P-Studio and SEGA have finally released their latest addition to the Persona series, Persona 5 Tactica (P5T). This spin-off is a tactical role-playing game that takes the lovable characters from the series and transposes them into a cute and surprisingly rewarding tactical game.
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Shin Megami Tensei: Persona is a franchise that has captivated the world since 1996. It was originally a spin-off of Atlus' Megami Tensei franchise.
Like other Persona games, Persona 5 Tactica features students who are the Phantom Thieves and includes a silent protagonist whose dialogue players can choose.
It's Okay If You Don't Understand Persona 5 Tactica Jokes
Persona has a long gaming history, starting as early as 1996, which means there's a lot of story, which leaves room for inside jokes. It’s a double-edged sword in favor of the game.
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The game doesn't spend much time introducing the characters at the start, assuming you've played a Persona game before and don't need an introduction. So it's hard to understand what's going on from the start, but if you stay in the game it's worth it.
On the other hand, if you don't know the jokes, Persona 5 Tactica doesn't make you feel uncomfortable. There are dialogue options for new and returning players, and it's easy to get into the game because it's essentially housed in a whole new Metaverse.
That being said, it's also a source of inspiration to go back and play other games to find out what everyone is talking about. So this is a great marketing strategy on the part of SEGA and P-Studio to encourage you to play their other games.
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The extremely addictive gameplay of Persona 5 Tactica
As someone who doesn't typically pick up a turn-based tactics game, I found Persona 5 Tactica extremely addictive. As the story progresses, you'll easily find yourself wanting to take the next step and wanting to talk to the characters inside Leblanc. P5T makes it way too easy to happily move on to the next combat stage in the best way possible.
If the progression of the story and the combat make the game addictive, the desire to be the best possible is just as addictive. I want to complete the stages perfectly, earn enough currency to level up your characters and have the best weapons possible. The motivation to keep going, and sometimes to go back and get the best, is powerful. It pushes you to repeat certain levels until they are completed perfectly.
Additionally, the sound and music of Persona 5 Tactica's combat, boss fights, and sequences are excellent, making you want to play and making tactical battles much more fun.
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P5T's rewarding combat and combos
It’s been a long time since I’ve played such a rewarding turn-based tactical game. When you play well, you get free actions that allow you to continue and extend your turns, and your intelligence allows you to perform combinations. Combo moves, like Triple Threat, are extremely rewarding, as they combine the combat skills and power of all three of your squad members at once.
Persona 5 Tactica was released on November 17, 2023.
Criticism
Persona 5 Tactica
BENEFITS
- Even if you've never played the previous Persona games, P5T is easy to love and pick up.
- The tutorial and gameplay style are easy to understand, even if you are new to tactical games.
- The difficulty is changeable in the game, so if you get bored you can increase it, and if it's too difficult you can decrease it.
CONS
- P5T doesn't dwell on character introductions, as it assumes you've already played the previous games.