Metaphor: ReFantazio's Gameplay Loop Is Different From…

Summary

Metaphor: ReFantazio offers a fresh high fantasy setting with gameplay elements reminiscent of popular Atlus titles like Persona and Shin Megami Tensei.
Day-night cycle and social simulation elements add depth to the gameplay, with a unique iteration of the Press-Turn battle system for strategic combat.
Time management is crucial, with players engaging in dungeon crawling and quests during the day, while building relationships and virtues at night.

Updated digital store and wishlist pages for Atlus' upcoming Metaphor: ReFantazio have described how its dungeon crawling and social simulation gameplay loop differs from the Persona franchise. Metaphor: ReFantazio was first announced in June 2023 as a brand-new IP from Atlus, tackling a pure high fantasy setting instead of the urban fantasy genre like in the Shin Megami Tensei or Persona franchises. Despite the setting change, Metaphor Re:Fantazio has been shown to share DNA with Atlus' past works.

Trailers and screenshots of Metaphor: ReFantazio feature a number of familiar gameplay hooks and quirks from Persona and Shin Megami Tensei. These include a day-night cycle and social simulation elements from Persona and a unique iteration of the Press-Turn battle system from the mainline Shin Megami Tensei games, among others. Atlus recently gave a rundown on how these elements are utilized in Metaphor: ReFantazio and how its gameplay loop differs from Persona specifically.

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By Dominik Bošnjak

These details were shared on updated versions of Metaphor: ReFantazio's PlayStation Store and Steam pages. Both descriptions give some insight into the differences between Metaphor: ReFantazio and the Persona series. They specifically state that during the day, players can participate in dungeon crawling, quests, and treasure hunting, while the nighttime is dedicated to "increasing virtues." This means that the social sim elements like building bonds via social links will be during the night, contrasting previous Persona games that allowed players to interact with them during the day.

Metaphor: ReFantazio's Key Features:

Go on quests, dungeon dive, & hunt for treasures by day. Strengthen relationships, build bonds, & increase virtues by night. Choose your actions wisely, time management is key to achieving your goal.
Ride your “gauntlet runner” to faraway dungeons & towns across an expansive world. Discover beautiful landscapes  accompanied by captivating music, immersive UI, & anime cutscenes.
A unique battle system combining turn based & real time action grants strategy & exhilaration at every turn. Party customization through “Archetypes” provides freedom to personalize your adventure.
A mysterious & exciting story unfolds in a world where people must fight their own anxiety. Join the high-stakes Royal Tournament that promises hours of captivating exploration and discovery.

Much like the Persona series, time management is key in Metaphor: ReFantazio. Screenshots show a look at the game's main menu, listing features like Calendar and Memoradum, which are Metaphor: ReFantazio's iterations on Persona's own calendar and social link systems. One screenshot shows how the days are tracked, counting down towards a mission deadline, along with the weather and current day on the right side. Another screenshot shows one of Metaphor: ReFantazio's social stats, Eloquence, which can be increased by the player giving a speech that wins the citizens over. Other social interactions with the game's party were also featured in these screenshots, such as training with Hulkenberg or cooking with Strohl.

Metaphor: ReFantazio also allows the player to explore a number of different dungeons and towns, with the gauntlet runner being described as a means of transportation between towns. In terms of dungeon crawling and combat, Metaphor: ReFantazio has the Archetype system, which seems to be a combination of RPG job classes and the Persona series' titular Personas. These differences between these two games should make for interesting comparison discussions when Metaphor: ReFantazio launches later this Fall.

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