Persona 5: The Phantom X review – “A beautiful yet unbalanced RPG”

by

  • Engaging turn-based combat
  • Too many cutscenes, not enough action
  • Steal from shadows to save humans from losing their desires

At long last, the character Persona has stepped into the mobile realm with its latest gacha RPG titled Persona 5: The Phantom X. Packed with gripping turn-based combats, stunning anime-esque cutscenes, and a captivating narrative, it initially appears to be a true gem. Regrettably, an unbalanced ratio of cutscenes versus gameplay detracts from what could have been a thrilling journey.

Save Human Desires in Persona 5: The Phantom X

The first Persona made for mobile, The Phantom X, features a compelling storyline. You play as a student who unlocks his Persona and begins to battle shadows in the metaverse. After meeting a well-informed owl by the name of Lufel, you’ll learn that shadows have been stealing human desires. Losing their desires entirely, people can lose the will to live.

In your role as a Ghost Thief, you’ll navigate the digital realm, retrieving items that fuel harmful human obsessions and rekindling optimism within the community. For instance, you’ll encounter the Subway Harasser, a man whose twisted desires drive him to shove innocent women on the subway. Matters escalate when he pushes a student onto the tracks, making your mission all the more urgent.

Apart from Lufel, you’ll encounter an unusual old man with a long nose and his assistant Merope as well. Interestingly, when you find yourself drawn into conversation with this peculiar pair, Lufel remains oblivious, seeing it merely as you momentarily losing focus. To make matters even more challenging, your character is experiencing unsettling hallucinations.

Persona 5: The Phantom X is Heavy on Cutscenes

One issue I have with Persona 5: The Phantom X is the amount of actual gameplay compared to cutscenes. Yes, the cutscenes are well done, but you’ll spend much more time watching them than you will fighting shadows. And it can get a bit stale watching so many of them in a row.

In simpler terms, you have the option to jump over some scenes or multiple parts of the game all at once. However, this could make it hard for you to follow the story since it can be quite complex. Also, there were instances where the game froze and I had to close and reopen the app. Although this didn’t occur frequently, it was frustrating when it did happen.

Persona 5: The Phantom X Features Gacha Mechanics

Like in most gacha RPGs, you can use tickets to summon team members at random to fight by your side. You can manually level up team members by tapping View Stats when in a safe room, then selecting your desired character and tapping Training. To level up a character, you’ll need Thief Compendium scraps, volumes, or tomes, which you’ll earn as you play. To better understand which characters are worth levelling up, you can refer to our
Persona 5: The Phantom X tier list
.

The Phantom X incorporates a battle mechanism reminiscent of Persona 5’s, where turn-based encounters occur. To strike first, utilize cover to approach an adversary stealthily. Opt to attack with your physical weapon or deploy a persona’s ability against the enemy. When a teammate is wounded, use your turn to mend their wounds. Additionally, all-out attacks are available, enabling your entire team to assault an opponent simultaneously. Although the combat system doesn’t have any exceptional elements, the vibrant colors and dynamic animations ensure an engaging experience.

Persona 5: The Phantom X

In this game, an intricate and multifaceted narrative unfolds, accompanied by captivating characters. However, the abundance of cutscenes compared to actual gameplay can be overwhelming, causing players to yearn for more action. This excessive focus on cutscenes may leave you perplexed about the story’s progression. Despite this, the graphics are stunning, and the combat is thrilling. Regrettably, the frequency of cutscenes significantly outweighs the time spent battling shadows, which can be somewhat disheartening.

Read More

2025-07-04 16:19