I can’t believe it’s been over six months since my last devlog! Crazy. If you need a refresher, check out the previous update, where I discussed adding Joel as Ryuji, the ambitious scope of the new story mode, and some behind-the-scenes technical details.
Now, I have to be honest—there hasn’t been much “visual overhaul” content ready to showcase in video clips lately. Progress has been steady, but a lot of what we’ve been working on isn’t quite polished enough to share just yet.
That said, I have to break some news: the mod is unlikely to release in 2024. What started as a simple addition of Vinny and Joel has evolved into an entirely new party, complete with re-themed dungeons, redesigned bosses, and new enemies. At this stage, it’s impossible to predict a release date, but I’ll continue posting updates like this to keep you all in the loop.
Taking On New Opportunities
On a slightly different note, something big happened since my last P5V update—I became an official editor for the Vinesauce YouTube channel! It’s an incredible opportunity to work alongside one of my favorite creators, and while it does take some of my focus away from this mod, I’m beyond grateful for the experience.
Speaking of which, my first edit for the main highlight channel should be coming out any week now. 🙂
EDIT: It’s out! I may be biased, but this turned out to be one of my favorite playthroughs. I still don’t get tired of watching it. Hope everyone else enjoys it too!
Where Our Focus Has Been
Behind the scenes, we’ve been deep in discussions about the scope of this project. While we ultimately decided to cut the new story mode in favor of fully overhauling the dungeons, that still left a lot of unanswered questions:
- How much of the boss art should we create from scratch?
- Should bosses be simple reskins, or should we modify their mechanics?
- What about dungeon textures, objects, lighting, and dialogue?
With 10+ Palaces to overhaul, making these decisions has been a challenge. To help visualize our priorities, I created the following chart:
Just like in self-care, we need to prioritize essential elements before spending energy on extras. Right now, I’d say we’re about halfway up the pyramid.
Progress Updates & What’s Next
We recently announced on Twitter that the full party has been designed, with models and UI art completed. There’s still work to be done—some voice replacements need finalizing, and All-Out-Attack sequences need polish. Weapon and Persona replacements are also on the to-do list. Once those tasks are wrapped up, I’ll start focusing on bosses and enemies. Expect gameplay videos soon!
On the tech side, I’ve been busy too:
- Discord Rich Presence now displays the mod when you’re playing it.
- Green menu coloring (originally a separate mod by Zarroboogs) is now integrated.
- Ryo Framework is being used to mod BGM, voices, and sounds more efficiently.
I’ve also written a map editing guide for Blender to help artists contribute directly. You can read it here if you’re curious! Additionally, I’m also building an internal wiki to keep all of our ideas organized, and the mod’s webpage has been updated with more FAQ details.
Details I Can Share For Now
As showcased in our latest video, the title screen has been fully reskinned, confirming the final party replacements:
- Vinny as Joker
- Joel as Ryuji
- Scoot as Morgana
- Two Faced as Ann
- Sponge as Yusuke
- Gnorts as Makoto
- Slime Champ as Haru
- Chat as Futaba
- Dante as Akechi
- Birdo as Kasumi
Additionally, I can confirm that Speed Luigi will be the boss of the Museum Palace. The reskin is about 99% complete. Other bosses will include fan-favorite characters like Mr. Dink, Grey Leno, and Gordon Ramsey.
Metaverse Van & Other Fun Additions
Your Metaverse van has also gotten a Scoot-themed skin by default, complete with new revving noises. You’ll still have the option to switch it to a Vinesauce, Red Vox, or Mario Bros. theme at any time.
Vinesauce Card Pack Stretch Goals
Regarding the Vinesauce Trading Card Pack, one of the Kickstarter stretch goals was met: “Vinny will play Persona 5 live for exactly 20 minutes.”
To be clear, we had no involvement in this decision—it was likely an agreement between Vinny and Retro_Stew, the project creator. Whether the mod will be featured in the stream is still up in the air, but I’m willing to prepare a demo if the need arises. That said, I’d be just as happy if he played the original P5, since many fans may want to see his reactions to the base game first.
That’s all for now! Thank you for your continued interest and support. Hopefully, by my next update, I’ll be able to show off all of our new playable characters. Until then, take care!