Persona 5: The Phantom X Review: Phantom Thieves join the Gacha world

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SEGA and ATLUS have unveiled the turn-based action RPG “Persona 5: The Phantom X”, a standalone spinoff that unfolds in an alternate timeline following the storyline of the original “Persona 5” game. In this review, I’ll be sharing my thoughts on the game and offering an unbiased rating as you assume the role of protagonist, known by the alias “Wonder”, balancing your Phantom Thief exploits with high school responsibilities.

In this evaluation, I experienced “Persona 5: The Phantom X” on two budget-friendly devices: a Xiaomi Redmi Note 13 Pro smartphone and a Dell Inspiron 5593 laptop. Despite their lower specifications, the game’s performance was satisfactory on mobile, particularly when I adjusted the graphics to medium. Over the course of 30 hours, I optimized my strategy, farmed, and leveled up to collect limited characters within the game.

Combat carries Flash, but falls Flat on Depth

In the assessment of ‘Persona 5: The Phantom X’, it makes an effort to preserve the classic knockdown formula from the original series, but let me tell you, it’s significantly less complex. Features like ‘One-Mores’ are already chosen for you, the ‘Baton Pass’ happens automatically, and even the management of HP/SP is a breeze; all you need to do is step into a secure area, and voila! You’re instantly restored.

In simpler terms, there seems to be a lack of strategic depth in this game. It mostly relies on eye-catching buttons and cool-downs without any real tension or challenge. For instance, the odd 1-second timer on Third Eye doesn’t seem to serve much purpose. I find myself repeating the same basic tactics in every battle and easily winning unless I’m significantly underleveled.

I must admit, I appreciate the diverse character skills at my disposal. Picking Lufel as an initial healer is a sound decision, while Wonder’s unique multi-target mix certainly stands out. However, the combat itself feels rather simple, lacking that strategic depth which is quite disheartening for a series renowned for its intricate mechanics. It would be more engaging if I had to think things through during battle.

The Metaverse returns with a clever Narrative Twist

To put it plainly, I’m upfront about my intentions: I’m primarily drawn to the narrative, and despite a bumpy introduction, I find myself captivated. The initial palace seems like a diluted version of Kamoshida, and the early antagonists aren’t exactly helping the writing shine. However, the central idea – a world deteriorating because people are losing their passions – is thought-provoking. It strongly reminds me of Persona 3 in a positive manner.

In this hypothetical scenario, where the famed Phantom Thieves were never born and indifference is slowly corroding society, it’s quite intriguing. The unique concept in the game that “desire thieves,” or the so-called “Palace holders,” rob others of their desires rather than simply hoarding their own, adds a fresh perspective to the storyline.

Absolutely, there are definitely some over-the-top scenes, but I’ve heard that the quality of the writing improves quite a bit starting from what’s known as Palace 2 in the Chinese version. Here’s hoping for the best!

The game’s Stylish to a Fault, yet Visually uneven

The aesthetic is distinctively Persona, featuring cool jazz rhythms, attention-grabbing interfaces, and electrifying transitions. However, upon closer inspection, certain aspects seem slightly off-balance. The characters depicted in the menus appear strangely weightless, as if they were generated by an unnaturally sharp high-definition mobile graphics engine.

In simpler terms, I dislike cutscenes and powerful attacks because they seem like attempts that don’t quite meet the mark for me. They’re so flashy that I tend to skip them altogether. On mobile devices, the game runs smoothly at a constant 30 frames per second (FPS), but on PC, it struggles even on decent hardware, often stuttering as if it were contemplating its own existence.

As a gamer, I’ve encountered some issues where the GPU heat shoots up, causing frame rates to plummet without any apparent reason, and controller support is inconsistent at best. To make matters worse, I’ve found myself trapped in menus more times than I can count. Fortunately, my trusty keyboard and mouse have been my lifesavers throughout these gaming hiccups.

A Clunky Interface that unfortunately works best with a Mouse

The user interface (UI) is disorganized and confusing, with an abundance of banners, pop-ups, event menus, and a congested main screen that leaves me visually overloaded. To be honest, I’ve subconsciously ignored most of it. With the game offering numerous resources, currencies, and icons, I no longer attempt to manage them; instead, I just allocate everything to my character levels in hopes for positive results.

The control system of the game proved challenging, leading me to ultimately opt for using a keyboard and mouse instead. Despite this improvement, it’s still far from flawless. The game gives off an unfortunate vibe that it was designed primarily for mobile devices, which isn’t a positive aspect.

Gacha Mechanics clash with Phantom Thief Ideals

In this game, the gacha system is commonplace, with banners and a hope for a top-tier character. However, the characters you get when you pull a top-tier card, known as Phantom Idols, seem detached from the story. I’m still uncertain about who these individuals are or why they’re accompanying the characters.

It’s an unusual situation when Kotone, who isn’t supposed to exist in the first place, interjects with dungeon dialogue. This disrupts the sense of immersion. Additionally, the economy system is quite peculiar, and the global version seems to have been toned down compared to China’s, offering fewer rewards, eliminating soft pity, and being less generous with banner rates.

It’s annoying to see players elsewhere benefit from freebies while we’re left working hard or paying for the same advantages. Rest assured, I’m not spending any money. I happened to draw the Joker early with a few platinum cards, but without that luck, I might have quit the game.

Final Verdict

Persona 5: The Phantom X: A Surreal Fusion of Nostalgia, Style, and Mobile Game Turmoil

Content: This game, Persona 5: The Phantom X, offers a peculiar amalgamation of nostalgia, style, and mobile gaming pandemonium. It retains just enough of the essence of Persona to maintain my engagement, but only barely. The gameplay is diluted, the PC version is plagued with bugs, and the economic model appears exploitative. Nevertheless, I find myself drawn back repeatedly.

The narrative holds an allure, despite some initial writing flaws. If you’re a fan of Persona, it’s worth giving it a go (particularly since it’s free), but bear in mind that it’s not the same as Persona 5: Royal. Instead, immerse yourself in its unique atmosphere, appreciate its style, and hope for improvements from Sega and Perfect World.

Persona 5: The Phantom X Review by GamingonPhone

Gameplay Mechanics – 7
Storyline – 7
Graphics and Music – 8
Controls and UI – 7
Free-to-play Elements – 6

7

Average

Persona 5: The Phantom X presents the signature turn-based battles and social interaction aspects from the main series. If you’re a fan of Persona 5 and can handle a significant amount of gacha gameplay elements, this spin-off could definitely be worth exploring.

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2025-08-06 03:31