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From Persona 5 to Project Re Fantasy - What do you want to see?

Ydelnae

Member
I expect action based gameplay (they have been trying to implement it in the Persona series for a while) with tactical gambits to control the rest of your party. The cast will consist of characters from multiple races and the story will follow a journey across a fantasy world. I don't expect calendars from the Persona series to return, but I think the game structure will still be based on: get to a new country > you have x time to solve this problem until we have to move on to the next country since we are on a rush to save the world > move on to the next country > repeat.

I'm not sure if I expect the IP to be another branch from Shin Megami Tensei, since I think their interviews point towards a completely new IP while at the same time I don't think they will throw away all the Persona 5 demon models.

I love the art for this game

K3RR01L.jpg

This art screams Persona 5 hideout to me, with all the characters discussing where should they go next and reviewing their quests.
 
Is this confirmed to not be part of SMT? Cause if that's the case then they should just scratch everything they have from those games (demons, gameplay mechanics, social stuff, etc) and do something completely new.
 
Is this confirmed to not be part of SMT? Cause if that's the case then they should just scratch everything they have from those games (demons, gameplay mechanics, social stuff, etc) and do something completely new.

Its been confirmed - it's a brand new IP, and brand new IP are Studio Zero's raison d'etre.

I wouldn't be surprised if they don't have a Social Link system (part for part) and instead have a different system to explore "Bonds."
 

PsionBolt

Member
With all the talk of tabletop RPGs, it'd be neat to see some clear influence taken from traditional TRPG mechanics.

For example, holding levels in multiple classes at once -- not switching between, but just having them together always, like it's no big deal. That's something that I associate with Japanese TRPGs super-strongly, but it's also something that very rarely makes it into video game JRPGs, for whatever reason.
It's an easy-to-understand form of customization that can be layered on top of the Dragon Quest-style "you learn Heal at level 2" type of progression smoothly and easily... But it somehow still ends up being less common than buying skills or allocating stat points.
 

duckroll

Member
I feel that when Japanese videogame designs talk about TRPG, they're usually referring to the scenario design more than the class mechanics or whatever. In particular, the concept of encounters and quests being designed scenarios with either multiple solutions, or a specific solution that involves understanding the gimmicks in the environment or dungeon. Basically the "feel" of there being a GM behind the game.
 

PsionBolt

Member
I feel that when Japanese videogame designs talk about TRPG, they're usually referring to the scenario design more than the class mechanics or whatever. In particular, the concept of encounters and quests being designed scenarios with either multiple solutions, or a specific solution that involves understanding the gimmicks in the environment or dungeon. Basically the "feel" of there being a GM behind the game.

You're probably right. I am interested in seeing more of that kind of thing, too -- but hey, let me dream. Class levels were only an example, anyway.
 
Really hyped for this.

Things I'd like to see with this one.

- Less cliched JRPG

- Mature M rated approach to a Fantasy RPG

- Loveable characters, and strong cast camaraderie

- A fantastic story that's consistent.

- Shoji Meguro

I love the art for this game

K3RR01L.jpg

every art piece they've shown so far screams to me party members. Usually for a party member you need to design them to look the part, and while I'd love the barbarian dude to be it I can't ever see a situation where a JRPG would make that their lead vs the bro party member everybody ends up loving at the end.

Also game has doggo party member, already a 10/10 compared to shitty cat in P5.
 
Its been confirmed - it's a brand new IP, and brand new IP are Studio Zero's raison d'etre.

I wouldn't be surprised if they don't have a Social Link system (part for part) and instead have a different system to explore "Bonds."
Okay, that's good. Then they should go crazy. New enemy designs, new gameplay mechanics, new systems, different approaches to story etc etc.

In regards to social systems, if they are gonna add them then they need to work very differently from the way they work in Persona series. Like, incorporate them within the main story or make them important enough as to actually affect the characters and their actions or things like that.
 

javadoze

Member
What I'd want to see going off of P5 would be a mature fantasy setting with the distinct sense of style that P5 had (well, not the exact same, but something that sets it apart from other fantasy settings). I just hope they don't fall into the same boring character archetypes and tropes typical of the genre.

I have to say though, Persona 6 will be weird without Hashino and Meguro if they're indeed moving on from P-Studio.
 

Ydelnae

Member
every art piece they've shown so far screams to me party members. Usually for a party member you need to design them to look the part, and while I'd love the barbarian dude to be it I can't ever see a situation where a JRPG would make that their lead vs the bro party member everybody ends up loving at the end.

Also game has doggo party member, already a 10/10 compared to shitty cat in P5.

I think the concept art for the blond boy (the Fool) kind of gives away that he will be the main protagonist, or at least, the focus. He appears in the studio's logo and in this artwork you can see the "A Fool's journey begins" phrase, with the Fool being the Zero Arcana and all that. He kind of symbolizes the starting point for the new IP.


Maybe the Fool ends up being the dog and that's what they meant by an unique protagonist in a fantasy setting. Imagine a game in which you start up being a dog and have to pick up your party to save the world lol
 
I have to say though, Persona 6 will be weird without Hashino and Meguro if they're indeed moving on from P-Studio.

I feel like it will be a while before P6 - it'll likely come after Re Fantasy.

Also, both are still working with P-Studio, it's just that Hashino is taking a break from Persona and heading up Studio Zero and Re Fantasy for now.

I think the concept art for the blond boy (the Fool) kind of gives away that he will be the main protagonist, or at least, the focus.

I can't help but feel as if they've made their design especially androgynous. It'd be nice to be able to play as either a male or female character.
 
I don't wanna be a fucking little kid again god dammit I am a big boy

I wear my big boy pants

Let me do my fucking fantasy taxes.

Oh also, a mature protag who has an actual character and speaks. No more of those in-name-only MCs that we get in Persona titles.

Hopefully that's what they mean when they say:

Rather than a main character that is in a stage before adulthood, Hashino aims to create the image of a "different kind of protagonist (player)."
 
I just read all of the stuff in the OP (which is very informative by the way, great job) and honestly I lost a lot of my interest/excitement due to the comparisons made to Persona. Especially this makes me think that it'll most likely be "Persona in a fantasy setting"

Bonds in the game will be "comparable to the bonds represented in the Persona series" but because the game is Fantasy, there will be elements that change. (Though "the style itself will not change at all")
 
I just read all of the stuff in the OP (which is very informative by the way, great job) and honestly I lost a lot of my interest/excitement due to the comparisons made to Persona. Especially this makes me think that it'll most likely be "Persona in a fantasy setting"

Even having typed out that part, I'm not sure what to make of it.

It could mean anything depending on what they mean by "Comparable", "Elements", and "Style", and to what extent each is used/changed.

It means it will be similar, but different - anything past that would be guessing, IMO.
 

Opa-Pa

Member
I just read all of the stuff in the OP (which is very informative by the way, great job) and honestly I lost a lot of my interest/excitement due to the comparisons made to Persona. Especially this makes me think that it'll most likely be "Persona in a fantasy setting"

Yeah this is the worst part.

I don't think it'll be a carbon copy, but at least largely inspired, and the last thing I'm looking for in a new RPG IP is more teenagers, half assed romance and anime titties.
 
You're wrong. Have you checked the current staff of Studio Zero? It's not just Hashino, Soejima and Meguro: almost every single person working on Re Fantasy right now worked on Persona 3/4/5 and came from P Studio.

Scenario and planning?


Programmers?


Designers? The project manager? The same. This was Hashino taking members of his P Studio posse to form a new studio in Studio Zero, not just maintaining the holy trinity.

Why call it a different studio then? If most of the people working on the Persona games moved over to make this game then it may as well be a P-Studio production. I don't see why they would go out of their way to name it studio Zero unless they're hiring more people to replenish P-studio or something. It seems to me that Atlus is trying to make it very clear that P-studio is still going to be focusing on Persona and SMT games while this new one will make Re:Fantasy.
 
Yeah, judging by the stuff that are in the OP, even if it's not an exact copy of Persona, it'll be heavily inspired by that series, and that's not what I was hoping for. Especially since it's a new IP and not part of the current SMT franchise.
 
Why call it a different studio then? If most of the people working on the Persona games moved over to make this game then it may as well be a P-Studio production. I don't see why they would go out of their way to name it studio Zero unless they're hiring more people to replenish P-studio or something. It seems to me that Atlus is trying to make it very clear that P-studio is still going to be focusing on Persona and SMT games while this new one will make Re:Fantasy.

They pulled a bunch of talent from P-Studio, but not its entire 70+ person team. It's a new studio with those individuals from P-Studio at the helm, and they're hiring to fill out what they couldn't transfer in from elsewhere.

At ATLUS, there's now Studio Zero, 1st Production (Shin Megami Tensei/Eterian Odyssey Devs), and 2nd Production. (P-Studio/Persona)
 

duckroll

Member
You will get a thousand year old sacred dragon reborn as a mute 15 year old kid and you will like it.

40 year old guy who just lost his job and regrets all his life choices, sucked into fantasy world and gets to relive his adolescence as an 18 year old girl.
 
I want warriors/party members whose ability to fight is A. rooted in the story (like, they're able to fight monsters or whatever because they've actually trained as fighters, not because they awakened a pop-psycho-babble power within themselves), and B. meaningfully represented in however the battle system works (action or turn based). In Persona the battles don't feel like real martial affairs. They just feel like simple puzzles with snazzy loosely linked graphics shoe-horned over them. Like if you have a swordswoman, her ability to defeat enemies will be completely rooted in her ability to use a sword, however that's represented.

Also, I want character interactions to be meaningfully integrated into the overall plot, such that the people we meet and deal with are related to what's going on in the core story, and not just random characters shoe-horned in to fill out the arcana.

And lest that sound too critical of Persona, I like Persona. But I'm curious what the team could do with a more coherent and narratively driven experience.
 

FluxWaveZ

Member
Why call it a different studio then? If most of the people working on the Persona games moved over to make this game then it may as well be a P-Studio production. I don't see why they would go out of their way to name it studio Zero unless they're hiring more people to replenish P-studio or something. It seems to me that Atlus is trying to make it very clear that P-studio is still going to be focusing on Persona and SMT games while this new one will make Re:Fantasy.

Actually, they are hiring more people for all three production studios at Atlus. They're doing a big recruitment drive right now. Hiraoka straight up said that, while they know that Persona 6 needs to surpass Persona 5, 2nd Production doesn't qutie have the staff to pull that off right now. So they need more people.

Atlus is in a significant stage of growth right now: http://personacentral.com/atlus-dis...ustry-persona-6-needing-to-surpass-persona-5/
 

Nudull

Banned
I was a little disappointed with how same-y Persona 5's plot was, so I can only hope that this will be different enough to truly be fresh and new.

Also, customizable protag.
 

Opa-Pa

Member
Actually, they are hiring more people for all three production studios at Atlus. They're doing a big recruitment drive right now. Hiraoka straight up said that, while they know that Persona 6 needs to surpass Persona 5, 2nd Production doesn't qutie have the staff to pull that off right now. So they need more people.

Atlus is in a significant stage of growth right now: http://personacentral.com/atlus-dis...ustry-persona-6-needing-to-surpass-persona-5/

I hadn't heard of this at all, that's pretty exciting news! It means we can definitely expect new things from all their teams.
 
This is a new IP from the creative team behind how Persona looks, feels, plays, and sounds. What I want to see is whatever they think of. I don't have any ideas that I trust would be better than what they can come up with.

Super excited to see them take on a fantasy setting though. Reading Soejima's comments about "a foreign country" and Hashino's comments about going on a journey makes me really interested. Lord of the Rings is the only fantasy media that has ever invoked that feeling for me of going on an actual journey with characters. That they're watching those movies, listening to Zelda soundtracks, and studying tabletop RPGs, it all just inspires confidence in this concept, the project, and the studio.

I'm all in.

Edit: Thank you for that fantastic OP, btw. Excellent round-up of all known information.
 

Lunar15

Member
I have zero expectations, no pun intended. I'm not particularly thrilled that it's fantasy, but it's a new element for this team to work with, so that's cool.

I think if there's one thing I have to ask Hashino to keep in mind is that, with any kind of LGBT representation: either do it well or don't have these characters at all. (I'd greatly prefer the former, though). It's a huge weakness to Hashino's games and I don't even think it's born of a place of spite or contempt - just sheer ignorance.
 
Actually, they are hiring more people for all three production studios at Atlus. They're doing a big recruitment drive right now. Hiraoka straight up said that, while they know that Persona 6 needs to surpass Persona 5, 2nd Production doesn't qutie have the staff to pull that off right now. So they need more people.

Atlus is in a significant stage of growth right now: http://personacentral.com/atlus-dis...ustry-persona-6-needing-to-surpass-persona-5/
It shouldn't be that difficult to do that. Persona games reuse tons of base mechanics from their earlier entries. All Persona 6 needs to do is to have an active story and remotely likeable characters to surpass Persona 5.
 

Guess Who

Banned
It shouldn't be that difficult to do that. Persona games reuse tons of base mechanics from their earlier entries. All Persona 6 needs to do is to have an active story and remotely likeable characters to surpass Persona 5.

Putting aside disagreements over P5, have you played the P3/P4 spinoffs? Because that's what happens when the B-team makes Persona games.
 

OmegaDL50

Member
There are very few High Fantasy setting turn based rpgs from a Japanese developer this day and age. Especially so on console. A majority of the Fantasy setting titles as of late such as Skyrim, The Witcher, and even stuff like Divinity were all from Western devs.

With the exception of the Tales series which isn't turn based. The last console released TRPG game in a Fantasy setting from a Japanese dev I recall being Trails of Cold Steel II.

I am not sure if I can count World of Final Fantasy due it being a mash-up of various FF worlds.

Still the last time Atlus has did a fantasy setting game was the Etrian Odyssey titles on the DS / 3DS, but even still they weren't from the SMT / Persona team. So with that said, Project Re Fantasy should be somewhat different in terms of gameplay mechanics and art direction.
 

FluxWaveZ

Member
It shouldn't be that difficult to do that. Persona games reuse tons of base mechanics from their earlier entries. All Persona 6 needs to do is to have an active story and remotely likeable characters to surpass Persona 5.

We're talking about a 90-100 hour JRPG with meticulously crated presentation, anime scenes, tons of dialogue, many areas, dungeons, character models, etc.

Many of the creative leads from Persona 5 have gone to Studio Zero to work on Re Fantasy. Under these conditions, how in the world would developing a Persona 6 be easy? Would you expect them to reuse the same locations in Persona 6 that were in Persona 5? The same characters? Game development is a huge ordeal, especially when it comes to an RPG the size of Persona 5, with the relatively small size of Atlus' team. Hiraoka says this, and he would know more than anyone.

Even when it's not just about brunt asset work, people keep downplaying the creative minds behind the games. Like it's that easy to make good music, write a good story or create likeable characters. Inspiration and a cohesive direction is as much a part of why the audience for these games have grown. It can't be rushed, and it's not easy.
 
Putting aside disagreements over P5, have you played the P3/P4 spinoffs? Because that's what happens when the B-team makes Persona games.

Only played Persona 4 Arena and hated it. Though, I don't think it's fair to say the B-team can't handle Persona series, solely because they messed up the spin-offs.
 

Lunar15

Member
Putting aside disagreements over P5, have you played the P3/P4 spinoffs? Because that's what happens when the B-team makes Persona games.

Well, that's what happens when the B-Team makes Persona spinoff games using existing characters that have already closed up their personal character arcs.

I don't think that fully excuses the writing in places, but maybe if they get to start with their own fresh set of faces they can pull out something better.

Not holding my breath, though.
 
What are you guys talking about, they did perfectly good original character arcs in the spinoffs and--

Sorry, I couldn't finish typing that, that was too painful to write even sarcastically. I am genuinely concerned for the future of the series seeing as they've seemed to have kneecapped the studio just as the series was really picking up steam.
 

Guess Who

Banned
Well, that's what happens when the B-Team makes Persona spinoff games using existing characters that have already closed up their personal character arcs.

I don't think that fully excuses the writing in places, but maybe if they get to start with their own fresh set of faces they can pull out something better.

Not holding my breath, though.

I was going to just reply to this with a picture of Sho Minazuki but Green Mamba beat me to it.
 
We're talking about a 90-100 hour JRPG with meticulously crated presentation, anime scenes, tons of dialogue, many areas, dungeons, character models, etc.

Many of the creative leads from Persona 5 have gone to Studio Zero to work on Re Fantasy. Under these conditions, how in the world would developing a Persona 6 be easy? Would you expect them to reuse the same locations in Persona 6 that were in Persona 5? The same characters? Game development is a huge ordeal, especially when it comes to an RPG the size of Persona 5, with the relatively small size of Atlus' team. Hiraoka says this, and he would know more than anyone.
I expect them to reuse the same visual style/graphical engine. A ton of the same assets (like the entire category of Demons/Personas, or environmental objects and such). All of the base mechanics and the way they work. A lot of character models (especially when it comes to students and other unimportant NPCs). Magics, spells, animations, etc.

Obviously it won't be as easy as flipping a switch or anything like that, and they need to make some new assets and come up with new characters and story ideas. They need some really talented people, no doubt about that. But the way Persona series reuses its stuff through out different entries, will really helps them when they finally decide to make Persona 6. Especially if the bar is Persona 5.
 

bunkitz

Member
Nijima Makoto. Social Links.

Wait, no, sorry. Still not done with P5 so I'm still all juiced up on Persona hype. Obviously can't have social links and daily life shit cause that would take away from Persona's uniqueness. Plus, it would be pretty weird in a fantasy setting.

Not really sure what I'd want to see aside from what's already there, though. It's fantasy, there are dragons, elves, knights. Magic's got to be a given, so I won't bother with that. Soejima and Meguro are on it, so it's gonna be wonderful. I suppose I'd like a small open world, or something like Persona 5 where it's not an open world at all but you've got lots of freedom to explore the place.

Oh, I don't know much about ATLUS' other JRPG's, but I'm hoping for a voiced protagonist. I'd be okay with a "silent" one like P5's too, but the former is preferable.
 

Lunar15

Member
What are you guys talking about, they did perfectly good original character arcs in the spinoffs and--

Sorry, I couldn't finish typing that, that was too painful to write even sarcastically. I am genuinely concerned for the future of the series seeing as they've seemed to have kneecapped the studio just as the series was really picking up steam.

I was going to just reply to this with a picture of Sho Minazuki but Green Mamba beat me to it.

I retract my previous statement

You guys sure
sho'd
me.
 

Blueblur1

Member
I'm excited for whatever they put out. Re Fantasy will likely surprise us and maybe new blood (with some guidance from veterans - if any - that stay at P-Studio) will probably result in an interesting Persona 6. Its a great time to be an Atlus fan, IMO.
 

Sophia

Member
Putting aside disagreements over P5, have you played the P3/P4 spinoffs? Because that's what happens when the B-team makes Persona games.

In the interest of fairness, working with existing material can be difficult like that.

Especially something like Persona 4
where the story is relatively self-contained, and not conductive to adding story after story onto it.

I'd like to see the B-Team do an original Persona spinoff before moving to Persona 6 myself >.<
 

StereoVsn

Member
I would love to see it come out in my lifetime, past that I don't really have many want's because I don't know what to expect. Atlus has made amazing work, I really hope they bring that talent to good use.

Yeap, I am on the same page here. Atlus has a really good track record except for timely releases, especially on the US side. Most of the group working on this new IP is coming from the same Persona group which took forever to get P5 released. I really hope we won't see the same here as at that point it will come out for PS4 after PS5 release. I guess that's on-par for Atlus but one can still hope for better.
 

StereoVsn

Member
40 year old guy who just lost his job and regrets all his life choices, sucked into fantasy world and gets to relive his adolescence as an 18 year old girl.

I am sure there is some light novel they can license for this plot line. I can only imagine how terrible this would be. On the other hand, reactions to this one in the West will be hilarious.
 
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