Highlights
- Persona 5 Tactica is a new spin-off that combines tile-based, tactical movement with turn-based combat, offering a fresh genre for fans to enjoy.
- The game follows the Phantom Thieves as they find themselves in a militaristic city, working with Erina and her Revolutionary Army to find a way back home.
- The gameplay features familiar mechanics from Persona 5, including "1 More!" triggers, All-Out Attacks, gun and Persona attacks, interactive terrain, and Persona fusion. Plus, there are DLC packs with new characters and content.
Persona 5 Tactica is set to make its debut in the coming months, ushering in a new Persona 5 spin-off with the Phantom Thieves front and center. The title looks to imbue its gameplay with tile-based, tactical movement and strategic turn-based combat, offering a new genre with familiar elements for its characters to explore. As Atlus continues to release information surrounding the game, its list of confirmed features has grown; here's everything known about Persona 5 Tactica so far.
To begin, the title looks to continue Persona 5's rebellion motif with its catchphrase "Light a Flame in Your Heart, Revolutionary Drama Begins!" suggesting a similar sense of rising up against those who seek to corrupt society. The opening moments of Tactica show Joker and the crew in LeBlanc when a sudden tremor occurs, transforming its exit into a portal to another world. It is here where the Phantom Thieves find themselves in a militaristic city, attacked and surrounded by a group of armed enemies until the mysterious Erina comes to their rescue.
Persona 5 Tactica Will Include Two New Characters, Revolutionary Story
The Phantom Thieves work with Erina, described as the leader of a counter-arms "Revolutionary Army" in exchange for finding a solution to return to their home of Persona 5's Tokyo. This seems to serve as the narrative conceit of the spin-off, as the title looks to delve into the struggles between the world's citizens and the forces that seek to control them. Interestingly, screenshots of the game show Erina speaking with the crew in LeBlanc, which appears to exist in this strange new realm, acting as the team's hideout.
In terms of gameplay, Persona 5 Tactica will feature the core Phantom Thieves crew, as well as two new character additions: Erina and Toshiro. Toshiro's character trailer suggests that he comes from Joker's world, as Morgana refers to him as "the politician from the news" who holds a discouraging view of the recklessness of the team. Some were able to spot Toshiro in Persona 5 Tactica's first set of character spotlights, where his role was to be escorted to safety, given his small HP bar and lack of SP. However, his official trailer hints at the character playing a more important role down the line, with the potential to be a capable ally in combat.
Persona 5 Tactica has the player acting in teams of three, with its combat bearing similarities to Persona 5's mechanics. Here are some features that seem to be present:
- "Downing" an enemy, causing the "1 More!" trigger to activate, allowing for a second action.
- "All-Out Attack", deemed the "Triple Threat", occurs when all three teammates surround the enemy in a triangle formation.
- Gun attacks, featuring the Phantom Thieves' firearms from the base game.
- Persona attacks, including elemental and physical moves, as well as status afflictions.
- (Erina) Arts attacks, including a "Partisan" move which seems to inflict forgetfulness.
- Interactive map terrain, with environmental obstacles and explosive barrels.
- Moves that can push enemies from high-ground to low-ground spots (with the potential for ally follow-ups).
- Persona fusion, with the help of Lavenza.
To complement its gameplay, Persona 5 Tactica will feature new music by composer Toshiki Konishi, as well as vocal tracks by Lyn, reprising her role from Persona 5's other titles. Beyond its base game, Tactica has a number of DLC components, adding familiar characters into the fray through a new story and battles in the "Repaint Your Heart Challenge Pack". Some have speculated that this will be Akechi and Yoshizawa, though their identities have yet to be confirmed. In addition, two other DLC packs, the "Weapon Pack" and "Picaro Summoning Pack", will include unique weapon skins and Persona Picaros, respectively. Lastly, the title will feature a pre-order bonus of Orpheus Picaro and Izanagi Picaro.
Persona 5 Tactica is set to release on November 17, 2023, for Nintendo Switch, PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
