With Persona 5: The Phantom X breaking into global markets just last week, gamers from all over the world are getting a taste of this new, gacha-infused take on Atlus' essential RPG series. Naturally, Phantom X's gacha systems aren't for everyone, and may even put some players off the game entirely, but there's still plenty to love in this free-to-play title; gacha features or not, Persona 5: The Phantom X is a Persona game, through and through.
Persona 5: The Phantom X manages to retain the unique social-sim-based gameplay mechanics of its predecessors, despite its clear mechanical and structural departures. Part and parcel of this gameplay loop are the connections that players form with their in-game teammates, which can have a direct impact on combat and progression. Certainly, the world of Persona is rife with lovable, memorable ally characters, each of whom serves a specific, crucial role during missions, and The Phantom X is no different in this regard. At the same time, the way the free-to-play spin-off incorporates these allies, specifically those in the Navigator role, can be quite different from the mainline series' modus operandi, and this should serve as inspiration for future entries.
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Persona 5: The Phantom X Allows Players To Swap Out Navigator Teammates
Navigators are a staple of the Persona franchise, with Fuuka Yamagishi of Persona 3 and Futaba Sakura of Persona 5 being among the more notable instances of this archetype. Unlike other team members, Navigators don't actually participate in battles directly, at least not in the traditional sense. Instead of being part of the regular party loadout, Navigator characters take a back seat, playing a support role via specific abilities that can trigger randomly or manually. In a pinch, a Navigator can determine the difference between failure and success, turning the tide of battle in the player's favor through powerful support moves.
But as useful as characters like Fuuka and Futaba are, they are also rather limited. While in, say, Persona 5, the player has full control over their party composition, able to swap out each member at will, the Navigator role is locked to one specific character, which is arguably an unnecessary restriction on build-crafting. Of course, there are narrative reasons for this—characters like Fuuka are best-suited to the Navigator role, while more active party members are not—but it's a mechanical hogtie nonetheless. This is where The Phantom X improves upon Persona's party-building systems somewhat.
There are currently three different Navigator characters in Persona 5: The Phantom X:
- Wind (Riko Tanemura)
- Okyann (Kayo Tomiyama)
- Puppet (Miyu Sahara)
While all of these characters specialize in support, they have different stats and abilities that serve to differentiate them during gameplay. For instance, if a player wishes to craft a high-damage, low-defense party, they may want to select Puppet as their Navigator, as she has a number of abilities that generate shields for their allies. In other words, Persona 5: The Phantom X's build-crafting is significantly deepened by virtue of this Navigator variety, as there is essentially a dedicated support role that can be modified to a greater degree than in other Persona titles.
Looking to the future, it would be worthwhile to incorporate this same degree of freedom in a traditional Persona game. The catch with this multi-Navigator construction, as one might expect, is The Phantom X's gacha mechanics, which serve as roadblocks to fully enjoying its build-crafting features. By positioning this more flexible approach to Navigators within a more traditional, non-gacha Persona framework, the concept could reach its full potential.
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 75 /100 Critics Rec: 67%
- Released
- June 26, 2025
- Publisher(s)
- Perfect World Entertainment, Atlus
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 enemy Shadows!
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!
