5 major improvements to expect from Metaphor: ReFantazio over Persona 5

Metaphor: ReFantazio is the next major release from the popular JRPG developer, Atlus. Releasing on October 11, 2024, the title attempts to blend the compelling elements of the Shin Megami Tensei and Persona series to offer a deeper narrative and gameplay experience. Although the title shares gameplay and storytelling style with the Persona series, Metaphor: ReFantazio is a completely original work from Atlus.

The game improves upon Persona 5 to present players with a familiar yet innovative and enhanced experience within the JRPG genre. This article will dive into some of the improvements over Persona 5 that players can expect from Metaphor: ReFantazio.

Note: Some aspects of the article are subjective and reflect the writer's opinion. The entries are arranged in no particular order.

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5 changes and improvements to expect from Metaphor: ReFantazio

1) Combat changes

Metaphor will feature a combat system that is different to that of Persona 5 (Image via Sega)

Persona is renowned for its deep turn-based combat system, but Metaphor: ReFantazio introduces a hybrid system that mixes turn-based combat with real-time action. The new combat system is divided between a Square Mode and a Fast Mode.

Square Mode gives players access to the traditional turn-based controls for challenging encounters while Fast Mode can be used to beat low-level enemies for faster progression.

Moreover, there’s also a new “Half-Turn” system for successive attacks that brings even more flexibility to the traditional turn-based combat system of the Persona series.

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2) Improvements to exploration

Metaphor brings a much larger fantasy world than Persona 5 (Image via Sega)

Metaphor: ReFantazio’s fantasy world offers a larger area for exploration compared to Persona 5’s cityscape. In Persona 5, the exploration is limited to the areas in the city where the story takes place. However, in Metaphor, players can explore different fantasy landscapes in their journey land.

The Calendar system from Persona 5 makes a return, where players can perform different tasks based on day, time, and weather conditions. Since certain activities can only be performed on specific days, it makes the characters feel more realistic and connected.

Also check: How to pre-order Metaphor ReFantazio: All edition bonuses and prices explored

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3) Changes to the main protagonist

Metaphor's protagonist is an improvement over Persona's (Image via Sega)

Most JRPGs have a tradition of having a silent protagonist. While this approach lets players put themselves in the shoes of the main character, it can make the protagonist feel quite soul-less and disconnected.

Metaphor: ReFatazio breaks free of the silent protagonist tradition and presents a main character who feels like a living entity in the world. It’s a welcome change, as it gives the protagonist of ReFantazio a voice that showcases more personality.

Also check: All voice actors from Metaphor ReFantazio revealed

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4) Deeper narrative

The fantasy settings provide an opportunity to explore new themes (Image via Sega)

The Persona series touches on themes like political power, social injustice, and cruel rulership but doesn’t dive deeper into them. However, given the fantasy medieval setting and the vocal protagonist of ReFantazio, Atlus attempts to highlight such themes to present a deep narrative with well-written characters that explore different complexities of social and political conflicts.

Hence, decision-making plays a bigger role in the narrative of ReFantazio, as the path players choose during the story campaign can have much larger repercussions.

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5) An improved social system

Learn about characters with an improved social system (Image via Sega)

The Persona series is quite popular for its Social Links system that allows players to romance and bond with different characters. This system brings character story arcs that will only progress once players interact and form a bond with said characters. This allows the game to explore character development outside of the main story.

Atlus has implemented a similar social system in Metaphor: ReFantazio. However, it works differently from its Persona counterpart. While players will not be able to romance with characters in Metaphor, they can still deepen their bond with the cast to unlock new abilities and powers.