(Reposted for continuity sake)

Welcome to the first installment of Failin's Postgame! With the 52 Game Challenge done and dusted, I will continue to post what I am playing weekly to continue the check-ins! Usually, this will be one game at a time. So, let's begin with something I intended to complete but decided nahhh, Mega Man be calling.

GAME 57: PERSONA 5 TACTICA (XBOX SERIES X)

Persona 5 Tactica is an... interesting game to get into from the start. Do I love Persona 5? Absolutely. But when Tactica was announced, especially since it appeared in the wake of the much more anticipated Persona 3 Reload, this just felt like a kinda nothing spinoff in comparison.

Not to mention Persona spinoffs don't have the best track record in terms of narrative importance. Every now and then, you'll get a standout story that matters in the grand scheme of things like Persona 5 Strikers, Persona 4 Arena or Persona 4 Dancing All Night. However, others like Q, Q2 and the other Dancing Games are filler adventures that due to taking place within a specific part of the original game, choose to opt for the memory wipe, just a dream, or non-canon angle making the whole journey feel... pointless.

Especially hearing at first Tactica will take place around the main game's ending, I just assume that this will be a case of the latter. Another filler adventure with the Phantom Thieves where everyone is kinda flanderized and the story won't matter cause everyone's gonna forget it.

Plus, it's a strategy RPG. No offense to Fire Emblem and such, they're fine enough for what they are. But this genre is not my personal cup of joe. Being a tactical and strategic thinker is not my strongest suit.

Still, it's on Game Pass, I got some DLC to make the journey a bit easier and quicker, how bad can it be?

And honestly...? I ended up REALLY liking this game.

This game is designed to be a pretty simple, introductory entry in the SRPG genre. So in depth mechanics and tech is never the priority. So the game doesn't really serve to challenge you, which helps a lot. There are no real objectives in the game where I felt inherently super pressured, beyond the optional quests that can get really strict.

Plus the game did a great job incorporating the typical Persona combat elements into the SRPG world. From One Mores, fusions, All Out Attacks, and even Sub-Personas returning from Persona Q, you're never TOO isolated from the staples of classic Metaverse combat.

It makes for a breezy, but enjoyable little romp with my favorite Thieves when it comes to the gameplay front.

...The STORY on the other hand is where shit gets REALLY juicy.

I wasn't expecting myself to love the story as much as I did.

While technically taking place in between certain events in Persona 5, it is practically at the very tail end of the game. The final boss is already defeated and we are at the point where it's almost time for the credits to roll and Joker has to say goodbye to all his friends. Its a grey area where nothing of significance happens that allows the game to actually MATTER in the main timeline. There IS no memory wipe, people, the events of this game can still matter.

Furthermore, while Persona spinoffs have a tendency to flanderize characters to their bare aspects, almost to a detrimental level like with Ann and Ryuji and just how much their arcs are disrespected even in the main Persona 5 story, I don't really see that issue here. There isn't really a narrative moment where I start cringing, and even characters who had virtually no screentime in the original like Lavenza have some time to shine. Even was being treated respectfully, and I really appreciate that.

But I think the most genius thing of all this narrative does is because this game takes place at the denouement of Persona 5, all of these characters have fully grown. They have resolved their personal inner turmoil and its still fresh in their minds. There is no time to regress, the Thieves are as mentally fortified as they will ever be. They ironically enough become static characters.

And I'm sure you're wondering, if our favorite characters are static, where's the fun in that? That means there is no time for character development, growth, inner bickering, and whatnot? Where does the compelling drama go?

It all went to this beautiful, beautiful, plot device of a man. Toshiro Kasukabe. The entire game revolves around him, and his many, many layers of inner conflict that is spiraling in his mind. Every Kingdom, every boss, every narrative twist and turn, even the other new character Erina revolves around this guy's life and mistakes.

And every aspect of his dilemmas ties into something at least one of the Phantom Thieves had to face in the original game. From losing a loved one and blaming himself, to feeling powerless under the iron rule of someone who loved and admired. Toshiro manages to relate to everyone, and more importantly, it allows the Phantom Thieves to show off THEIR growth.

They are the mentors to Toshiro, sharing wisdom, life experiences and encouragement. We see how much they have grown BECAUSE they are static characters imparting valuable life lessons that help Toshiro grow from a timid, cowardly figure into a proud spirit of rebellion a certain someone always saw him to be.

It is GENIUS, and incredibly well done.

The story of Persona 5 Tactica is a very fitting epilogue of Persona 5, coupled with a really good gameplay experience to please Persona fans who need just another invigorating kick in the Phantom nuts.

My only gripes in terms of the game come from not understanding how balancing works. Specifically with Personas. I have very powerful Personas but it really feels like the game balances its enemies to be on your level at all times. It makes the point of levelling up feel... kinda pointless sometimes, cause I feel like I put all these efforts into fusions for nothing. There's something deeper behind the scenes to explain this, I'm sure. But I'm too dumb enough to notice.

Which leads us to this little extra portion...

DLC: REPAINT YOUR HEART

Remember everything I said about how great Tactica's narrative is? How it doesn't fall into any of the pitfalls of the Persona spinoffs?

Yeahhh, let's uh, bring that back to the table. Cause clearly we can see where all the bad tropes went. It went here.

The prequel DLC, Repaint Your Heart makes no fucking sense. There is hardly an explanation about how this new form of the Metaverse once again came into being, beyond a few haphazard nods to Tactica's main story. Characters are flanderized, and since this chapter takes place even EARLIER in Persona 5's story, nobody is allowed to show any growth.

AND WE GOT MEMORY WIPES, BAYBEE, SCREW YOU. THIS STORY DON'T MATTER.

The fact that Kasumi and Akechi are stuck to this purgatory as a result of Atlus' strange need to separate Royal from everything else is just a disservice to their characters. Especially since Kasumi especially is in desperate need of more screen time to flesh out her character.

It sucks cause there are some really solid emotional beats between new villain Guernica and new companion Luca. The personal relationship between the two is the strongest aspect of the DLC and the only thing keeping me invested through the brief ride.

The maps are very unique too, playing with paint and turf to limit you, or your opponents based on where you are standing, with music that ironically feels more unique and memorable than anything from the base game.

And you even get access to Akechi and Kasumi IN the base game upon completion, so that's a neat trick!

But overall, Repaint Your Heart was a disappointing addition to a really solid Persona 5 spinoff experience.

GAMES FINISHED: 57

GAMES COMPLETE: 52