Persona 5 Scramble: The Phantom Strikers first gameplay, new details

First look at the Persona 5 action RPG in... action.

Atlus debuted the first gameplay footage and new details for the Omega Force-developed action RPG Persona 5 Scramble: The Phantom Strikers during the game’s first official live stream today.

Here are the details:

General
Development is 90 percent complete. Fine-tuning is the focus from here on.
Many Persona fans in Omega Force are working on the game, who are bringing the game to quite the high quality level.
Persona negotiation is being naturally and strategically incorporated into the action.
Rather than simply being an action game where you rush about wildly, there will be a proper story with character growth and the like.
Some character models have been borrowed from Persona 5, while some have been newly created.
The game is being made to be received as an entry in the Persona 5 series.
Whether Confidant or story characters make an appearance is still a secret.
You can unleash various actions through a combination of the Square and Triangle buttons.
There is also shooting.
When you summon a Persona, you can choose a skill with the up and down buttons. Also, the protagonist can change Personas with the left and right buttons.
When you summon a Persona, time will come to a halt. Since information about the enemy will be displayed, you can carefully choose the Persona and skill to match the enemy.
A Persona’s attack range differs depending on the skill.
SP is important. Strategies like striking the enemy’s weakness, or swallowing up a wide scope of enemies are essential.
When you shoot your gun, time will come to a halt. There is also charge shooting. Each character will have their own gun.
Depending on the battle, you can also escape.
With the “Phantom Move” ability, nimble movement and attack actions using background objects such as traffic lights and street lights are possible.
You can go from shooting to pursuing the enemy.
The concept of buffs and debuffs are also in the game.
By striking the enemy’s weakness, it will become a Technical hit and deal greater damage.
By lowering the enemy’s shield gauge, which is right next to their HP gauge, you can unleash One More and general attacks.
You can also summon a Persona while in mid-air.
You can attack by exploding a patrol car. It is a flame attribute attack.
“Show Time” is in the game. Since Joker can switch his Personas, he has different Show Times for each.
You can befriend Personas. Persona fusion is also in the game.
Story and New Characters
As the characters travel to the various cities of Japan, Atlus hopes to bring out aspects to the characters not shown in Persona 5.
They want to depict Phantom Thieves as teenagers having fun. There is a notion of wanting to reward the Phantom Thieves that worked so hard in Persona 5.
The setting consists of more than just the five cities that have been previously announced.
Sophia (voiced by Misaki Kuno) is a girl the Phantom Thieves meet in a different world. She cooperates with the Phantom Thieves in hopes of being a good neighbor to humans. Her codename is Sophie, and her weapons are a yo-yo and blaster. She specializes in recovery skills. She controls a being similar to a Persona called “Pithos.”
Zenkichi Hasegawa (voiced by Shinichiro Miki) is a public safety police officer. At this point it is currently unknown whether he will become an ally or not. Both Zenkichi and Sophia are heavily involved in the main story.

Game System
A “Baton Pass” system for changing characters is included. Change characters in real-time while striking the enemies weaknesses.
All-Out Attacks can be activated without stopping the flow of action.
Each character has different parameters, weapons, and play style.
Each character has their own HP, so switch up characters when you are in a pinch.
Character growth also affects strategy.
Enemies appear as enemy symbols on the map, and when you touch them, battle will begin. You can also encounter enemies by shooting them. Also, by successfully sneak-encountering enemies from behind the back or overhead, you can start the battle at an advantage as a chance encounter.
Sophie is a good character to use for beginners. She has a technical element that advanced players can also enjoy, where by connecting attacks with good timing, she can expand her power and range. She can charge her power with the Triangle button. Her charged shot can possibly paralyze the enemy.
Panther uses a whip. She fights with magic more so than power. Among her attacks is a fire attack unleashed by Carmen. By pressing the Triangle button, she can enchant her whip with fire to deal fire attribute damage and attacks. She can also enchant while attacking. She can also lower the enemy’s attack power with the “Tarunda” skill.
All of Skull’s special attacks can be charged. By charging, “Zio” can become “Mazio.” While it takes some time to charge, Skull can activate super armor to take hits without recoil (the damage is slightly reduced).
Strategy is an important element of battle, and it can be very difficult to win with power alone.
By lowering the down gauge in mid-boss battles, a special All-Out Attack can be activated.
Analysis allows you to check enemy weaknesses and parameter status. For example, when an enemy’s defense is lowered by “Rakunda,” you can check this information via analysis.
Boss battles can be made easier through debuffing.
During battle, a party member may suggest an attack at particular timing where they can unleash an effective attack. By following through on their suggestion, you will switch to that character as soon as the attack begins.
There is also an easy mode for users who only want to enjoy the story. Difficulty can be changed at any time during the game.

Atlus has also started a Persona 5 Scramble: The Phantom Strikers edition of “Morgana’s Travel Report” monthly information drops. Here is the first:

A Completely New Story Set After Persona 5
About half a year since parting from each other upon resolving the mysterious incident that bustled society, the Phantom Thieves gathered again at Cafe Leblanc. While they were planning to enjoy summer vacation together, they wind up lost in an unknown world following an unexpected event. It was a terrible world where shadows snatched away human “desires,” ruled by the command of someone called King.
Mysterious “Conversion Events” sprung forth all over Japan. To pursue these incidents, the Phantom Thieves set out on an RV journey of societal reformation.
New characters that are key to the story will also appear, including Sophia (voiced by Misaki Kuno), a girl who lost her memory, and Zenkichi Hasegawa (voiced by Shinichiro Miki), a skilled public safety police officer.
Introducing Shibuya, a Place of Pop Culture
Shibuya, a place brimming with fashion and sub-culture, and where young men and women gather. At the fashion building Shibuya 705, an event will be held for popular artist Alice Hiiragi (voiced by Ayane Sakura), who is known for her unique fashion and music.
However, there is another side to the bustling city of Shibuya… In the heart of a Shibuya that has become a different world, a Shibuya 705 transformed to look like a castle stands tall, and the appearance of the city has changed significantly. Slip through traps and mechanisms made to obstruct intruders, mow down the shadows, and set your sights on Shibuya 705.
Super Stylish and Exhilarating Action
In Persona 5 Scramble: The Phantom Strikers, the members of the Phantom Thieves are playable. In addition to Joker, you can also fight as your favorite member of the group (except for the navigator).
There are various tactics, including summoning Personas and pursuing the enemy.
You can also dominate the battlefield in style with “Show Time” and “All-Out Attacks.”

Atlus also announced that if you have Persona 5 or Persona 5 Royal save data on PlayStation 4, or Super Smash Bros. Ultimate save data on Switch, you will receive the “Persona 5 Sound Set,” which includes the Persona 5 battle song “Last Surprise” and Persona 5 Royal preemptive battle song “Take Over,” which can be used as the standard battle music for Persona 5 Scramble: The Phantom Strikers.

A character trailer for Persona 5 protagonist Joker will be released on YouTube on November 5 at 18:00 JST.

Persona 5 Scramble: The Phantom Strikers is due out for PlayStation 4 and Switch on February 20, 2020 in Japan. Read more about the game here.

Watch the footage below. View a new set of screenshots at the gallery.