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

Metaphor: ReFantazio, an upcoming JRPG from Atlus, will not feature any romance options, unlike previous Persona games. Instead, players will be able to unlock new combat classes through the Archetype system by increasing bond levels with characters.

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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.

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. *