10 Reasons Persona 5 Is Already A Game Of The Year Contender

9. A Masterful Time Management System Makes Every Second Count

Something that feels wholly unique to the Persona franchise is the time management system.

Rather than progressing in a linear manner, the player gets given the choice of how to best use their time. You control whether or not to try and build relationships, study for exams, get a job, watch TV and much more. Learning the best ways to manage your time and get the most out of it is one of Persona 5's most interesting and engrossing mechanics.

Combining this time management with the rest of Persona 5's mechanics meshes perfectly, with time outside of Palaces being used to improve the player's stats and produce items to use in dungeons. The beauty of this is that the player truly feels like they're actually in control of the protagonist and the events unfolding around them, rather than just watching them play out.

Time management isn't a new mechanic in gaming, but it's been absolutely mastered here and really makes Persona 5 stand out amongst other great games this year.