
Since Persona 5 released nearly a decade ago, we haven't seen a new mainline game, with the series instead doubling down on creative spinoffs. In some regards, it feels like Persona 5 is played out, but the new free-to-play mobile spinoff, The Phantom X, makes it feel like there might still be one in the chamber.
After spending hundreds of hours, and more money than I’d like, on gacha games like Fire Emblem Heroes and Genshin Impact, I've mostly sworn off them in recent years. But after four hours with Persona 5: The Phantom X, I can already tell it's the one to reel me back in. There are largely two reasons for that — the admittedly fascinating story and a smart Persona-esque spin on the time you sink into mobile games. While Phantom X has been out in China for nearly a year, it’s finally making its worldwide debut on June 26.