Persona 5 Strikers is only a few weeks away, so it’s time to rally the Phantom Thieves together for one last adventure. Developed by Omega Force and P-Studio, Strikers is a radically different style of game than the smash-hit JRPG Persona 5. Combat is no-longer turn-based, but a mix of the army smashing battles of the Dynasty Warriors franchise and the strategic combos of Final Fantasy VII: Remake. Similar to the original, players can equip each member of the Phantom Thieves with a melee weapon, piece of armor, and stat-boosting accessory. While ranged weapons are static, upgrading your group’s gear is critical if you want to take on some of the tougher jails and bosses.
Thankfully, it’s fairly simple to unlock and purchase new equipment, but it will cost you a lot of yen.
How to Get New Equipment
Throughout Persona 5 Strikers there are a few different ways to obtain new weapons, armor pieces, and accessories. While you won’t be able to really improve Joker and the crew’s gear until you reach the first jail, the game will swiftly open up different avenues for you to obtain items.
These are:
- Sophia’s Shop
- Completing Requests
- Certain Stores
- Opening Chests in Jails
- Story Moments/Talking With Party Members
Sophia’s Shop will be the primary method for getting any items you need. Her store updates whenever you discover a jail, with typically two new weapons and armor pieces added per character. Often these will be one with extremely high stats, while the other will be slightly weaker but with a stat or defense benefit. The price of gear will grow, so expect to spend several thousands (eventually tens of thousands) of yen as you progress deeper into the story. These items are generally all solid and will get you through most engagements.
That being said, the best gear is typically tied to Requests you’ll get on the Phan-Site. This feature won’t open up until after the first jail, but once it does I recommend completing any quest that rewards a weapon or armor pieces. If you complete the Requests when you get them, there’s a very good chance that piece of loot will be better than anything in the store. Often these will ask you to kill a specific foe by either exploiting their weaknesses or using certain party members. Always prioritize Requests that offer gear — especially if you are about to fight a boss. It will also save you some money, allowing you to buy more healing items and ingredients.
The next two methods for obtaining items are by opening chests in Jails and purchasing them at shops. Chests can be opened by approaching them, but you will need to upgrade your Locksmith Bond to open up higher-tier chests. This is something I recommend dumping a few Bond Points into since it’s fairly cheap and can net you some really handy items. As for stores, you will exclusively find accessories in them. No shop in the entire game sells weapons and armor, those can only be purchased through Sophia’s Shop. I suggest always checking every store available whenever you reach a new destination. Often you’ll find accessories that are exclusive to that city, so make sure to buy them!
Finally, you will get some accessories and gear pieces by just progressing through Persona 5 Strikers’ story. Now, this rarely happens, so you absolutely cannot rely on it. Additionally, once you reach the final stretch you’ll be told to go speak to the Phantom Thieves by Sophia. Doing so will net you some of the best accessories in the entire game for free. These won’t be too useful in the final Jail but are terrific for New Game Plus.
