Persona 5 Tactica: Everything to Know on Day 1

Due to release on November 17, Persona 5 Tactica has been a very long time coming. As one of the first franchise entries to come out on PC on day one, no joke, the availability of Tactica is a huge deal. Both for fans of the turn-based combat niche and for fans of Persona proper!

That being said, it's plainly apparent that Persona 5 Tactica is something entirely new for the Phantom Thieves. This, too, is a thrilling combat adventure, for sure, but it's set in a new, bizarre realm where Phantom Thieves wander around to fight oppressive armies and, most prominently, a mysterious military group named Legionnaires.

That's where Tactica's thrilling turn-based combat truly comes into its own. Persona 5 Tactica is Persona meets XCOM, with hues from the likes of Final Fantasy Tactics and beyond. Lots of pedigree here, then, and it's all being headlined by the legendary Phantom Thieves!

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What is Persona 5 Tactica?

On this particular sub-topic, we immediately recommend you check out the Persona 5 Tactica Everything We Know article for an in-depth, technical summary of the game. Here, however, we're more interested in setting the stage and giving you the necessary context to jump in on day one.

The important thing in broad terms, though, is that Persona 5 Tactica is a turn-based strategy RPG with a more militaristic slant. Whereas the majority of previous Persona and Shin Megami lean heavily into occult and Weird themes, Tactica has got that in a bit more of a background, with squad-versus-squad combat encounters slapped front-and-centre instead.

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Is Persona 5 Tactica a Mainline Persona Game?

As its chibi-esque aesthetic may betray, Persona 5 Tactica is in a category all of its own, compared to most other Shin Megami Tensei titles. It is not, as such, a mainline Persona game, but exists in a space similar to Persona 5 Strikers. Consider this an opportunity for your dream squad to assemble following a strange incident, which is about as much as we needed to be sold on the concept. This is Persona's iconic universe, featuring the Phantom Thieves being themselves. It's just conceptually different from the titles prior, with a brand new storyline and brand new allies, to boot.

The really interesting bit, for fans of Persona lore, is that Persona 5 Tactica takes place in parallel with Persona 5 proper. For the Phantom Thieves, it is a side story in a strange, off-beat universe where their help is needed, and this is reflected in the gameplay side of things as well.

Gameplay Mechanics in Persona 5 Tactica

With Persona, the developer ATLUS has already tried out a wealth of different and unique gameplay systems. In the case of Tactica, it shouldn't be surprising that we're looking at a JRPG tactics game, a hybrid of turn-based combat encounters with overworld exploration systems.

Expect Persona 5 Tactica to follow the genre tropes of established strategy RPGs, then:

These are, naturally, being mixed with Persona must-haves, such as the summoning and managing of Personas themselves, fusing them, and leveraging elemental affinities.

Though firearms have always had their place in Persona proper, it seems they may be even more important in Tactica, as we're getting pre-order skins featuring an assortment of modern-day weaponry and other assorted goodies.

From the looks of it, Personas, weapons, and elemental spells each have their own niche and place in Tactica, and balancing between them is going to be key to winning each new encounter.

Unique Features in Persona 5 Tactica

As the Phantom Thieves find themselves in the middle of a strange, ever-revolutionary metaspace known as The Kingdoms, they'll soon discover not everything is as it seems. Not only are they themselves in grave danger for facing off against not one, not two, but three separate warring kingdoms, so too are the regular people living there. Players will, therefore, need to use dynamic combat to overthrow the oppressors in what's being billed as an "emotional revolution" by ATLAS.

In concrete, gameplay terms, Persona 5 Tactica places much more emphasis on cover and mobility than any Persona game prior, making it a standout feature. As we said, this is closer to XCOM and Final Fantasy Tactics than a regular Persona fan might be used to, so it's certainly something we recommend keeping in mind on day one.

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A New Turn-Based Classic?

We don't need to explain why getting an awesome new Persona 5-themed turn-based RPG would be a huge boon for the genre. Fans, too, have got much to look forward to as the developer, ATLUS, explores something it's only been tangentially familiar with.

Persona 5 Tactica is coming out on November 17, and you can play it on day one with a discount simply by purchasing it via 2Game. In fact, we're also offering a special pre-order discount on the game's Digital Deluxe edition, so you've got the opportunity to save a pretty penny with 2Game. Stay tuned for more!

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Due to release on November 17, Persona 5 Tactica has been a very long time coming. As one of the first franchise entries to come out on PC on day one, no joke, the availability of Tactica is a huge deal. Both for fans of the turn-based combat niche and for fans of Persona proper! […]