The one place Tactica stops and makes you think are in its Quests. Most of the time, I was getting all three on the first try, and it wasn't until the final slew of levels where actual tactics came into play that I found myself straining against the turn limit. Each level has three stars you can earn: one for beating the level, one for beating it in a set number of turns, and one for something else, like not getting anybody knocked out or using a special attack. The problem is, it's unsure if it wants to be an introduction to the genre, a middle-of-the-road entry, or an outside of the box experiment. Tactica transports the turn-based Persona gameplay onto a battle-grid system, playing like Mario + Rabbids, Fire Emblem, or X-COM. I love Persona 5, and its self-made ecosystem of pseudosequels and spin-offs to fill the silence before Persona 6 arrives, but Tactica may be one game too far for the Phantom Thieves. Instead, it's about ten extra levels thrown in like sawdust in the meatloaf, stretching out a game that just won't end.

In Persona 5 Tactica, it's not just one more form you have to take on with the final boss. You know when you're fighting the final boss, and you think you have them beat, only for them to summon a new form and put you through an even tougher battle? Whether this feels frustrating or rewarding is often less about how satisfying this boss phase itself is, and more about the context around it.

Phase ten levels