Unlocking the Secrets: How Persona 5 Tactica's Alluring Art Style Was Revolutionized

The developers of Persona 5 Tactica discuss the process of creating the game's unique comic book-inspired art style. The tactics-based strategy RPG was unveiled at the Xbox Game Show, accompanied by a trailer for the Persona 5 spin-off. Prior to its reveal, there were speculations about the nature of the game, but now fans have a clearer understanding that it is a spin-off set during the graduation period of the third-year students in the Phantom Thieves group.

Persona 5 Tactica marks the first foray into the strategy RPG genre for the Persona series. The decision to explore this genre was driven by producer Kazuhisa Wada's personal affinity for strategy RPGs, as well as feedback from user surveys that asked fans about their preferences for future installments in the series. In order to align with the spin-off's new direction, the art style has been adjusted accordingly. Recently, Atlus provided insights into the creative process behind this artistic transformation.

In interviews with Famitsu, the producer and director of the game revealed that Atlus initially experimented with the chibi-like designs from the Persona Q spin-offs. However, they soon encountered difficulties in effectively showcasing the flashy actions and movements of the Phantom Thieves with these designs. As a result, the art team decided to completely redraw everything and make adjustments to the character proportions, placing emphasis on their hands and feet.

The game's art style leans towards comic book-like deformities, drawing comparisons to Western animated cartoons such as Power Puff Girls or Studio TRIGGER's anime series Panty and Stocking, which also took inspiration from Western animation. According to the game's art director Hanako Oribe, the decision to adopt this new look was the right one, and the modeling team should be credited for bringing these characters to life in both 2D and 3D.

Elle, the latest addition to Persona 5 Tactica, was created by Hanako Oribe, the visionary behind the game's revolutionary characters. Elle's striking appearance is complemented by her unique weapon of choice - a spear crafted from a flag. Oribe explains that this weapon serves as a powerful symbol of her revolution. Additionally, the captivating field and enemy designs draw inspiration from the iconic French Revolution. Oribe urges fans to eagerly anticipate the upcoming reveals and stay tuned for more exciting content. Persona 5 Tactica is set to release on November 17th for PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.

Source: Famitsu (via Persona Central [1, 2])