The latest game in the Persona series is now available for pre-order from its official website, ahead of its first beta test on March 29, reports Gamerbraves. This marks the first game in the esteemed franchise to make the jump to mobile devices.
The Persona series combines RPG mechanics with social simulation, with the protagonist deepening their relationship with friends by day while exploring dungeons by night. The Phantom X continues the story of the Phantom Thieves first introduced in the blockbuster Persona 5, with the original cast making appearances.
Relatively few details about the title have been released so far, although the game is being developed by Perfect World Games’ Black Feather Studio, in collaboration with the franchise developer Atlus and publisher Sega. Although the game is currently only slated for release in China, the Persona series has become an international hit, with Persona 5 in particular already receiving an updated remake, a sequel, and a spin off. The game was developed in Japan and features Japanese voice acting, making it likely that release in additional territories is planned.
Why China?
China remains the world’s foremost mobile-first market, which can make it the ideal testing ground prior to a worldwide release. The Phantom X marks not just the franchise’s first foray onto mobile platform, but its first attempt to implement a free-to-play monetisation model. It’s unknown whether the game will be live service or follow the established story structure of the mainline series, however either would likely require deep testing to ensure that the game lives up to not just the developer’s expectations, but long-time fans of the franchise.
Persona 5 in particular is the most successful game in the franchise, making it both the obvious place to start and arguably the one most likely to draw attention from fans.
Earlier this month, Chinese games companies published a new set of rules for self-regulation.