During a recent showcase, Atlus announced an October release date for Metaphor: ReFantazio, which was followed by an extensive deep dive detailing various elements that players can look forward to in the upcoming fantasy RPG.
Combat was one of the areas that the deep dive focused on most. Though Metaphor: ReFantazio will feature turn-based battles similar to the likes of Persona and Shin Megami Tensei, as revealed previously, it will also allow players to quickly dispatch lower-level enemies on the field using real-time actions, including attacks, dodges, dashes, and more. If, however, you take on a higher-level foe, you’ll seamlessly transition into a turn-based battle, where, similar to other Atlus games, you can gain the advantage over an enemy if you take them by surprise as you enter the battle.
Metaphor is also putting quite a bit of emphasis on player freedom in progression in party composition, allowing you to select one of several Archetypes (which are essentially jobs or classes) for each party member that you recruit along the way. Depending on their Archetypes, characters can also undergo transformations that will allow them to take on the appearance of “various heroic figures” and then use their abilities in combat.
Tying into the Archetypes system is Metaphor’s Followers system, which will be familiar to fans of Persona’s Confidants and Social Links. As you recruit new allies throughout your journey, you’ll be able to deepen your bond with them, learning more about their way of life (with each character belonging to a different race). Forging bonds with characters will also give you access to new Archetypes, and come with additional bonuses outside of combat.
Atlus also says Metaphor: ReFantazio features more dungeons than any game it has previously developed. These will be split across two categories- main dungeons that you’ll explore as part of the story, and side dungeons that will serve as optional challenges with varying rewards.
During the deep dive, Atlus also provided extensive details on the game’s overarching structure, its field exploration sections, the many cities you’ll visit, and more. Read more on that through here.
Metaphor: ReFantazio launches on October 11 for PS5, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, and PC.
