"The mind is its own place, and in it self,
Can make a Heav’n of Hell, a Hell of Heav’n.
- Paradise Lost by John Milton - "
Persona 5 Tactica is a strategy RPG and a spin-off to Persona 5 developed by Atlus and P-Studio. It was released on November 17, 2023 on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch, and PC via Windows and Steam.
Plot[]
During the events of Persona 5, the Phantom Thieves of Hearts, having gathered on a snowy day in Café Leblanc preceding the third-years' graduation ceremony, suddenly feel a strange tremor as the door of Leblanc emits a suspicious light and pulls them inside. Upon emerging they find a different and unfamiliar world known as a Kingdom consisting of a mysterious cityscape reminiscent of medieval Europe.
Suddenly attacked by an armed group called Legionnaires and their leader Marie, most of the Phantom Thieves are captured and brainwashed, with Joker and Morgana being rescued by a mysterious individual calling herself "Erina," who offers to help rescue their friends if they aid her revolution. Erina then takes them to the Rebel Corps' base, a strange building that for some reason resembles Leblanc, to plan their next move.
As they free their friends the Phantom Thieves come across a young up-and-coming politician named Toshiro who somehow found his way into the Kingdom and was captured before them. Though he has lost many of his memories, he joins their group as a noncombatant and assists them in freeing the rest of the Thieves.
The reunited Phantom Thieves then work with Erina's Rebel Corps to infiltrate Marie's castle. There they find a projector that reveals the Marie they have been fighting is a cognitive version of Toshiro's fiancee, who plans to use him as a political puppet once he is elected Prime Minister.
The team faces Marie in the castle chapel and defeat her with Toshiro's assistance, then finding a door similar to the one that appeared in Leblanc. After entering it they emerge in another Kingdom ruled by Lord Yoshiki, a seeming benevolent ruler who claims to deeply love his people, but utilizes spy cameras to watch their every move and identify anyone who goes against his wishes.
The Phantom Thieves and Erina, who followed them through the door, are sheltered by a woman named Yuki in this Kingdom's version of Leblanc. With her assistance they free many of the Kingdom's citizens from Yoshiki's prison camps and broadcast footage of the camps to the general public, attracting Yoshiki's attention. He reveals himself as Toshiro's father, a corrupt politician who seeks political power by setting Toshiro up as the next Prime Minister, though Toshiro concludes that he is likely a cognition just like Marie due to his impossible knowledge of Toshiro's plans to expose his father's corruption.
Eventually the Phantom Thieves succeed in rallying the citizens to their cause and take the fight to Yoshiki, who claims they are causing more harm than good by starting a war in his peaceful kingdom. He offers Toshiro his "love", which Toshiro rejects, enraging him to the point of attacking. Though he is defeated Yoshiki continues to blame Toshiro for stirring up trouble with his self-righteousness, causing Toshiro to become unnerved. He then blames Toshiro for "killing his mother", triggering more of Toshiro's memories and causing him to sink into despair. Yoshiki takes advantage of Toshiro's emotional state to try to kill him, but Yuki takes the blow instead and dies in his place, being revealed as a cognition of his mother, who died from an illness after straining herself during an unscheduled outing with her son.
The Phantom Thieves move on to a third Kingdom, this one based on Toshiro's old high school and ruled by a mysterious voice heard through the loudspeaker. In order to discover the voice's identity the Phantom Thieves seek out four keys scattered throughout the school, each of which reveal a memory from Toshiro's past related to an outspoken, justice-loving girl named Eri Natsuhara Eri is shown to be Toshiro's friend and confidant, encouraging him to assist students with all sorts of problems as their Student Council President. The pair were eventually approached by a student about the new vice-principal: Ichiro Nakabachi, who was utilizing a blackmail-based spy network within the school, forcing students to spy on each other to give him more blackmail material and increase his control over them. Toshiro and Eri led an investigation into Nakabachi, managing to rally the students and record a confession, getting Nakabachi kicked out of the school.
These memories cause Toshiro to suspect that Nakabachi is the Kingdom's ruler, and they find him behind the locked door to the school's Music Room. The Phantom Thieves defeat him, only to discover that he is a decoy. The true ruler reveals himself as Shadow Toshiro, and reveals a final memory of Toshiro's time with Eri before abducting Erina and disappearing.
The memory reveals that after Nakabachi was kicked out, the angry students began to harass him, following him home and eventually causing him to suffer a mental breakdown. One evening, he followed Toshiro and Eri to the train station, seeing them and Eri in particular as the cause for his troubles. He approached Eri with the intention of pushing her onto the tracks, causing her to fall and get run over by an incoming train. Eri survived but became hospitalized and despondent, telling Toshiro she is unable to fight anymore. Furthermore while Nakabachi and the students harassing him were arrested, Toshiro became a scapegoat for the incident. This experience, combined with his inability to encourage the friend who inspired him, traumatized Toshiro, causing him to become less willing to stand up for himself or others due to his fear of it causing harm to those he loves and making him a convenient pawn for his father and Marie.
The Phantom Thieves and Toshiro pursue Shadow Toshiro to the student council room where he tries to convince Toshiro that Eri was responsible for ruining his life and that killing Erina, "the lingering husk of Natsuhara's dream", will free him of the burden of her ideals. Shadow Toshiro teleports them to the roof and tries to kill Erina, immobilizing the Phantom Thieves. Joker tosses Toshiro his knife, encouraging him to no avail. Just as he is about to give into despair Toshiro recalls Eri's final words to him at the hospital after her injury, assuring him that they did the right thing; even though she couldn't fight back anymore, he shouldn't regret what they had done. He needs to keep going and she'll catch up to him one day.
Resolved to remain true to the ideals Eri instilled in him, Toshiro attacks his Shadow and frees Erina. His Shadow tries one last time to get him to give up, but Toshiro refuses to listen, undergoing an awakening and causing Erina to transform into his Persona, Ernesto. Toshiro and the Phantom Thieves then battle and defeat Shadow Toshiro, first in a form resembling Toshiro, then a form inspired by Toshiro's guilt for Eri's injuries, a monstrous bloodied corpse with Eri's face.
Following this, the creator of the Kingdoms reveals himself to be the god Salmael, a being created by humankind's desire for self-preservation who created the Kingdoms as part of an effort to destroy Toshiro's willpower, believing that any alteration of the status quo, which Toshiro's reformist ideals would likely bring about, would lead to violent conflict. Initially he had sought to simply destroy Toshiro's willpower, but then it took the form of Erina and fought him to a stalemate. This caused him to created the Kingdoms, led by counterparts of those whom Toshiro knew and feared in real life, as well as what is implied to be his own co-opted Shadow or a counterfeit. However Toshiro's mind then manifested the Rebel Corps to assist Erina in fighting back, causing Salmael to pull Toshiro into the Kingdoms directly and presumably erase his memories, only for the Phantom Thieves to find their way in as well (though he did manage to cut Igor off from the Velvet Room and weaken the Wild Card so that it was only capable of allowing the use of Sub-Personas). Salmael offers to let the Phantom Thieves go if they relinquish their will to rebel to him, only to be refused. He then disappears, telling them to enter his domain if they wish to confront him.
In Salmael's clockwork Kingdom, the Phantom Thieves face monochrome copies of the previous Legionnaires and Kingdom rulers they have faced, before reaching Salmael himself. He attempts to justify his ideology to the team only to be denied once again, and then attacks. The Phantom Thieves manage to defeat him with an extended All-Out Attack, at which point Lavenza arrives and transports them back to Marie's Kingdom so they can return to the real world. Erina then bids them farewell, vanishing back into Toshiro's heart.
Back in the real world, Toshiro takes advantage of a news conference his father set up to indict his father and Marie in corruption, announce his withdrawal from the elections, and break off his engagement. Since he enabled his father and fiancee's actions, Toshiro's reputation suffers greatly, but he is unbothered and resolves to regain the public's trust on his own merits. One day after assisting an elderly couple he is approached by a woman with a walking cane and obscured eye who tells him she's finally caught up. He greets Eri with a smile, telling her he's been waiting for her.
Gameplay[]
An example of a Triple Threat.
Persona 5 Tactica is a tactical role-playing game. It utilizes mechanics of the Persona series, such as Downing and One Mores in a tabletop format. When not in cover, units are vulnerable to being knocked down if attacked. When in cover, a unit immune to being downed and is either resistant or immune to damage, depending both the height of the cover and direction of the the attack.
Affinities themselves have been completely removed, but attacks can be categorized based on the ailments they can afflict, which in turn have guaranteed effects. For example, Curse skills have been repurposed to afflict Despair while the attacks themselves are typeless.
Up to 3 party members can be equipped in combat, and the protagonist isn't mandatory to be in the party. These allies can perform a combined "Triple Threat" attack by targeting enemies within a triangular area formed by said combatants acting as vertices, as long as at least one enemy within the highlighted field is Downed.
If a turn passes without a party member either attacking or using a skill, Charge activates on that party member. While Charge is active on a party member, that ally gains small buffs until the next time they attack or use a skill. The exact buffs acquired depend on the user's skill tree. One-Mores can activate charge the same way as standard turns.
While guns can be purchased and equipped through either the shop or the Velvet Room, melee weapons cannot be changed.
Similar to the Persona Q & Persona Q2, while the protagonist can no longer freely change personas, all members of the phantom thieves can equip Sub-Personas between missions. This is only true for the Phantom Thieves, as Erina and Toshiro are unable to equip sub-personas even after Toshiro's awakening. All sub-persona possess only one inherent skill referred to as a Unique Skill and will not gain any new skills through level up. If a persona is created through fusion, they will possess their unique skill, but will be able to inherit one skill from the persona used to fuse them. Instead of Negotiation, new personas are automatically gained at the end of most missions. If a persona gained this way is already in the player's possession, that persona will simply gain experience.
DLC[]
In the Repaint Your heart DLC, a new mechanic revolving around paint is added. Enemies and allies each possess their own color of paint. If a unit is standing in paint of the opposite color, they will be vulnerably to be knocked down even if they are in cover. Meanwhile, standing in paint of your own color makes you immune to being knocked down even if you are out in the open. Paint is spread by attacking, as attacking a target will cause paint to spread out around them. In addition, there are various drums of paint present on the field that will explode and release paint into he surrounding area if attacked.
Characters[]
- Main article: List of Persona 5 Tactica Characters
Playable characters[]
Main characters[]
- Protagonist: a second-year high school student and the player's alter ego. The leader of the Phantom Thieves of Hearts reforming rotten adults behind the scenes with his comrades. His code name is Joker.
- Erina: an unfamiliar individual that has rescued the Phantom Thieves upon their sudden encounter. The leader of Rebel Corps, she strikes a deal with the Phantom Thieves to help them in achieving their revolution. She's trusted for her initiative and has a bright and energetic personality, but can be reckless.
- Toshiro Kasukabe: a young member of the Japanese Diet considered to be the next Prime Minister. He was rescued by the Phantom Thieves after being trapped in the alternate world, with no recollection of how it occurred. He has an argumentative personality and sees the big picture, but avoids fighting for the sake of safety.
- Morgana: a mysterious being that can speak human language, appears like a black cat. Having met and being rescued by the protagonist in the Metaverse, they've acted together ever since. Having a wealth of knowledge of the other world, he's the guide and mascot of the Phantom Thieves.
- Ryuji Sakamoto: hot-tempered, but kind boy that fights for his friends and the oppressed, facing any opponent head-on. He wandered in the Metaverse together with the protagonist before awakening to his Persona.
- Ann Takamaki: strong-willed and kind-hearted, she has sacrificed herself in order to protect her best friend after a tragedy, and has worked together with the Phantom Thieves since her awakening to her Persona.
- Yusuke Kitagawa: an aspiring artist attending Kosei High School's art course with highly-acclaimed paintings. Regardless of his well-groomed appearance, his strong devotion to art makes him an eccentric.
- Makoto Niijima: a third-year high school student and student council president, she acts like an older sister to the Phantom Thieves and has a martial arts prowess that she utilizes in combat by using her fists, making her a feared combatant.
- Futaba Sakura: a genius young hacker who once caused a stir in the world. At first having had poor communication skills and being afraid of public spaces, but after regaining her true memories, she awakened to her Persona. She plays an active role as Navigator, acting as her team's rear support.
- Haru Okumura: the daughter of the president of Okumura Foods, a major restaurant company. Calm and gentle personality with a strong sense of justice, she also has an oblivious and silly side, once calling herself "Beauty Thief."
DLC only[]
- Goro Akechi: a third-year high school boy with the title of "detective." Clear-minded and friendly, he has appeared in many media outlets, and is sometimes referred to as the "second coming of the Detective Prince." Although he pursues the Phantom Thieves, for a certain reason he's cooperating with them.
- Kasumi Yoshizawa: a beautiful young girl who entered Shujin Academy at the same time as the protagonist. She has achieved excellent results as a gymnast since middle school, and she's met with high expectations by the academy.
Antagonists[]
- Tyrant Marie: a sadistic and tyrannical queen who enslaves the citizens of her Kingdom for the sake of arranging a grand wedding. She brainwashed the Phantom Thieves by blowing kisses on them, allowing her to take full control of their bodies and minds.
- Lord Yoshiki: a feudal Japanese lord who monitors his citizens with spycams and takes people who don't like him to labor camps under the pretense of love towards them.
- Nakabachi: the ruler of the third Kingdom who has manipulated and blackmailed the Rebel Club into turning against each other through spy networks.
- Shadow Toshiro: Toshiro Kasukabe's Shadow Self.
- Salmael: a divine being who kidnapped Toshiro in a bid to kill him using his worst fears to save humanity.
Other characters[]
- Marie Anto: the real-world counterpart of Tyrant Marie and the daughter of a corporate conglomerate CEO about to undergo an arranged marriage with Toshiro.
- Yoshiki Kasukabe: the real-world counterpart of Lord Yoshiki, he is a long-standing Diet minister whose serene nature earned him the nickname "Buddha Kasukabe" by the public, and is the father of Toshiro Kasukabe. Beneath his public image however, belies an overbearing parent and layers of scandals.
- Yuki Kasukabe: Toshiro's terminally ill mother. Her cognitive counterpart is Lord Yoshiki's consort, who defected to save his citizens from his tyranny.
- Ichiro Nakabachi: a shady man who was appointed to Vice President in Toshiro's high school through fraud. He is responsible for a series of blackmail incidents that Toshiro investigated.
- Eri Natsuhara: the real-world counterpart of Erina and an upperclasswoman Toshiro befriended during his youth.
DLC only[]
- Guernica: an infamous street artist and vandal with a mysterious power that allows her to tap into people's emotions through her artwork. However, she has suddenly became violent and is now seeking to annihilate humanity through her art.
- Luca: a mysterious girl the protagonist, Akechi and Yoshizawa met in The Streets.
- Jerri: Guernica's pink parrot sidekick and the main antagonist of the DLC campaign.
Early Purchase Bonus and Downloadable Contents[]
In Japan[]
"Repaint Your Heart"
- Additional Episode: "Repaint Your Heart"
- Additional story content
- Battles with new rules
- "Long-awaited" playable characters exclusive to the DLC: Goro Akechi and Kasumi Yoshizawa.[1]
- Limited-time Personas:
- Digital Deluxe exclusives:
- Picaro Summoning Pack + Raoul Persona:
- Weapon Pack:
- "Bandit Series."
- Limited-time Personas included.
Development[]
According to producer Kazuhisa Wada, there are various motivations behind the idea of Persona 5 Tactica: aside from wanting to expand the possibilities of the series, Wada wanted to produce another story related to Persona 5. Additionally, Wada personally loves tactical RPGs, and many user surveys and the like pointed to interest towards the genre.[2]
On the design of the game, the goal was to create a game with pop and a good tempo so players who are new to the genre can enjoy it. As such, the focus of the combat system revolves around the "positioning" of the enemies and allies, making it easy to observe one's advantages and disadvantages.[2]
Additionally, the phantom thief-related themes of the series, such as hiding in the shadows and watching from afar, were aspects that fit well with the genre.[2]
Persona 5 Tactica's art style was a decision made to fit the different type of game, with intentionally increased proportions compared to the Persona Q games, spinoff games in a similarly chibi art style. The hands and feet size are emphasized more which lean towards a "comic book-like deformity" to help depict dynamic gestures and movements.[3]
Gallery[]
Videos[]
- Trailers
- Character Trailers
- Nyahoo! News / Morgana's Splendid Tactical Instructions
Trivia[]
- Persona 5 Tactica is the first game in the Persona series with a simultaneous worldwide release, excluding re-releases, such as Persona 4 Arena Ultimax, Persona 3 Portable, Persona 4 Golden, and Persona 5 Royal.
- Translated text files in Brazilian Portuguese, Russian and Turkish have been found within the game.[4]
- Similar to the 2022 release of Persona 5 Royal, the name of the protagonist defaults to "Ren Amamiya" upon changing the language of the game.[5][6]
- Persona 5 Tactica adopts a similar writing and visual style to Persona Q: Shadow of the Labyrinth and Persona Q2: New Cinema Labyrinth.
- Although Persona 5 Tactica features a unique art style for all new and returning characters, new characters such as Erina, Toshiro, and Guernica can be seen in concept art with the traditional Persona art style featuring their realistic proportions and sizes.
- This is the first Persona game to not feature the tarot in any way whatsoever. Consequentially, Erina and Toshiro Kasukabe are not tied to any arcana.
- This is the first Persona game since Persona 3 where the Reaper does not appear at all.
- This is one of the very few Persona games since Persona 3 where the final boss and/or main antagonist does not show up at the start of the game, either in disguise or in-person with their true nature concealed. However, this is only true for the main campaign, as Jerri shows up at the start of Repaint Your Heart.
- In March 14th, 2024, a language patch was added to Persona 5 Tactica, that made the files in Brazilian Portuguese, Russian and Turkish playable. Additionally, the Brazilian Portuguese translation of the game also localized the Phantom Thieves' codenames except for Noir and Mona.
In Other Languages[]
| Language | Title |
|---|---|
 Japanese
|
ペルソナ5 タクティカ |
 Korean
|
페르소나5 택티카 |
  Traditional Chinese
|
女神異聞錄５ 戰略版 |
| Simplified Chinese
|
女神异闻录５ 战略版 |
 French
|
Persona 5 Tactica |
 Italian
|
Persona 5 Tactica |
 German
|
Persona 5 Tactica |
 Spanish
|
Persona 5 Tactica |
 Portuguese (Brazil)
|
Persona 5 Tactica |
 Polish
|
Persona 5 Tactica |
 Russian
|
Persona 5 Tactica |
 Turkish
|
Persona 5 Tactica |
External Links[]
- Official Japanese website
- Official English website
- Official Korean website
- Official Traditional Chinese website
- Official Simplified Chinese website
- Steam page
References[]
- ↑ https://p-ch.jp/news/10488/
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 https://www.famitsu.com/news/202306/13306034.html
- ↑ Persona Team Art Unit Interview on Process Behind Persona 5 Tactica, Persona 3 Reload Designs, Persona Central, June 16, 2023
- ↑ https://x.com/osu_MeovvCAT/status/1725308380498030740?s=20
- ↑ Language Change Message EN
- ↑ Language Change JP