Since its inception, Atlus has given gamers some of the best JRPGs in the entire medium. Earlier this month, Atlus’ original title Metaphor: ReFantazio revitalized the fantasy genre and received widespread acclaim. Only a few weeks later, the game’s director, the Persona veteran Katsura Hashino, confirmed he had already begun working on his next game. Hashino and Atlus have a massive list of classic titles that have stolen the hearts of gamers and influenced the medium, so this should be big news. Here is a breakdown of the Persona director’s next endeavor.
Persona Director on Next Quest
According to GamesRadar, the director of the recent hit Metaphor: ReFantazio has already begun planning his next JRPG. In an interview alongside Silent Hill creator Keiichiro Toyama, the acclaimed Persona director Katsura Hashino confirmed he had already begun working on his next game. Since this title has only begun the planning phase, fans could wait a long time. However, many fans will likely be disappointed to know the game won’t be the long-awaited Persona 6. Given the warm reception to Metaphor, those same fans will probably be excited to have an original story from the team, nonetheless. During the interview, Hashino said he wanted to make a game that was best for Atlus and their fans.
Katsura Hashino stands as Atlus’s best-known creator. His first game directed was the first 3D Shin Megami Tensei game, Nocturne, and he helped make the modern Persona series what it is today. He is responsible for some of Atlus’ best work alongside demon designer Kazuma Kaneko and composer Shoji Meguro.
Metaphor: ReFantazio’s Success
For those unaware, Metaphor: ReFantazio was the latest smash hit from Atlus and its subdivision, Studio Zero. The game occurs in a fantasy world inhabited by dozens of different races. After the king is assassinated, the hero must depart on an airship journey to unite the kingdoms and stop a bloody succession crisis.
Taking the building blocks of Persona, the game operates on a schedule with deadlines where players explore massive dungeons and bond with followers in between. The gameplay combines real-time combat in the overworld and the press-turn system from the Shin Megami Tensei series. Furthermore, the game uses “Archetypes,” archetypal fantasy characters, as its substitute for Personas. Lastly, the game had the same creative user interface that made Persona 5 so iconic. Nearly every frame, portrait, and asset looked like a classic watercolor painting. As a result of its stellar creation, the game swiftly became a bestseller.
Atlus’ Repetoir
Before Metaphor, Atlus established itself as one of the best JRPG developers from the entire genre. Their biggest claim to fame, Shin Megami Tensei, combines real-world religious ideas with philosophical stories. The series spawned dozens of games and various spinoffs across its thirty-year run.
While Shin Megami Tensei remains a more cult series in the West, its spinoff, Persona, saw global popularity. The series followed a group of teenagers using their “Personas” (fighting spirits based on Carl Jung’s psychology) to enter the mental world. Many gamers praised the games for their 3-dimensional casts and bombastic style. Furthermore, Persona 5 launched an entire franchise. While details on the upcoming project are sparse, Atlus has demonstrated its ability to create titles beyond SMT. For example, they worked on 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim and the successful dungeon crawler Etrian Oddysey. With all the resources at their disposal, this next project will be another hit.
The Next Journey
To conclude this news, Metaphor: ReFantazio’s surprise success inspired Atlus, Hashino, and their brilliant team to branch out to other original stories. While the Shin Megami Tensei series is a timeless franchise, these studios should always try to make original stories to keep the market fresh.
This latest hit demonstrated how the components of one series can be repurposed into a new story that captures the magic of its forbears while revitalizing a genre. Creators like Katsura Hashino should be examples for aspiring developers wishing to branch out.
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