The Phantom X is the first Mobile and PC crossover experience for the series. Set in an alternate reality version of the main game’s world and follows another silent protagonist, codenamed Wonder, and tells a new story loosely connected to the original Persona 5.
Sometimes referred to as P5X, the game first launched in China on April 12. Pre-registration opened for the Japanese closed beta back in September, and now an uncovered Steam listing suggests the Western audience won’t have to wait long to get in on the action.
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A brand-new version of P5X was found to be added on Valve’s one-stop shop platform on October 15, and with most Asian regions having a playable version of the game, it’s reasonable to assume this could be what American fans have been waiting on. Regardless, this is a big step forward from the Japan-only version, and may mean official news about the game is imminent.
There’s no concrete information about the game’s release yet, but if the process follows suit with the Japanese release, signing up for closed beta access will be as easy as going to the official website, entering some contact information, and waiting patiently for an invite. The game will not be limited to just Steam though, as it will also launch on IOS and Android.
Persona 5: The Phantom X‘s main character is Wonder, a directionless high-schooler who is overwhelmed with indecision. That all changes when Ruferu, a bipedal humanoid owl, enters the picture. The two become pals, and the base is set for another sprawling RPG adventure through Tokyo and the Metaverse.
Persona 5 The Phantom X blends the classic Persona gameplay loop with a more-mobile friendly structure. Players control “Wonder” and do all of the familiar schoolwork, city-roaming, and relationship building of a mainline game. The two big differences are in the Confidant system, and in the modified battle mode. Both of these work similarly to their Persona 5 counterparts, but do have some key changes.
While the Confidant relationship system has been expanded, not every Rank upgrade will produce unique dialogue like in P5. An alternate form of the player’s confidants can also be pulled into battle via a brand-new gacha system. This adds a small learning curve for those who haven’t played gachapon titles before, but the additional resource management is only a small layer of complexity to work past.
P5X battles still rely on the turn-based combat of the game, but relies more on the “1 more” mechanic, as many of the stronger enemies can no longer be defeated in one turn.
The game also retains the easy-to-navigate UI of Persona 5, and perhaps just as importantly, the artistic flair the series is known for. Anyone who has played Persona 5 will feel right at home jumping into the action whenever access does start to open up.
P5X is the fourth spin-off from the smash-hit Persona 5, joining the lineup of Persona 5: Dancing in Starlight, Persona 5 Tactica, and Persona 5 Strikers.
