Despite some notable issues,Persona 5: The Phantom Xhas proven to be a unique and worthwhile entry in the broader franchise. It may feature a streamlined combat system and some decidedlynon-Personagameplay limitations, but it also introduces a handful of promising new features that could inform a future Atlus game, gacha or not.
One powerful, surprisingly under-discussed element ofPersona 5: The Phantom Xis its slate of multiplayer features. In essence,The Phantom XtakesPersona 5’s basic community-focused online mechanics, such as the option to see other players' answers to school questions, and elevates them significantly. Players can actually add friends inP5X, using the in-game cellphone to send them messages—a decidedly charming injection of immersion. Moreover, if two players are friends, they can use each other’s Phantom Idols in combat. This approach to online multiplayer, though quaint and narrow in scope, could set the stage for something greater in the series' future.
Persona 5: The Phantom X Could Be Ground Zero for the Series' Multiplayer
Persona 5: The Phantom X Has the Right Idea When It Comes to Multiplayer Systems
To be frank, precious few gamers come tothePersonaseries, and JRPGs in general, hoping for a multiplayer experience. These games are single-player, narrative-driven adventures through-and-through, and it probably wouldn’t behoove Atlus to change that any time soon. At the same time, if there’s a way for the franchise to benefit from unobtrusive online features, then perhaps that opportunity should be seized.
That’s seemingly what Atlus has done withP5X’s multiplayer offerings, which serve as meaningful enhancements to the game without forcing a player out of the core single-player adventure. Being able to share one’s Phantom Idols with friends makes for a more collaborative gameplay loop, as they can help others, or be helped, in a pinch; it helps to havefriends inPersona 5: The Phantom X, as not only are they integrated into the game world via the messenger, but they can actually improve one’s chances in battle. Of course, a cynical view of these multiplayer features would suggest that they only exist to encourage in-game spending via FOMO—P5Xcould be weaponizing the Phantom Idol sharing feature to provoke more banner pulls. But this is where futurePersonagames come into play.
How Persona Can Run With The Phantom X’s Multiplayer Mechanics
The Phantom X’s multiplayer features aren’t necessarily revolutionary, but they are a first for the franchise, and therefore have the potential to be iterated upon. Perhaps a futurePersonagame could implement similar asynchronous systems, letting players share their Personas with one another, with some tweaks that would make the process more engaging and rewarding: maybe players could make a donation of in-game resources to “rent” someone else’s Persona, or the loaned out Persona could gain significantly more XP when fighting for another player. APokemon-style Persona-tradingsystem could also work quite well, fostering a community of players committed to building out their teams.
Personahas dabbled in some minor multiplayer featured before, such asPersona 5’s Network Fusion.
There are several other multiplayer ideas that could work well, like a PvP mode or a co-op dungeon-crawling side activity, both of which have the potential to completely recontextualize the corePersonacombat mechanics. Such ideas would naturally be much more expensive and complicated, though, so it might be best to stick to an iteration ofPersona 5: The Phantom X’s multiplayer systems, polishing them rather than reinventing them. ThePersonafranchise is often concerned with themes of community and teamwork, so further forays into friendship-focused features feels like a fair endeavor to explore down the road.
