PGDX 2024 featured a special presentation of Metaphor: ReFantazio by SEGA and Atlus which producer Naoto Hiraoka headed.
In case you’re unfamiliar, Hiraoka is a key figure in Atlus as he has helped work on games by the studio since the early 2000s. For instance, he is credited as the General Manager and Executive Producer in games like Persona 5 and Shin Megami Tensei IV. More recently, he also served as an Executive Producer in Soul Hackers 2, Persona 5 Tactica, and Persona 3 Reload.
As such, his presence at the Philippine GameDev Expo last weekend was a big deal. Hiraoka didn’t just make a quick message though as he had a proper presentation that showcased the upcoming RPG Metaphor: ReFantazio to fans in attendance.
In case you missed its reveal back in 2023 during the Xbox Games Showcase, Metaphor: ReFantazio is the next project from Studio Zero, the same team that developed Catherine: Full Body. Founded by Katsura Hashino (director of Persona 3, 4, and 5), Studio Zero also features many notable staff members who are Persona series veterans.
During the PGDX presentation, Hiraoka highlighted the notable names in the Metaphor: ReFantazio staff. These include Character Designer Shigenori Soejima and Composer Shoji Meguro. These two have also worked on the mainline Persona games starting from Persona 3.
That’s not all though as Metaphor also features Concept Art by Koda Kazuma, an artist best known for his work on Nier: Automata. The game’s staff also includes Ikuto Yamashita, a mecha designer for the iconic Neon Genesis Evangelion. For this game, Yamashita was tapped to design the “Gauntlet Runner,” a massive vehicle that serves as the party’s main base of operations.
Finally, Yuji Himukai of the Etrian Odyssey series is also part of the staff, and he collaborated with the team to design the various Archetypes in Metaphor: ReFantazio.
After highlighting the staff, Hiraoka then introduced a special video message from the game’s director Katsura Hashino who had some kind words for Filipino fans. In his message, Hashino thanked Pinoy fans for supporting Atlus games, and he said that he can’t wait for players to experience the studio’s upcoming JRPG.
To follow on this message, Hiraoka gave a rundown of what to expect in Metaphor: ReFantazio, including some details on the game’s medieval fantasy setting and story, along with some gameplay snippets. Also shown were the game’s main characters, along with places that players will get to see in the game.
Near the end of the presentation, Hiraoka also shared the increased focus on Southeast Asia via various promotions such as the recent Persona cafe collabs in the Philippines. For Metaphor: ReFantazio, Atlus is also continuing its promotion in SEA via the Road to Metaphor: ReFantazio” World Tour. This tour is bringing the game to players around the world in booths at major events. As such, it’s no surprise that Atlus participated in this year’s PGDX.
Metaphor: ReFantazio will be released on PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, and PC on October 11, 2024. Pre-orders for the game are also available now, with options ranging from the standard to the Collector’s Edition.