Summary
PlayingPersona 5is like being wrapped in a warm blanket with a hot cup of tea on a cold winter’s day. Sure, its themes are dark, and the story goes to harrowing places, but its flashy visuals, exquisitely composed music, and coming-of-age tale fills my heart with an unbridled sense of joy. Sadly, the same can’t be said for the game’s many spin-offs.
With a bar set so high by the original, not one of the Phantom Thieves follow-up adventures really hit the mark for me. So, whilePersona 5: The Phantom Xlooked like a return to the original game’s roots, forgive me if I was a little cautious ahead of a global release for the mobile title.
AtTokyo Game Showthis year, I was lucky enough to beat the regularly-90-minute lines to get 15 minutes of hands-on time with The Phantom X, and while my time with the game left me with plenty of questions, I came away feeling cautiously optimistic.
It Certainly Seems Like More Persona 5
My preview began with two choices: Story Mode or Battle Mode. I opted for story mode and was swiftly greeted with the stunning intro movie, and as it played out, I couldn’t help but grin like an excited schoolchild. Yes, I’ve watched it on YouTube a dozen times already, but this was the precursor to the latest entry in one of my favorite franchises of all time. I was excited.
As the intro concluded, I was thrust into a classroom scene at Kokatsu Academy featuring the game’s new protagonist as the all-too-familiar Persona 5 music rang out. I was truly back, and so was that sense of joy I felt when I first picked up the game all those years ago.
I worked my way through a series of Japanese-language cutscenes, meeting the series’ latest animal companion, an owl, and things began to take shape. Much like Persona 5, a mysterious app appears on the protagonist’s phone, and as a suspicious character boards the train, the player character is left with no choice but to click the button on their cell, thus beginning their first journey into the Metaverse.
Here We Go Again
Similar to everything else I’d experienced up to this point, the Metaverse and Mementos shared stark similarities toAtlus’mainline console title. No surprise, since I imagine a number of assets and mechanics are lifting directly from the likes of Persona 5,Royal, andStrikers.
Set in an underground metro station, shadows freely roamed, posing a threat to my character and what would later become my party. After yet another series of cutscenes in which Ruferu, the anthropomorphic owl, and myself became overwhelmed by the enemy, the moment I was waiting for occurred — the awakening.
No matter how many times I’ve seen it, will never not be cool.
Complete with the usual crunchy guitar riff, the protagonist ripped their mask off, prompting a swift outfit change and the summoning of their brand-new Persona, something which, no matter how many times I’ve seen it, will never not be cool. I then battled with three of the series’ most iconic enemies, Jack Frost.
The Phantom X features all of Persona 5’s core battle mechanics. My fight played out like one typical of the series and included me summoning my Persona to deal elemental damage, knocking the enemies down, and triggering the famed “One-More”, which in turn allowed me to perform an All-Out Attack with Ruferu. Atlus has nailed its battle system over the years, and rightly, they didn’t attempt to change things for the mobile title.
Ticking The Right Boxes
The Phantom X, at least from the short time I spent with it, completely satiated my desire for another mainline Persona title.
After playing through its introduction, it’s clear the game will have a heavy emphasis on telling another compelling story. And, although my Japanese reading comprehension is limited, The Phantom X has all of the stellar storytelling hallmarks you’d expect. I may not have been able to tell much of what the characters were saying to each other, but I could see the path the game was heading down, and it was enough to hook me.
While it was developed by a company external to Atlus, Black Wings Game Studio, many of Persona 5’s original development team oversaw its completion. This meant that any concerns that The Phantom X may lose some of 5’s trademark flash were immediately nullified, and you can see Atlus’ influence from the get-go.
The Phantom X has all of the stellar storytelling hallmarks you’d expect.
However, even though I enjoyed what I’d played, I still left with some worries.
What makes the original Persona games so great is their ability to immerse you. They’re the type of experience that you sit down to play for an hour, look up, and six have flown by. Sadly, The Phantom X’s mechanics won’t allow for that.
It’s a mobile game, and it needs to be monetized somehow. Though the calendar system fundamentally remains in The Phantom X, much of it is time-gated or paywalled, meaning if you want to continue your adventure, you’re either forced to wait or pay up.
The Phantom X is a gacha game, too. I didn’t get to play enough to find out how new party members will be unlocked and become available for use in battles, but it seems the game will heavily rely on banners and gacha rolls to acquire them. How this affects the flow of the story remains a mystery to myself, but I sincerely hope it doesn’t hamper things in pursuit of making more money.
Bring It To The West
With a Japanese release of Persona 5: The Phantom X now imminent, the question remains of whether it’ll make its way West.
Traditionally, Western gamers aren’t as hot on mobile titles as their Japanese counterparts, something which was abundantly clear to me riding through Tokyo’s wonderful rail system. However, with the success of games like Genshin Impact and Zenless Zone Zero, plus the continued growth of thePersona franchisein this part of the globe, it seems inevitable.
Despite having never played a gacha game before, the signs are promising, and it’s a game that I’ll be diving intoif and when it heads over.
Persona 5 Royal
WHERE TO PLAY
Persona 5 Royal adds even more to Atlus' hit RPG, including an extra semester, a new Palace to take on, and two new confidants. Two new endings add to the Phantom Thieves' story, and you’ll be able to hang out in the Thieves' Den.
