Summary
Persona 5 Tacticalets players see thePersona 5cast in a brand-new way as they face new foes in this strategy RPG spin-off. While the gameplay ofPersona 5 Tacticais mostly different from the otherPersona 5games, there are still elements of the game that make it recognizable as an entry in the series. However, the waysPersona 5 Tacticabuilds upon the series' staple mechanics could warrant a return inPersona 6, and the boss fights in particular could be the basis for new gameplay opportunities in the next mainlinePersonatitle.
ThePersonaseries is no stranger to spin-off titles that introduce different gameplay mechanics than the mainline games.Persona 5and its spin-offs are notable for exploring a variety of genres beyond that of the traditional JRPG, like the hack-and-slash gameplay ofPersona 5 Strikers, or the tactical RPG gameplay ofPersona 5 Tactica. However, it’s rare that these spin-off games turn around and inspire mechanics in mainlinePersonagames, but there is a good argument to be made forPersona 6to includePersona 5 Tactica’s boss battlemechanics.
Persona 6 Could Build Upon the Boss Mechanics of Persona 5 Tactica
Given thatPersona 5 Tactica’s gameplayutilizes the grid-based combat of tactical RPGs, it’s not surprising to see how boss fights have changed to fit this genre. Rather than following the typical turn-based attack trade-off of otherPersonagames,Persona 5 Tacticameshes puzzle elements with its standard gameplay to add another layer of strategy to the game’s usual combat encounters. IfPersona 6wants to refresh the series' boss battle formula, including more puzzle-based mechanics like those inPersona 5 Tacticacould be a great way to accomplish this.
Persona Games Have Been Getting More Complicated with Boss Fights
There is precedent forPersonagames to have more complex boss fights beyond the standard strategy of targeting elemental weaknesses.Persona 5 Royalbosses usually include some twists to make them stand out more than regular enemy encounters, such asShadow Madaramewho requires players to target specific parts with certain attack types, or Shadow Okumura who forces players to defeat waves of minions in one turn before they are replaced. These elements make boss fights feel more epic than usual, andPersona 6could take them to the next level by drawing inspiration fromPersona 5 Tactica.
For example,Lady Marie’s boss fightintroduces puzzle-like elements by having players lure Marie to different parts of the stage and hit her with bouquets to damage her while avoiding her tank. Another example is Lord Yoshiki’s boss fight, which has players navigating elevators as they make their way up the stage’s various platforms to reach the boss.Persona 6could implement similar mechanics for its bosses if it allows players to switch positions on the battlefield during boss battles, opening up the door for another level of strategy based on player positioning without becoming a full-blown strategy RPG.
More RPGs Have Introduced Puzzle Mechanics for Bosses
Not only couldPersona 6take inspiration fromPersona 5 Tactica’s puzzle-based boss fights, but there are other RPGs that include these types of bosses thatPersona 6could draw on when designing unique battles.Paper Mario: The Origami King’s bosses are designed to be more puzzle-oriented than the traditional RPG boss, andUndertalerequires players to experiment with different dialogue options to solve the puzzle of the boss’s weakness.Persona 6has a lot of room to experiment with different puzzles within its boss fights afterPersona 5 TacticaandPersona 5 Royallaid the groundwork for this type of combat in the series.
