At first glance I thought about it Persona 5 Tactics an unnecessary encore for the Phantom Thieves. They already have a sequel in hand Persona 5 Strikers, and a definitive edition that also served as a heartwarming farewell Person 5 Royal. Furthermore, Atlus has started to focus its attention on remakes and remasters of the older games in the series, while slowly passing the torch to games like Metaphor: ReFantazio and the eventual sixth Persona episode. The deeper I dug into it Tacticsalthough, the more convinced I became that the Thieves’ message can still resonate – even if it’s still mired in the same toxic tropes.
The events of the XCOM-esque begin just before the climax of the original Person 5 plot, as the vigilante crew is about to part ways. As they discuss how to spend their last weeks together, a mysterious door appears in the now famous Café LeBlanc. Suddenly the group finds itself in a new Metaverse – its facade a far cry from the sprawling alleys and dim subway stations of Tokyo. Within minutes, the thieves are at it again, taking on an oppressive ruler tormenting the residents of a medieval town. Erina, the leader of the Rebel Corps and one of the new playable characters, quickly invites them to join the revolution against the tyrant; The thieves, expecting that Erina might know a way for them to get back home, accept.
Image: Studio-P/Sega via Polygon
In terms of structure Tactics is quite mechanical. When departing from Person 5 and the previous spin-offs, you will not participate in any kind of calendar-based activities. TacticsThe game’s story is largely told in a visually novel way, with cutscenes occasionally interspersing the turn-based strategy portion of the experience. The latter takes you through increasingly difficult scenarios with fairly simplistic objectives, such as defeating all the enemies or traveling from point A to B as an entire team. In between missions you’re free to buy weapons, merge personas, and spend experience points on (fairly similar) skill trees for each character. Aside from optional conversations and the ability to replay previous missions, there are a limited number of side missions that play as one-off puzzles (defeat all enemies in one turn, etc.), which are worth doing in their own right. even fun to just plan.
Even without many side activities to take part in, the core tactical experience is engaging, maintaining a balanced pace with a new ability, enemy type or leveling mechanic always being introduced as each mission ramps up. In the 22 hours it took me to get to the end credits (apart from an annoying final stretch where you replay past encounters and their respective puzzles), TacticsThe game’s challenges kept me on my toes, without combat ever feeling too easy or too complex. (I played on normal difficulty.) It’s not genre-bending by any means, but elements like free movement while switching between characters without being forced to commit to a premature plan on the grid – and aligning them sequentially of members to enable powerful team movements – always remained satisfying.
Image: Studio-P/Sega via Polygon
And while the lack of supporting missions hinders the feeling of constant progress Person 5, XCOM2And Fire emblem: three houses encapsulate so well, Tactics offers just enough variety in its tactical options to keep things fresh throughout the otherwise linear journey. Elemental weapons and weaknesses, varied team compositions and persona fusion all give you opportunities to experiment. My favorite team comp consists of Haru, Yusuke and Morgana. Haru’s grenade launcher targets an area rather than just one enemy, while her Psy abilities not only deal damage but also drag enemies out of cover, leaving them exposed to follow-up attacks. Yusuke’s ability to freeze became crucial during the last few levels, where you can easily find yourself surrounded by multiple groups while his assault rifle travels a long distance. Then, Morgana brought the group together as the de facto healer after investing in his media skills tree. I also learned that Morgana’s use of Garu, which pushes enemies back onto the grid, is super useful when dealing with brutal units, which thrive on close range counterattacks.
Ultimately, though, the main attraction is… Tactics is his story. Like HiFi rush at the start of the year, the story reflects, perhaps inevitably, current events: the SAG-AFTRA actors’ strike, the efforts of union organizing at multiple companies, including Sega of America, and, to some extent, the global protests They demand a ceasefire in Gaza.
Image: Studio-P/Sega via Polygon
It is therefore a shame to witness yet another story that cannot be shaken Person 5‘s usual narrative shenanigans. In the original RPG and most of its spin-offs, Atlus hinted that for once it might go a step further in condemning the millionaires and corrupt politicians it places in its plot. But the series has been going on for a long time conservatism, as well as the tendency to lay all the blame on a misanthropic deity, have always stood in the way of meaningful commentary. In Tactics, characters spend half the time talking about helping fellow “comrades” combat not only evil adults, but also problems like oppression and constant surveillance. The intention is as subtle as the message in Latin on the flag Erina carries (which roughly translates to ‘If you want peace, win it yourself’). But seeing the final part of the story take a safe route to wrapping things up, as well as the now-established tropes like the continued sexualization of mainstay Ann, diminishes the effort considerably.
It’s almost ironically fitting that much of the story revolves around Toshiro Kasukabe, a member of the fictional portrayal of the National Assembly and future Prime Minister, who becomes entangled in the Metaverse Eras Tour with the Thieves. He slowly becomes inspired by the rebellion, while some backstory beats make him a character worth rooting for on a human level. But without spoiling any plot, even Toshiro himself realizes that one “good apple” cannot overthrow corruption. The delivery of Tactics‘s allegory is not something to be taken at face value. But it reminds us that solidarity creates change – whether you wave a flag or wear a red leather suit.
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