Haven’t played 5, but SMT is a very different series, despite being what persona spun off from. The biggest differences in my mind are the lack of social aspects in general and that SMT is just kind of brutal.

If the difficulty isn’t such a turn off, I might recommend Devil Survivor, which has some systems just a couple steps away from social links, your decisions determining who stays with you and how the plot goes. It’s a TRPG.

There are plenty of SMT games with appeal, but that’s the closest one to persona, and even it isn’t that close.

Agreed. Let’s not let perfect be the enemy of good. Even if it ONLY makes bribery more expensive, is that not a good thing?