The long-running Persona series marries Famous Five-style adventuring with Jungian psychology. Typically, a group of students band together to solve the adult-confounding problems of their town, battling with the manifestations of its residents’ various emotional hang-ups. This spin-off shifts away from adolescent psychoanalysis into a more conventional game of chess-like skirmishes. The teenagers must overthrow a tyrannical monarch by allying with local resistance fighters in the fantastical kingdom to which they’ve been spirited away.

This type of strategy game originated from the 19th-century Kriegsspiel, where Prussian officers would simulate military situations on game boards, moving tokens to represent their units. In this game, battles take place in specific locations such as town centers and underground tunnels. Players control a chosen group of three characters and must strategically use melee, projectile, and magical attacks to defeat opponents hiding behind cover.

The combination of city battles, mental health treatment, and trendy anime visuals creates a unique atmosphere in Persona 5 Tactica. However, for those interested in strategic combat and customizing their units with weapons and status-altering abilities, there is a significant amount of dialogue (and overly sweet voiceovers) to navigate through initially. This game caters to fans of the existing storyline.

The category of turn-based strategy games is relatively small, but has advanced significantly. Popular franchises like XCOM and Fire Emblem are considered some of the most intricate examples of this genre. In the midst of tough competition, Persona 5 Tactica stands out with its unique features: knocking an opponent to the ground grants your character an extra turn, which can then be strategically utilized for even more powerful team attacks.

By completing each stage within a specified number of moves, players can earn rewards and strive for perfection in their approach. However, the game’s tutorials continue throughout its 40-hour duration and, coupled with a lackluster plot, simplistic settings, and consistently low difficulty, it will likely only attract the most dedicated fans of the series.

Source: theguardian.com