On Wednesday, Sony rolled out its September Game Catalog additions for PS Plus subscribers. This month’s entries run the gamut from turn-based tactics to survival horror and pro wrestling.
Persona 5 Tactica (PS5/ PS4) may be the most critically acclaimed title in the batch. The 2023 Persona spinoff takes the mainline games’ battles and shifts them into grid-based tactics. Think XCOM with Phantom Thieves.
The Invincible (PS5) is an adaptation of the 1963 sci-fi novel by Stanisław Lem. As its inspiration may suggest, this isn’t an action-heavy combat-fest. Instead, the narrative adventure invites you to explore the planet Regis III, searching for lost crew members. Your decisions will shape the story, so tread carefully.
If exploring lost worlds as an astrobiologist isn’t your thing, then maybe pile drivers and elbow drops are. (No judgment!) WWE 2K25 (PS5 / PS4) is also on this month’s list, letting you step into the ring as a steroid-infused behemoth. You can take satisfaction in knowing your video game match’s outcomes are less pre-determined than the scripted matches you see on TV.
Other games in this month’s entries include the action RPG title Fate / Samurai Remnant, the survival horror game Crow Country and the first-person survival sim Green Hell. You can check out the PlayStation Blog’s announcement for all the details.
Gamers are a passionate bunch, and we’re no exception. These are the week’s most interesting perspectives on the wild, wonderful, and sometimes weird world of video game news.
6 Things To Know Before Starting Persona 5 Tactica
This is Lars Wingefors, the CEO of Embracer, a Swedish holding company that owns multiple video game publishers, dozens of studios, and employs over 16,500 people. Or at least it used to. Embracer has been laying off hundreds, canceling projects, and closing studios as it reckons with deals that fell through, ambitious bets on big games, and an unprecedented acquisition spree that saw the investor group hoover up everything it could, from the studio behind Deus Ex to the license for The Lord of the Rings. One company to rule them all. That seemed to be the extent of the strategy. Read More
I love Persona 5, but over the years, Atlus’ stylish, supposedly socially-conscious RPG hasn’t loved me. Queer Persona fans know the series to be fraught, and even the most passionate among us treat it like the fun uncle who claims to love everyone and still says something extremely out of pocket each holiday. I figured Persona 5 Tactica, the tactical spin-off launching on November 17, would follow all the previous games and find some way to throw a jab at queer people for no reason. But after years of feeling like one of my favorite series has been trying to push me out, Tactica opened the door for me, if only for a moment. Read More
It’s been nearly a decade since GamerGate, the misogynistic game industry tantrum that harassed women under the guise of demanding journalistic ethics—yet 2023 has felt like we’re not that far past it at all. Read More
I liked Crash Team Rumble. I even said as much on this very website when the brawler MOBA launched back in June. But man, seeing them add Spyro, Crash’s flying, fire-breathing, OG PlayStation platformer contemporary to the roster just makes me wish we had a new Spyro the Dragon game. Read More
I love Persona 5, but over the years, Atlus’ stylish, supposedly socially-conscious RPG hasn’t loved me. Queer Persona fans know the series to be fraught, and even the most passionate among us treat it like the fun uncle who claims to love everyone and still says something extremely out of pocket each holiday. I figured Persona 5 Tactica, the tactical spin-off launching on November 17, would follow all the previous games and find some way to throw a jab at queer people for no reason. But after years of feeling like one of my favorite series has been trying to push me out, Tactica opened the door for me, if only for a moment.
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We aren’t going to get into any big, overarching story spoilers as I explain how, but a brief scene in Tactica’s first chapter does require a little table-setting. If you want absolutely no context, maybe minimize this tab and come back when you’ve finished the first chapter.
Persona 5 Tactica opens with the Phantom Thieves, the teenage superhero vigilantes heading back into the supernatural world called the Metaverse. This time they’re facing Marie, a tyrant bride who has repurposed an entire town to hold her dream wedding. There’s no need to get into the why and who here, as it’s a spoiler, but this serves to set up the scene we’re here to talk about. It’s called “The Ideal Marriage,” and you can find it in the Talk menu in Café Leblanc after you find out Marie’s plot.
The Phantom Thieves discuss Marie’s plan in their home base, and the conversation moves on to the team’s own ideas of “dream weddings.” Ann excitedly talks about how she can’t wait to wear a white wedding dress, and it’s all very cute. Eventually, Ryuji turns to our mostly silent protagonist, Joker, and playfully asks which of the Phantom Thieves he would marry.
I went through a few stages of subverted expectations here, so hold my hand, Phantom Thief, and let me walk you through. When Ryuji asked the question, I fully expected my options to be limited exclusively to the women in the room, as that would reflect the original Persona 5’s extremely limited view of romance. These spin-off games don’t import your P5 save, so games like Persona 5 Strikers find ways to ask you who your paramour in the first game was so you can experience a little continuity.
But much to my surprise, Tactica allowed for everyone in the room to be an option, including Ryuji, who I have headcanoned as my Joker’s unrequited crush since first playing Persona 5 in 2017. Even still, my trepidation wasn’t gone, as any time a dialogue option gave me a chance to suggest how my Joker felt a door was instantly slammed in my face. Persona games haven’t just denied characters’ possible queerness at every chance, they’re often eager to turn any gesture toward it into a mean-spirited joke.
I braced myself as I chose Ryuji, ready for Tactica to hit me with the metaphorical backhand in the form of my would-be boyfriend jolting away in the opposite direction…but it never came.
Screenshot: Atlus / Kotaku
Instead, what I got was a really sweet scene of Ryuji in a stylish white tux, saying he couldn’t believe the person of his dreams had been right by his side the whole time. It was a reference to one of the best interactions between Ryuji and Joker in OG Persona 5, one often pointed to by fans as a moment that implies some level of romantic trust between the two. But here in Tactica he also acknowledged sparks had been flying between the two since they met at the beginning of Persona 5, and I thought to myself it was about damn time he wisened up to this.
As Joker stops pondering his dream wedding it’s back to reality, where he and Ryuji aren’t dating, despite those sparks. The scene then ended, and before a wave of excitement hit me, my first feeling was a sense of relief.
Persona 5‘s homophobia problem
Persona 5 has always positioned itself as a story about standing up against oppressive forces in the name of standing up for the little guy crushed under their boots. The Phantom Thieves use their supernatural powers to fight crooks as small-time as an abusive high school coach and climb up until they reach a major politician. The game tackles power imbalances, class issues, and corrupt law enforcement, but queer identity has always been its blind spot. Even as it stumbles in advocating for victims of abuse by putting those same people through the same violence after the fact, at least Persona 5 does, at some point in its 100+ hours, take a stance.
But when it comes to how identity is a marginalizing factor, Persona 5 has always been willing to shun, or even point and laugh at queer people. Men, especially. Playing the original Persona 5 as a gay man was an incredibly disheartening experience as it both refused to let me go down a romantic path with any of my male friends, and also bombarded me with assumptions of who Joker, and by extension, myself, was in its dialogue.
Image: Atlus / CloverWorks
On top of this, Persona 5’s treatment of its sole canonical gay men, two harassers assaulting Ryuji in the middle of a crowded street, remains one of the lowest points in the series. The English localization team stepped in for the definitive Persona 5 Royal version by making these characters enthusiastic drag queens eager to show Ryuji the ropes rather than predators, but even that can’t make Persona 5 an inclusive game when it’s entirely uninterested in telling a story about queer characters, even if the player is trying to push it in that direction. Sure, you can tell a random shadow in a buried battle menu that you like men, but in terms of living as a gay teen in supernatural Tokyo? Persona 5 won’t let you.
It’s frustrating because I’d argue the social link arcs between Joker and Ryuji or Joker and his rival Goro Akechi still enjoy the most romantic tension in the game, far more than most of the women the player can pursue. But really, it didn’t come as a surprise that Persona 5 was dismissive of queer identity, because Persona almost always is.
Persona 3 has weird transphobic jokes that I’m curious to see handled in Persona 3 Reload. Persona 4 nearly has interesting conversations about queer identity with party members Kanji Tatsumi and Naoto Shirogane initially being presented as possibly working through male attraction and gender fluidity respectively, only for the game to handwave those conversations, fall back on the status quo, and engage in some casual queerphobia along the way. Shoutout to Persona 2, which had a gay romantic interest in 1999. I wish your successors followed suit, but maybe they can moving forward?
Screenshot: Atlus / Kotaku
Persona 5 Tactica doesn’t make good on the series excluding queer people, and it definitely doesn’t fix that it made us the butt of the joke for almost 20 years. But it does hint that maybe the future’s looking brighter for queer Persona fans in the future. Now, even if the love stories that should’ve been there aren’t, those of us who spent years playing as Joker pining for Ryuji or Yusuke (apologies to the Akechi lovers but he isn’t here, R.I.P. to you) have something in hand to beat the headcanon allegations.
I didn’t flirt with any of the women in any of these games because I was truly committed to the self-insert bit. Now I finally have at least one scene in this whole series that acknowledges that my Joker wants to smooch his golden retriever best friend. This leaves me a little more hopeful that whoever I play as in Persona 6 might get a boyfriend of his own.P
Persona 5 Tactica is launching in November on every platform imaginable. This means no player will miss out on this stylish tactical adventure. As a spin-off title, P5T is set after the events of Persona 5. We start in the coffee shop until we are thrust into another dimension by some strange phenomena. Soon the Phantom Thieves must figure out what has happened to the world as they know it. What exactly are these fiendish enemies who seem to be attacking them from all corners? And who is the mysterious Elina?
I came to this game as a newbie with no expectations (high or low) about Persona 5 Tactica. I knew I was in for a treat, however, when a John Milton quote flashed up upon loading. “The mind is its own place, and in itself can make a heaven of hell, and a hell of heaven”. Perhaps this is not the basic tactical anime game I thought it would be?
As a noob, I could’ve been confused about the P5T plot and characters but thankfully this wasn’t the case. The initial scenes at the cafe introduce each of the Thieves, giving away clues to their personalities through delightful banter. It becomes clear that this little gang have been through some trying times in the past. They are obviously looking to enjoy some peace and quiet but that peace doesn’t last for long, of course.
Image Credit: SEGA
The first thing that struck me about the general style of Persona 5 Tactica was how bold the graphics are. It is like being transported straight into a comic book. As the game begins it is clear P5T has a smart and engaging script. The conversations can be pretty long at times but they don’t get boring thanks to the camp and dramatic anime styling. If you cannot stand long cutscenes, and want to get straight to the action, then you are given the option to fast forward in the bottom right corner. I honestly recommend not skipping them though as you miss out on the marvelous plot and funny quips. This skip option is particularly useful, however, if you accidentally start a conversation again.
The story itself doesn’t seem to be too entwined with previous games. If it is connected I haven’t felt like I am missing out on any context. Character backstories are linked to past titles but you’re given subtle contextual clues as you play. So there is no urgent need to play any Persona games before starting this one. One great thing about playing P5T is that if you enjoy getting to know the thieves and their abilities then you will almost certainly feel like you want to delve into previous titles. Meeting the original Phantom Thieves of Hearts was a joy. Each of them are distinct with their own personality, skills, and a supernatural power called a ‘persona’ which we learn more of as we play through the early stages.
During a bit of a story set up we see The Phantom Thieves are transported somehow into another world of ‘kingdoms’, taken over by a tyrannical leader. Here we meet the Legionnaires, a group of brainwashed enemies following the orders the main antagonist, Marie. The Phantom Thieves must fight off the mysterious Legionnaires in this new world using their weapons and personas.
I soon realized, after a bit of a fight with the Legionnaires, that these ‘personas’ are kind of like manifestations of each character’s soul. They can use the power within them to fight off the enemy at the cost of their skill points (SP). As I am entirely new to this whole concept it struck me as surprisingly spiritual for a fun tactical game!
The battle gameplay is a lot of fun. You navigate a grid with the three characters at your disposal and use boxes to shield you from attacks as you fire ranged weapons. As mentioned above, personas use up skill points (SP) so they should be used wisely; this is all part of using strategy to your advantage! If you use the right attack to weaken the Legionnaire, you are granted the use of the ‘1 More’ action which gives you an extra strike at the enemy player. One of my favorite features during combat is when you can move your characters into a triangle formation and use the ‘Triple Threat’ move with devastating consequences for the enemy.
The skill tree is not too complicated and uses Game Points (GP) as an upgrade currency. These are earned by completing quests and passing stages with full stars. This basically means that the better you do, the higher ranked skills you can obtain. The best thing is that you can get GP back by swapping skills out if you want to try something else. Each character has their own Game Points to spend on their skill tree so you also don’t have to worry about choosing which one to level up first.
The Phantom Thieves personas are fun to play about with and as you progress you get to discover more of what they can do. It is also useful that members available for your party are introduced slowly, giving you time to learn how to use each one properly. As a strategy noob I am new to the grid-based map and turn-based style battles but found them highly enjoyable. It doesn’t take long to pick it up but that doesn’t mean it is easy! There was one fight where my noob skills would only take me so far and I just couldn’t clear the stage. I was relieved to discover you can switch between difficulties if faced with a tough round of enemies. The devs clearly want you to prioritize fun.
Image Credit: SEGA
Part of the strategy means choosing the best three allies into take into battle through each stage, and equipping them with the best weapons and personas you have. Choosing who to take becomes really important as they each have their own skills. Some prefer close combat while others can use longer range powers. The aim of each stage is to eliminate enemies as quickly as possible to get three stars and the best rewards. If you plan and strategize correctly each battle can be really satisfying. Switching between using a gun or a persona is fun and really adds to the strategy element. I’m not the best strategy gamer but I don’t feel that matters with Persona 5 Tactica. Each early stage is designed to subtly teach you how to play, giving you the opportunity to see how each attack works.
Each stage is interspersed with interactive scenes in the gang’s base. This is where you get to know any new characters and take some time to upgrade weapons and skills. The introduction of each new character is done in a way that isn’t jarring or confusing. When we meet Erina, the leader of another vigilante group, The Rebel Corps, she fits right into our little group. As each character has the same goal of justice and freedom, the group soon feels like they have always worked together. They encourage each other and of course the Phantom Thieves are ready to hep Erina take back what is hers!
The addition of the Velvet Room, where players get to create sub-personas, is another a great break from the action. It is pretty fun to see what new skills you can create, too. At no point does the game feel repetitive or dull, and there is plenty of variety between gameplay and cutscenes.
I’m not going to give much away here about the story because it is best to enjoy it as it unfolds. Let’s just say it is camp, surprising, and so much fun! It is clear Persona 5 Tactica was created for both old and new players alike, and I for one am grateful for that. I look forward to seeing what else the Persona series has to offer.
Persona 5 Tactica
Reviewer: Rowan Jones
Award: Editor’s Choice
Pros
Great for newbies and veteran Persona players alike
Bright, bold, stylish graphics
Fun story with a smart script
Cons
Long cutscenes Repetitive voice lines can become annoying
Release Date
November 15th 2023
Consoles
Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Playstation 4/5, Nintendo Switch, PC
Copy provided by Publisher
About the author
Rowan Jones
Rowan is a writer and educator from Devon, U.K. She has been writing about mobile and console games since 2020. Rowan loves puns and dad jokes, and also runs a secret meme page. She has a love/hate relationship with Dead By Daylight and a completely healthy obsession with Fortnite.
