ATLUS revealed more details about Persona 5 Tactica and returning Phantom Thieves Yusuke Kitagawa, Makoto Niijima, Futaba Sakura, and Haru Okumura. Additionally, more details about Yoshiki Kingdom were revealed following the release of the second official Persona 5 Tactica trailer.
Persona 5 Tactica Returning Phantom Thieves and Yoshiki Kingdom
Yusuke Kitagawa (CV: Tomokazu Sugita, Matt Mercer)
A second-year high school student attending Kosei High School’s art course. Yusuke is well known for his painting and devotion to art. His talents as an artist were used by his own teacher, but he decided to part ways after meeting the Phantom Thieves and learning their true identities. He awakened to his Persona and became a proper member of the Phantom Thieves. Although Yusuke has an eye-catching and well-groomed appearance, his eccentric behavior tends to confuse those around him. His Persona is Goemon.
Makoto Niijima (CV: Rina Satō, Cherami Leigh)
A third-year high school student attending Shujin Academy. Due to the influence of her strict older sister, she felt committed to her goals as an honor student. She was taken advantage of by adults, but she eventually broke out of her shell and awakened her Persona, becoming a member of the Phantom Thieves. Makoto is the student council president of Shujin Academy, and she’s like an older sister figure for the Phantom Thieves.
She’s also a fighter who easily knocks down enemies with her fists, and
even Ryuji is afraid of her “Fist of Justice.” Makoto’s Persona is Johanna.
Futaba Sakura (CV: Aoi Yūki, Erica Lindbeck)
A genius hacker girl who once caused a great uproar in the world. Selfish adults made her believe that she was to blame for her mother’s death, and Futaba proceeded to live her life as a shut-in. Futaba isn’t good at communicating with other people, but she would begin to change after regaining her memories and awakening her Persona ability. She plays an vital role as a navigator for the Phantom Thieves, supporting her comrades from afar. Her Persona is Necronomicon.
Haru Okumura (CV: Haruka Tomatsu, Xanthe Hyunh)
The sole daughter of the president of Okumura Foods, a major restaurant company.
She was previously forced into an arranged marriage by her father, making her lose control of her own life for a time. After awakening to her Persona, Haru finds the courage to stand up to her father. Her father ultimately lost his life, but Haru continues to fight as a Phantom Thief after overcoming her grief. Although she’s kind-hearted and well-mannered, Haru may also be a bit scary at times. Haru’s Persona is Milady.
Yoshiki Kingdom in Persona 5 Tactica
A stark contrast from the French Revolution vibe of Marie’s Kingdom, The Phantom Thieves and Erina now find themselves in a Kingdom reminiscent of mid-1800s Japan.
Before they can even catch their breath, the Phantom Thieves see a woman in crisis. While they successfully save her, they become wanted criminals in the process. According to Yuki, the woman they saved, the Kingdom’s ruler, Yoshiki, is seen as a moral and loving leader, but she claims this is only a façade.
In truth, Kingdom citizens are subject to constant surveillance, excused by a need to watch over the citizens. Anyone who shows a whiff of dissent towards Yoshiki is captured immediately and taken away to perform labor under force.
Joker and the team decide to stand up to Yoshiki. To do so, they must free the imprisoned citizens in military posts throughout the Kingdom.
To avoid the watchful eye of Yoshiki’s Legionnaires, who he calls the Aizen Squad, the Phantom Thieves are led by Yuki to a local kimono shop.
After disguising as samurai, geisha, and other citizens, the team decides to enact Toshiro’s diversionary strategy so as to escape with the imprisoned citizens unharmed.
While the team’s plan is successful, their joy is short-lived. Yoshiki descends from the sky, his serene demeanor now replaced with a terrifying rage. Now the Phantom Thieves and friends will face the full might of this Kingdom’s ruler.
Gameplay Mechanics
Character Swapping
During your turn, you can switch between the three active party members whenever you desire. Until you finalize your actions, you can switch between characters and experiment with their positions, so take your time making your decisions. Switching between characters is vital to setting up the all-out attack called a Triple Threat! This can turn the tide of battle in your favor, or even finish it in one fell swoop!
Strike Down Enemies
In Persona 5 Tactica, standing at a higher level yields certain advantages. Strike down enemies with melee attacks to knock them down! In addition, if you knock an enemy toward a party member, you can trigger follow-up attacks! Aside from additional damage, these can even provide extra turns. Keep these in mind when strategizing!
Before you knock down an enemy, try to position a party member nearby! Keep an eye out for the FOLLOW! icon! This will allow you to trigger a follow up attack! And CRITICAL score! An Extra Turn is activated!
A Diverse Range of Enemies
Aside from the standard ranks of Marie’s Legionnaires known as Musketeers, enemies like Grenadiers, who strike back immediately when attacked, and Drummers, who use buffs and healing skills, also await you.
Charge into battle without a plan and they’ll make you regret it!
Musketeers specialize in ranged fire, Grenadiers excel in melee, and leap at any attackers, and Drummers aren’t a threat alone, but with their healing and buffing skills, they make for challenging groups.
Difficulty Settings
If your party member’s HP reaches 0 during a battle, don’t lose hope—you can immediately Baton Pass to someone else in your reserves!
There are also five difficulty settings that can be changed at any time. If you’re struggling with a certain fight, or if the battles feel too easy, try changing the difficulty!
Even when your HP is 0, you can swap between non-active party members. Always keep an eye out for Baton Passes!
Difficulty levels include Safety, Easy, Normal, Hard, and Merciless.
Persona Fusions
The Velvet Room resident of this game is Lavenza (VA = Carrie Keranen), now dressed as a blacksmith! Experiment with Persona fusion in an all-new industrial setting!
Fuse Personas obtained in battle to power them up!
Lastly, Persona 5 Tactica launches on November 17 for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and PC via Windows and Steam.
