The Essential Persona Games You Should Check Out to Prepare for Metaphor: ReFantazio

Just a few days away from the official launch of Studio Zero’s first game, formed by one of the directors of Atlus’ Persona series, Katsura Hashino returns to direct, but this time in a completely new franchise.

This project is called Metaphor: ReFantazio. Despite some similar combat mechanics and other features, this new title is entirely original and distinct, moving away from everything Persona has presented so far.

Even so, this legendary director created some of the most successful JRPGs in video game history. Before trying Metaphor: ReFantazio, here are the essential Persona games to play.

Revelations: Persona

Initially conceived as a spin-off from the Shin Megami Tensei series, this JRPG initiated its ascent into the genre’s Hall of Fame by defying all previous conventions.

Shin Megami Tensei was a huge success in Japan, and that’s why Revelations: Persona arrived in 1994 to present a different angle on what it meant to enter adulthood. Atlus realized that fans responded positively to seeing younger protagonists in these kinds of games.

Persona 2: Innocent Sin

This continuation of the series greatly improved in terms of graphics and gameplay. For many of the franchise’s diehard fans, this game was one of the most relevant before Persona 3.

This comparison holds weight, considering that the vast majority of the fandom sees Persona 3 as one of the strongest entries in the franchise.

Unfortunately, Innocent Sin didn’t receive the attention it deserved due to poor localization for Western audiences and other internal issues at the studio.

Persona 2: Eternal Punishment

This game is a direct sequel to Innocent Sin, despite sharing the same number. The studio did an excellent job of developing each character individually to generate more empathy with the audience.

It’s important to remember that despite the game’s release prior to Persona 3, it lacked the necessary localization efforts to achieve international popularity.

Even so, the most hardcore fans of the series consider it one of the strongest entries in the IP overall.

Persona 3: FES

This game is somewhat of a direct response to Persona 3, as well as a sort of downloadable content or extension to the game’s original story.

Even though the story in Persona 3 was already quite solid and the characters received even more attention, many fans enjoyed this title because it provided a satisfying conclusion.

The combat mechanics were also particularly interesting. Starting with these games, Atlus began to expand their experimentation and add various subplots to enhance the individual stories.

Persona 5

This particular title is likely the most popular of the entire series, due to the peak in sales it achieved. People regard it as one of the strongest in every aspect.

Critics, who almost unanimously gave Persona 5 a perfect score, considered it the pinnacle of the genre and the franchise itself.

Moreover, it managed to attract a more mainstream audience, expanding the fanbase beyond the niche community. To top it off, the game boasts one of the best soundtracks in this long-running franchise.

Persona 4

This installment modernized the gameplay, setting, and everything related to respecting Japanese culture without having to adapt it for a Western audience.

In terms of gameplay, Persona 4 is one of the best-executed, in addition to having a unique and beautiful visual style that fans consider one of the best in the entire Persona series.

Another achievement of Persona 4 was improving the relationship system between characters and creating a unique atmosphere perfect for the gaming experience.

Persona 3: Portable

Though this game divided some fans, it introduced many original mechanics, such as the ability to choose between two protagonists.

All the characters react differently depending on the chosen protagonist, making this one of the most captivating games in the entire franchise.

Persona 3: Portable also introduced Kotone Shiomi, one of the most compelling protagonists in recent Persona games.

Persona 4: Golden

While many fans don’t consider this game as solid compared to other remakes of the base titles, everything in Persona 4: Golden truly enhances the experience in every possible way, offering a spectacular gameplay experience.

The addition of several social links was a wonderful touch by the studio, expanding the range of characters the protagonist can interact with. However, aside from a few tweaks, there weren’t major improvements compared to the base game.

Persona 5: Royal

Even though fans didn’t believe there could be a game stronger than Persona 5, Atlus proved them wrong. Almost unanimously, the gaming community considers Persona 5: Royal to be the most polished of all.

It improves upon all aspects of the base game, adding adjustments to make it an even more solid experience than the original title.

Furthermore, the studio chose to add a couple of new characters, which greatly enhances the overall experience and relationships between characters.

What is your favorite Persona game? Let us know in the comments!