Persona 5 Tactica

Persona 5 Tactica is the latest spinoff in Atlus' popular Persona series, bringing the Phantom Thieves to a new tactical RPG adventure. The game begins with the Phantom Thieves mysteriously transported to another realm ruled by an oppressive military regime called the Legionnaires. They join forces with a rebel leader named Erina to overthrow the Legionnaires in a revolution.

As a fan of both Persona 5 and tactical RPGs like Final Fantasy Tactics, I was eager to see how Atlus could blend these two genres together. Overall, I found Persona 5 Tactica to be a fresh take on the Persona formula with solid tactical gameplay, although it still retains some of the series' trademark style and flair.

The story isn't quite as compelling as Persona 5's, but it's serviceable enough to carry the game and offers some fun twists. I enjoyed seeing the Phantom Thieves cast in a new setting, although I wish some characters got more development than others. The visual style and music stay true to the Persona aesthetic, with vibrant colors and catchy tunes.

A Tactical Revolution

Where Persona 5 Tactica really shines is its grid-based tactical combat. Battles play out in turns, with players maneuvering characters around a map and using weapons, spells, and abilities to defeat enemies.

I'm a big Final Fantasy Tactics fan, and Tactica's combat immediately reminded me of that classic. Positioning and planning ahead is key, and the Personas add another layer of strategy to battles. Seeing the detailed Persona animations in tactical-style combat is awesome. Battles offer enough depth to stay engaging without being overly complex.

Upgrading & Customization

Between battles, there's fun character customization in upgrading Personas with new abilities, crafting new weapons and armor, and tailoring skill loadouts. I spent a lot of time tweaking my party, trying out different builds and team compositions. The wealth of customization options keeps this aspect addictive and rewarding.

Presentation & Style

Visually, the game looks great, with the UI and style fans would expect from Persona. However, the switch to chibi character designs is a major departure for the series. The cute, miniature versions of the Phantom Thieves are charming, but also detract a bit from the game's serious tone compared to Persona 5's stylish character models.

Similarly, the story presentation relies too heavily on visual novel-style dialogue scenes, which slows the pace. But the soundtrack is energizing, and I appreciated small touches that reference Persona 5. The chibi aesthetic may be polarizing for some fans, but I found it grew on me over time.

If you ever played Persona Q, you know what to expect from Persona 5 Tactica's presentation and character designs. It's not as "mature" as base Persona 5 or even Persona 5 Strikers, but it gets the job done and presents a surprisingly engaging narrative.

Pros:

• Addictive, deep tactical combat
• Tons of customization options
• Signature Persona style and flair

Cons:

• The story isn't as compelling
• Slow pacing at times
• Uneven character development