Persona 5: The Phantom X — Everything We Know

Imagine a world where the greatest superheroes are high school students. The elite team of students possesses the supernatural abilities (Personas) of sniffing out a nefarious character before they commit a crime. If this were to happen in Gotham, perhaps the citizens would finally experience tranquility, and the Bat would go on a well-deserved vacation. But, of course, it's only fictional and the concept in Atlus' Persona 5 storyline.

As the king of Spin-Offs, Atlus based the Persona series on the Megami Tensei franchise. The developer's repetitive success saw the release of six titles under the series, with the last installment, Persona 5, being a near masterpiece. Now, a subsequent spin-off is coming to iOS and Android devices. Soon, we'll be back in Tokyo, saving the world in Persona 5: The Phantom X. From the trailer, I must certainly say the game promises a whale of entertainment. Unfortunately, developers are yet to reveal whether this would be an international launch.

However, before that happens, let's review what's in store with the upcoming title and whether it's worth a play. Here's everything we know about Persona 5: The Phantom X.

What is Persona 5: Phantom X?

Persona 5: Phantom X is an upcoming spin-off title based on the sixth installment in the Persona series, Persona 5. The game is a free-to-play turn-based RPG mobile game with in-game purchases, which begs the question of when and how the developers will monetize the game. But, as a mobile game, it certainly makes sense why the title is a free-to-play release.

So what makes this a great spin-off? Persona 5: Phantom X features the premise of its successor. This revolves around a group of high schoolers who possess the power of the Personas. The game takes place in a new school, Kiba Academy, with a lineup of new characters and a brand-new antagonist.

Story

Interestingly, the Persona 5 storyline is based on the 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami that hit Japan. The writer, Hashino, was specifically impressed by the people's togetherness in the wake of the crisis. As such, he based the game's central theme on freedom and how the avatars acquire it.

Moreover, the characters in Persona 5 root their foundation of not having a place in society after a series of intentional and alleged misconduct. This we see with the main character, who makes a heroic attempt to rescue a woman from an assault but gets expelled from school after he is framed for assaulting the criminal.

Persona 5: The Phantom X takes a similar projection with a two-faced protagonist in his second year of school, and his clique, the Phantom Thieves. The band explores the Metaverse for new foes by identifying characters with evil desires. To spruce things up, the game adds two new characters, Luffy, a human-like owl creature, and Suwa, the protagonist's classmate.

Gameplay

Although the game's trailer provides little details on the upcoming title, it points to a similar gameplay as its predecessor. The Velvet Room makes a return as an underground base, which, in the previous title, allowed the characters to combine or further improve their personas. However, we're still yet to know how Persona infusion will work in the upcoming title. The storyline's primary antagonist, The Joker, may also returns after his brief appearance in the teaser trailer. Other characters reported to make a return include Igor, and a new attendant character, Merope, who replaces the Twins from Persona 5. 

Perhaps the biggest surprise is the new character, Luffy. The talking Owl that can transform into a car when exploring the dungeons proves to be the title's Mona. Luffy helps make traversal easy in the Metaverse and acts as the protagonist's guide.

The game will center on the theme of “desire.” You’ll play as the antagonist, attending school as usual during the day and fighting crime in the Metaverse during the night. The Phantom X will also feature new Palaces, including one based on a baseball stadium.

Moreover, the trailer hints at mini-games such as baseball, jobs, and fishing featuring in the upcoming title. Players may also explore romantic relationships with other characters, adding more reality to the game's storyline with its confidant-like social technique.

What we don't see in the trailer is how players will use their Personas to fight the shadows and other foes. But we do know the dungeons are returning with plenty of puzzles and treasure chests.

Development

Behind this masterpiece is developer Black Wings and publisher Perfect World Games who announced the game’s reveal in April 2021. Although the game is being developed by Perfect World and Black Wings, Atlus is supervising the project. The games similarity in gameplay and visual is a testament to Atlus’ contribution.

Trailer

Does this spark your interest? Wait until you watch the game's trailers which will work up your appetite for the game. Developers have released two trailers detailing the game's concept and gameplay. You can watch the two trailers above.

Release Date, Platforms & Editions

We are yet to get an official date on the game's eventual release. However, we are wind of the fact developers will conduct a playtest in China from March 29. The free-to-play game will be available on iOS and Android devices.

It's not clear whether the developers are planning for an international release. But, if the game's trailer is anything to go by, China may get the exclusive drop while the rest of the world anticipates an international launch. However, this is mere speculation. Also, Black Wings has not yet indicated releasing any special edition .

You can follow the official social feed here to learn more about the Persona 5: The Phantom X launch. If anything intriguing happens between now and the game's final release, we'll let you know about it right here on gaming.net.

So, what's your take? Will you be picking up a copy of Persona 5: The Phantom X — Everything We Know when it drops? Do you think we'll see it by 2024? Let us know your thoughts over on our socials here.