Persona 5 Tactica Review: This Metaverse is a blockbuster hit!

When Atlus announced the decision to make Persona 5 Tactica, I was highly interested to find out their choices and how they would execute their plans. Given their rich history with the mainstream Persona series, I never doubted what kind of quality I would find in their product. That said, the latest launch is quite different in every way from the previous Persona games, although it does inherit some of the features.

From the first moment I started playing Persona 5 Tactica, the execution blew me away. While it does feel like a typical turn-based tactical in many ways, it also brings some unique features to the plate that aren't seen in other games from the genre. In a nutshell, Persona 5 Tactica might not be a "Persona meets XCOM," but it creates its unique blend of entertainment.

Persona 5 Tactica opens a new avenue of options for Atlus to explore in the future

The genre of tactical games has evolved massively over the last three decades. While there are heavyweights like XCOM defining what the genre should be, developers have always tried their hands at creating something new.

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Some have worked, while others failed. But whatever Persona 5 Tactica is meant to be, it seems like the start of a brand new journey in its rights.

Story and presentation

The core story of Persona 5 Tactica can be interpreted in different ways, but the stellar emphasis on presentation allows it to shine through and through. You play as Joker, who is aided by Morgana and Erin - a new entrant.

While all the renowned Phantom Strikers are present, you will be raging a lone battle against the evil Marie. Persona 5 Tactica's story is quite different from the mainstream series and is presented as such.

For one, it's a lot more linear and straightforward to understand. However, the story is exceptionally well-presented and broken down into some humorous dialogues. A lot of it has to do with how Marie shapes up as a villain.

Her role in the Metaverse - an alternate version of Tokyo and Cafe Leblanc - will make you hate her sometimes. In many ways, she brought back memories of Handsome Jack from the Borderlands series - one of my favorite video game villains of all time.

While the main form of dialog exchange works in a flatter 2D version, the cutscenes offer a lot of production value. You'll often end up forgetting the fact that you're inside a video game and not watching an anime.

Had the presentation not been up to the mark, Persona 5 Tactica's story could have felt very flat (especially as my brain always ends up comparing video games of the same genre).

Gameplay

Persona 5 Tactica, in many ways, follows the same tested path adopted by other turn-based tactics. Yet, it tries to do something different with the core fundamentals.

For example, you move in a free fashion within an allocated grid. I found this system easier to understand and manage than the typical grid-based click-and-move.

Attacks include ranged and melee. The Phantom thieves also have the ability to call upon their Personas to aid them in battle.

There is no shortage of ways to dispose of your enemy, but figuring out the most effective way is the key. It's worth noting that fighting at a higher difficulty will offer you far more challenges, where making good decisions at every step becomes a lot more crucial.

Persona 5 Tactica also brings the familiar aspect of fighting with a squad. This offers you the ability to bring variety to your strategy and attacks. Every character has different Personas, strengths, and weaknesses, so understanding their roles will be key.

A good tactical will always have shield mechanics, and Persona 5 Tactica is no different. You can hide your characters fully or partially (the former is obviously better for self-preservation). While shields protect you from ranged attacks, you can still be ambushed with melee.

One of the most important retentions to this Persona game is the "One More Turn" concept. Your attacks on enemies will have different outcomes, and some of them can completely destabilize them.

This could trigger the One More Turn mechanic, allowing you to take one additional turn with the same character instantly. You can chain multiple attacks in one turn when the mechanic works in your favor.

Customization options

The character customization tree is pretty expansive (Image via Atlus)

Persona 5 Tactica might not be an XCOM in terms of customization, but you can tweak the characters in your roster. You can use GPs gained with battle experience and improve multiple attributes of your abilities. The character customization tree is pretty robust and allows two saves to play differently.

Paying attention is essential because not all equipment is equally effective with every character. However, character customization and types of equipment are pretty basic, and mastering them shouldn't be an issue.

Performance

While I tested my journey on the PS5, one of my colleagues had his share of fun on his Xbox Series X. Neither of us encountered any major bugs or glitches that created an issue on our respective journeys.

The gameplay was smooth and without much problems (Image via Atlus)

It's interesting that Atlus has mentioned certain bugs that might be present on the PC version at launch. My overall experience was extremely smooth, and I didn't encounter a single issue, either minor or major.

In Conclusion

For some, Persona 5 Tactica will appear to be slightly needless, given how Atlus has been focusing on making remakes of the older titles and bringing new games like Metaphor: ReFantazio. That said, the new turn-based tactical is a worthwhile addition to the genre as a whole.

The game doesn't aim at doing something groundbreaking or revolutionary; rather, it focuses on the basics and gets them right. The overall gameplay is fantastic, and the transitions between the dialogs and fights feel well-paced. Yes, some of the missions can feel repetitive after a certain point of time, but the main plot does a wonderful job of keeping you hooked for a long time.

Persona 5 Tactica is yet another solid offering from Atlus and shows the true power of the Persona IP. The latest adventure certainly proves there's life for the Persona series beyond the mainstream series and its remakes.