Metaphor: ReFantazio

johnny_ultimate

This has been a big enough launch that it probably deserves its own thread. Great to see it proving such a success (multiplatform releases work, ey?)/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GVQcqJTJ_eY

I'm around 10 hours in between the demo and the main game and I have to say I'm absolutely loving it. As much as I admired much of Persona 5 - especially its impeccable presentation and style - I was also disappointed it didn't quite push the formula from previous entries as much as I'd have liked. Still a fine game, but Persona 4 remained my favourite.

This is, honestly, Persona: Fantasy Edition - so much of the basics are still there, some even pared back a bit. But the new setting and tweaks to the formula - a big overhaul of the preemptive strike mechanics, a brilliant 'job' system etc… - IMO have made this more a welcome evolution. It also, so far, seems less structually rigid than a Persona game - while there's still a day / night cycle, there's more variety in the flow of the game, and an added 'road trip' element that really keeps things moving in different directions. There's more willingness to break from the day-to-day flow to go on different sorts of adventures, rather than just occassional excursions to the beach.

The story is really well done and engaging so far, and the art design sizzles and pops with some typically cool flourishes (not every day you fight a boss inspired directly by a Hieronymus Bosch masterwork). The characterisation is fairly bland (for the first two party members anyway), but the sheer variety of individuals and creatures encountered is impressive.

Anyway, it's a massive game, and in some ways I'm still in the prologue phase, so some of the above may well become more formulaic as the game progresses. But so far it's proving a welcome change of pace for the Persona team (and maybe the shake up within Atlus will make for a welcome departure for that series too): taking what worked, and recontextualising it in fun and engaging ways. It has well and truly got its hooks into me.

blackwave

Ditto, being playing it since the demo dropped and have been loving it. It's well polished feels like a progression in terms of systems from Persona 5, insta killing mobs on the field screen instead of going to the battle screen. The job system works well and I don't feel as tight for time like on Persona.

johnny_ultimate

Around 25 hours in now (start of August, waiting for the ‘soirée’) and my impression of it has only improved over time. I’m loving the overwhelming versatility of the Archetype / job system - once you think you’ve got a grasp on it, there’s almost inevitably another avenue that opens up for exploring :) The game really starts demanding you have multiple specialities so it absolutely prods you into engaging with the system fully too.

As I said above, the game does keep you on your toes a lot more than Persona did by mixing up the formula more regularly. The main story dungeon for the current month (which I finished on the first in-game day lol) is a lot different than the previous ones. There’s still a clear formula there - there’s one basic dungeon style they reuse for several major side quests too, so it’s hardly free of repetition - but there’s more space for mixing things up, so the day to day flow feels that bit more dynamic.

johnny_ultimate

Another 10-15 hours in and we're really cooking with gas now. Lots of variety in the classes, and the combat / tactics have really opened up in very fun ways. Level design continues to be really surprising and varied - the big dungeon I've just completed has strong Etrian Odyssey vibes.

More than anything I love how it feels like an old-fashioned adventure. Just moving from one big hub to another, in an increasingly versatile vehicle. It has that magic of a classic Final Fantasy, IMO much more so than FF's own attempts to recapture that atmosphere.

noodler

Im considering this.

I completed P4 and P5 and TOCS1/2 in recent years but otherwise haven't played much JRPGs other than the odd FF and Dragon Age.

The overarching plot sounds a little more.up my alley than the high school setting of Persona

johnny_ultimate

Finally got around to finishing this. 65-70 hours all-in, so definitely as time consuming as a Persona game.

Overall, very positive about it. It really is a lot more old school than its slick modern presentation would suggest. It feels like a classic Final Fantasy or Dragon Quest adventure in terms of going from town to town for their own little subplots, albeit with a big overarching plot (basically a f*cked up election campaign). Thematically it’s very earnest, and the characters maybe a little bland with a few exceptions (Heismay is my boy, especially with the Japanese voice performance). It doesn’t even come close to satisfyingly exploring all the themes it sets up, and in some cases starts contradicting itself. But fun overall.

The social link system is more shallow than Persona, but the rewards for pursuing them are generally very useful and the archetype system is fantastic fun to play with. My one complaint is that the game does ultimately railroad you into an ‘optimal’ path for each character to unlock their ultimate form - would prefer if you had more ability to tailor all of them to whatever form you liked, as promised early on. But even within that there’s a lot of versatility with a huge amount of skills to get to grips with. Was finding powerful new abilities and strategies right up until the final boss.

Combat is great for the most part. Really fun turn based SMT fighting with some cool modern twists, particularly the turn system. Some epic fights, and MP management is really the meta game here. Some fights in the late game do tend to turn into battles of attrition, and there’s a tedious tendency to just let some enemies spam extra turns to add difficulty which can be frustrating. But when you find ways to overcome it - Heismay’s final archetype is gloriously broken :) - it’s really satisfying.

One major pacing issue is that the late game is really bloody long. There’s a few false endings around 30-40 hours in, but then the real final stretch probably took a full third of my playtime. It’s fun having a bunch of free time and managing time to get as much done as possible (got all my social links maxed out but only 2/4 of the endgame extra bosses). But pacing wise it’s a bit odd to have such an extended climax. Again, some great fights and fiendish dungeons, but yeah maybe could’ve been tightened up - and it has a Return of the King number of endings before it finally wraps up…

Spoiler Warning

…perhaps aptly given where the story ends up.

Anyway, really good game overall if maybe a touch overlong. Not without its issues, big and small. Not quite up to Persona 4 as far as this team’s games go for me, but that’s a very high bar to clear. But I had a very good time, with lots of great JRPG systems, and would happily come back for a second if they ever make it.