My early experiences with this game are easily matching Brad's, and I'm playing it a couple months later with patched improvements. I'm going to power through it, as it's a relatively short game, but I think my expectations were still too high going into this.
No one's going to mention that there are actually two good endings to Persona 5? The fact that @alex never mentioned the second question near the end of the game to set up the 'true ending' makes me wonder if he got it. I mean, it's likely, as it wasn't hard to get that question right (or the two questions from earlier in the game), but still I wonder.
Also, as has been pointed out, you get whatever version of each persona the second you negotiate or fuse them. So if you get a base persona through negotiation, the default in the compendium is going to be the base persona. However, if the first time you get a persona is through fusion, then the persona in the compendium is going to have all the extras you got through the fusion.
You need to get on Super Metroid, Mass Effect 2, and Castlevania: SotN. Those games are brilliant, even years after the fact.
Earthbound & Planescape: Torment... I have more fun thinking about those games than playing them. Now, they're not bad games, but both of them are really beloved for their unique world building and storylines. The gameplay is okay.
Tactics Ogre is a more brutal Final Fantasy Tactics. Good storyline, but be prepared to get roughed up.
Anyway, good luck. You should see my backlog. Ugh.
@zeik: Playing the the first time through a Persona with a guide is, well... it feels counter to the spirit of the game. The game asks you to sign a contract to accept the results of your decisions, and I think the most interesting part of the game is seeing where your choices lead. It's a bit unfortunate that there is only one optimal way to play, because that leads to things like the guides for people who simply don't want to play the game more than once and miss out on anything. I understand why people do that, and I don't judge them, but playing blind is so much more in the spirit of the game, I feel.
Oddly enough, I almost maxed out my S.Links on my first Persona 3 FES playthrough. I had everyone at max except Fuuka and the French exchange student, neither of whom I had any points in. It felt good to get that with some obvious subpar choices, especially early game.
I also agree with you over the color choice. Red can be a stress color, but it's also a color of action and boldness. That's why red is so common in advertising. I mean, do cans of Coke stress people out? How about Santa? (Granted, both those ideas came from the same marketing department.)
12 sodas a day is insane, even for someone with a diet like Dan's
At one point in my life, I was drinking about 4-6 liters of Diet Coke a day. Now it's coffee. So I don't know if that's a lateral move or what.
Edit - Right, I also have Crohn's Disease. So when I was unmedicated my body went through a lot of water. Doesn't make it a smart habit, but probably worth mentioning.
I take my coffee with milk, no sugar, and try not to make eye contact when helping the staff. Wait, what? They're not interns? Oh, um... in that case just the coffee, please.
viking_funeral's comments