Persona veterans' new JRPG Metaphor: ReFantazio bumps a major series staple by excluding romance

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It's worth remembering this isn't made by P-Studio

Metaphor Re Fantazio
(Image credit: Atlus)

Metaphor: ReFantazio won't have any romance options whatsoever, in a stark contrast to past Persona games.

Yesterday, Atlus revealed Metaphor: ReFantazio would launch later this year on October 11, complete with a deep dive into the game's combat and world with director Katsura Hashino. Now, in a new Japanese Q&A segment, it's been revealed that the bonds the player can establish with certain characters won't lead to any romance scenes.

The news was revealed in the Q&A livestream just below, where host Mafia Kajita addressed the topic of romance around the one hour and 36-minute mark. The host revealed that Metaphor: ReFantazio doesn't feature any romance options with bond characters because the new RPG employs a very different bond level system compared to past Atlus games.

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This might be a surprise, given that Persona games from Atlus have always allowed the player to romance certain companions. It's worth pointing out, however, that Metaphor: ReFantazio isn't being developed by Persona developer P-Studio at Atlus, but rather Studio Zero, who previously worked on Catherine: Full Body under Atlus. It's easy to understand the confusion since Hashino has headed up the Persona series for well over a decade now.

Although it's not romance, you will be able to unlock new Archetypes by increasing your bond level with characters. Yesterday's Metaphor: ReFantazio presentation from Hashino revealed the Archetype system is what grants new combat classes to characters, and the player can equip a different Archetype class onto any active party member in battle.

You can also read up on our new games 2024 guide for a look at all the other titles launching throughout the rest of the year. 

Hirun Cryer
Hirun Cryer

Hirun Cryer is a freelance reporter and writer with Gamesradar+ based out of U.K. After earning a degree in American History specializing in journalism, cinema, literature, and history, he stepped into the games writing world, with a focus on shooters, indie games, and RPGs, and has since been the recipient of the MCV 30 Under 30 award for 2021. In his spare time he freelances with other outlets around the industry, practices Japanese, and enjoys contemporary manga and anime.