After Metaphor Refantazio, it's tempting to start wondering when we might see Persona 6. Atlus, however, isn't quite done with its predecessor, as we return to Tokyo for Persona 5: The Phantom X, a new JRPG that will be launching globally in June as a free PC game. Originally only available in China, Taiwan, and South Korea, it returns to the scene of the crime with an entirely new cast of Phantom Thieves led by a boy known by the codename 'Wonder,' although you can expect familiar faces such as Joker to you on your journey.
The latest in a long line of P5 spin-offs, JRPG's traditional calendar format, Atlus has included all the main hallmarks of the series. You'll have to spend your days in school, take on part-time jobs and extracurricular clubs such as music or soccer to enhance your skills, and forge bonds with your classmates and other characters around Tokyo. A sense of lost desire and ennui is spreading across the population, so it's up to you to change people's hearts.
Of course, at its core comes your job as a newfound Phantom Thief, delving into the shadows to collect and level your Personas through all manner of palaces and side dungeons. The action plays out pretty similarly to base Persona 5 – you can sneak around to gain an advantage, and battles feature the traditional turn-based RPG combat we all know and love. Mementos are back, along with a new mode called The Velvet Trials and the introduction of a guild feature designed to let you interact with your fellow players.
Along with protagonist Wonder, who you'll probably be able to name as you choose, your team comprises Lufel, a mysterious, owl-like creature who goes by the codename 'Cattle;' Wonder's fellow second-year student, the athletic Motoha 'Closer' Arai; the awkward Shun 'Soy' Kano, another classmate and apprentice at a ramen shop; and exemplary student and third-year Riko 'Wind' Tanemura.
Also fighting by your side are Phantom Idols, described as "cognitive forms of people the protagonist meets in his daily life," brought into the Metaverse by the Velvet Room's Merope. We get a look at Yui, also known as 'Bui,' along with a quick glimpse of ten more Phantom Idols that you can recruit to your team as you progress. Atlus describes this as a way of having your Confidants fight alongside you in battle.
Naturally, there will be original side stories to discover as you level up your relationships through the free Steam game's Synergy System. In true Persona style, you can look forward to meeting various other NPCs as you wander about town, including Joker and Phantom Thieves from the Persona 5 lineup, who will bring you into events, minigames, and special contracts.
Persona 5: The Phantom X is set to be released globally on Thursday June 26 as a free game on PC and mobile devices. It s cross-progression between devices. You can wishlist it now. Thanks to hitting 200,000 pre-registrations, you can expect a bonus outfit for the protagonist. If that number reaches 300,000 additional avatar frames and profile cards will be unlocked.
If you can't wait until then, take a look through the free PC games you should try today.
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