What is Villion: Code, the New School RPG Developed by Persona Veterans?

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Later this year, a new JRPG called Villion: Code will be released, developed by a team featuring veterans from Atlus, including Kouji Okada, a co-founder of the studio and co-creator of the Persona series. While the game clearly shows the influence of Persona and its creators, it aims to deliver a unique experience beyond Atlus’s established turn-based RPG formula.

Alongside Kouji Okada, Villion: Code is being created with the help of experienced talent: Tadashi Satomi, who wrote the story, and Tsukasa Masuka, who is composing the music. Both previously worked on the popular Persona and Shin Megami Tensei series. While developer Compile Heart hasn’t had a huge hit recently, these creators’ involvement is encouraging. The big question is whether Villion: Code will simply feel like a copy of Persona and Shin Megami Tensei, or if it will establish itself as a distinct and original game.

The game Villion: Code will first be available in Japan on June 25, 2026. There are currently no announcements about when it might be released in other countries.

Is Villion: Code a ‘Persona-Like’?

Villion: Code is set in the near future on Adhvan Resilience Research Academy City, a self-sufficient island town near Tokyo. Originally, the Adhvan Resilience Research Academy was created to save humanity from extinction. However, some of its members began dangerous experiments with gene editing, turning themselves into creatures known as GEMs. Now, the island is sealed off by a protective barrier, preventing anyone from entering or leaving.

Like many Japanese role-playing games, the future of Adhvan Resilience Research Academy City – and possibly the world – rests on the shoulders of a group of high school students. These students at Adhvan Academy, the main characters in Villion: Code’s, have undergone partial gene-editing, allowing them to turn parts of their bodies into incredibly powerful weapons. This makes them uniquely capable of both great destruction and heroic acts – or maybe a bit of both.

Villion: Code’s Main Cast

  • Protagonist: The player-character, 17 years old, is quite advanced, having skipped a year in school. He (gender and sex choice are not part of Villion: Code) is a member of the basketball team, is closest with Susilo, and is the older cousin of Rika Hayashi.
  • Rika Hayashi: A 13-year-old 1st year student, Rika is a member of the Occult Research Club and known for her erratic, easily excitable personality.
  • Susilo Sugiono: The oldest of the group, 19-year-old Susilo is an Indonesian student on the basketball team with Protagonist. His relationship with Protagonist is akin to that of an older and younger brother.
  • Anastasia Ivanovna Valerievtskaya: Witty and competent, this 18-year-old is a popular cosplayer and social media personality with a tough outer shell. Her superstitious nature is likely to inform her adventures in taking down the GEMs.
  • Chloe Berjhe: A passionate animal rights and ecology activist, Chloe has been suspended from school several times for refusing to partake in animal experimentation. The 14-year-old 3rd-year is a good student, but struggles with interpersonal relationships.
  • Oliver Heath: Oliver is just 15 years old, but he has the jaded cynicism of a much older man. A sharp-witted member of the Debate Club, he is academically and intellectually talented, but also widely disliked because of his harsh, nihilistic worldview.

Like other games in the Persona or Shin Megami Tensei series, Villion: Code features a diverse group of characters. It will be interesting to see how each one impacts the story. Most of the characters live in the same dorm, and since Rika is related to the main character, she’ll likely join this group as well. Players will probably get to know these characters very well throughout the game. However, it’s currently unknown if Villion: Code will include romantic relationships, a relationship-building system like in Persona, or other social features.

Real-Time, Not Turn-Based, Combat Is at the Center of Villion: Code

Although Villion: Code shares similarities with other Atlus games like Shin Megami Tensei and Persona – featuring a large cast, a science-fantasy setting, and a team of talented young characters – its gameplay is quite different. While those previous titles are traditional turn-based RPGs, Villion: Code is a fast-paced, real-time action RPG. The game’s dungeons are created randomly and have a unique tube-like design. They’re filled with GEMs that activate battle arenas when touched. Inside these arenas, players can switch between characters to use hacking skills, sword attacks, and special abilities to defeat enemies.

The combat in Villion: Code looks promising, and hopefully it will offer a fresh experience for action RPG fans. The trailer already shows some unique ideas, like the ability to quickly move around in the air, and I’m excited to see how the full game plays.

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2026-01-30 21:08