Line #48 VideoGame/Persona5ThePhantomX


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17	[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/persona_5_the_phantom_x_03_16_23_1.jpg]]
18	[[caption-width-right:350:''[[ThematicThemeTune Look out, we won't get cut off.]]''[[labelnote:Left to right]][[TheHero Wonder]], Luffel, Motoha Arai[[/labelnote]]]]
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20	''Persona 5: The Phantom X'' (alternatively called ''Persona 5 X'' and abbreviated as ''[=P5X=]'') is a MobilePhoneGame spin-off of ''VideoGame/Persona5'' developed by Chinese developer Perfect World under Creator/{{Atlus}}' oversight. Between March 29 and March 31, 2023, the game underwent its first beta trial in China. Its second beta, "The Awakening", took place between August 18 and August 25, 2023. The third beta, "Heart Stealing", took place between January 16 and January 31, 2024. It entered Open Beta for [=iOS=] and Android devices as well as for [=PCs=] on April 12, 2024 in China.
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22	You are an OrdinaryHighSchoolStudent living out a fairly mundane student life at Kokatsu Academy in {{Tokyo\|IsTheCenterOfTheUniverse}}. What seems to be a normal train ride home is disrupted when you suddenly awake in a mysterious otherworld, no less helped by a strange owl-like creature appearing before you. Under the guidance of this creature known as "Luffel", you discover that you are trapped in Mementos, a manifestation of humanity's subconscious wills and desires. At the risk of imminent death at the hands of hostile Shadows, you suddenly awaken to an awesome power -- "Persona", [[FightingSpirit your will of rebellion]] [[GuardianEntity given form]].
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24	No sooner than you discover this power that you learn that the real world is being stifled by the warped desires of the corrupt and powerful. However, there is a beacon of hope: using the power of Persona, you can enter the Metaverse, [[MentalWorld the realm of the subconscious]], and by invading the "Palaces" created from the twisted desires of corrupt humans, steal the "Treasures" located within and change peoples' hearts. Adopting the moniker "Wonder", you join in arms with others who share your power, forming a band of "Phantom Thieves" who seek to reclaim society from corrupt hearts and minds.
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26	[[AC:Trailers:]]
27	* [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e651GwOylSI Official Gameplay Trailer]]
28	* [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lLJdCenOIuo Awakening Test Trailer]]
29	* [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kl9ExuaMKfE Heart Stealing Test]]
30	* [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nyYYpev-nYM Pre-Draw Event Trailer]]
31	* [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jaf-PMD_8O4 Opening Animation - Ambitions and Visions]]
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33	----
34	!''Persona 5: The Phantom X'' has the following tropes:
35	* ActuallyADoombot: InUniverse, any character recruited via the Velvet Room's gacha pull are this. Named "Phantom Idols" by Merope, they're stated to be cognitions who help aid Wonder and the Phantom Thieves in battle. WordOfGod even compares them to the cognitive selves of the ''VideoGame/Persona3'' and ''[[VideoGame/Persona4 4]]'' protagonists fought in ''Royal'''s challenge battles. This also applies to the cognitive party members' Personas; dubbed as "Persona II" (also) by Merope, they're not the actual Personas of the person the cognition is based on, but are instead a Persona handpicked by Merope herself.
36	* AdaptationalModesty: Due to censorship laws in China, several Personas were redesigned with more tame and chaste appearances. The most obvious offenders are Incubus and Lamia, the latter being virtually naked from the waist up and Incubus being entirely nude while sporting a, erm, GagPenis for lack of a better word. In ''X'', Incubus now wears shorts and Lamia has a tanktop. Bar far the one most affected by this trope is [[GagPenis Mara]], whose design ''definitely'' would not pass Chinese censorship laws and has a gold hat covering his phallic-shaped head, now resembling [[PlantPerson a mass of vines]] due to a lack of veins and the addition of leaves.
37	* AlternateUniverse: This game takes place in a world parallel to the original ''Persona 5'' world. This alternate world is set [[TwentyMinutesIntoTheFuture in 2023]] compared to the original's vague year of [[YearX 20XX]] (though the calendar reflects that of 2016).
38	* AndNowForSomeoneCompletelyDifferent: Rather than follow one of the original Phantom Thieves like Joker, the game puts you in the shoes of a brand-new protagonist going by the codename "Wonder". Similarly, this goes for the rest of the Phantom Thieves, all of which consist of brand-new characters. The original Phantom Thieves are instead relegated to being cognitions who assist Wonder in battle, although the third beta heavily implies that they will eventually tie back into the story in some way.
39	* ArcWords:
40	** The ''Franchise/{{Persona}}'' series' ArcWords "I am thou, thou art I" is repeated by every Persona-user barring Luffel and the Phantom Idols during their Persona awakenings. Curiously, the Personas speak the first half whereas the Persona-users themselves speak the second half.
41	** "Desire" comes up frequently and seems to be a common theme. The game's synopsis and Igor and Luffel mention how people in the real world don't seem particularly driven, whereas those like Wonder and Motoha (through their experiences in the Metaverse) are noted for having a strong desire, something Luffel wishes to nurture and grow.
42	* AtrociousAlias: With the exception of the protagonist, Motoha, Luffel, and the original Phantom Thieves, the Phantom Idols summoned by the Velvet Room have questionable codenames in that they use their RealNameAsAnAlias, which defeats the point of Phantom Thieves trying to keep their real identities a secret. On the other hand, the Phantom Idols codenames are picked by Merope and are heavily suggested not to be the actual people, but rather cognitive clones made to appear familiar to Wonder. The third beta test changed some of the Phantom Idols' codenames so as to avert this.
43	* BigDamnHeroes: A newly added cutscene in the third beta involves Wonder and Luffel being overwhelmed by Shadows in Mementos. When Wonder is knocked down and the situation begins to look bleak, Joker suddenly appears from nowhere and takes out several Shadows at once, then teams up with Wonder to perform a Highlight, destroying the remainder with a powerful strike. Before Wonder or Luffel have a chance to make sense of the situation, Joker disappears into thin air before their eyes, just as quickly as he appeared.
44	* {{Bowdlerise}}: Being made primarily in China means that the game had to adhere to a few more censorship policies compared to the rest of the series.
45	** In addition to what's mentioned in AdaptationalModesty above, certain Personas were redesigned to conform to Chinese laws. Bugs had the blood and skulls removed in addition to making its stomach fully intact without any stitches, making Bugs more like a simply monstrous teddy bear, and Hell Biker had his skull head swapped with a helmet. Even Surt now wears a pair of shorts despite lacking visible genitals.
46	** Wonder's Persona awakening now has a 2D animated cutscene as of the second beta test, just like Joker's in the original game. Unlike the Persona awakenings in ''Persona 5'', however, there is a distinct lack of visible blood when Wonder rips off his mask, as it's replaced by a brilliant sparkling light effect. Blood is not visible on any of the Persona awakenings for the other party members as well, although this is better obfuscated by convenient cuts and camera angles.
47	* BreakMeter: Unlike the mainline ''Persona'' games, strong enemies in this game have a break gauge next to their health bars, and they cannot be knocked down with super-effective damage until the gauge is depleted.
48	* BreakingOldTrends:
49	** The Velvet Room's function in this game has changed drastically on account of the {{gacha\|Games}} mechanics. While it still acts as how you obtain new Personas by way of fusion, it's also how you recruit new party members, including the original Phantom Thieves.
50	** The Social Link mechanic is changed significantly. Instead of being called "Confidants" as it was in ''[=P5=]'', it's called "Synergy" and is not associated with any Arcanas, though they do still offer unique bonuses when ranked up. Perhaps the most significant change is that Synergies, unlike Social Links/Confidants, have ''twenty ranks'' as opposed to ten.
51	* CallBack:
52	** The gameplay trailer ends on a cutscene of Joker crashing through a window with a corkscrew jump and striking a three-point landing, identical to how he escaped Sae's Palace in the opening cutscene of the original game.
53	** Like in ''[=P5=]'', the opening segment sees a character informing players that the story is fictional and relations to actual persons and places are coincidental. ''Un''like Igor, however, who asks players if they agree about the game being a work of fiction in order to play the game, the narrator warns players that "becoming part of the story" will lead to hardship and asks if they still want to play ''X''.
54	* CastOfExpies: A significant portion of the main cast fulfill parallel roles to that of characters from ''Persona 5'', despite differing backstories and motivations. This is an intentional choice according to WordOfGod.[[invoked]]
55	* CatapultNightmare: In the third beta, the game opens with the Phantom Thieves of Hearts' infiltration of Sae's Palace, as in the original ''Persona 5''. However, this is soon rudely disrupted when Joker encounters AGlitchInTheMatrix, followed by being attacked and killed by a hooded Wonder. The sequence ends with Wonder jolting awake in his bed before panning over to his smartphone, which now has the Metaverse Navigator app installed.
56	* CentralTheme: Whereas ''Persona 5'' was about fighting against oppression and breaking free from your emotional chains and prisons, this game has the central focus of "finding your way in life" and chasing after your dreams and passions. The protagonist, Wonder, is known to not be very driven or passionate overall before discovering the Metaverse and becoming a Phantom Thief, and all of his teammates have their own goals and dreams that they hold themselves back from achieving for one reason or another. In comparison, all of the antagonists are people who tried and failed to achieve their dreams and, rather than try and make something out of their lives afterwards, chose to fall into the everyday flow of life and become "another fish in the sea", while also lashing out at those who show the potential to reach their failed dreams and trying to crush their spirits. The Velvet Room even takes the form of an aquarium to drive this theme home, showing off the flow of life as an ocean current and all the "fish" who have resigned themselves to follow it.
57	* DefeatMeansFriendship: Similar to ''VideoGame/Persona5Strikers'', Shadows defeated in battle have a chance to become a Persona for Wonder to use in battle, unlike the negotiation mechanic in ''Persona 5''.
58	* DemotedToExtra: Munehisa Iwae and Tae Takemi, two Confidants of Joker's in the main game, are relegated to being mere shop owners in ''[=P5X=]''. Another one of Joker's confidants, Chihaya Mifune, shows up as a shopper at the 777 convenience store when Wonder is working there.
59	* DuelingPlayerCharacters: In the "Heart Stealing" beta, the game kicks off with a re-enactment of the original intro from ''Persona 5'', though it swiftly diverges where, after Joker dispatches the Shadows keeping him from escaping, he's suddenly attacked by a white-masked Wonder.
60	* LimitBreak: Knocking down all enemies will produce the chance to execute a Highlight. Unlike All-Out Attacks or Showtimes, Highlights involve a single character performing a flashy cinematic attack to deal massive damage of a specific attribute to a single foe.
61	* MeaningfulName: Merope calls the cognitive beings summoned by the game's gacha mechanics "Phantom Idols", in a reference to how fans support their idols in real life as well.
62	* MiniGame: This game features a rhythm minigame side mode where Wonder and other members of the Phantom Thieves play instruments together, similar to previous dancing spin-offs like ''VideoGame/Persona5DancingInStarlight''.
63	* MysteriousStranger: Joker is this to the cast of ''X'' and especially Wonder. Early in the game, Joker shows up when Wonder and Luffel are struggling to defeat some Shadows. His assistance is brief, and he does not explain his appearance to the two before suddenly disappearing.
64	* MythologyGag:
65	** Joker's Highlight attack includes the moment where he pulls out his gun from his coat before firing, [[spoiler:similar to the CoupDeGraceCutscene during the final battle with Yaldabaoth after awakening Satanael]].
66	** Skull's Highlight attack is based on his sprint on Shido's cruiser to unlock the life boats, taking the same starting position and running across the sinking ship, dodging explosions, though the explosions are triggered by Captain Kidd instead of the Palace collapsing around him.
67	** Panther, Fox, and Queen's Highlight attacks take place in the same Palace they awakened their Personas in the original game, with Queen's Highlight attack being the exact moment she charges forward at Kaneshiro's mooks using Johanna.
68	** In ''Persona 5'''s Strength subplot, Caroline and Justine enjoy visiting an aquarium and say they'll try to get a fish tank installed in the Velvet Room. This game shows that they got [[UnderwaterBase a lot more]] than a mere ''tank''.
69	** Motoha's yellow and spindly thief costume resembles the Persona of Chie, the series' previous "female jock" character.
70	* NewWorkRecycledGraphics: Visually, the game is identical to ''Persona 5 Royal'', with the only major new additions being characters and locations such as the Velvet Room and Palaces. The "Heart Stealing" beta even reuses the same opening intro of the main game, albeit reworked to fit into ''X'' and diverging when Wonder suddenly shows up and attacks Joker as he's fleeing the casino.
71	* NoodleIncident: According to the developers, the world of [[VideoGame/Persona5 the main game]] and the world of ''X'' become linked due to a "certain event." What this event is exactly is not made clear, save that it seemingly involves Wonder.
72	* PaletteSwap: The gacha summon characters have alternative color variations, like black-and-white Noir and, infamously, cow-patterned Mona.
73	* POVCam: Some cutscenes occasionally take place from Wonder's perspective, such as him being startled by Merope when meeting her for the first time in the Velvet Room.
74	* RecurringElement: Like the original ''Persona 5'', the first Palace and boss involves a former professional athlete who is targeting a future teammate specifically while also representing [[SevenDeadlySins the Vice of Lust]]. However, while Kamoshida was a HateSink who was specifically targeting Ann due to [[LustObject seeing her as a sex target]] and represents Lust fully, Kiuchi's story is played slightly more sympathetically, and his link to Lust is more of a side element to his promiscuity and issues with women than his core motive, which is fueled by a vengeful grudge against Motoha for supposedly kicking off the ruin of his career.
75	* RecycledSoundtrack: The game lifts a significant portion of its music from ''Persona 5'' and ''Persona 5 Royal''. New themes have been added in addition to returning themes, such as a new theme song and battle track.
76	* ShoutOut: Similarly to Morgana in the original, when Luffel turns into his form that allows for travel in the Metaverse, he does a pose from ''Series/KamenRider'', with Luffel's being based on Kamen Rider Nigou's poses.
77	* SuspiciouslySimilarSubstitute:
78	** Strangely, despite the overworld being 95% identical to ''Persona 5''[='s=] world, a few locations and names have been inexplicably replaced by generic equivalents. Wonder can still visit Café Leblanc's location in Yongen-Jaya, but it is now a generic coffee bar run by a woman named Ena Kageyama, and Luffel has no unique dialogue for interacting with Sojiro's house. Big Bang Burger locations can still be visited, but they now bear the name "Big Hamburger." The official explanation is that ''X'' is set in an AlternateUniverse with diverging events compared to the main game's timeline, with the Heart Stealing Test trailer showing familiar locations from the original ''P5'', such as Leblanc and the Bikkuri Boy diner.
79	** Luffel is more or less Morgana if he were an avian cartoonish being rather than a cat, briefly serving as the fledgling Phantom Thieves' mentor and teaching them about the Metaverse, right down to his transformation pose being similar to the ''second'' Series/KamenRider's. He acts somewhat more professional and ominous than Morgana, however.
80	* UnderTheSea: In contrast to the prison cell block it was for Joker, the Velvet Room takes on the form of an underwater hallway in this game, with fish and even a ''whale'' drifting above Wonder and the residents of the room. Merope describes it as an "underwater tunnel dug into the sea of the mind."

Context VideoGame / Persona5ThePhantomX