Metaphor: ReFantazio Launches October 11th

Master Detective Archives: RAIN CODE+ will launch for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series, and PC via Steam on October 1 in the west for $59.99 / €59.99 / £54.99, Spike Chunsoft announced. In Japan, the game will launch as previously announced on July 18 for 6,350 yen.

A little while back we were graced by 25-minutes of Metaphor: ReFantazio footage, from which I gleaned some chunks of info. Honestly, a new press release doesn't unveil a whole lot of hotness we didn't catch a glimpse of before, but it does give us a better idea of how the battle system works in Atlus's upcoming JRPG.

Publisher ATLUS and developer Studio Zero have released new information and screenshots for Metaphor: ReFantazio introducing the game’s “Fast & Squad” battle system, dungeons, party and archetypes formation, followers, gauntlet runner, places, facilities, and more.

Atlus' upcoming RPG, Metaphor: ReFantazio, seems built around systems that wouldn't feel out of place in the developer's Persona series. It's got turn-based battles that hinge on striking enemy weaknesses, it's got warrior spirits that you can summon in combat, and — most crucially to this article — it's got a bonding system where you can hang out with key characters, learning more about them in the process.

Metaphor: ReFantazio won't have any romance options whatsoever, in a stark contrast to past Persona games.

Atlus game fans are looking forward to Metaphor: ReFantazio, but the game is going to be missing a common mechanic of Persona games that players enjoy: building romances with NPCs. While the mechanic may be missed, it's another indication that Metaphor: ReFantazio and its Shin Megami Tensei and Persona predecessors do differ, despite their similarities.

Hot off its showcase for Metaphor: ReFantazio, where it revealed cities, exploration, dungeons and whatnot, Atlus has announced Atlus Fes for June 8th and 9th in Bellesalle Akihabara, Tokyo, from 10 AM to 6 PM JST. It will feature playable demos forReFantazio and evenShin Megami Tensei 5: Vengeance.

The release date for Metaphor: ReFantazio has been confirmed during a 30-minute developer livestream.

Atlus has announced that its next game, Metaphor: ReFantazio, will launch on October 11 for PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, and PC. 

As one of the Treehouse's resident Atlus sickos, I was incredibly happy to wake up to 25-minutes of Metaphor: ReFantazio's director Katsura Hashino talking us through some new footage. We get a look at a new rural town and the activities you can get up to, like bounty hunting. Travel on your magic mech is compared to "camping", which I wasn't expecting. And there's lots of combat on show, with transitions from real-time to turn-based battles outlined in a bit more detail. Oh and it's coming out in October, which gives me plenty of time to clear my JRPG backlog before this inevitably takes over my entire existence for the foreseeable.

Along with announcing an October release date for Metaphor: ReFantazio, Atlus has revealed a bunch of new details on the fantasy RPG’s combat and dungeons, cities and exploration, and much more. In addition to that, with pre-orders for the title going live today, the company has also revealed a physical Collector’s Edition that players will have the option of picking up.

Atlus first teased that it was working on a new RPG with a fantasy setting in mid-2023 — it also said way back then that it will be available sometime this year. Now, the developer has revealed that the game, Metaphor: ReFantazio, will come out on October 11 at a special livestream event. Katsura Hashino, the director of the game, as well as of Persona 3, 4 and 5, also introduced a 30-minute hands-on gameplay that gives you quite a lengthy look at its story and combat mechanics. Similar to the Persona games, Metaphor: ReFantazio has a turn-based combat system with what Atlus says is a «blend of real-time action.»