully because everyone that is not related to the bullies isolated them.
*** ''A.I.G.I.S'' is a portrayal of parents actively preventing their children to get a job that they wanted and denying its worth.

** The first thing that comes to mind is the Persona 3 female protagonist. When venturing the movie labyrinth ''A.I.G.I.S.'', she encounters what appears to be her S.E.E.S comrades, [[spoiler:aside that they don't recognize her ''at all'' and the recognition is one-sided, since the female protagonist can still recognize all of the S.E.E.S members. It was pretty clear that these are just identical looking {{Doppelganger}}s from another reality, and the female protagonist was here alone all the time.]] Now her StepfordSmiler just ''crashed'' and she just felt...isolated and maybe a bit traumatized, since the female protagonist values her comrades a lot and HatesBeingAlone.
** It was revealed in the end-game that Hikari, the {{Deuteragonist}} of the game is in fact [[spoiler:completely screwed up in her childhood, with her tormentors destroying her emotionally and ''only emotionally'', there are no murders, no deaths, no physical/sexual abuse and no terminal illness; All just because she acted differently from others. Surprisingly, the traumas are ''very mundane'' even for video game standards, but it doesn't make them any less disturbing.]] These include [[spoiler:her primary school teacher labeling her as a [[TheScapegoat scapegoat]] for poisoning the class rabbit that she probably didn't care for, befriending a bullied student only to be bullied in return and isolated by her GirlPosse friends in secondary school, and then having her film director future wish rejected by her relatives who threatened to talk with her father. This drives her into becoming a borderline suicidal shut-in, which is only made ''worse'' by having her LivingEmotionalCrutch father asking her the exact [[TraumaButton trigger word]] that people said to her before they poured in more abuse. Even though he was actually expressing genuine concern towards her deteriorating mental health, it doesn't stop her from being ''destroyed completely''.]] This caused her soul to [[spoiler:be "imprisoned" in one of Nagi/Enlil's Cinemas where she escapes reality by watching movies made of pure negativity. Obviously, this doesn't end well.]] The entire situation is similar to the {{Hikkikomori}} phenomenon, just imagine the [[spoiler:computers as theaters.]]