At this year’s Tokyo Game Show, Sega has a 20-minute demo of the upcoming Persona 5 spin-off game, Persona 5 Tactica. We had the chance to play on PlayStation 5 and the Nintendo Switch. For those who are still on the fence, you can read our full impressions here.
Persona 5 Tactica is a turn-based strategy game set in the Persona 5 universe. How it plays is significantly different from the original Persona 5 game. While you still take turns in battle, the meat and potatoes of the game are about generating combat and finding cover on small turn-based maps.
How It Plays
Persona 5 Tactica reminds me so much of the recent Mario + Rabbids games. The Chibi art style, mixed with smaller maps, and low camera brings it a step further away from something like X-Com and Marvel’s Midnight Suns. From what I could tell the only gameplay loop is to continue winning through a series of turn-based battles. Between levels, there are small story beats played in a stop-motion comic style. After a few lines of dialog, you will be dumped right into the next level. With that in mind, in order to fully appreciate Persona 5 Tactica, you are either going to have to really like tactics games or really like Persona 5.
While playing the game, you are limited to moving a few squares per turn. Once you have aligned your attack, you have a few options. Just like in Persona 5, you can use a standard attack, call a Persona, or use an item. For standard attacks, Joker uses a gun while Morgana uses his slingshot. A lot of the attack types come from the mainline game, just from a different perspective.
Final Thoughts
If you are a fan of Persona 5, you are going to feel right at home. The music is different from the original game but, it captures the vibe perfectly. The new music is fantastic. Plus it seems like all of the sound effects and art direction are derived from the original game.
Another bit of good news comes with the Switch release. While the PC and current-gen versions use significantly higher resolutions on all in-game objects, the game is totally acceptable on the Switch. It runs just fine, Persona 5 Tactica is going to make for a nice game on nearly all devices.
Persona 5 Tactica launches day and date on Xbox Game Pass on November 17th. It seems like something that would work out nicely on streaming services. Likewise, it will be out on Nintendo Switch, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and PC this November.
