News Articles
YesterdayFri, 28th Mar 2025
News RPG Fans 'Very Sensitive to Feeling Like They Wasted Time,' Says Atlus Battle Designer
Kids these days
Atlus' lead battle planner, Kenichi Goto, who was involved in crafting the meticulous, turn-based combat in immaculate titles like Person 4, Persona 5, and Metaphor: ReFantazio, is quite good at balancing disparate elements. Perhaps the greatest balancing act is ensuring that players are challenged without feeling like their time is...
Thursday6th Mar 2025
News SEGA Dethrones Capcom, Crowned Metacritic's Highest-Rated Publisher of 2024
Based SEG-od?
Despite perhaps not making as much money as it might have hoped, one-time console manufacturer SEGA has been officially crowned the highest-rated publisher of games of 2024 by review aggregator Metacritic. Following critically acclaimed releases like Metaphor: ReFantazio, Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance, and Like a Dragon: Infinite...
Tuesday21st Jan 2025
News The Official Metaphor: ReFantazio Manga Makes Some Interesting Story Changes
And you can read it now
An official manga adaptation of last year's RPG hit Metaphor: ReFantazio is out now, but the opening chapter actually deviates from the game's story, making for an interesting read even if you're familiar with the source material. The first 60 pages of the manga are available to read right now, for free and in English, on...
Tuesday14th Jan 2025
News Metaphor: ReFantazio PS5, PS4 Patch 1.11 Brings Neat Menu Updates
Speed up the process
Atlus has issued a rare Metaphor: ReFantazio patch for all consoles and PC that adds a few new menu options that make navigating them quicker and easier. Updating the PS5, PS4 editions to version 1.11, the update introduces the ability to change your battle formation and swap party members in and out from both the main menu and...
Wednesday8th Jan 2025
News Pre-Orders for Metaphor: ReFantazio's Hefty Hardcover Strategy Guide Now Open
Future Press tome releasing on 28th February
We awarded the excellent Metaphor: ReFantazio an enviable #2 ranking in Push Square's official Game of the Year top 10, and it really is very good. Fittingly, an accompanying Future Press hardback strategy guide has been in the works and is now available for pre-order. It's expected to sh
Wednesday20th Nov 2024
News SEGA Heaps Praise on Atlus Following Strong Metaphor: ReFantazio Sales
ReFantastico
Atlus has become an integral part of the SEGA machine since its acquisition all the way back in 2013. SEGA snapped the Persona developer up when its previous parent company faced bankruptcy, and in more recent years, the publisher has pumped serious resources into key projects — especially with regards to marketing. The bottom line...
Tuesday22nd Oct 2024
News Metaphor: ReFantazio, Persona Director Katsura Hashino Is Already Grinding Out a New JRPG
Master of time management
Katsura Hashino, who, after directing Catherine, Persona 3, Persona 4, Persona 5, and now Metaphor: ReFantazio, we consider to be one of the greats, is already back at work. Intriguingly, while details regarding Studio Zero's next game are exceedingly scant, we know it won't be another Persona; what direction Hashino...
Wednesday16th Oct 2024
News Metaphor: ReFantazio Rewards Gamers for Practising Cleanliness, Good Hygiene
Read into that what you will
In what we are sure is not meta-commentary on the state of gaming conventions, Atlus has reminded us all of the benefits of bathing regularly and practising good hygiene in Metaphor: ReFantazio. We wonder how many players will find themselves unconsciously washing more regularly, having been trained to do so in pursuit...
Friday11th Oct 2024
News Metaphor: ReFantazio Immediately Tops 1 Million Sales at Launch
ReFantastico
Out today on PS5 and PS4 (as well as PC and Xbox Series), Metaphor: ReFantazio has immediately surpassed 1 million sales, making it Atlus' fastest-selling game to date. An undeniably impressive feat for the fantasy RPG, which is launching into a busy October schedule. That 'fastest-selling' title needs a little context, though. We need...
News Serve Real Royalty in SEGA's Surreal Metaphor: ReFantazio Competition
Well, self-proclaimed royalty, anyway
Mirroring the fantastical plotline of Metaphor: ReFantazio, SEGA is giving one lucky fan the chance to win a real-world royal title and become the "Hand to the Sovereign Prince of Sealand." That's right—you can become the personal retainer of His Royal Majesty, Prince Liam Bates of The Principality of Sealand,...
Thursday10th Oct 2024
News Don't Sweat Metaphor: ReFantazio's Borrowed Persona Calender System
Studio Zero "didn't want players to feel limited by time"
Metaphor: ReFantazio is out imminently, available on PS5 and PS4 on 11th October. Persona fans will quickly recognise that the series' iconic calendar system has returned. Still, new players and Atlus veterans alike can rest easy, comforted by the knowledge that nothing in the game is...
Tuesday8th Oct 2024
News Making Metaphor: ReFantazio, Persona's Immaculate Menus Is 'Really Annoying', Says Director
"It takes a lot of time"
Astonishingly stylish, Atlus is currently the reigning champion in UI design, with its legendary Persona series scoring full marks in this regard. The imminent Metaphor: ReFantazio is no slouch in this department, either, and Studio Zero director Katsura Hashino was recently asked about its gorgeous menu design, and you can...
Friday4th Oct 2024
News Atlus Fans Don't Think Xbox's Marketing Is Doing Metaphor: ReFantazio Justice
"Tf is metaphor?"
We've been poking fun at Atlus ever since it started steadfastly refusing to admit (in marketing material, anyway) that its imminent RPG, Metaphor: ReFantazio, is actually coming to PS5 and PS4 on 11th October, forcing us to do it for them. Xbox quite obviously paid for this privilege, which is fair and fine; however, some Atlus...
Wednesday2nd Oct 2024
News First Review Scores for PS5's Metaphor: ReFantazio, Silent Hill 2 Are Glowing
Famitsu weighs in on upcoming PS5 games
Two of October's biggest game releases have just received their very first reviews, and they of course come courtesy of Japanese magazine, Famitsu. First up, Atlus' much-anticipated fantasy RPG, Metaphor: ReFantazio, earns itself a 37/40, with the panel of four awarding three 9s and a 10. Meanwhile, the...
Wednesday25th Sep 2024
News RPG Fans Rejoice! Metaphor: ReFantazio Demo Out Now on PS5, PS4
Fantazy for everyone
Update #3: The playable demo for Metaphor: ReFantazio is out everywhere now, letting everyone get a taste for the RPG's early hours. And, as previously reported, your progress will carry over to the full release. What's not to like? Update #2: The demo for Metaphor: ReFantazio is indeed happening; it's now available in Asia,...
Monday23rd Sep 2024
News Atlus Sponsors Conveniently Named F1 Racer for Metaphor: ReFantazio Ad
Blink and you'll miss it
Thinking outside the box, Atlus will sponsor the Haas racing team, with two of the cars competing at this week's F1 Singapore Grand Prix bearing the faces of characters from the impending Metaphor: ReFantazio, the next epic JRPG from the team behind Persona. Spotted by Eurogamer, while it might seem like a strange pairing,...
Monday2nd Sep 2024
News United Kingdom of Euchronia Calls as Metaphor: ReFantazio Draws Near
Fresh fantasy
Incredibly, Metaphor: ReFantazio, the next all-consuming RPG from the developers of Persona 3, Persona 4 and Persona 5, is out in just over a month, likely sinking all of our best-laid gaming plans. We got a look at the game's fantastical setting in the United Kingdom of Euchronia, which is full of scenic vistas and thrilling...
Sunday25th Aug 2024
News Lust Over 16 Minutes of Unedited Metaphor: ReFantazio Gameplay
Bellissimo
There are still many big games scheduled to release this Christmas, and Metaphor: ReFantazio from Atlus is one of them. While the SEGA subsidiary really doesn’t want you to know the game is coming to PS5, it is on 11th October. This gameplay demo appears to be based on the Xbox Series X|S release judging by the button prompts, but...
Saturday24th Aug 2024
News Atlus Really Doesn't Want You to Know Metaphor: ReFantazio Is Coming to PS5
Lost like tears in the rain
Metaphor: ReFantazio is of course coming to PS5, as Atlus would be absolutely insane to exclude the platform where the majority of its fanbase exists. The SEGA subsidiary would rather you didn’t know about it, however. Following the release of yet another trailer at Gamescom 2024 this week – seriously, perhaps it’s...
Friday23rd Aug 2024
News Atlus, It's Time to Stop Spoiling Metaphor: ReFantazio
Here's yet another trailer
Not content with its previous 500 trailers for Metaphor: ReFantazio, Atlus has dropped yet another look at the upcoming RPG in celebration of its presence at Gamescom 2024. We don't know about you, but we've seen more than enough of Metaphor. We were pretty much sold on the project as soon as it was revealed, given the...
Tuesday30th Jul 2024
News Atlus Treats Fans to Another Extensive Metaphor: ReFantazio Character Showcase
Currying favour
Atlus fans struggling with the wait until the release of Metaphor: ReFantazio can luxuriate in this latest look, which examines friends and foes alike in a character-centric trailer. The game's narrative follows an otherworldly election in a fantasy universe, and we get a glimpse at some of the other competing candidates. Launching...
Friday5th Jul 2024
News Metaphor: ReFantazio Gets a Fantastic Story Trailer
Game of thrones
Assuming you haven't already seen enough of Metaphor: ReFantazio, the RPG just got a fantastic story trailer, fresh from Anime Expo 2024. In it, we get a bit more background on some of the main characters — including the protagonist — and a glimpse of the world-shattering stakes that form the core of the game's narrative. "Fight...
Friday28th Jun 2024
News Players Won't See Every Dungeon in Metaphor: ReFantazio, JRPG Offers a 'Lot More Freedom'
Take your time
It sounds like the upcoming Metaphor: ReFantazio will be quite the departure from recent Atlus efforts like Persona 5 or SMT V: Vengeance, with game director Katsura Hashino suggesting there is a "lot more freedom" in his high fantasy undertaking. While the central story is set in stone, how players decide to spend their limited...
Tuesday25th Jun 2024
News Metaphor: ReFantazio Director Explains the RPG's Lack of Persona-Style Romance
Keep it professional
Given that Metaphor: ReFantazio has a lot in common with the Persona games — especially in terms of gameplay structure and mechanics — many had simply assumed that it would also feature a Persona-style romance system, letting you forge a more intimate relationship with a party member or supporting character of your choice...
Tuesday11th Jun 2024
News Yet Another Metaphor: ReFantazio Showcase Will Air Next Month, Focusing on Story
Lost the plot
It's only just got done with Metaphor: ReFantazio's second gameplay showcase, but Atlus has already announced a third deep dive that's scheduled for the 6th July. This upcoming broadcast will focus on the game's story, the finer details of which have remained a bit of a mystery up until this point. "This is a story of how people must...
Sunday9th Jun 2024
News Massively Hyped RPG Metaphor: ReFantazio Gets 11 Minutes of Live Gameplay
Out for a Strohl
The Summer Game Fest showcase itself may have been a disappointment, but the surrounded event — which lasts the whole weekend — does mean that we get to see fresh gameplay from a number of highly promising titles. One such game is Metaphor: ReFantazio, the superb-looking RPG from Atlus. Up until now, we've only seen edited...
Saturday8th Jun 2024
News Metaphor: ReFantazio Goes Crazy with New Combat Gameplay, Has Over 40 Character Jobs
That's class
Atlus' second Metaphor: ReFantazio showcase has just come to a close, and if you've been itching to see more of the game's intense combat system, you're in for a treat. The 20-minute video covers just about everything you need to know with regards to the RPG's hybrid battles, which combine an (optional) action-based opening phase with a...
Tuesday4th Jun 2024
News Stunning RPG Metaphor: ReFantazio Gets Another Full Showcase This Week
All aboard the Gauntlet Runner
We can't wait for Metaphor: ReFantazio, and our current excitement for the RPG largely stems from the game's first showcase, which aired back in April. With that in mind, another showcase sounds like a great idea, and that's exactly what we're getting. Set for the 7th June, this is another full presentation from...
Wednesday22nd May 2024
News Metaphor: ReFantazio Bringing New Details to Summer Game Fest
Hashino and Soejima on stage
The next big Atlus JRPG Metaphor: ReFantazio will be taking to the Summer Game Fest stage next month to share new details about the game. Director Katsura Hashino and artist Shigenori Soejima will be on stage to present the game to fans in attendance and watching via livestream, presumably revealing new footage. The show...
Tuesday7th May 2024
News Metaphor: ReFantazio Might Be a Much Harder RPG Than We Realise
No mention of difficulty settings yet
Metaphor: ReFantazio, the upcoming RPG from key Persona developers, is starting to sound like it could be quite hardcore. The game's latest information dump — with arrives via a lengthy press release stuffed with new screenshots — specifically mentions difficulty when outlining the title's turn-based combat...
