Romance has long been a crucial element in Persona’s social systems, with developer Atlus letting you ride off into the sunset with the best girl (or girls) of your choice. However, despite Metaphor ReFantazio launching with a bond-based system, it won’t let you romance your followers when it drops on PS5 and Xbox.
In the Japanese version of the recent Atlus Exclusive livestream for the upcoming RPG game, a special Q&A was held at the end. When quizzed on the possibility of romance, host Mafia Kajita says (translated to English from Japanese) that we’re looking at a completely different type of social system to those present in some of the developer’s best games like Persona 3 Reload and Persona 5 Royal. In the new Bond system, you can deepen the relationships between the protagonist and the game’s characters, but wining and dining them is very much off the cards – it’s certainly more Shin Megami Tensei in that regard.
Expanding on the new system, Kajita notes that unique classes known as ‘Archetypes’ can be unlocked as you build on your relationships with your Metaphor ReFantazio comrades – don’t neglect the homies. You can check out the Q&A section, which was initially highlighted by Siliconera here, below, though note that it’s in Japanese.
So, Metaphor RizzFantazio certainly seems to be off the table, but Kajita only specifies that romance doesn’t apply to Bond system characters. The protagonist could very well have a lover lined up for them within the narrative, which would make sense within the context of Metaphor ReFantazio’s high fantasy story – every Aragorn needs an Arwen (or a Legolas depending on what sort of AO3 rabbit hole you’ve fallen down).
Even if Metaphor ReFantazio is completely devoid of romance – pour one out for the ‘down bad for Hulkenberg’ gang – it remains one of my most eagerly anticipated new Xbox games and new PS5 games of the year. I spent most of my release date confirmation report gassing up everything from the outrageously stunning UI to the hybrid combat system Atlus has cooked up for this one, and I’m adamant we won’t be left disappointed when the Metaphor ReFantazio release date rolls around this October.
For more recent news from the best PS5 games and best Xbox games in Atlus’ repertoire, check out the Persona 6 leak that confirms a certain paint bucket teaser. Additionally, peep the rumored Fortnite Persona collab that could arrive in the battle royale game soon. While you’re still here, don’t forget to drop us a follow on Google News so you never miss a beat again.