Vortex Gaming

Sega Atlus revealed the latest demo build of 'Persona 5 Tactica (hereinafter Tactica)', the latest installment in the series being developed using the Persona 5 IP, at TGS 2023. Tactica is a new game featuring the main characters of the popular original 'Persona 5', which has surpassed 9 million copies sold worldwide. The new game tells a new story of Joker and his friends who suddenly visit another world in the winter before graduation.

Until now, there have been attempts to utilize the Persona IP in various genres, but Tactica is the first to be developed in the 'Simulation RPG' genre. While taking on the genre of simulation RPG, it retains the unique charm of the original game's battles, such as 'One More' and 'All-Out Attack', and at the same time, it is characterized by the new fun of being able to develop linkages with colleagues. With not much information released other than the release date information confirmed for November 17th, we heard more detailed information about the new Tactica from Sega Atlus' producer Atsushi Nomura, whom we met at TGS.

Q. The main characters from the original also appear as major characters in Tactica. I'm curious whether the main settings or storytelling that were not revealed in the original will be depicted in the game.

= Tactica depicts the story between the two titles 'Persona 5' and 'Persona 5 Scramble', but it is not a title that fills the gap between the two titles. Persona 5 has always had a continuous drama-like structure, and a new story is drawn each time a new character appears. In the process of thinking about what story to draw in Tactica, a plan came out to make it like a theatrical version, like cutting out a certain event, and that's how the story of Tactica was created.

Q. If it's not a configuration with a big connection, can people who have never experienced the original understand Tactica itself, follow the story, and enjoy it?

= Tactica is a spin-off of Persona 5, so you can enjoy it more if you know Persona 5. This is because there are new characters, but most of the characters that appear continue as they are.

In terms of story, it's good to know the original, but in terms of genre, I think that even those who have never played a simulation RPG before can easily learn without any barriers to entry. Tactica is the first simulation RPG in the series, so I expect that many Persona series fans have never experienced a simulation RPG. We made it with consideration so that they can learn and play the game one by one from the beginning.

Q. The TGS demo build did not include many tutorials, but will more detailed tutorials be available in the release build?

= Of course. It includes tutorials for beginners that teach very basic things in the early stages. However, I wanted to show the core content of the game within the 15 minutes that I could provide as a TGS demo build, and I was forced to introduce the demo build with the early tutorial omitted.

There was one standard in the Tactica development process: to make it so that even a development team member who doesn't like simulation RPGs would feel 'fun'. As a result, we were able to complete a work that could satisfy even employees who did not prefer simulation RPGs.

Q. To make it enjoyable even for people who don't like simulation RPGs, I think you had to create some kind of differentiation. How is Tactica different from general simulation RPGs?

= In general, simulation RPGs often depict the battle between 'groups and groups', but Tactica focuses on 'team play' rather than groups. Instead of managing large-scale units of dozens of people, we focused on the charm of each member through the activities of the 'Phantom Thieves' as a team. Because you don't have to manage a lot, even those who found simulation RPGs difficult can play without feeling burdened.

Q. Speaking of the charm of the characters, I can't leave out the new playable characters 'Er' and 'Kasukabe Toshiro'. I'm curious about what efforts were made to express the new characters, which fans may find unfamiliar, in an attractive way.

= Er is the leader of the revolutionary army. In terms of art, we designed her with the image of a 'strong and passionate woman' to bring out the image of a leader. However, if we emphasize only this part too much, she may not mix well with the existing members of the Phantom Thieves, so we also added a bit of a clumsy look to create a character with three-dimensional charm. In addition, we designed Er to be affiliated with the main character party from the beginning, so that she can continue to grow with the player, and naturally feel attached to her in the process.

We plan to continue to release new information about another new character, 'Kasukabe Toshiro', so please continue to look forward to what kind of attractive character he will become.

Q. I'm also curious about the reason for deforming all the characters differently from the original.

= Within the development team, there were two opinions: `Let's make it as it is in the original`, or `Let's deform it to fit the simulation genre`. If we made it as it is in the original, we could express the character itself in a cool way, but we had to increase the size of the surrounding map and objects to match the character. Simulation RPGs usually have a bird's-eye view from above, but if the structure becomes too large, you have no choice but to pull the camera back to grasp the whole thing. Rather, the activities of the Phantom Thieves are buried. In the end, as depicted in most simulation RPGs, Tactica also adopted deformed characters.

The character style has been decided, but there were still problems. While deforming the character, the character looked too cute, and it became difficult to capture the cool charm in the original. To solve this problem, we repeatedly adjusted the balance of the arms and legs and the balance of the whole body, and finally we were able to complete the current deformed style, which is cute and stylish at the same time. There are many cutscenes and movie scenes in Tactica's in-game, and we plan to show you a wonderful look that you wouldn't believe is a deformed character, so I hope you will pay attention to this part as well.

Q. Are there any points that you should know in advance to enjoy Tactica more?

= As I said before, there are no points that you need to know in advance because we have a solid tutorial at the beginning of the game. If I had to say, the `Morgana Captain's Splendid Tactical Instructions` PV has been released through the official YouTube channel, and if you watch this, you can understand Tactica's battle points more easily. If you are playing for the first time, we recommend playing 'Persona 5 The Royal' first. 'Persona 5 The Royal' has been released on almost all platforms, including PS5, so you can choose a platform that is convenient for you to play.

Q. I'm worried that in the process of creating a 3-person party, a set of characters with strong performance, or a small number of characters, will be narrowed down and used only in a limited way. I'm curious if you have prepared any special alternatives to prevent the party form from becoming fixed.

= Tactica is a game that focuses on the individuality of the characters that make up a team called the Phantom Thieves. We avoided a structure that could not be cleared unless it was a specific character, and made it possible to enjoy various combinations.

Since Tactica has the concept of 'Sub Persona', other Phantom Thieves members can also bring Personas that have acquired skills other than their own unique Persona. Thanks to this, you can form a party with only your favorite characters, for example, members other than 'Joker'.

Q. I'm looking forward to being able to use various characters more widely. What is the character growth structure like?

= In Tactica, all characters gain experience and grow together even if they are not included as combat members. When you win a battle, you can earn GP (growth points), which you can use to take skill trees. There are various skill trees such as attack skills and status, so you can focus on one skill tree or use it in a balanced way. GP redistribution can be repeated for free, so feel free to try various methods.

Q. I'm curious about what kind of differences the DLC episode 'Repaint Your Heart' contains from the main game.

= The DLC depicts a different world from the main game, and is fixed with a 3-person party of Joker, Goro Akechi, and Kasumi Yoshizawa. The game's strategies and rules are also slightly different from the main game. The best way to enjoy the DLC is to play it after playing the main game and want to taste a slightly newer strategy. If you enjoyed the main game, you will definitely be satisfied with the DLC, so please look forward to it.

Q. What message would you like to convey to gamers who are looking forward to the Persona series' first simulation RPG, 'Persona 5 Tactica', and to Korean fans?

= Tactica is truly a `Persona 5-like work`. I think it has become a refreshing work with a faster tempo than any simulation RPG so far. We tried not to miss the Persona-ness in many aspects, including the menu UI design, so if you are a fan of Persona 5, please feel free to play Tactica.

We have created games in various genres with the Persona IP, such as action RPGs, dungeon RPGs, and sound action games. I think that developing a new genre is always a challenge, and we are aiming as a team to not just continue numbering but to not stop challenging. This is the first time we have challenged a simulation RPG, and we have made it a title that fans can enjoy, so please continue to look forward to the release on November 17th.

웹진 인벤박광석 기자
2023-09-27