Calling all wannabe thieves! Persona 5 Tactica, the new strategy RPG starring the Phantom Thieves of Hearts, is on its way.
We’ve rounded up all there is to know about the game below, starting with a quick history lesson to get you up to speed.
History of Persona and The Phantom Thieves
Sorry to make your head spin, but Persona 5 Tactica is a spin-off from the Persona RPG series, which itself is a spin-off from the huge Japanese Megami Tensei franchise. There are actually quite a few spin-offs from Megami Tensei, but Persona has become the largest and most popular.
The first game in the Persona series was Revelations: Persona, released for the PlayStation is 1996. 2019’s Persona 5 Royal was the most recent. All Persona 5 games feature the Phantom Thieves of Hearts (or just Phantom Thieves), a group of students dedicated to stealing evil hearts from wrongdoers to try and make the world a better place.
What is the Persona 5 Tactica story?
The story begins with Joker and the others Phantom Thieves being transported into a strange realm with shades of Revolutionary France. For starters, it’s ruled by an oppressive monarch called Marie.
Marie’s military, known as the Legionnaires, quickly surround and capture the Phantom Thieves. And that’s the end of the game…
… just kidding. Joker and Morgana are rescued by a mysterious woman called Erina who a) lets them know that they’re in a Metaverse called The Kingdoms, and b) offers Joker a deal to rescue the rest of his gang, with the help of her Rebel Corps. And that’s where the real action begins.
How to play Persona 5 Tactica
Rather than using the turn-based battle system that Shin Megami Tensei games are known for, Persona 5 Tactica uses a more tactical RPG system in the form of a grid-based battle map.
Battles will be played out in turns, and as well as doing the usual things fighting enemies and healing colleagues, you'll also be in charge of your team’s movements.
You’ll control a party of up to three characters as you navigate through the map, which is densely populated with enemies. If you’re up for a fight you’ll be able to approach enemies for a close-quarters physical attack, and call on your characters to assist.
Each one of your characters has their own unique skill that can be used as soon as your Voltage Gauge fills up. From blasting fire to electric spells, you’ll have to work out which is the best one to call on to win the battle you find yourself in.
Look out for other in-battle features such as surveillance cameras that can call in reinforcements, dash squares that can take characters right across a battle, and explosive barrels – which do exactly what you expect.
Who are Persona 5 Tactica’s main characters?
The stars of the game are the infamous Phantom Thieves of Hearts – a group of students dedicated to changing people’s hearts and getting them to confess their crimes they’re hiding.
If you’ve played a Persona 5 game before you’ll already be well acquainted with most of these characters. If not, let’s do a few quick introductions:
Joker is our hero. He’s a second-year student who arrived at a new school after getting expelled from his old one (not his fault, he was falsely accused of assault by a corrupt politician). He then formed the Phantom Thieves of Hearts as a vigilante group to explore a Metaverse (not the Zuckerberg one) full of people’s subconscious desires and remove evil intent from their hearts.
Ryuji (codename ‘Skull’) is Joker’s right-hand man. He’s describe as being defiant, but a nice guy. Nice combination.
Morgana (codename ‘Mona’) is the Phantom Thieves’ second-in-command and Metaverse guide. He’s a mysterious cat-like creature who’d like to discover his origins and return to his true form.
Ann (codename ‘Panther’) is a girl described as the life of the party. She’s destined to have a huge impact on the fate of the other main characters.
Yusuke (codename ‘Fox’), is composed, elegant, and observant, with a passion for the arts. He’s a little bit of an eccentric, but someone with real charm.
Makoto (codename ‘Queen’) , is the school's top student and is considered the brains of the Phantom Thieves. She has the ability to analyse complicated situations and make elaborate plans.
Futaba (codename ‘Oracle’) doesn’t attend school and rarely leaves her house due to anxiety (wearing a mask when she does). Instead, she isolates herself in her room and communicates through the internet.
Haru (codename ‘Noir’) is a wealthy student of Shujin Academy, and the daughter of Kunikazu Okumura, a power-hungry businessman. She’s very reserved and suffers from trust issues.
Persona 5 Tactica difficulty levels
There are five difficulties in Persona 5 Tactica - Safe, Easy, Normal, Hard, and Merciless. Going by the last few Persona games, Safe will be fairly easy (but by no means an absolute doddle), while Easy is more challenging but should give you an edge over the enemy if you play well. Merciless, on the other hand, will surely be as brutal as ever.
Will Persona 5 Tactica have a multiplayer mode?
Nope, it’s single player only. The strategy RPG genre isn’t really about multiplayer games, and Persona 5 Tactica is no different. No co-op or multiplayer modes are planned.
What is Persona 5 Tactica’s release date?
Persona 5 Tactica is coming to steal our hearts on November 17, 2023.
How much will Persona 5 Tactica cost?
Persona 5 Tactica (standard edition) will cost £54.99 on PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch and on PC via Steam. The Persona 5 Tactica deluxe edition will costs £69.99 and gives you extra weapons, summoning skills and challenge packs. Persona 5 Tactica will also be available from launch on Xbox Game Pass, so you can play it without paying for a full price copy.
Can I pre-order Persona 5 Tactica?
Yes, you can pre-order Persona 5 Tactica right now on all the platforms mentioned in the price section above. You can also bookmark our upcoming games page to stay in the loop and pre-order your copy straight from Currys.
