Its home studio is taking its time to address the topic, but there’s a distinct chance that Project Re Fantasy will release in 2022. At the end of last year, JRPG giant Atlus discussed plans to release a “pillar game” in 2022, and since Project Re Fantasy has been in the works for five years now, some believe that it’ll be the foretold game. Atlus’ Studio Zero division hasn’t revealed much about the game, aside from some concept trailers featuring a contemplative narrator and real people in costumes, but with major talent from the Persona franchise working on Project Re Fantasy, it seems likely that the fantasy RPG will take notes from Atlus’ star franchises.
Studio Zero hasn’t even made the protagonist of Project Re Fantasy clear as of now, but it’s possible that the game will imitate Persona and Shin Megami Tensei’s style of protagonist design. Both of these franchises tend to prefer silent, non-custom protagonists who stand out from their team by wielding an extraordinary amount of power. Project Re Fantasy could find a new angle on those core concepts, thanks to its medieval fantasy setting, but it should also feel free to break from those traditions by creating a different style of protagonist.
Following Persona and Shin Megami Tensei’s Lead
As a general rule, Atlus prefers protagonists who are mostly silent. Some characters in Persona and Shin Megami Tensei have concrete character moments shown more by their actions by their words, like Joker’s display of confidence in Persona 5’s opening, but they trend towards being blank slates that the player can imprint on. Project Re Fantasy could definitely benefit from borrowing Persona and SMT’s silent protagonists. Studio Zero might have an easier time introducing its setting through a generic character with limited knowledge than through a voiced character with a detailed personality and established opinions on the world around them. That strategy has delivered Atlus’ other lore well.
Persona and Shin Megami Tensei also often have protagonists who are much stronger than their allies in one way or another. In many Persona games, the protagonist has the unique power to hold multiple Personas and fuse new ones in the Velvet Room, which makes them much more versatile than their fellow Persona users. Meanwhile, Shin Megami Tensei often sees players conscript demons into their service and wield unique skills unavailable to allied demons, both of which make the protagonist look superior. Because Atlus is so comfortable creating these super-powered protagonists, Project Re Fantasy could show off its setting through a similarly mighty protagonist, letting players engage with its world by mastering any and all of its martial and magical abilities.
Project Re Fantasy Could Differ
Project Re Fantasy stands to benefit greatly from imitating Persona and Shin Megami Tensei, but sticking to Atlus tradition may not be wise in the long run. In order to thrive, Project Re Fantasy needs to find ways to be unique. If its main character feels like a medieval Persona character, then Project Re Fantasy risks resembling yet another SMT spinoff overall, rather than a new idea. A talkative protagonist with a real backstory would set a unique tone for Project Re Fantasy’s story, and designing a more humble protagonist in terms of combat power opens up opportunities for a combat system heavily reliant on teamwork, since players don’t feel a constant need to protect an objectively more valuable character in their party.
Ultimately, it seems like Project Re Fantasy’s protagonist ought to differ from Persona and Shin Megami Tensei’s protagonists in at least one of these two major departments. Project Re Fantasy will only feel truly distinct if it tries new things, rather than giving way to Atlus’ love of tradition. The concept sounds like a step in a new direction, but whether the game will actually differ significantly from Persona and SMT remains to be seen. If Project Re Fantasy really is Atlus’ big 2022 game, then hopefully the company will unveil it properly soon.
Project Re Fantasy is in development.
