The highly anticipated Persona 5 Tactica is finally here, enriching the already vast lore of the Persona universe with fresh storylines. However, there seems to be a lot of uncertainty regarding the game’s timeline and its alignment with the other iterations within the Persona community. Some fans even claim to have found out potential inconsistencies between this game and Persona 5 Strikers. So, without further ado, let’s get to the heart of the matter and find out whether Persona 5 Tactica is canon.
Is Persona 5 Tactica Considered Canon?
Persona 5 Tactica is considered a canonical entry in the Persona universe. While it doesn’t present a completely new storyline, it can be viewed as a canon retelling of the serialized story of Persona 5.
Yet, a considerable amount of fans still remain on the fence about granting the game a canonical pass, and let’s be fair, their skepticism isn’t unfounded. Not only is the game’s timeline a bit of a head-scratcher, but there also seemed to be several contradictions between the events of Persona 5 Tactica and the previous iterations.
Take, for example, the widespread fan speculation suggesting that Persona 5 Tactica might stick to the tradition set by the Q games – everyone’s mind-wiped in the end. This was widely accepted because the game’s chibi character design also seems to have been inspired by the Persona Q.
Moreover, the Persona 5 Tactica DLC titled “Repaint Your Heart”, features both Goro Akechi and Kasumi Yoshizawa. The presence of both these characters raised several questions about the timeline of the game. If the game was set after the events of Shido’s palace, as suggested by Akechi’s Crow attire, then the inclusion of Yoshizawa would align the timeline of Persona 5 Royal. However, if the game was set before the characters’ graduation, then it’d make more sense for it to align with the main game’s storyline.
However, after the game’s release, we have got a much better idea about where Persona 5 Tactica fits in the timeline, and rest assured, it’s canon.
Do We Need To Play Previous Persona Games To Understand Persona 5 Tactica?
While the Persona series shares thematic elements and game mechanics, each game is a standalone narrative featuring unique characters and storylines. This means that you can play Persona 5 Tactica without any prior knowledge of the series.
However, having played the previous games would definitely enhance your understanding of the recurring themes and the overall narrative of the Persona universe. So, if you wish to have a deeper understanding of the characters and plot in Persona 5 Tactica, we’d suggest playing Persona 5.
Playing Persona 5 will provide much-needed insights into the complex yet vivid backstories of the characters and also introduce you to the Metaverse that plays an important role in the Persona 5 Tactica storyline.
Final Thoughts
The Persona series is back with an exciting new installation, and fans have been questioning how big of an impact it makes on the overall franchise. However, if there’s one thing that we know for sure, it is that despite all the mind-wipes and confusing timelines, every Persona game is canon.