It may have had some time to sink in at this point, but Metaphor: ReFantazio, the new JRPG from Catherine: Full Body developers Studio Zero, still has one of the most nonsensical names I've ever heard for a game. Even though there are plenty of cases where Japanese companies name a game or anime etc. after some bizarre combination of English words, this one truly takes the cake. It sounds like a forgotten 70s prog rock concept album, and not one of the good ones. Still, even if the name does hurt its marketability a little, it being published by Atlus has already got the attention of JRPG fans. But the game still has to distinguish itself from Persona, the series most people associate with Atlus (sorry, SMT fans), and here's one way it does so.

In the recent livestreamed showcase where Metaphor's release date was announced, the game's Bond mechanic was revealed. It's similar to the Social Link system in Persona, where the deeper connections you form with party members and NPCs, the more Archetypes (classes) you'll unlock. In the Q&A section at the end of the stream, one of the questions addressed was regarding whether or not there'll be the option to romance certain characters, like the Social Links in Persona. However, stream host & game journalist Mafia Kajita confirmed the Bond system isn't quite like the Social Links, and while you can form deep bonds with characters, they'll only be platonic at best.

Fans who were expecting the game to be fantasy Persona were disappointed, but others seemed to be happy there won't be romance options because the wider Shin Megami Tensei games outside Persona don't. Still, just because it doesn't have romance options doesn't mean it won't have plenty of waifus, including a redheaded elf called Hulkenberg that's already proven quite popular.

Metaphor: ReFantazio releases on October 11 for PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X|S and PC. What do you guys think of the lack of romance? Is it a dealbreaker for you, or are you indifferent? Let us know below!