How Metaphor: ReFantazio’s Completion Time Compares to Persona Games

How Metaphor: ReFantazio's Completion Time Compares to Persona Games

As a seasoned gamer with over two decades of experience under my belt, I can confidently say that the upcoming release of Metaphor: ReFantazio from Atlus has me both excited and intrigued. Having sunk countless hours into the Persona series, I’ve grown accustomed to their lengthy playtimes, which have become something of a trademark for the franchise.


Metaphor: ReFantazio represents a fresh, upcoming RPG from the creative minds at Atlus, who have previously developed hit series like Persona and Shin Megami Tensei. The anticipated link to this esteemed franchise certainly stirs up anticipation, but what makes it even more intriguing is that it’s an entirely new intellectual property. Metaphor: ReFantazio holds the promise of forging a new path, though there are still certain aspects that invite comparison.

Although ReFantazio bears some resemblance to its earlier versions in terms of shared characteristics, it also significantly deviates from the standard Persona formula. Given that Persona games are notorious for their lengthy completion times, there’s curiosity about how these similarities and differences might impact Metaphor’s own playtime duration. Fortunately, Atlus has provided an answer to this intriguing question by revealing details about its runtime.

Metaphor: ReFantazio Runtime Compares and Contrasts with the Persona Series

Metaphor: ReFantazio Is Deceptively Different from Persona

At first glance, Metaphor: ReFantazio appears quite similar to other games in the genre. It’s easy to see it as a genre-swapped version of Persona, given their shared sense of style and combat system. However, upon closer inspection, several key differences reveal that this game prioritizes very different aspects. These alterations run much deeper than superficial changes, leading some to speculate that the playtime for Metaphor might be shorter compared to Persona.

In the fantasy genre, one of the initial distinctions that stands out is that it leads viewers to scrutinize other features. For instance, the game “ReFantazio” has fewer romance elements or storylines compared to “Persona.” This design choice aligns with the game’s overall mood, and contrasts sharply with “Persona,” where romantic aspects are crucial. Given that romance can extend playtime by several hours in a typical “Persona” game, “Metaphor” would need to put in extra effort to compensate for this difference.

Persona Leaves Big Shoes for Metaphor: ReFantazio to Fill

It’s become quite a talking point that almost every game in the Persona series is lengthy, with its duration seemingly increasing over time as the developers grow more ambitious. For instance, completing the original version of Persona 3 typically requires around 80 to 90 hours, and The Answer epilogue adds another 30 hours onto that. In comparison, finishing Persona 5 Royal can take anywhere from 100 to 140 hours.

This establishes a distinct precedent for fans, a traditional pattern that it’s probable Persona 6 will adhere to. However, fans should bear in mind that Metaphor is not a spin-off, but rather an entirely separate entity. Despite its noticeable differences, the question of whether Metaphor: ReFantazio can meet the standards set by other Atlus games remains unavoidable. Similarly, the omission of some core features in Metaphor has made this discussion particularly important.

Metaphor: ReFantazio Sports a Similar Playtime to Persona 5

It might appear that Metaphor: ReFantazio will be a shorter game, but Atlus has revealed that it will actually have a similar length to recent Persona games. Katsura Hashino, the main developer for Metaphor: ReFantazio, has confirmed that it will match up with Persona 5 in terms of ambition and playtime, although an exact number hasn’t been provided yet. To get a better idea, fans can look at the length of Persona 5 to understand Hashino’s comparison.

ReFantazio” will be around the same length. Despite some elements being excluded, these changes haven’t diminished the gameplay duration, as “Metaphor” has plenty of new features to compensate. Notably, as stated by Hashino, “Metaphor: ReFantazio” will offer an extensive post-game experience, which is quite different from the conclusive endings that most “Persona” games provide.

Despite straying from typical Atlus franchise norms, Metaphor retains crucial elements. Longtime Persona series enthusiasts can rest assured that they won’t be receiving a brief experience with this fantasy RPG; it seems to compensate for any apparent omissions quite generously.

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2024-09-26 14:04