PERSONA used to be a niche game, but since the release of Persona 5, the series has become so popular that Joker is even in Super Smash Bros.
Director Katsura Hashino directed Persona 3, 4, and 5, and everyone thought that the sixth entry would be his next project before Metaphor: ReFantazio was announced.
Metaphor isn’t technically a Persona game, even though it borrows many of the hallmarks of the series.
The turn-based battles and uber-stylish UI smell distinctly of Persona, even though the title describes a new IP.
Hashino has done this once before developing Catherine: Full Body, a puzzle game with a distinct Persona flavour.
Much like Catherine, Metaphor: ReFantazio sets itself apart from the Persona series, and not just with the title.
We had the chance to play Metaphor: ReFantazio at Gamescom Latam, and found that our Persona knowledge certainly came in handy.
Moves with names like Rakukaja will feel familiar, and there is even the mechanic of spending time with teammates to increase your stats.
One of the biggest differences between Metaphor and Persona is the battle system.
Your individual characters are less important than their archetypes with classes like Mage, Warrior, Merchant, and Healer.
There will be more than 40 archetypes in the final game, meaning a lot of battles will be decided by the right combination of character and archetype.
The art style also leaves a strong and distinct impression with guest artists from the likes of Nier Automata, Neon Genesis Evangelion and Etrian Odyssey.
The team even joked that Hieronymous Bosch is another secret guest artist, with monsters pulled from the body horror style.
We didn’t really get enough time to properly explore all of the differences between the two, but even from our short preview, they already feel like very different beasts.
Persona 5, with or without Royal, is one of the longest games on the market, and we’re pleased to see that we can still enjoy Atlus games while taking a much-needed break from the series.
Metaphor: ReFantazio has the DNA of a Shin Megami Tensei game, but with enough freshness to get us excited.
There’s some time left before it launches on October 11, 2024, but it’s definitely one to add to your watch list.
If you want to read more about gaming releases, check out our Final Fantasy 14 Dawntrail review.
Get the lowdown on more of the latest PS5 releases from our expert reviewers.
For Xbox Series X and Nintendo Switch, check out our full game reviews section.
