Preview: Persona 5 Tactica is a twist on the familiar

Atlus decided to take that persona take the series in a completely different direction with at least one of their spin-off titles. Persona 5 Tactical is exactly what you would expect from its title. It’s a tactical game set in the universe of persona 5 With an all-new story and returning characters, it’s a new take on something familiar. And while it’s a tactical title, it may put some off, but for those unfamiliar with the genre, it’s more than accommodating.

Persona 5 Tactical has a wide range of difficulty levels, making it accessible to players who are otherwise unfamiliar with tactical games. The easiest difficulty focuses more on the story and allows you to easily get through the levels even if you aren’t playing the game as intended. Which is great because Persona 5 Tactical is much deeper than one might expect.

Instead of traditional tile-based movement, players can move their individual party members freely over a set radius. While your endpoint will always be a title, the game gives a good illusion of being more dynamic than other games in this genre, such as Fire Emblem or Tactics Ogre. In addition, line of sight is important when attacking enemies, especially from afar, because if your line of sight is blocked by a party member, you won’t be able to attack an enemy. Therefore, unit placement next to cover is your main concern.

Image via Atlus

The cover mechanic should be kept in mind by all players, as going into cover can either reduce damage or negate it altogether. This goes both ways, as all enemies in cover take less damage. Your party must use melee attacks to knock enemies out of cover and strategically push them across the field to deal full damage with your ranged attacks. Additionally, arranging your characters in a triangle formation allows you to perform a Triple Threat Attack (the game’s all-out attack), which deals significant damage to any enemy caught in the triangle.

You can also use your Personas to perform special attacks. These vary by character, with some inflicting debuffs and others performing area attacks. These are mostly situational and require some positioning to use them effectively. A completely new character will also be introduced Persona 5 Tactical, Erina. I didn’t get a chance to really get to know her, aside from her melee ability, which knocks enemies back a few squares and was useful in positioning enemies in later fights.

And Persona 5 Tactical is just as stylish as persona 5, with menus composed of slick motion graphics and loading screens full of swirling red and black patterns. It’s everything you would expect from one persona 5 Offshoots, even if the visual style is more akin to panty & stockings with a garter belt. The characters are still incredibly animated, and the 3D style goes well with the simplified designs of Persona 5’s colorful characters. The environments I saw were sparsely detailed, but effective in their design – especially given that they were battlefields over explored areas where you could interact with NPCs.

Image via Atlus

The main cutscenes are 3D and cel-shaded and fit the style well. There are, of course, dialog boxes that pop up as characters communicate with each other, and these are accompanied by small illustrations. I also got a glimpse of the tale about the disappearance of a political candidate for the Japanese state legislature. The Phantom Thieves are then sucked back into the metaverse and are now embroiled in this new mystery.

In total, Persona 5 Tactical is a great introduction for newcomers to the genre and a treat for returning fans persona 5 special. Combat is fast-paced and fun, and if you work hard enough, it feels hugely rewarding. It’s a game that will certainly take some time to master, but it will be worth it if you pull it off. And although I wasn’t the biggest fan of persona 5I’m actually ready to give this game a new twist based on what I’ve played.

Persona 5 Tactical is in development and will be available on November 17, 2023 for PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X, Xbox One, Xbox Game Pass, Nintendo Switch and Windows PC via Steam.