Summary
The director of Atlus' upcomingMetaphor: ReFantazioaction JRPG, Katsura Hashino, has spoken up about the decision to omit romance options in the game. The upcomingMetaphor: ReFantaziois going to launch this October, and it features mechanics similar to thePersonaseries. These include building social stats, summoning guardian spirits similar to Personas, called Archetypes, and even building bonds with the available party members, similar to thePersonaseries' social links system.
However,Metaphor: ReFantaziowill not feature any romantic relationship options, a detail that was confirmed in April. In the Persona games, players have the option to romance some characters, including party members and NPCs. UnlikePersona,Metaphor: ReFantazio’s social system is based on building and deepening their friendship with their followers, allowing them to unlock new archetypes. Director Katsura Hashino explains why the system is absent inMetaphor: ReFantazio.
In aninterview with GamesRadar, Hashino says that the team is well aware of how popularPersona’s romance optionswere. He notes that the reason why thePersonagames had potential romantic relationships was because of the setting, as the player character is usually a high-school student, and romance was “part of the realism of the setting.” In contrast,Metaphor: ReFantazio’s premise revolves around someone trying to become a ruler of a country. “We know people really like [Persona’s romance] system and it’s really popular, but for [Metaphor] specifically, it’s not about teenagers. It’s about a person trying to become the ruler of the land. They are more focused on the relationships between a ruler and the people who support them,” said Hashino.
Metaphor: ReFantazio Is Focused On Supporters, Not Romance Options
Hashino elaborated on this further, stating thatthe player character ofMetaphor: ReFantaziowill travel from place to place in order to meet new characters and gain their support, which in turn unlocks more Archetypes for them to use. As such, it’s more focused on those types of relationships rather than the “back-and-forth” of a romantic option.
We know people really like [Persona’s romance] system and it’s really popular, but for [Metaphor] specifically, it’s not about teenagers. It’s about a person trying to become the ruler of the land. They are more focused on the relationships between a ruler and the people who support them.
Hashino also explains that when the team is developing a game, they start by thinking of what goals they want to achieve and what sort of game it should be. In short, anything that works can stay, and anything that doesn’t should be discarded. As such, romance likely wasn’t considered a system that would work withinthe context ofMetaphor: ReFantazio’s setting.
While romance options aren’t included in the game, that doesn’t necessarily discard the possibility ofa story-based romance. In addition, while some fans may lament the lack ofPersona’s romance options inMetaphor, it appears that the developers took careful consideration into what was necessary for the game.
Metaphor: ReFantazio
WHERE TO PLAY
From the creative minds behind Persona 3, 4, and 5 comes Metaphor: ReFantazio, a unique fantasy world, where your protagonist will journey alongside his fairy companion, Gallica, to lift the curse from the kingdom’s lost prince.Control your destiny, face your fears, and awaken magical Archetype powers that lie dormant in your heart. By awakening to an Archetype, you will unlock the power to channel and combine the abilities of unique job classes. Strengthen your bonds and build your party to take down powerful foes and discover the kingdom’s true nature.
