I was almost done with the Persona series, but Metaphor: ReFantazio is enough to bring me back to Atlus games

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 helmed Persona 3, 4, and 5, and everyone thought the sixth entry would be his next project before Metaphor: ReFantazio was announced.

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Metaphor isn’t technically a Persona game, although it borrows many of the series’ features.

The turn-based battles and super-stylish interface smell distinctly of Persona, even though the title describes a new IP.

Hashino did this once before developing Catherine: Full Body, a puzzle game with a distinct Persona flavor.

Like Catherine, Metaphor: ReFantazio differentiates itself from the Persona series, and not just because of the title.

We had the opportunity to play Metaphor: ReFantazio at Gamescom Latam and found that our knowledge of Persona certainly came in handy.

Moves with names like Rakukaja will feel familiar, and there’s 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 your archetypes with classes like Mage, Warrior, Merchant, and Healer.

There will be over 40 archetypes in the final game, meaning many 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 such as Nier Automata, Neon Genesis Evangelion and Etrian Odyssey.

The team even joked that Hieronymous Bosch is another secret guest artist, with monsters taken from the body horror style.

We haven’t had enough time to properly explore all the differences between the two, but even from our brief preview, they already look 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 leave us excited.

There is still some time before launch October 11, 2024, but it’s definitely something to add to your watchlist.

If you want to read more about game releases, check out our Final Fantasy 14 Dawntrail review.