The Persona sequence has been molded from RPG into many, many different genres, particularly Persona 5. Dungeon crawling, dancing, although sadly no brawling; and now, with Persona 5 Tactica, it’s time for some turn-based ways.

As I discussed in my review-in-progress, there’s actually no scarcity of additional content material for many who don’t need to depart the world of Persona 5. And if you would like extra Persona 5—extra hijinks, gags, and common time spent with the Phantom Thieves—then Tactica can definitely accommodate that.

On prime of that, it’s a stable ways sport that even has some fascinating concepts. Persona 5 Tactica is lighthearted, enjoyable, and even hits some stable notes close to the tip with its stance on combating in your beliefs. However it additionally falters, usually sufficient to notice the place this might have been a extra rewarding tactical expertise.

Persona 5 Tactica (PC, Swap [reviewed], PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Sequence X|S)
Developer: Atlus
Writer: Sega
Launched: November 16, 2023
MSRP: $59.99

Firstly of Persona 5 Tactica, we catch the Phantom Thieves recuperating from a latest tour in Leblanc, earlier than they’re all of a sudden pulled into one other dimension, a “Kingdom.” Whereas it considerably acts just like the Metaverse of Persona 5, it’s barely totally different; right here, a tyrannical ruler named Marie lords over her topics. A insurgent corps of lovely hat-guys resist, led by the seemingly human however enigmatic Erina; and shortly, the gang additionally finds Food plan member Toshiro Kasukabe trapped right here, too.

Beginning with simply Joker and Morgana, the duo groups up with Erina and the rebels to save lots of the opposite Phantom Thieves, who’ve been enchanted (or perhaps simply brain-controlled) by Marie’s magic. After which, after rebuilding the crew, it’s time to start out a revolution.

You say you need a revolution?

This theme carries by way of the prolonged first Kingdom and onto subsequent sections, because the Phantom Thieves’ tour doesn’t finish with only one large unhealthy. I gained’t go deep into the place Persona 5 Tactica goes, nevertheless it does keep centered on concepts of energy and relative peace. Primarily, how a tyrannical rule can really feel so oppressive that any resistance is seen as too pricey, and both submission or apathy is preferable to combating again.

It’s heartening, actually, to see Persona 5 Tactica problem these concepts, very like its Phantom Thieves did within the authentic sport. It might really feel like most of the similar notes, about altering hearts and combating for a greater future, however its revolutionary beliefs nonetheless really feel stirring in Tactica. Newcomers Erina and Toshiro are welcome focal factors, and their eventual twists and turns are fairly good.

Alternatively, don’t count on an excessive amount of story on the Phantom Thieves’ facet. A few of the crew, like Haru and Futaba, find yourself getting just a little further highlight as their very own struggles line up with the brand new characters’. However others, like Makoto or Yusuke, are simply sort of there. A lot of the Persona 5 crew is right here to work together and hang around, tossing round jokes, however not essentially taking any big steps on their very own private journeys. Tactica may be very a lot centered on Erina and Toshiro.

It’s advised nicely, although the style-swapping between visible novel-like textual content segments, 3D-animated cutscenes, and absolutely 2D animated cutscenes does really feel a bit odd at instances. I’m not the largest fan of the final “look” the Phantom Thieves have in P5 Tactica, nevertheless it wasn’t notably egregious both. 

The normal P5 type is far more prevalent within the menus and UI, which incorporates some attractive transition results and a Velvet Room abbreviation that reads, “V. Room.” , like a automotive. What? It makes me snigger.

Squaring up

With regards to ways, Persona 5 Tactica has some fairly fascinating concepts. In broad strokes, it will really feel acquainted to any turn-based technique fan, however particularly those that have performed video games just like the Mario + Rabbid sequence. You’re taking your flip, transferring your three deployed characters on the grid and attacking utilizing a wide range of skills, then the enemy strikes.

Particular person models have a wide range of expertise out there, together with dangerous however doubtlessly sturdy melee strikes, commonplace gun assaults, and naturally, utilizing magic by way of their Personas. On this sport, Joker’s Wild Card standing extends to all of the Phantom Thieves (after clearing a sure mission), so everybody can equip a second Persona to broaden their magic repertoire and bump their stats.

Most of your actions will focus round a central idea: establishing the One Extra. If an enemy is outdoors of canopy, or in any other case susceptible, then not solely will a success rating full harm however it can additionally knock them down and provides the attacker one other flip. (This will work in opposition to you too, by the way in which.) Establishing chain reactions, the place one unit can ping-pong between targets shelling out harm and zipping throughout the map, is essential.

It’s additionally necessary for establishing the Triple Risk Assault, the reward for all of your tactical planning. If a unit is on a One Extra flip, strains prolong from every Phantom Thief, forming a triangle between your trio; if the triangle sits over a downed enemy, then it lights up with fireplace for a Triple Risk. The Thieves begin the all-out assault, damaging the downed foe and everybody else caught within the space.

Triangle technique

The Triple Risk sounds extra advanced than it’s. Actually, it’s the mixture of this transfer and the One Extra that makes Persona 5 Tactica’s technique really feel rewarding. It could possibly really feel a bit awkward at first, as you need to suppose a number of strikes forward with everybody. One unit must tee issues up, after which you need to decide the way you’re going to angle your triangle place from there.

Usually, it pushed me to make some dangerous performs. I like how freeform it feels, whereas additionally ultimately forcing you to plant three stakes within the floor and money out as greatest you possibly can. There have been maps the place, due to some good strikes and cautious planning, I cleared it at two turns decrease than the par aim for further rewards. Different instances, I tousled an angle someplace, and was left to look at my models get blasted about by Legionnaires.

The enemy models do sufficient to make Tactica robust, too. From help models to large, hulking brutes, and a few particularly annoying shielded foes, there’s a great selection on show. I felt like enemy design hit its peak with ninja models that might force-swap locations with a unit after being attacked. It might put my models manner out of place, but in addition be used as a option to cleverly navigate the map or arrange large Triple Risk hits.

Nowhere is that this satisfying facet of the technique extra evident than the Quests, Persona 5 Tactica’s optionally available ranges that, at their greatest, really feel like puzzle packing containers. A few of my favourite missions in P5T weren’t large fights in opposition to bosses or frantic holdouts in opposition to overwhelming odds, however Quests with easy however head-scratching goals. “Get to the goal in a single flip” or “clear all enemies in two turns” maps felt like little chess puzzles that I cherished rigorously wanting over.

The bummer is these rewarding little technique puzzles aren’t what makes up the entire of Tactica. The center of the sport is the place most of my favourite tactical bouts occurred; the early run of missions are heavy on tutorials, and are at the least a straightforward on-ramp for ways newcomers. The endgame felt virtually a bit too straightforward, and to get into why, I’ll have to delve even deeper into the mechanics of Tactica. Particularly, its stats and weapons.

A demonic arsenal

Lavenza and the Velvet Room return, principally doing what you’d count on: facilitating demon fusion and compendium administration. Making good Personas in your occasion to carry is worth it, for the stats and for the extra expertise or passives they provide. However there’s another choice that unlocks a good manner into the sport: fusing weapons from demons.

Weapons play a big position in Persona 5 Tactica, far more than I ever felt they did in Persona 5, and initially you simply have a store for upgrading them. Every character has their very own fireplace sort too, starting from fundamental pistols for Joker and Makoto to Haru’s grenade launcher, Ann’s submachine gun, and Ryuji’s shotgun. Fusing weapons provides much more properties, from altering up the vary and unfold of the gun to including elemental results and, in fact, including harm.

I haven’t actually talked about the Expertise system but, the place you spend reward GP from missions and Quests to improve every Phantom Thief individually. Actually, they’re pretty simple; I hoped for some extra choices to customise and outline playstyles for every character, however they’re all meant to improve what they already do. Every improve path felt related for characters. Bump up their magic, give them further motion squares and vary, and unlock their signature ability.

Principally, there are a lot of avenues for upgrading your characters. And by the marketing campaign’s finish, I felt like my characters have been borderline overpowered. Granted, I had completed every Quest and been using the techniques put in entrance of me to eke out probably the most energy I might. However in change, the issue (I used to be on Regular) didn’t really feel prefer it might maintain tempo. Heck, there have been some enemies who I couldn’t knock right into a downed state, as a result of one assault to knock them out of canopy and one other to start out the One Extra would take them out utterly. Making Triple Threats occur grew to become its personal problem.

In some methods, that is good. I might see this being a really approachable technique sport for many who don’t spend a ton of time taking part in them. However I do want among the endgame phases felt like they both challenged me extra, or supplied better rewards for extra strategic play.

Steal your coronary heart

Persona 5 Tactica is, by all means, a stable ways sport. It’s satisfying, has some recent concepts, and positively has its personal aptitude and character. However it additionally made me only a bit extra conscious of how that is one more Persona 5 spin-off.

The story with Erina and Toshiro is nice, nevertheless it seems like a Saturday morning tour for the P5 gang. That is extra Persona 5, however a frozen-in-time distillation of the vibes and good instances with the gang, moderately than a substantive addition to any of these characters’ tales. And we’ve had a lot of “extra Persona 5.”

I’m unsure I’d advocate this to everybody, however for many who need this sort of mash-up anyhow, I feel they’re already on board. When you’re new to ways video games, Tactica may even be a pleasant on-ramp in direction of different choices that get just a little extra in-depth.

So if the concept of a ways sport starring the Phantom Thieves, clocking in at a neat 30ish hours, sounds interesting, then Persona 5 Tactica is for you. It’s not as deep or compelling as different choices, nevertheless it’s received the type and characters you want. The ending wraps up properly too, even when getting there’s a bit drawn out in the beginning. I’m glad I spent a while within the tactical Kingdoms of Persona 5 Tactica myself. However I additionally suppose I’m prepared for a brand new crew to get the highlight.

_{[This review is based on a retail build of the game provided by the publisher.]}