Critical Role welcomes Persona 5 Tactica into its tabletop role-playing format with an upcoming one-shot inspired by the game and helmed by Liam O’Brien.
Like all of Critical Role’s core cast, O’Brien harbors an impressive career in video game voice-over, lending his talents to the Persona franchise for multiple titles as Akihiko Sanada. Critical Role’s first promotional image for the one-shot features O’Brien donning an outfit inspired by his Persona character, with a later post teasing some of the player’s looks. O’Brien invites fellow Persona alum Robbie Daymond, Xanthe Huynh and Matthew Mercer to the table alongside Krystina Arielle and Jared Goldstein.
Though Mercer, a prolific video game performer in his own right, predominately serves as Critical Role’s stalwart Game Master, the channel’s one-shot specials often offer a rotating cast of in-house and guest GMs. O’Brien has helmed several previous one-shots for Critical Role, including “Liam’s Quest.” “The Song of Lorelai” and “The Night Before Critmas,” the holiday special that laid the groundwork for Travis Willingham’s Bells Hells character Chetney Pock O’Pea.
The Persona 5 Tactica one-shot marks O’Brien’s second GM experience in the realm of promotional video game one-shots that have become increasingly popular on Critical Role’s channel, having previously run “The Elder Scrolls Online: Blackwood – Part III: The Golden Goose.”
The cast of video game voice actors that make up Critical Role’s crew contributes to an overall channel voice that constantly blends a passion for gaming into its tabletop setting. The upcoming Persona 5 Tactica one-shot is one of many video game tie-ins Critical Role has produced over the years, with past adventures including “Mortal Kombat 1 One-Shot: Sindel vs. The Realms.” “Hearthstone One-Shot” and “Elden Ring One-Shot: O Ye of Little Faith.”
The position of Critical Role’s core cast and frequent collaborators within the gaming industry allows for one-shots that capitalize on their personal credits such as the Tears of the Kingdom One-Shot, helmed by Ganondorf actor Mercer, or Ashly Burch reprising her Borderlands character as the GM of “Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands One-Shot”.
Critical Role’s Persona 5 Tactica one-shot will stream live on Twitch and YouTube on Friday, Nov. 17 at 7 PT, celebrating the game the day after its release. VOD of the one-shot will be available the next day for those unable to tune-in live, with a podcast version arriving Nov. 24.
