It shouldn’t exactly come as a surprise thatPersona 5: The Phantom Xhas garnered a lot of attention from JRPG fans. After all,thePersonafranchiseas a whole, and especiallyPersona 5, is among the most beloved IPs in modern gaming, so this new experiment in the live-service realm seemed almost destined to enjoy some degree of popularity.
But few could have predicted thatPersona 5: The Phantom Xwould actually surpass its progenitor in terms of peak player count on Steam, suggesting that it’s actually more successful, in a sense, thanPersona 5 Royal. Indeed,The Phantom Xhas attracted a massive audience, at least on PC, making it perhaps the best-“selling"Personaspin-off of all time; it’s certainly gotten more attention than the likes ofPersona 5Strikers. This could be chalked up to the fact thatP5Xis free-to-play, making it a low-commitment investment for just about any gamer with even a passing interest in the franchise, or maybe it really is just that good. These factors are likely at play, but it’s safe to say that context matters in the case ofPersona 5: The Phantom X, and it’s this context that Atlus ought to keep in mind when planning the future of the franchise.
Hopefully, Atlus Doesn’t Learn the Wrong Lessons from Persona 5: The Phantom X’s Booming Popularity
Atlus' Strong Single-Player Games Are Likely to Thank for The Phantom X’s Success
Atlus has long been a major player in the Japanese games industry, developing genre-defining JRPGs in-house and publishing some heavy-hitters, includingDemon’s Souls, in the US. But the past decade or so has been transformative for the company, which has solidified itself as an industry leader through best-sellinggames likePersona 5,Persona 3 Reload, andMetaphor: ReFantazio. Even games likeCatherine: Full Body, which doesn’t have the same mass-market appeal as thePersonaseries, have aided in Atlus' increasingly sterling reputation.
There’s a common thread connecting these seminal Atlus games: they are all single-player and bereft of egregious in-game purchases. It’s safe to say that the consistently high quality of these JRPGs has a hand inPersona 5: The Phantom X’s success, as audiences have been hungry for another Atlus/Megaten experience. ThePersonalabel, and Atlus' unique approach to game design, have effectively become mainstream in recent years, and this growing relevance is arguably the biggest reason behindThe Phantom X’s high player count. One thing is for certain:P5Xisn’t going gangbusters because of its gacha mechanics.
It’s also worth noting that, gacha fodder aside,Persona 5: The Phantom Xis still following the traditionalPersonatemplate. This may help explain why it’s gotten so much more attention than more radically distinct spin-offs likePersona 5 Tactica.
Persona 5: The Phantom X Should Probably Be the Last of Its Kind
Whatever one’s opinion is of gacha gaming, it’s hard to argue that the genre’s reliance on gambling systems benefits gamers; at best, typical gacha monetization can be tolerable and easy to ignore.Persona 5: The Phantom X’s gacha systemsaren’t too terrible, but they certainly don’t improve the corePersonatemplate.
As such, it would be best for thePersonafranchise to stick to what it’s best at, with its developers understanding thatPersona 5: The Phantom X’s current and future success haven’t come as a result of its live-service gacha framework. Rather, it’s the ingenuity and boldness of the rest of the series—the single-player, genre-defining JRPGs—that are to thank forP5X’s popularity. These are the traitsfuturePersonagamesshould continue to hone, not GaaS staples.
Persona5: The Phantom X
WHERE TO PLAY
“We’re the Phantom Thieves, and we’re here to steal your heart!”The beloved RPG series with over 22 million copies sold finally arrives on PC and mobile!Set in modern-day Tokyo!Normal high-school student by day, villain-fighting Phantom Thief by night!Explore the dungeons of the heart and defeat the distorted enemyShadows!Dive into dungeons of the heart called Palaces with your fellow Phantom Thieves, who have awakened their Persona, the power of the heart. Steal the Treasure to restore the warped heart!Stylish, snappy, and satisfying turn-based combat!Experience the signature flair of the Persona series with striking visuals and addictive moves that can wipe out all your foes in one swoop!Level up your Persona, the power of your heart, and become the most powerful Persona-user!Obtain new Personas, infiltrate dungeons of the heart, and prevent a future of ruin!Enjoy your youth as a student!Savor student life in an urban metropolis as a high-school student! How you spend your days after school is up to you—deepen your friendships, devote your time to clubs, or even work part-time!Interact with a variety of fascinating characters!Tons of new characters inhabit the game, created under the supervision of Shigenori Soejima and the rest of the Persona team!
