Persona 5 Tactica [Review]
The Phantom Thieves are back again, ready to steal our (gaming) hearts one more time. After the immensely successful Persona 5 led to a deluxe re-release with Royal and a continuation in the form of Strikers, it became apparent that there was a bit more gas in the tank - and so Atlus brought the team back one more time for a new installment with more tactically focused combat.
Source: Self Capture
The story kicks off with the gang being mysteriously transported to a world similar to the Metaverse, though their powers appear to be significantly diminished compared to their endgame powers from Persona 5. The team identifies the world as a “kingdom”, similar to the “palaces” of the prior games, but being much larger - with its ruler commanding much more power and influence.
Circumstances lead to Joker’s allies being captured in the initial kingdom, leading you to seek out allies in the strange world and free your companions.
Of course, in typical Persona fashion, the story grows richer and more entangled from one chapter to the next, but still manages to deliver a streamlined narrative. Unlike the original game, you won’t be spending 80-120+ hours in the world of Persona 5 Tactica. Instead, you can expect to clear the game within 30-35 hours, while completionists gunning for perfect battles and extracurriculars will be awarded with an additional 5-10 hours.
I found the narrative to be well structured, with great pacing and some excellent additions to the core roster. While the lack of social links make the dialogue choices a bit more hollow, and many of the major story beats can be spotted from a ways off, it’s still a solid adventure to enjoy with The Phantom Thieves.
Source: Self Capture
The major departure for this title is in its approach to combat. While Persona 5 featured a traditional turn-based structure, and Strikers leaned into the action-RPG genre, Tactica takes our heroes and places them in the gridded combat field of tactical RPGs.
On the battlefield, you can take cover to shield yourself from enemy attacks, or get up close and personal to disrupt their positioning and make them susceptible to the next ranged attack. Doing so will allow you to “down” an enemy, giving that character an additional action, which can lead to a chain reaction of extra attacks to really lay on the damage!
Source: Self Capture
Another key element of the strategy is the “Triple Threat” attack - by positioning yourself and two allies in a triangle around a downed enemy, you can damage everyone within the affected area: similar to the “All-out” attack from the original game.
Source: Self Capture
The element of positioning in this way really got me putting on my thinking cap, as I found myself working through the order of operations for my squad to determine who should be engaging in melee, how to time the downed enemies, and finally where to position my team to get the most damage and reach on the triple threat attacks.
Of course, the Personas make their return as well, and you will be taking many trips to The Velvet Room to empower your personas and learn new skills as the game progresses, taking advantage of enemy weaknesses to down them, leading to additional attacks and triple threat opportunities. There’s also increased flexibility in regards to assignments and fusions - a welcome change from the mainline entry.
The major pain-point in regards to combat (for me), was in its underwhelming boss battles. Formerly epic in scale, and the culmination of many days of scouting and preparation in the main game, bosses in Tactica are painfully straightforward. It’s unfortunate, considering the possibilities of applying tactics-based combat to climactic battles.
Overall, it’s an engaging and fun combat system, however, tactical RPG fans may be let down by the lack of depth; such as what you might get from a title like Disgaea or other tactics-based RPGs with more complex systems in place…and the simplified boss battles are a real bummer.
A key draw for the Persona franchise as a whole is its unique visual style, and killer soundtracks. In these departments, Persona 5 Tactica delivers in spades. The art style is a bit more “chibi-fied”, resulting in some exaggerated features, but I found it charming, and the voice acting from the cast of world-class talent helps to elevate the overall narrative and experience.
Source: Self Capture
It’s the music, however, that really stands out. The mixture of great vocals with a jazz-inspired back beat lends to the stylish overall vibe, and as though it’s channeling the cozy vibe of a particular coffee shop, it invites you to come in and stay awhile.
In short, Persona 5 Tactica is a great little adventure, and a solid departure from its cousins in the franchise. While the combat may ultimately feel a bit shallow, it makes up for this with style and charm. A real treat for Persona fans - so pick it up today!
