Uncovering Goro Akechi's Crucial Role in 'Repaint Your Heart': A Persona 5 Tactica Analysis
The enigmatic return of Goro Akechi in Persona 5 Tactica's first DLC raises intriguing questions about his role in the game's narrative Discover how this anti-hero fits into the story and adds a compelling twist Unravel the mysteries in this captivating DLC
Highlights
Persona 5 Tactica brings a new strategy genre experience to the Persona franchise, resembling Fire Emblem.
The placement of P5 Tactica in the timeline is uncertain, but the inclusion of Kasumi and Akechi as DLC characters implies that it occurs after Persona 5 Royal.
The Repaint Your Heart DLC has the potential to delve into Akechi's path to redemption and provide a compelling narrative, potentially resolving lingering inquiries from Persona 5 Royal.
Persona 5 Tactica aims to bring a fresh adventure to fans of Persona 5, allowing them to join the Phantom Thieves on a new quest. In the world of Persona, spin-off titles and adaptations are not uncommon, but Tactica will introduce a unique strategic approach to the series. Unlike the Persona Q games, which drew inspiration from Etrian Odyssey's combat and exploration mechanics, P5 Tactica will offer a gameplay experience reminiscent of Fire Emblem. Additionally, an exciting day one DLC named Repaint Your Heart has already been announced, featuring the inclusion of Kasumi Yoshizawa and Goro Akechi, who were absent from the base game.
Persona spin-off games vary in quality and relevance to the main series. While titles like Persona 4 Arena Ultimax successfully expand the characters and world to tell new stories, others such as Persona 5: Dancing in Starlight may seem unnecessary and hastily incorporated into the Persona canon. On the other hand, Persona 5 Strikers and Persona 5 Royal present captivating branching paths, featuring different characters and conflicting timelines. The placement of Tactica within the Persona timeline remains ambiguous, and the inclusion of Kasumi and Akechi in the DLC further complicates the narrative.
Persona 5 Tactica's DLC Has Some Explaining To Do
The placement of P5 Tactica's timeline presents a conundrum. It appears to take place in February or March following the events of Persona 5, which explains why Akechi and Kasumi are absent from the base game. However, since Kasumi only exists in P5 Royal and Akechi does not survive the events of the game, their addition as DLC implies that Persona 5 Tactica is set after Persona 5 Royal. In this case, the absence of Kasumi in the base game is confusing. Additionally, Persona 5 Royal's true ending suggests that the revived Akechi has turned himself in to the authorities, raising the question of how he is able to assist. Despite these uncertainties, a DLC centered around these two characters would make perfect sense.
Goro Akechi Will Remain An Anti-Hero
The initial segments of Persona 5 Royal's third semester present a prolonged gameplay experience where the player's party is comprised solely of Akechi, Joker, and Kasumi. In the second trailer for Persona 5 Tactica, the Repaint Your Heart DLC showcases Kasumi and Akechi rescuing Joker. This downloadable content pack has the potential to reintroduce the collaborative efforts of these three characters. Given that a significant amount of content from Royal appears to be contained within this DLC, it stands to reason that Persona 5 Tactica would recreate this distinctive dynamic.
With the return of Goro Akechi in Persona 5 Royal, his anti-hero nature was carefully preserved. And it will be equally crucial for Persona 5 Tactica to uphold this aspect, at least initially. The title Repaint Your Heart may, in part, allude to Akechi himself. Despite being portrayed as a villain in Persona 5, he eventually redeems himself and becomes a companion to Joker. It's not difficult to imagine that this DLC could revolve around Akechi, Kasumi, and Joker working together to correct his past mistakes and "repaint" his heart. A well-crafted storyline like this for the DLC would provide a justifiable reason for Akechi's absence in the base game, despite the introduction of new characters in Persona 5 Tactica.
Atlus is expected to reveal more information about Repaint Your Heart as Persona 5 Tactica's release date draws near. While there are concerns that the DLC may focus primarily on gameplay rather than offering an enriching storyline, it is crucial for this opportunity to not be wasted. Persona 5 Tactica possesses the potential to address lingering questions regarding Akechi's fate, a topic that was untouched in Persona 5 Strikers. Consequently, fans of the character are already anticipating Persona 5 Tactica, set to launch on November 17, 2023, for Nintendo Switch, PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
