Persona developer Atlus revealed additional gameplay for its forthcoming fantasy RPG Metaphor: ReFantazio, and thankfully narrowed its release window, at The Game Awards live show.
The romantic-looking RPG has been in the works for years, first coming to the public's attention in 2016 under the name Project ReFantasy. Since then, Atlus — especially after officially announcing the game at this year's Xbox Game Showcase — has been letting us snack on little morsels of information.
This summer, director Katsura Hashino said that "high fantasy will be a fresh new challenge for Atlus," which makes sense since it's not the high school slice-of-life the Persona series has embodied for 27 years, nor the twisted modernity of Shin Megami Tensei. But, Hashino continued, Atlus plans to "[craft] a fantasy experience unlike any other."
Based on the trailer showcased at The Game Awards, it looks like Metaphor: ReFantazio will align itself more with the stylized magical realism of the Persona series than the serious, brassy worlds you might associate with other recent high fantasy RPGs like Baldur's Gate 3 or Elden Ring. The development team includes veterans of Persona 3, Persona 4, Persona 5, Nier: Automata, and Shin Megami Tensei Nocturne, and in a weird way that does fit the themes here.
The Game Awards trailer shows turn-based combat marked by crackling lightning flourishes (it helps, I'm sure, that the game's mechanical designer is Neon Genesis Evangelion mangaka Ikuto Yamashita) and Studio Ghibli-worthy houseboats you can control. There's a cooking system, too, to craft health-replenishing meals like stews and meatballs, and a watercolor-styled fast-travel map that apparently leads to some amazing sight-seeing.
A PR statement explains that the story hinges on "the United Kingdom of Euchronia, where the assassination of the king brings chaos and unrest to the land."
"In the midst of this," it continues, "the protagonist, together with his partner, the fairy Galica, must find a way to break the curse that has been placed on the prince that the kingdom believes to be dead."
The game is scheduled for a fall 2024 release.
And Persona 3 Reload is now available for pre-order. Remind yourself of the best Persona games, ranked worst to best before Metaphor: ReFantazio shakes things up.
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