Don’t be fooled by Persona 5 Tactica’s colorful facade. Beneath the upbeat cartoony graphics and catchy acid-jazz soundtrack beats the heart of an uncompromising, tantalizing, and brain-busting strategy game - at least if the first few hours are any indication.
Persona 5 Tactica is more than just a spin-off of beloved RPG classic Persona 5. Following on from the original, Tactica takes the game’s lovable ensemble cast and transplants them into a turn-based strategy game, complete with a new art style and a mechanical overhaul.
Like its namesake, Persona 5 Tactica follows the story of the Phantom Thieves, a gang of lovable teenage misfits from the streets of Tokyo. Blessed with supernatural power, these plucky kids invade the subconscious minds of corrupt adults and steal their dark desires, bringing abusive authority figures to justice by forcing them to confess their crimes. It’s a strange yet deeply resonant coming-of-age story and makes for a heartwarming framing device.
For fans of the first game, this change of pace makes for a welcome surprise
You’d think that after stealing the heart of a high-ranking politician in Persona 5, the gang would be ready to hang up their thieving gloves. However, Persona 5 Tactica sees our heroes transported to a new kind of subconscious battleground: a city under the oppressive boot of the ruthless Lady Marie and her loyal army of legionnaires. While those new to the series may find themselves a little lost, for fans of the first game, this change of pace makes for a welcome surprise.
Despite these changes, protagonist Joker and his colorful pals look and feel right at home in Tactica. These new battles may have a bigger scale, but Tactica’s grid-based engagements remain as frenetic and fast-paced as their smaller, more contained counterparts from the original. This is because, rather than simply copying the systems from Fire Emblem: Engage or XCOM 2, Persona 5 Tactica blazes its own trail, offering a well-paced and compelling loop that just keeps on giving.
In Tactica’s colorful and appealing world of cartoon legionnaires and cutesy firearms, follow-up attacks are key. Like XCOM, cover comes in soft or hard varieties, offering you partial or total protection from incoming fire. Knock an enemy out of cover, and follow up with another attack and you’ll knock them down, giving your character another action. Not only does this let you get in with another gunshot or magical attack, but it also gives you another burst of movement. Much to my delight, this opens up the game in a big way, allowing you to stretch your strategic muscles as you undertake daring maneuvers.
In Tactica’s colorful and appealing world, follow-up attacks are key
Persona 5 Tactica rewards you for outflanking enemies, offering far more than the usual damage buff or crit boost that you might expect. Instead, your party of three can catch the enemy in a stylish crossfire, unleashing a ‘Triple Threat’ attack. This never ceases to entertain and combines the brain-tingling satisfaction of a plan coming together with a flashy visual reward.
When coupled with the follow-up attacks and generous mobility afforded to your characters, Tactica distinguishes itself from the pack. The rhythm of positioning your squad, knocking enemies down, and then executing a Triple Threat is rewarding and moreish, keeping you immersed in the action.
Beneath the mask
Persona 5 Tactica doesn’t just shake things up when it comes to game mechanics - the story, too, takes things in a new direction. Set after the end of Persona 5, Persona 5 Tactica begins by exploring the loose ends left at the end of its predecessor, but quickly forms its own identity.
Having unraveled a conspiracy put in place by a corrupt senior politician, the Phantom Thieves find themselves thrown into another mystery: the disappearance of promising young parliamentarian Toshiro Kasukabe. No less than 10 minutes into Tactica, Joker and the gang are thrown into another subconscious world with a classy, French Revolution aesthetic. Here, the tyrannical Lady Marie is oppressing the citizenry, all so she can throw the “perfect wedding”. It’s as fascinating and bizarre a premise as Persona has ever had, and easily captured my attention.
Traditional Persona elements have been re-imagined
Soon after, we meet Erina, a local revolutionary who wishes to see her people freed from tyranny. After a couple of missions, we bust Toshiro out of prison and find ourselves working alongside the amusingly awkward politico. Unfortunately, Toshiro is missing his memory, placing him at the center of a wider mystery. Though this trope has been done to death, Toshiro’s well-meaning bumbling is possessed of an undeniable charm, and he easily slots into the ensemble.
In keeping with this new direction, traditional Persona elements have been re-imagined, too. You can still fuse and collect Personas - strange creatures that inhabit the world of the subconscious. However, contrary to Persona 5, any character can equip a Persona, though they now only offer two new abilities rather than the seven you got in the original game. This is balanced out by the addition of skill trees which allow you to customize the development of your characters. This is a refreshing change from the more on-rails approach of the original, allowing you to carve out more personal niches for each of the Phantom Thieves.
Looking cool, Joker
Persona 5’s ensemble cast is back in strength, riffing off of each other with the easy chemistry and delightful banter that make them so memorable. Ryuji is every inch the warm-hearted meathead you remember, while Makoto remains earnest and driven. All of the core cast are lovingly realized in Tactica. The dialogue is as sparkling and witty as ever, too, complete with the usual mix of heartfelt moments and laugh-out-loud wackiness. These elements make Persona 5 Tactica a Pachinko machine of vibrant character interactions, full of established presences bouncing off of each other with easy familiarity. This sense of friendly, accessible drama reels you in, helping you to feel like you’re part of the team.
Though more heavily stylized, these latest incarnations of Joker and pals are entertaining and striking
The new cartoony art style fits the Persona 5 vibe perfectly, too, offering a bubbly playfulness reminiscent of a great visual novel. The art assets are often enough to provoke a laugh or a smile just by themselves. Though more heavily stylized, these latest incarnations of Joker and pals are entertaining and striking, expressing the different characters’ personalities and foibles with gusto.
Releasing November 16 this year for Nintendo Switch, PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and PC, it won’t be long until Persona 5 Tactica arrives in full force. Judging by the opening missions, Tactica looks poised to be a real treat for fans, all while offering a fresh take on the strategy genre.
Want more charming, story-driven titles? Check out our list of the best JRPGs and our guide to the best story games.
