All the News from Anime Expo 2024

Not Just Another Persona Game: Metaphor: ReFantazio

ANN's coverage of Anime Expo 2024 sponsored by Yen Press and Ize Press!

Famed Persona duo Katsura Hashino and Shigenori Soejima brought the band back together for their newest endeavor: Studio Zero's Metaphor: ReFantazio. The game is set to release on October 11th, 2024 and an excited panel room was eager to hear what it has in store. Although die-hard Persona fans are plenty excited, not everyone is convinced to pick up the high fantasy RPG. The sleek designs caught the eye of gamers and non-gamers, but some have been quick to dismiss it as merely another Persona-like game.

Of course, both guests were in attendance to dissuade skeptics and show that their title is more than skin deep. At the same time, the panelists didn't hesitate to lean on the long list of games they've worked on together, including Persona 3, 4, and 5. To show how serious they are about committing to the fantasy genre, the panel played a cutscene of Louis stabbing the bedridden king of Euchronia with a tone akin to Game of Thrones. In addition, Soejima shared that Koda Kazuma of NieR:Automata drew the concept art for the series, which is reflective of medieval paintings. The grand scale of the world of Metaphor is much larger and grander than the usual cityscapes found in the Persona series.

Director Hashino then introduced the monsters that threaten the safety of the Metaphor world: humans. Although some other monsters and beasts are more standard fare, humans are the most atrocious of them all. The sheer size and muscular look of the monster featured in the battle visual looked similar to those in Attack on Titan, except paler. “These are based on the paintings of the medieval painter Hieronymus Bosch, who was credited as one of the earliest painters to depict humans as monsters”, Soejima shared.

A game from the designer of Persona 5 wouldn't be complete without a handsomely designed antagonist. The man who killed the king, Louis, is popular and charismatic, a man who rose within the military elite at a young age. He's also a traitor, and plots to kill the prince who is the rightful heir to the kingdom. Louis is the protagonist's rival, but despite being an enemy he's very handsome, to which someone screamed in delight. "We hope people will see him as a second protagonist for players, so we hope you like him,” the creators remarked. It turns out the protagonist isn't the only one who wants to take down Louis; the leader of the national religion also opposes him.

Director Hashino pushed forward more details on the lore of the game to drive home how serious they are about the fantasy storyline. The head or face of the “supposedly” dead king floats in the air and proclaims that the throne will be passed to the next person who is the most suitable to rule the kingdom. Coupled with the protagonist who is on a mission to save the cursed prince, the plot has the makings of a grand tale. For some comic relief during all the serious discussion, Soejima provided a visual familiar to fans of the Persona series. “The expressions in this panel are comical, and fans of Persona would be able to enjoy the twists and turns that our protagonists go on.”

Moving into the characters, the panelists shared sketches of their designs while explaining the story further. “When I designed the protagonist, I focused on an androgynous appearance along with a quiet, unassuming look. But he has a powerful drive and energy that's not visible from his appearance,” said Soejima. He provided a couple of other character designs, some with a heavy set and build befitting of this setting. Grius, an older looking man who is both a martial artist and has magic, breaks the mold of the young-looking characters found in Soejima's other work. “I'm happy to portray an old dude like this.”

The final section of the panel showed off the archetypes in the game, which look similar to the demons in Shin Megami Tensei series. However, their function is much more involved, as the job system impacts their evolution and gains powers to fight. Also, the archetypes themselves have different classes such as Seeker, Knight, and Warrior. There are more than forty archetypes, and the system was crafted by Yuji Himukai, who worked on Etrian Odyssey.

Finally, gauntlet runners—giant robot-like mobile bases—are an additional game mechanic as they also can be improved and changed. The protagonists and Louis both have one, although Louis' is the only one that flies. Ikuto Yamashita, Neon Genesis Evangelion's mechanical designer, merges mechanical and organic structures to form these giant moving vehicles.

Closing off the panel, Director Hashino took a step back to remind the audience that this game would not be possible without the hard work of the staff. The high fantasy game has been in development for nearly a decade and it promises to break the mold of ATLUS' other franchises. After delivering their final message through an unreleased story-driven trailer, both panelists hope players will understand their vision in Metaphor: ReFantazio.