Persona 5 Tactica, developed by ATLUS and published by SEGA, brings Persona’s beloved Phantom Thieves back for a tactical adventure set in a unique Metaverse. In this new combat-centric experience, the game introduces an all-new storyline following the events of Persona 5, plunging the Phantom Thieves into a world of tyrannical oppression and bizarre hat people. The plot unfolds as they join forces with Erina, a mysterious revolutionary, and Toshiro Kasukabe, a high-ranking government official, to escape the Metaverse and uncover the truth. We played it on a PlayStation 5 for this review.
The narrative of Persona 5 Tactica is a mix of familiar and fresh elements. The game’s set in a realm reminiscent of the main game’s palaces, but with a stronger focus on characters than locations. The story introduces Erina, an engaging character, though Toshiro also gets to develop into a compelling personality here. But while enjoyable, the plot and characters are not groundbreaking and secondary to the combat.
One possible issue is that at this point we’ve seen a lot of the Phantom Thieves’ characters through spin-offs, and while Tactica is still a great game we couldn’t shake the feeling that a bit of fresh blood wouldn’t hurt the Persona series right now, even though the shift to a strategy RPG format is a breath of fresh air from a gameplay perspective.
The combat features XCOM-style gameplay with a strong emphasis on mobility, where each character’s unique weaponry adds variety to the tactical options, with cover mechanics and the introduction of the Sub-Persona system from Persona Q being standout features. The latter allows customization with up to two passive or active abilities, and Persona skills play a crucial role with a range of elemental spells with different effects. The Downing mechanic, where vulnerable enemies can be downed for extra turns, adds depth to the strategy, especially with the powerful Triple Threat attack as a reward.
Difficulty levels don’t just make the game harder or easier, but can also impact the gaming experience, with higher difficulty levels encouraging the use of all available mechanics – potentially leading to entirely different tactics. The game is divided into four kingdoms, each with a self-contained set of levels. Optional quests, which are often puzzle-based, add depth to the experience without leading to any kind of excessive grinding.
Visually, Tactica adopts a cartoony style, similar to the one seen in the Persona Q games. Despite appearing more basic than Persona 5 or the Persona 3 Remake, the game effectively utilizes its visuals style with a few well-animated cut scenes. The music, a blend of new and old tracks from the series, complements the atmosphere, as does the excellent voice acting.
In terms of content, features around 20 hours of well-paced gameplay, which is made up of a successful blend of Persona 5 and tactical gameplay. The combat is satisfying, the story is enjoyable, and the story and setting cater well to Persona 5 fans. It doesn’t rise to the same heights as some of the other Persona games, but it manages to capture the spirit of the Phantom Thieves and provides a fun, if somewhat familiar, experience for fans of the franchise.
Score: 7.7/10
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