Let’s discover together, in this dedicated review, what are the strengths and weaknesses of Persona 5 Tactica, the S-JRPG spin-off of Atlus’ masterpiece which recently arrived on all platforms: let the revolution begin
The Persona franchise, like that of Shin Megami Tensei, has always remained relegated to a niche of JRPG enthusiasts, more or less hardcore, of a very oriental nature. This was until Persona 5 arrived in the West which, thanks to an excellent quality and the subsequent Italian adaptation with the Royal version (here is our review), has finally hit the jackpot and has also spread to the general public. Atlus therefore understood that it had in its hands a product that was tragically strong on the market and highly sought after and coveted. Hence the various spin-offs of different genres, including the recent S-JRPG Persona 5 Tactica: we’ll tell you about it in this dedicated review.
Revolution in your Heart | Review Persona 5 Tactica
A strategy game starring the Phantom Thieves? We are here. Set in an unspecified point in the narrative of Persona 5, Tactica introduces us to a completely new narrative that needs to know the original title (not necessarily in its Royal version). This is because, although a few basic bits here and there about the characters are given to us through a small compendium that can always be recalled, knowledge of the relationships, events and characters of the various protagonists are taken for granted by Tactica. It is therefore not a game with which to approach the franchise, but something with which we can continue to experience that narrative and those characters that we have learned to love so much.
The incipit makes us find them at the classic Café LeBlanc in a moment placed, temporally, a few weeks after the end of the events of Persona 5. Suddenly, Joker and the other protagonists find themselves catapulted into a new Metaverse, fully dressed as Thieves Ghost. To be precise, they find themselves in a sort of historical city that harks back to the France of the Revolution, in what will immediately be defined as a Kingdom. Therefore different from the Palaces of the base game and the Prisons of Persona 5 Strikers, the Kingdoms will be our battlefields.
Beyond Uncertainty | Persona 5 Tactica review
In the first, which acts almost entirely as a tutorial, we will meet Erina, a young insurrectionist who is trying to overthrow the dictatorial regime established by Lady Marie, a sort of sadistic empress who keeps the Kingdom at bay with whips and pure terror. Erina is one of the (few) new entries in the cast of characters and she works very well right from the start, integrating into that riot of over the top chatter, jokes bordering on the conventional and surreal situations. The second new entry is Toshiro Kasukabe, a very young member of the Japanese Diet, who… you can very well reread what was said above about Erina. Identical.
If the two new protagonists work very well, we were unable to say the same about the narrative. The first Kingdom works very well, although it is not as brilliant as its counterparts in the base game, but as the hours of gameplay progress (you will need about 25 to complete the story) our interest in events has waned a bit. It may be because, basically, the various kingdoms are not that dissimilar to each other (except for the antagonists, all well structured and characterized) and it may be that the various battles are interspersed with practically infinite dialogues, which we often found ourselves in, in the advanced stages of the game, to skip some exchanges that seemed decidedly useless.
The One Who Will See You Overthrown | Review Persona 5 Tactica
This is because Persona 5 Tactica shows, from the first minutes of the game, a narrative structure that is very similar to the Visual Novel genre and is therefore characterized by very long dialogues that precede both the plot battles and those of the secondary missions, which certainly deepen the lore. of the game world and the relationships between the characters, but which in the long run are tedious, especially if you simply want to play. This, added to the complete absence of explorationmakes the phases between fights an additive that, the further you go, the less you need.
The beating heart of Persona 5 Tactica, and what we appreciated most in the test done for this review, is definitely its combat system. Let’s start from an assumption: we are often frightened by the strategy genre, because we always think that they are complex video games to understand and above all to master. This is definitely not the case with Persona 5 Tactica which, played on Normal difficulty, it will be far too simple for fans of the genrebut a fair challenge for novices.
The Shining Flag of Freedom | Review Persona 5 Tactica
Before entering the combat arena, the Phantom Thieves will find themselves in the classic meeting place, which in all the Kingdoms will always be the LeBlanc, where, via a practical menu, it is possible to develop the team. Between optional dialogues, which award a handful of additional skill points, and the possibility of purchasing new weapons and visiting the Velvet Room (yes, obviously it’s here too) to fuse new Personas or recall old ones from the Compendium, it is important to calibrate the preparations well in view of the subsequent battles which, in crucial moments of the plot, can even be three or four consecutively.
Once these preparations are complete, it is possible to take the field with a party made up of a maximum of three Phantom Thieves. Each allied pawn will have a certain number of steps, variable based on the agility of the pawn (Joker and Morgana, for example, are the most agile of all), and one attack per turn, of three different types: melee if the opponent’s pawn is one space away, with the Weapons and based on ability for the distance. The objectives are almost always the same: defeat all enemies, reach certain points on the map or move elements on the maps to specific places.
Inextinguishable | Persona 5 Tactics review
At the base of the defense on the chessboard are the covers, behind which both allies and enemies can take refuge. There are no elemental weaknesses in Persona 5 Tactica and the only way to knock down enemies and get an additional turn (the classic Still 1) is to hit them from a distance (with weapons or abilities) once they are discovered with a melee attack or with Abilities that inflict status ailments (such as Psi, which inflicts hypnosis, or Garu, which inflicts sweep). Once the enemy is down, you can activate a special attack called Triple Threat in which the Phantom Thieves can surround a variable number of opponents with the knocked-down one in the center, hitting them all together – and very hard – in the triangle-shaped area between the three allied pawns.
So we proceed like this, between knockdowns, massive attacks and additional turns, in a fun and addictive riot because, basically, simple to understand. The secondary missions, which are more logical puzzles than real battles, will raise the difficulty bar a bit, because otherwise the main battles of the story of Persona 5 Tactica they slide away which is wonderful, seamless in Normal mode for a fan of the genre. Not even the bosses managed to give us a real hard time, but we had some difficulty understanding, in some points, what the developers wanted from us. And we therefore had to repeat a fight perhaps lasting several tens of minutes, but due to simple misunderstandings.
If a Phantom Thief is defeated, the Relay comes into play, available in variable numbers based on the difficulty level, which allows you to exchange the fallen ally with one from the rear. AND at the end of each battle the HP of all team members will be restored. You will therefore understand well how accessible Persona 5 Tactica is and is aimed at a generalist audience and which pushes enthusiasts and veterans of the genre towards higher difficulty levels.
Amusement Park of Trauma | Persona 5 Tactics review
We tested Persona 5 Tactica for this review on an Xbox Series S and didn’t have any technical or optimization issues. Aesthetically speaking, this time Atlus has decided to leave behind the classic style of the basic chapter, to approach il “chibi”, although the character models have much longer arms and legs than normal (to give a greater sense of dynamism, according to the developers). When it comes to aesthetics and design, Atlus definitely cannot be taught anything.
The character sprites are beautiful to look at, especially for those familiar with the originals, and the 3D models on the boards are delightful too. The Kingdoms also work very well, all recognizable and well detailed. Too bad for the enemy models, which are simple reskins that are gradually different to reflect the style of the reference Kingdom. The sound sector is also excellent, created by Toshiki Konishi, and with tracks that reflect the liveliness and dynamism of the game itself. The complete Italian adaptation for the lyrics is present, while the dubbing is available in English and Japanese.
The Time for Revolution has Come!
To conclude this review of Persona 5 Tactica, we can only recommend this new spin-off of the Atlus masterpiece to all fans of the strategy genre, but also to those who have never tried one. The former, by selecting the higher difficulty levels, will find a new adventure of the Phantom Thieves with very well characterized characters, although it is not at the level of the original title and a fun and addictive gameplay. Suitable gameplay, at the lowest difficulty levels, even for novices. Persona 5 Tactica is not a strategy game that aims to frustrate the gamer, but to entertain him and accompany him on the discovery of new worlds. Or rather Kingdoms. Enough is enough though, Atlus. Let’s move on to Persona 6!
Persona 5 Tactica is available now on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series S and Nintendo Switch. Let us know what you think below in the comments and stay tuned with us at techgameworld.com for all the news, guides and reviews on gaming and tech themes! And if you are interested in game keys at advantageous prices, we recommend you take a look at the InstantGaming catalogue!
Steal your Heart (again!)
Points in favor
- The new additions to the cast are well implemented
- Interactions between the protagonists always wonderful
- Addictive gameplay suitable for everyone
- Unmatched style and design (as always)
- Sound section more than good
Points against
- More banal narrative than the others’original
- The dialogues are too verbose and dilute an already low interest
- Completely absent l’exploration