Highlights
- Persona 5 Tactica is a spin-off of the mainline Persona series that takes players on a journey into a new world called the Kingdoms that is filled with unfamiliar dangers and enemies known as Legionnaires.
- The game features a rebellion theme, with players joining the Rebel Corps to solve the mysteries of the new world and help send the Phantom Thieves back home.
- The gameplay involves taking cover, maintaining Persona 5 mechanics, and embarking on missions like a prison rescue to free the Phantom Thieves from their brainwashed state.
Spin-offs of the mainline Persona series have performed exceptionally in history, with Persona 5 Strikers and Persona Q2: New Cinema Labyrinth taking the franchise to new heights thanks to dazzling displays of gaming mechanics and visuals. While fans are still eagerly eating up any details and leaks of Persona 6's development, Atlus seeks to expand the lore of its premier series through spin-offs and remakes, and the latest offshoot - Persona 5 Tactica - is taking players on a journey away from its characteristic palaces and into a bizarre realm where unfamiliar dangers lurk in the form of Legionnaires. With a new setting to explore and foes to overcome, gamers join forces with the Rebel Corps to solve the new world's mysteries and send the Phantom Thieves back home.
Nothing gets the blood pumping like a good revolutionary tale, and Persona 5 Tactica builds upon the rebellion theme from Persona 5 with its "Light a Flame in Your Heart, Revolutionary Drama Begins!" catchphrase. The spin-off begins with the Phantom Thieves gathered in Leblanc when a tremor shakes the building, and its door transforms into a portal to another world. This new location is under the rule of an iron-fisted regime, and the group comes under attack from armed enemies known as Legionnaires. Every Thief except Joker and Morgana becomes brainwashed, and Erina - leader of the Rebel Corps - swoops in to save both characters. With her help, players will work to reunite the Phantom Thieves in exchange for helping with the revolution.
Persona 5 Tactica Features a Fight for Freedom
Persona 5 Tactica's realm, known as the Kingdoms, is ruled by Marie, a tyrant whose motives are driven by her desire for an extravagant wedding. The outlay of the fantasy world seen in artworks from Sega and Atlus is similar to that of medieval Europe, sporting buildings enclosed behind thick granite castle walls and lined up in circles. The city's main attraction lies in its center - a gigantic cathedral-styled church that casts a shadow on every building around it. A red aisle adorns its steps and stretches out of the city, presumably in preparation for Marie's nuptials.
Marie runs an authoritative regime in Persona 5 Tactica, using the Legionnaires as her enforcers, and the citizenry has reached their breaking point, resisting her oppression through the Rebel Corps run by Erina. The revolutionary saves Joker and Morgana from a surprise attack and evades pursuit, bringing the Thieves to the Rebel Corps hideout, which resembles the Leblanc from their world. Joker and Morgana agree to assist the rebels in their fight against the Legionnaires, and players embark on a rescue mission at a nearby prison, finding Toshiro Kasukabe in the process.
Toshiro is a well-known politician from the real Persona world, and he has no recollection of how he found himself in the Kingdoms, much like the Phantom Thieves. In the first set of Persona 5 Tactica's character spotlights, fans spotted Toshiro whisked to safety with a small HP bar, so this scene could be a mission for players to get past. Joker, Morgana, and their new allies reluctantly team up with the politician when news of Lady Marie's spouse reaches the party.
Persona 5 Tactica's gameplay will involve taking cover behind walls and obstacles while also maintaining some of Persona 5's mechanics. The prison rescue mission taxes players' ability to blend into the background and dodge attacks, and although details of how the rest of the Phantom Thieves would be free from their hypnosis are still unclear, exploring the dystopian world of Marie's Kingdom looks like it has much in store for players with the conflict between Rebel Corps and Legionnaires.
Persona 5 Tactica is set to release on November 17, 2023, for Nintendo Switch, PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
