Persona 5 Tactica: A New Spin-off Game in the Persona Series
Ever since Persona 3, Atlus has continued to expand on each mainline Persona game, turning them into their own sub-franchise. Now, Persona 5 is getting another spin-off game called Persona 5 Tactica, which I had the chance to demo at Tokyo Game Show 2023.
A New Genre for the Persona Series
Persona 5 Tactica is the first tactical role-playing game in the Persona series. While it’s a new genre for Persona, Atlus has experience with tactical RPGs from developing Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor. The game takes place during Persona 5 but in a parallel world, where the Phantom Thieves help a group of rebels fight tyranny alongside their main story.
Battle Gameplay
In my hands-on demo, I jumped right into a battle with a quick step-by-step tutorial. If you’re familiar with tactical RPGs, you’ll find Tactica’s battle gameplay easy to pick up. Each character can move within a certain range before selecting an action like summoning a Persona or attacking an enemy. The battle proceeds in turns until one side’s characters are eliminated.
The battlefield is grid-based, but you have the freedom to move characters around within their turn, giving more flexibility and faster-paced gameplay. It reminded me of Sega’s Valkyria Chronicles series.
Positioning plays a strategic role in the game. You need to consider line of sight and cover provided by structures on the map. Surrounding downed enemies with your party members can trigger a powerful all-out attack called Tribangle.
Stylish Art Style and Simple Menus
Persona 5 Tactica features a snappy and stylish menu system. The battle animations are fast-paced and visually appealing. The art style uses high contrast colors and strong linework, with character designs resembling the chibi-like style seen in Persona Q spin-off games.
Potential for Depth and Expansion
Although the combat in Persona 5 Tactica is straightforward, I hope to see more depth added as the game progresses. This could include additional abilities, characters, enemies, and more complex maps. Overall, the demo showed that Persona 5 Tactica has a solid foundation and the potential to be a fantastic tactical RPG adventure.
Accessible for Newcomers
For those new to tactical RPGs or infrequent players of the genre, Persona 5 Tactica offers a relatively simple battle system and fast pace. It could be a great entry point into the genre.
You can watch a hands-on gameplay demo below:
Persona 5 Tactica will be released on November 17, 2023, for PS5, PS4, Switch, Xbox Series X and S, Xbox One, and PC. Special thanks to SEGA and ATLUS for hosting the demo at Tokyo Game Show 2023.
