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It has been an exciting few weeks for Persona fans, with developer Atlus revealing not just one but three upcoming titles at this year’s Xbox Games Showcase: a Persona 3 remake, a Persona 5 tactics game, and a brand-new RPG will be coming to consoles near you soon. While Persona 3 Reload brings the 2006 RPG onto modern devices and Persona 5 Tactica fuses the celebrated RPG into a tactics game, Metaphor: ReFantazio will be charting new RPG territory. The developer just unveiled more details about the freshly announced fantasy RPG that’s slated for a 2024 release. We have all the details and ideas on what to play until the game hits shelves. If you’re an Atlus fan, you have a lot to get excited about.
Metaphor: ReFantazio: A brand-new fantasy RPG
Originally announced under the code name “Project Re Fantasy” back in 2016 and first unveiled at the Xbox Games Showcase on June 11, 2023, Metaphor: ReFantazio is the brainchild of the creators of Persona 3, 4, and 5. While retaining the iconic style of their celebrated series, Metaphor: ReFantazio will be a departure from Persona and Shin Megami Tensei with a new world, characters, and stories. Replacing the modern settings of the Persona and Shin Megami Tensei series with a more medieval fantasy world, the game will have players return to the roots of traditional Japanese fantasy role-playing.
The team at Studio Zero leading production in what Atlus titled its “first ever, full-scale fantasy RPG” includes game director Katsura Hashino, character designer Shigenori Soejima, and music composer Shoji Meguro. In a 15-minute “Creator’s Message” posted on https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qnidfYhqftg, the creators recently spoke about the studio’s inspiration and ideas for the upcoming title. As a “large-scale, epic fantasy RPG”, Metaphor: ReFantazio is supposed to be a separate, third RPG pillar for the studio alongside Persona and Shin Megami Tensei. While drawing from the fundamentals of traditional fantasy role-playing and adhering to Atlus’ iconic art style and themes, the upcoming title aims to be something completely new.
“Facing your fears” will be a large theme of the game, as well as the building of bonds with other characters in the game – something that has always played a major part in the Persona games. These characters will have different roles, or archetypes, including knight, fighter, thief, and seeker. Players take control over a blue-haired character who leads a team as they embark on a journey filled with mystery, obstacles, and challenges. It is scheduled to launch in Japan and the West simultaneously sometime in 2024. While it was only announced to be coming to Xbox Series X/S and Windows PC at the Xbox Games Showcase, it was later confirmed that Metaphor: ReFantazio will also be heading to PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5.
Persona remake and spinoff underway
Metaphor: ReFantazio is not the only upcoming title from Atlus. The publisher also unveiled two new Persona games, namely a Persona 3 remake and a Persona 5 spinoff. Persona 3 Reload will see the return of the iconic 2006 game in early 2024. As a first for the series, P3R will be powered by Unreal Engine, bringing the title to Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, Windows PC, PlayStation 4, and PlayStation 5. It will also be released on Xbox Game Pass day one. The first trailer for the game was officially shown at the Xbox Games Showcase on June 11, unveiling the seemingly massive upgrade to the original game. Besides fresh new graphics, the game will also be enhanced in many other aspects, with some quality-of-life changes to mechanics and new storytelling beats to boot. In a recent interview, as reported on https://sorcerers.net/community/threads/persona-3-reload-about-the-content.94685/, P3R won’t, however, include content from Persona 3 FES and Persona 3 Portable, making it a true remake of the iconic Persona 3 as it was released in 2006. While aiming to maintain the original’s essence and atmosphere, the remake is set to be an evolution of the original, making it more modern and easier to play.
While we’ll have to wait until 2024 to get our hands on Metaphor: ReFantazio and P3R, another Persona title is headed our way and is slated for release this year. Persona 5 Tactica was announced at the Xbox Games Showcase as well and is scheduled to launch on November 17, 2023, on Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, Windows PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, and Nintendo Switch, with preorders for the game available now. The new spinoff will offer players a chance to jump back into the world of Persona 5, but with a new twist. The upcoming title includes the characters and themes from the main game fused into a turn-based tactical RPG. With preorders live now and the game hitting Xbox Game Pass on day one, Persona 5 Tactica should tide players over until 2024.
What to play until then
To help bridge the time until the announced titles arrive, we have curated a list of games from different genres that will keep Atlus fans busy. Let’s start off with a banger: The highly anticipated Final Fantasy XVI is available now on https://store.playstation.com/en-ca/concept/10002100. As the first full-fledged action RPG in the main FF series, it lets you take on the role of Clive Rosfield and save humankind on a brand-new adventure. It combines an action-based combat system with the iconic character-building RPG elements the franchise is known for, creating a brand-new experience with more than 50 hours of story. If you love RPGs, Persona, and the typical anime art style, this is a game not to be missed.
If you’re looking to jump into a different game genre, Atlus’ 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim could be a good choice. It combines the storytelling typical for visual novels with real-time strategy RPG elements in a 2D side-scrolling adventure with a beautiful art style any Persona fan will love. With fast-paced, top-down battles, fleshed-out characters, and an engaging story full of twists and turns – and did we mention mechas and Kaiju? – 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim will keep you entertained as you wait for what Atlus will release next.
A lot of casual titles have also been inspired by the traditional anime art style Atlus’ games are known for and offer a relaxed gaming experience wherever you are. Rhythm games such as Arcaea boast gorgeous visuals and combine them with a powerful soundtrack as you try to keep the beat and hit the right buttons at exactly the right time. Even the genre of classic casino games has been inspired by the traditional Japanese art style. Experts share their ratings and reviews of some of the best platforms that boast a large library of games with different themes and topics. Among them, you can find slots such as Koi Princess, Ninja Ways, and Moon Princess, all of which feature characters designed in the traditional anime art style on their reels. For a more action-rich experience, Dragon Ball Z Dokkan Battle brings the celebrated anime onto mobile devices in the form of an action puzzle game with fighting game elements. Anyone who loves Atlus’ typical art style can keep themselves busy with these titles for now.
It's a great time to be alive as an Atlus fan, with three new titles in the works at the studio. While Persona 3 Reload and Persona 5 Tactica will see the beloved characters return, Metaphor: ReFantazio awaits with a brand-new epic fantasy RPG we haven’t seen before.
