Persona Spinoffs: Exploring Uncharted Genres Beyond Persona 5 Tactica

Highlights

Atlus has been expanding the Persona spinoff games in different genres, indicating a willingness to experiment and see how fans respond.

Persona 4 Arena and Persona 5 Strikers' success indicates that character-action spinoffs could be potential options for future Persona games. Additionally, narrative-driven platformers such as Celeste might serve as a source of inspiration for a Persona platformer that focuses on storytelling.

Over the years, Atlus has been expanding its repertoire of Persona spinoffs, with a particular focus on Persona 5 offshoots. In the past five years alone, the company has ventured into various genres for the Phantom Thieves, deviating from its traditional approach. From rhythm games to Warriors-like adventures, and now gacha and tactics titles, Atlus and Persona have been exploring different contexts to gauge audience reception. The recent announcement of Persona 5 Tactica further exemplifies this approach, raising speculation about potential future spinoff themes.

While Atlus' strategy of creating spinoffs has been both praised and criticized, as it keeps the IP fresh and relevant in between mainline releases, there is a growing anticipation among fans for the next mainline installment of Persona. It remains uncertain whether Persona 5 Tactica will be the final offshoot before the formal announcement of Persona 6. However, considering Atlus' inclination towards genre experimentation, it is likely that they will continue to explore new genres following the release of the next mainline game. Therefore, we can expect the company to delve into a range of fresh and exciting genres in the future.

The Platforming and Character-Action Genres Could Be Viable For Persona

The Persona 4 Arena games have achieved great success as spinoffs, largely due to their seamless incorporation of the series' core concept into a fighting game. The combination of beloved characters, each with their own unique Persona designs, attack gimmicks, and melee weapons, creates a captivating experience that perfectly complements the genre. The game's emphasis on combo-driven battles further solidifies its appeal. Similarly, Persona 5 Strikers takes a different approach with hack-n-slash battles featuring real-time combat, requiring quick thinking and precise timing. The achievements of these two games indicate that a Persona spinoff could fully explore the character-action genre, combining the best aspects of both.

In the past, the SMT series has delved into the action side of role-playing, particularly through the Raidou Kuzunoha games. Expanding on this concept by incorporating intricate combos and Persona summons could result in an intriguing spinoff that harnesses the strengths of previous mainline protagonists. Square Enix's Valkyrie Elysium, with its reliance on elemental summons via Einherjar, could serve as a source of inspiration for such a concept. By utilizing the abilities of past wild-card users for combo finishers and follow-up attacks, while taking into account the various elemental affinities of protagonist Personas like Arsene and Orpheus, a compelling approach to real-time combat could be achieved.

Considering the focus on elemental elements in Persona, exploring a spinoff in the platforming genre could be intriguing. The terrain would require players to master timing and strategy, utilizing various Persona skills as they switch between levels. For instance, a Persona with the Zio skill could electrify moving platforms, while a skill like Kouga could temporarily illuminate the player's surroundings. Supportive and debuff skills, such as using Masukunda to hinder enemy movements, could also be incorporated.

Celeste and other narrative-driven platformers have demonstrated the genre's potential for compelling storytelling, which could align well with Persona's storytelling style. Character-action games like Devil May Cry and Bayonetta have also showcased similar capabilities, suggesting that a Persona spinoff in the platforming genre could thrive. With the wide range of narrative concepts and gameplay mechanics that Persona spinoffs can explore, branching out and experimenting within the genre could be a clever direction to pursue alongside the mainline titles.

Persona 5 Tactica is set to release on November 17, 2023 for Nintendo Switch, PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.