The Persona sequence has its justifiable share of spinoffs. The truth is, there are actually extra Persona offshoots now than mainline Persona video games, and that’s the place Persona 5 Tactica finds itself: a brand new tackle some acquainted territory, exhibiting the Phantom Thieves in a extra strategic gentle.

For Tactica, this implies adapting the mechanics of Persona to not preventing video games, dancing, dungeon-crawling or musou, however to ways. And it does work effectively, even when its greatest sides take a short time to look.

Persona 5 Tactica (PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Collection X|S, Change [reviewed])
Developer: P-Studio/Atlus
Writer: Sega
Launched: November 16, 2023
MSRP: $59.99

Persona 5 Tactica could be very a lot a facet story. So actually, don’t anticipate an excessive amount of in the best way of a “sequel” or new piece of information right here. The Phantom Thieves, whereas hanging out within the Leblanc cafe, get pulled into a wierd new dimension just like (however completely different from) the Metaverse, referred to as a Kingdom.

Viva la revolution

After a run-in with the ruler of this Kingdom’s ruler Marie, the empress charms everybody however Joker, Morgana, and newcomer Erina. The primary Kingdom principally entails recovering your pals, increase insurgent forces, and taking down Marie whereas looking for a means dwelling. Extra twists, and additional Kingdoms, await past that; however I’ll go away these story particulars for gamers to find.

What’s essential to notice is that lots of Persona 5 is right here, however in a surface-level style in the case of the story and characters. The social hyperlinks have been discarded, in favor of side-stories referred to as Quests, however even then, they’re not deep dives into any of those characters’ tales. I think about somebody who, for some purpose, picked this up with out taking part in Persona 5 would possibly really feel a bit misplaced.

A lot of Persona 5 Tactica’s story up to now seems like extra time spent across the Phantom Thieves. And in some methods, I assume that’s positive. Their antics can nonetheless get a chuckle out of me, and their dynamic continues to be pleasing, after all of the hours I dumped into the unique Persona 5. 

A few of the what-if eventualities, like a piece the place Joker can daydream about marrying one of many workforce members (together with some not romanceable within the base recreation, a giant win for all Ren x Ryuji shippers), are pleasing. And Erina, the brand new ally who joins the playable forged, is already a powerful addition to the crew.

However whereas preventing recreation gamers would possibly gel with simply the mechanics of Persona 4 Enviornment, I’m undecided if Persona 5 Tactica may maintain open the side-door for potential sequence newcomers in the identical means. Then once more, I may see somebody selecting this up simply because they need a brand new ways recreation with a definite Persona taste to it.

Tactical selections

And actually, the ways are a giant draw of Persona 5 Tactica. And after they click on into place, they’re actually fascinating. By adapting the ideas of Persona 5 right into a ways setting, P-Studio and Atlus focus in on the One Extra and additional flip features. It’s a key a part of Persona’s fight id, so it makes excellent sense. Catching an enemy out of canopy lets characters get an additional flip, extending their doable motion vary and establishing extra injury; totally down an enemy and kind a triangle round them, and you’ll decide to a Triple Menace, an all-out assault on everybody caught within the center.

It may well sound sophisticated when specified by textual content, however it’s fairly simple in follow. Melee assaults and Persona abilities supply alternatives to displace foes and transfer them out of canopy, as do environmental hazards. So it’s simple to get right into a rhythm: knock them out, knock them down, kind the triangle and strike.

Initially, that is the entire routine, and early ranges don’t at all times do the perfect job of spotlighting the pliability of those methods. A couple of fights can really feel a bit repetitive or inflexible, because it seems like you might have one recreation plan to work with, and issues solely begin to open up later, as you get extra diverse abilities and skills. 

I felt it probably the most when Persona 5 Tactica launched me to the Observe-Up Assault: if I knocked an enemy off a ledge in direction of an ally under, the ally would carry out an additional assault and I’d get a One Extra on the character that did the launching. It’s a vital, partaking tactic that emphasizes the good thing about elevation management, however it arrives a great deal of the best way into Tactica’s missions. It’s a neat aspect that I want Tactica had handed to me a lot earlier.

Characters in Persona 5 Tactica have a good quantity of selection, every bringing their very own type of magic and weaponry to the sector. Weapons matter a very good deal extra right here than it felt like they did in Persona 5, as completely different hearth sorts can alter firefights; Haru launches grenades that hit an space, whereas Ann’s SMG can blanket a small space in bullets. I did discover myself leaning extra in direction of the cell members of the crew, as having motion choices feels paramount right here. However I’ve spent a while ensuring I understand how each member of the Thieves lineup fights.

Getting conversant in that selection is essential too, as Persona 5 Tactica encourages the participant to swap up their roster mission-over-mission. Every tour into the world would possibly entail a number of maps of fights, and Phantom Thieves get a lift to their numbers in the event that they’re becoming a member of off the bench. It’s a wise, neat technique to encourage swapping round occasion members and experimenting with compositions. The Voltage talents, tremendous abilities that may unleash injury and distinctive particular results on the sector, add one other dimension value contemplating too. Talents like Carmen’s bomb assault or Erina’s banner made these characters common roster inclusions all by themselves.

Magic feels a bit unusual right here; perhaps it’s the Satan Survivor fan in me speaking, however I missed a number of the elemental weaknesses that normally play a big function in SMT and Persona video games. Persona abilities as a substitute present completely different results. Bufu can freeze, or Frei can vortex enemies in, or Psi can lure enemies out. Some really feel extraordinarily highly effective, others much less so, however a number of didn’t really feel fairly as conducive to the rack-em-up, tear-em-down set-ups of Triple Threats as others.

Your personal private Persona

Character customization is the place I really feel Persona 5 Tactica is falling a bit brief for me. New weapons are simply quantity boosts, and so are lots of the abilities you possibly can spend GP on. A number of completely different nodes, in truth, supply both upgraded variations of a talent you already know or a lift to that household of abilities (i.e. Agi Enhance). There are some deeper character customization choices, however I hoped for one thing that would give me a technique to outline how I, personally, play Joker, for instance, fairly than additional imposing a set means to play Joker.

The way in which Tactica handles Personas themselves, although, is rather more fascinating. On the earth of Persona 5 Tactica, each member of the Phantom Thieves features entry to a form of Wild Card, permitting them to equip an extra Persona alongside their major one. This implies each character can acquire entry to fascinating talents tacked onto these Personas, opening up cool capability mixtures. A few of my favourite demon abilities lean into these, providing Passives that may enhance your injury when focusing on a number of enemies, for instance. It’s a wise transfer that makes for some actually fascinating character constructing, as you rack up a giant assortment of demons to fuse.

The place Persona 5 Tactica shines brightest is in its Quests, these side-story actions I discussed earlier than. Story missions are sometimes fairly simple and actually didn’t supply me an excessive amount of problem taking part in on Regular. However the Quests are like little tactical issues, with the higher ones reminding me of chess puzzles. They may ask you to succeed in the aim with a personality in a single flip, or discover a technique to wipe out all enemies within the time allotted, whereas posing limitations on which characters you possibly can area.

These sections spotlight the place Persona 5 Tactica feels probably the most rewarding: the second when a plan has come collectively, your excellent flip has been mapped out, and also you execute in a single fell swoop. Mapping out the best way during which I may exactly place my models to knock out the enemy with no damaging reprise feels nice.

My biggest hold-up, nonetheless, is that Persona 5 Tactica isn’t at all times at that peak. And I believe for as usually as I’ve had extraordinarily rewarding tactical options up to now, I’ve had a good few missions that felt routine. With the best way Tactica has been introducing new mechanics to my software equipment, I’m hopeful that it’s a backloaded tactical expertise. For somebody pretty new to the ideas Tactica is introducing, it’d even really feel like a welcome easing into the waters.

The place it stands now, Tactica is criss-crossing backwards and forwards, oscillating between sturdy, fascinating tactical puzzles and routine missions, with some cool story moments and fan-pleasing gags added for good measure. It’s stable sufficient as-is, however we’ll see if, as soon as over what feels just like the midway mark, Persona 5 Tactica picks up some downhill steam.