Metaphor: ReFantazioreviewsare out, which means thatAtlusis now, once again, front and center of the gaming world. The game will be launching this week, and like many of my colleagues, I’m bothexcited and kind of afraidto jump into the 80 hour RPG when it drops. But I’ve been playing Atlus’ other critically lauded game in recent weeks, and for the first time, I’m finally starting to understand it.
As someone in this line of work, I can’t often justify playing games from the 2010s to myself when I could be playing recent releases and writing about them, but Metaphor’s impending launch made me feel like it was time to finally try to understand the series that made it what it is. I have friends who are big fans ofPersona, and have been trying to convince me to play it since I was in high school, but I never actually sat down to give it a shot untilPersona 5 Royalwas put on Xbox Game Pass.
I only lasted a few hours before moving on to something else. It felt like a lot of work, and something wasn’t quite clicking for me. Since the combat starts out so simple, fighting enemies felt grindy and pointless, and the characters and settings I could interact with felt distant from me, too unfamiliar to grab my attention.
That changed when I went toTokyo Game Showthis year. At a mixer after the first day of the show, a new friend pitched Persona 5 to me convincingly enough that I promised I’d start playing it – I’d already bought Persona 5 Royal during a recentSteamsale and downloaded it to mySteam Deck, anyway, so I might as well. When I got home, I booted it up. I’ve played almost nothing else since.
It’s hard to put my finger on exactly what clicked for me this time round, but I think it was because when I first tried the game, I’d never been to Tokyo. Maybe it really is as simple as that. I’ve been to Tokyo thrice in the last year, and it feels more familiar now – I know how to navigate its intricate subways, what its streets and neighbourhoods look like, and more broadly, what its vibe is like. Persona 5 no longer feels far-flung and overwhelming in its depiction of Tokyo, because I recognise the places we go as I’ve been there myself. It’s not an abstract city, but a concrete one, matching up to my memories.
I think it might also be because I’ve gotten more into turn-based games in the last year.Baldur’s Gate 3was an induction into turn-based combat that opened my eyes to the potential of the genre, but I’ve also fallen in love withLike a Dragon: Infinite Wealth’s take on the style and the excellentTactical Breach Wizards. I was a little resistant to Persona 5’s combat, but I’ve come around to it, and giving it enough time to develop into the system it becomes has done wonders for my interest in it. Just like Tokyo, turn-based combat now feels familiar.
I’ve fallen deeply in love with Persona 5 Royal, and it’s only served to make me even more receptive to Metaphor: ReFantazio. Unfortunately, this new love for Atlus’ iconic format means I’ll likely drop this wonderful game to start the studio’s new fantasy adventure, and I don’t know when I’ll get to return to Persona 5 Royal. Whatever happens, I’ve seen the light, and there’s no going back.
Persona 5 Royal
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Persona 5 Royal adds even more to Atlus' hit RPG, including an extra semester, a new Palace to take on, and two new confidants. Two new endings add to the Phantom Thieves' story, and you’ll be able to hang out in the Thieves' Den.
