Personafans have a bright future ahead, as a leak from Atlus has revealed that more titles are on their way. Coming before the end of 2023 isPersona 5 Tactica, a strategy RPG with an art style reminiscent of thePersona Qdungeon crawlers. Later in 2024,Persona 3will be the recipient of a remake dubbedPersona 3 Reload, hopefully giving the PS2 game a definitive modern version. While it’s unfortunate that these games were seen early, after spending three years without new consolePersonatitles,Persona 5 Tacticaand thePersona 3remake are a breath of fresh air.
Part of this excitement is that aPersonaentry beforeP5is receiving special treatment. Many would still like to seePersona 1and2get re-releases, but a majorPersona 3overhaul still feels novel. Havingmade up most ofShin Megami Tensei’s outputsince it came out in 2016,Persona 5and its spin-offs feel like they’ve come to embody thePersonafranchise. With yet another on its way in addition to the upcoming mobile gamePersona 5 X, one must wonder if Atlus intends to keep the Phantom Thieves in the spotlight even afterPersona 6is announced.
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Persona 5 Has Become The New Core of Persona’s Identity
In the years sincePersona 5came out, it has become the focal point of the franchise. Releases since then have included an expanded re-release calledPersona 5 Royal, aDynasty Warriors-inspired sequel calledPersona 5 Strikers, the in-universe crossover RPGPersona Q2: New Cinema Labyrinth, arhythm spin-off titledPersona 5: Dancing in Starlight, the mobile side story calledPersona 5: The Phantom X, and nowPersona 5 Tactica. EvenPersona 4, which had similar treatment beforeP5, may soon become the second most spun-offPersona.
Fans started to notice this once the 25thPersonaanniversary went without aPersona 6announcement. Instead, more titles forPersona 5keep being announced instead of the anticipated next main entry. ThesixthPersonacould be deep in development, but all the other games releasing in the meantime are making that suspect. Atlus is smart to capitalize onPersona 5and its iconic Phantom Thieves' popularity, but it almost feels like they’re taking over the franchise. IfTacticameans to keep this trend alive, there is a concern that whenPersona 6finally appears, its unique identity could be compromised in favor of becoming anotherPersona 5sequel.
Persona 6 Could Feel Like An Extension Of Persona 5
While it’s deemphasized in the numbered entries, thePersonafranchise takes place in a unified setting. This is mostly limited to small nods, with true crossovers being relegated to spin-off titles likePersona 4 Arenaand thePersona Qseries. Otherwise, every mainlinePersonagame is a largely distinct entity, mostly unified by their gameplay. If Atlus chooses tokeepPersona 5relevant inPersona 6, which could happen now thatP5has so many canon sequels, the status quo could start getting messy.
Something as specific as the Phantom Thieves appearing in a future title will instantly be noticeable, and would have to be treated with some reverence considering how well-known the Thieves are in and out of universe.Persona 6could even go as far as bringing back afamiliar face fromPersona 5to help the new protagonists. If nothing else, it would be convenient and marketable to create a pattern ofPersona 6’s protagonists gaining new outfits from their Personas like the Phantom Thieves do. The possibility ofPersona 6being marketed withPersona 5elements is all too real, and that may rob the newer game of some of its identity.
Persona 5 Tacticawill launch November 17 for PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
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