Persona veterans' new JRPG Metaphor: ReFantazio bumps a major series staple by excluding romance
Apr. 24, 2024It’s worth remembering this isn’t made by P-Studio
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
Metaphor: ReFantazio won’t have any romance options whatsoever, in a stark contrast to past Persona games.
Yesterday, Atlus revealedMetaphor: ReFantazio would launch later this year on October 11, complete with a deep dive into the game’s combat and world with director Katsura Hashino. Now, in a new Japanese Q&A segment, it’s been revealed that the bonds the player can establish with certain characters won’t lead to any romance scenes.
The news was revealed in the Q&A livestream just below, where host Mafia Kajita addressed the topic of romance around the one hour and 36-minute mark. The host revealed that Metaphor: ReFantazio doesn’t feature any romance options with bond characters because the new RPG employs a very different bond level system compared to past Atlus games.
This might be a surprise, given that Persona games from Atlus have always allowed the player to romance certain companions. It’s worth pointing out, however, that Metaphor: ReFantazio isn’t being developed by Persona developer P-Studio at Atlus, but rather Studio Zero, who previously worked on Catherine: Full Body under Atlus. It’s easy to understand the confusion since Hashino has headed up the Persona series for well over a decade now.
Although it’s not romance, you will be able to unlock new Archetypes by increasing your bond level with characters. Yesterday’s Metaphor: ReFantazio presentation from Hashino revealed the Archetype system is what grants new combat classes to characters, and the player can equip a different Archetype class onto any active party member in battle.
Sign up to the GamesRadar+ Newsletter
Weekly digests, tales from the communities you love, and more
How Metaphor ReFantazio pulled Atlus out of its Persona rut
Dev behind new Doki Doki Literature Club-style psychological horror says it’s not “for those with weak hearts,” but with 98% positive Steam reviews, I’m not sure I can stay away
