When it's time to do it Metaphor: ReFantazioDeveloper Atlus has one guiding principle: create video games It's the culmination of all the beloved RPGs the company has created before. “We decided to challenge the fantasy genre,” director Katsura Hashino said this week during an online demo of the game. Atlus has been making games for about 35 years and wanted to assemble an all-star team to celebrate the anniversary.
Hashino plays an important role throughout the Persona series; next character 5After its release, he left P-Studio—the team that worked on the Persona games—to form Studio Zero, another internal Atlus team. Because Metaphor, Studio Zero brought on Persona character artist Shigenori Soejima and longtime composer Shoji Meguro. They also invited guest developer Koda Kazuma, who was a concept artist NieR:Automatic machineand Ikuto Yamashita, one of the artists behind the beloved anime series Evangelical Neon Genesis.
Metaphor: ReFantazioe, scheduled to launch on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X on October 11, will combine many of the social elements of the Persona series with a faster combat system and a new fantasy setting.
IN Metaphor, the assassination of a king inaugurates an election that allows anyone to become the next sovereign, provided they receive enough support. That means the main character, who is on his own quest, will need to form bonds with potential followers, earn monster slaying bonuses, explore dungeons, complete missions extra work and generally rallying support.
Like the Persona games, there's a social element to the game, whether it's building relationships with followers or hanging out with the game's actors. There is no fast travel between destinations; instead, players travel on mobile bases equipped with everything from lounges and libraries to cooking or laundry stations. It's reminiscent of Persona's incredibly satisfying, utterly mundane missions that bring the game to life.
Hashino said so Metaphor allows players to build their team using a power-based job system called archetypes. “By facing their anxiety, the main characters gain these archetypes, a special power,” he noted in Tuesday's demo. “Their strength manifests itself in many different forms throughout the game.” They appear similar to the Persona games' eponymous enemies, but they resemble a more traditional fighting style. For example, a seeker is a well-rounded warrior, while a mage fights with magic. Players can combine their teams however they want, including creating teams that all do the same job.
Atlus is currently enjoying a renaissance thanks to breakthrough popularity games like character 5 in 2016 and Reload Persona 3released in March. Reloadremake of the PS2 title, which became the best-selling game in Atlus' history during its release. first week. Metaphor retains much of the series' eye-catching style and fluid combat. It's a big game that “questions the power of imagination, a power we all possess,” Hashino said.
