ReFantazio Could Be the Persona Game SMT Fans Have Been Waiting For

Lastly, an SMT-style sport with all of the Persona aptitude.

I suppose we’ll begin with a little bit of a historical past lesson. Earlier than Persona, there was Shin Megami Tensei, an offshoot of the Megami Tensei sequence that handled youngsters in fashionable Japan who have been often confronted with cataclysmic occasions that threatened to tear aside your complete world. Persona originated as an offshoot of SMT, and the primary two video games nonetheless leaned closely into the darker tones of SMT, however with Persona 3, the whole lot modified.

Hastily, the Persona sequence had change into synonymous with college life and courting sims, robust character-driven tales, and endless debates about who the most effective waifu was. Persona 3 began that development, Persona 4 solidified it, and with the discharge of Persona 5, it’s change into abundantly clear that Atlus is aware of they’ve acquired one thing good right here they usually’re gonna maintain rolling with it.

However what of the Shin Megami Tensei followers who’ve been round for the reason that starting? It’s no secret that Persona is oft seen because the extra “informal” sequence, not simply when it comes to gameplay issue, however in tone as effectively. Shin Megami Tensei is much less involved with character motivations, and as a substitute opts to discover broader themes of duality, good and chaos, and the highway in-between. Enter Atlus’s model new sport, Metaphor: ReFantazio (not the catchiest title, we’ll admit), and perhaps, simply perhaps, we’ve lastly acquired a center floor for the corporate’s two tentpole sequence.

Granted, we don’t have all the small print simply but. However simply wanting on the reveal trailer for Metaphor: ReFantazio, the premise itself shares some robust similarities with Shin Megami Tensei. There’s the duality and juxtaposition of modern-day Tokyo with a fantasy underworld, and extra crucially, the flexibility to have an effect on the story by making key choices which will set you down a distinct path. These are simply a few key parts that you just’ll spot in all SMT video games, however it’s clear that Atlus can be decided to sprinkle in much more Persona-isms right here as effectively.

For starters, the trailer hints at a bond system between the primary character and the opposite allies you’ll meet alongside the way in which, not not like the Social Hyperlink and Confidant programs we’ve seen in Persona. And as a substitute of recruiting demons and placing them in your celebration, you could have precise celebration members as a substitute, which means that Metaphor: ReFantazio could have a better emphasis on character interactions and improvement than your typical SMT sport.

And maybe most significantly, Metaphor: ReFantazio additionally incorporates all the type and prospers of Persona 5 into one neat fantasy package deal. This has lengthy been one among my greatest gripes with Shin Megami Tensei, that whilst Persona has advanced and moved ahead by leaps and bounds, SMT nonetheless feels woefully outdated and sluggish. Even the sequence’ newest entry, Shin Megami Tensei V, doesn’t fairly really feel like a contemporary sport, which is a large disappointment, contemplating that it got here out after Persona 5.

As an SMT fan myself, I’ve been ready for Atlus to lastly sort out extra mature tales and settings whereas retaining the Persona system. As a substitute of at all times trapping the participant in highschool, with the ability to discover completely different environments and conditions whereas retaining the core gameplay mechanics intact appears like an absolute dream, and Metaphor: ReFantazio has the potential to be simply that. It will not be the souped up mainline SMT sport that we’ve been hoping for, however it’s at the least a step nearer to that imaginative and prescient.

With a launch window of early 2024, we don’t have all that lengthy to attend to see what Atlus has in retailer for SMT and Persona followers. Contemplating that the sport has been in improvement for six years at this level (with solely the obscure Undertaking Re:Fantasy tease to maintain us all this time), this may increasingly very effectively be a end result of the whole lot the Persona crew has discovered over the previous decade and find yourself being one of the vital thrilling JRPG releases lately.

Concerning the writer

Zhiqing is the Critiques Editor for Twinfinite, and a Historical past graduate from Singapore. She’s been within the video games media trade for 9 years, trawling via showfloors, conferences, and spending a ridiculous period of time making in-depth spreadsheets for min-max-y RPGs. When she’s not singing the praises of Amazon’s Kindle as the best technological invention of the previous twenty years, you may in all probability discover her in a FromSoft rabbit gap.