|
|
|
PERSONA 5 TACTICA
review | SWITCH
|
Publisher: SEGA.
Developer: P-Studio. Released: November 2023. Genre: Tactical RPG. Other versions: PS5; PS4; XSX; XONE; PC. Posted 20th February 2026. By Tom Clare © 2026 |
|
Persona 5 proved to be the gift that kept on giving in 2023 when P-Studio delivered a spin-off to their Japanese role-playing colossus which, in turn, could count itself among the finest tactical role-playing games available. Tactica may not have garnered the same levels of attention, but for fans of the series (and Persona 5 in particular), it’s an essential purchase.
The action begins as Persona 5’s Phantom Thieves, led by ‘Joker’ and his friends Ryuji, Ann, talking cat Morgana, and company, have gathered at Leblanc cafe for a catch-up. However, when a major event rocks the place, seemingly freezing time, a mysterious door appears, and thus, the entrance to a new metaverse and a new adventure. The rules have changed, and there’s a mystery to solve: whose mind is responsible for this new, ghastly creation? The party soon encounters Toshiro, a cautious politician suffering from memory loss, and Erina, the courageous leader of an uprising against the kingdom’s tyrannical leader, Marie.
Persona 5 Tactica brings all the style of the main game and adds a host of fun combat ideas to the pot.
Themes of the subconscious are explored skilfully through the rules and decor of each kingdom. Marie’s opening area is indicative of a gauche wedding, with opulent but increasingly chaotic layouts that include wine cellars, the reception, and the aisle itself. The second kingdom sees a labyrinthine take on Japanese housing (reflecting the formative years of the mind in question), with a network of sliding doors activated by switches, as party members can easily become separated. The third kingdom recalls school life under an oppressive teacher, with megaphones dictating that players on certain squares will be punished for using certain attacks or skills.
The story is understandably a little less involved than Persona 5, with the social links stripped away in favour of team-building quests. This isn’t a criticism, however. P-Studio have done an excellent job of gauging the dialogue which, though a little colloquial in its English translation, retains the warmth and strong voicing of its parent RPG. Anime cut-scenes add some pizazz, whilst anime storyboards tell the lion’s share of the story, forming a pleasingly deep but not overly verbose addendum to Persona 5’s story, with plenty to keep fans guessing and a strong smattering of new characters and antagonists.
The story is understandably a little less involved than Persona 5, with the social links stripped away in favour of team-building quests. This isn’t a criticism, however. P-Studio have done an excellent job of gauging the dialogue which, though a little colloquial in its English translation, retains the warmth and strong voicing of its parent RPG. Anime cut-scenes add some pizazz, whilst anime storyboards tell the lion’s share of the story, forming a pleasingly deep but not overly verbose addendum to Persona 5’s story, with plenty to keep fans guessing and a strong smattering of new characters and antagonists.
|
|
Undoubtedly, the biggest change lies in the battle system, seeing the series pivot from traditional turn-based combat to grid-based, tactical RPG battles. The story comprises a little over 50 missions, with a further dozen side missions. These are fantastic, capturing several elements from the main series and integrating them marvellously into an immensely satisfying tactical affair. Central to it all is the “one more” feature, granting characters another turn should they exploit an enemy weakness. In the main series, this has typically been linked to a magical element or attack-related weakness, but in Tactica, the player must exploit factors such as cover and higher ground to extract the most from their turns. It shifts the onus towards terrain positioning and status effects, whereby ice attacks leave opponents frozen and unable to move, burn attacks cause post-turn damage, and forgetfulness can deny them a turn.
Simple ideas add significantly to the gameplay, such as the role cover plays. Full cover blocks incoming fire, whilst partial cover limits the damage, but finishing turns in cover is crucial to avoiding exposure to combo attacks. Given that turns end after a non-critical attack is delivered, players must plan the position their character will finish up. Environments have a habit of catching you out, with elevators and switch-operated doors able to produce or retract cover. Shooting from higher ground is advantageous if you can plot an appropriate route that isn’t too exposed, whilst whacking an enemy into a group of others presents another fun way of creating combo opportunities.
Simple ideas add significantly to the gameplay, such as the role cover plays. Full cover blocks incoming fire, whilst partial cover limits the damage, but finishing turns in cover is crucial to avoiding exposure to combo attacks. Given that turns end after a non-critical attack is delivered, players must plan the position their character will finish up. Environments have a habit of catching you out, with elevators and switch-operated doors able to produce or retract cover. Shooting from higher ground is advantageous if you can plot an appropriate route that isn’t too exposed, whilst whacking an enemy into a group of others presents another fun way of creating combo opportunities.
|
|
There are also signs of growth, little quality-of-life tweaks made to suit this more compact, focused experience. Rather than levelling up individually, the Phantom Thieves have a catch-all level that increases regardless of party personnel, with players able to designate skill points to individuals. Rather than wading through the heavy process of crafting Persona (familiars with distinct combat abilities) just for Joker, every character can now equip a secondary Persona. This means the process of building up the compendium feels considerably more varied and less drawn out. One of the best new features sees converting Personas earned in battle into unique weaponry, whereby the level and status designation will assign a range of characteristics. This makes for a more imaginative and fun alternative to simply buying ordinary weapons from the shop, granting players more options and incentives to fuse a range of Personas. The boss fights are a real treat, too, as P-Studio have been able to stretch their creative legs to incorporate some novel and involved encounters that will require a bit of lateral thinking on the player’s part.
It’s Persona, so it goes without saying that the presentation is gorgeous. Tactica’s menu design looks incredibly sleek, with stylish, flowing visages adding a remarkable dynamism to proceedings. The chibi-style characters form a cute but well-realised redesign of the original cast, whilst the story background drawings are stunning, and worthy of an art gallery. The music is excellent, as the series once again delivers its eclectic mix of sophisticated jazz bops, energetic, brooding rock riffs, and everything in-between.
It’s Persona, so it goes without saying that the presentation is gorgeous. Tactica’s menu design looks incredibly sleek, with stylish, flowing visages adding a remarkable dynamism to proceedings. The chibi-style characters form a cute but well-realised redesign of the original cast, whilst the story background drawings are stunning, and worthy of an art gallery. The music is excellent, as the series once again delivers its eclectic mix of sophisticated jazz bops, energetic, brooding rock riffs, and everything in-between.
|
|
P-Studio haven’t merely tried to replicate Persona 5, however tempting that might have been. They’ve understood the areas that would benefit from a greater focus, and those that needed scaling back. The 35-hour runtime feels perfect: meaty enough that there’s plenty to become absorbed in, but not so long that the loop of grid-based battles runs out of ideas. The narrative is fun and unashamedly fan-targetted: Tactica doesn’t waste time re-establishing character roles, it’s a side-story that aims to add to players’ appreciation of what has gone before. More relevantly, the game is extremely addictive and absorbing for the entirety of its run. It’s rare that we say this about a spin-off, but Persona 5 Tactica is an absolutely ideal companion piece; a brilliant addition for fans of the original.
|
VERDICT
"An ideal companion piece to a wonderful RPG. P-Studio have understood how to remould Persona 5 to fit a tactical role-playing experience, and for its 35 hour runtime, Tactica is thoroughly enjoyable." OVERALL: 9/10 |
OTHER TOP-QUALITY JAPANESE RPGS REVIEWED
Jeanne d'Arc (2007, PlayStation Portable)
|
Persona 5 (2017, PlayStation 3)
|