A lead developer from Atlus's Studio Zero division has alleged that the company's next big JRPG, Metaphor: Refantazio, will be considerably harder than the Persona games. As beloved as they may be, the latest mainline entries in the Persona franchise aren't exactly known for having brutally difficult turn-based combat; if anything, they've been made easier and more beginner-friendly over the years, which has disappointed some. Fortunately, it seems that players looking for a more challenging experience from Atlus will finally have their wishes granted with Metaphor: ReFantazio.

Helmed by the newly-formed Atlus subsidiary Studio Zero, Metaphor: ReFantazio is the next project from Persona 3, 4, and 5 creative director Katsura Hashino. Serving as Atlus's first foray into the high fantasy genre, the game is poised to be the company's next pillar franchise, establishing itself alongside the likes of Shin Megami Tensei and Persona. Despite some surface-level similarities to prior titles from the Japanese publisher, Studio Zero's next project aims to distinguish itself from Atlus's previous efforts and stand out as its own unique work. As such, Metaphor: ReFantazio's gameplay loop will be quite different from the aforementioned Persona games, which is something that the game's director has taken to interviews to explain in greater detail.

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Speaking to GamesRadar+ during 2024's Summer Game Fest, Katsura Hashino revealed that Metaphor: ReFantazio will "definitely [be] harder than Persona" in terms of where it places on the difficulty scale compared to the Atlus veteran's previous titles, which include many tough games like Shin Megami Tensei 3 and Digital Devil Saga. Hashino elaborated on this point of his, stating that the decision to make Metaphor a more challenging turn-based RPG was justified by "the concept of the game" itself, as it features "elements that make it more difficult in general."

Metaphor: ReFantazio's Gameplay Elements Will Make It More Challenging Than Persona

"You have different Archetypes, different party combinations, different areas you can go to, the freedom to explore a world... and choose what you want to fight," Hashino said. These intricate gameplay systems demand a level of challenge, according to the developer, as without it, "it won't feel right, it won't feel like it's worth playing." Despite his comments, though, Hashino noted that players concerned about Metaphor: ReFantazio's difficulty need not worry, as he confirmed that the upcoming title will have "multiple difficulty modes" to choose from. In that way, Metaphor will still be more forgiving compared to hard PS2-era RPGs like SMT 3: Nocturne.

Based off the information that's been shared so far, it looks like Metaphor: ReFantazio is shaping up to be another inventive, genre-defining experience from Atlus. With the amount of features that are seemingly crammed into this upcoming JRPG, Metaphor: ReFantazio could end up becoming one of Atlus's best games ever when it launches on October 11, 2024, for PC, PS4/5, and Xbox Series X/S.

Metaphor: ReFantazio

Developed by Atlus' Studio Zero, Metaphor: ReFantazio is a fantasy RPG set in the United Kingdom of Euchronia, a medieval world that mirrors the modern-day "real world." It takes inspiration from the Persona series with its turn-based combat and social sim elements.

Platform(s)

PS4 , PS5 , PC , Xbox Series X , Xbox Series S

Released

October 11, 2024

Developer(s)

Studio Zero

Publisher(s)

Atlus

Genre(s)

RPG

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