Not quite, but there's some chemistry.
Metaphor: ReFantazio has been taking the world by storm in its first week. This was always to be expected from a game that reinvents the Persona series in a high fantasy setting, but the reception from fans and critics has been wild.
Fans of Persona, however, might be wondering if one of its most prominent gameplay mechanics is carried over to Metaphor.
Can our protagonist romance NPCs?
Metaphor is a spiritual successor to Persona, after all, with summons, the Press Turn battle system, an emphasis on socialising, and a very similar artistic style overall.
So does Metaphor: ReFantazio have romance options? Let's take a look at the Bonds system.
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While Persona's Social Link system is present (albeit under a different name), its purpose is very different in Metaphor: ReFantazio. In keeping with the game's themes, your bonds are all about political alliances.
So unfortunately, no, Metaphor: ReFantazio does not have romance options per se.
But let's take a closer look at the Bonds system, and see what the game's relationships are really about.
Persona's Social Link system has been reinvented in Metaphor: ReFantazio as the Bonds system.
It plays out in a very similar fashion; the player chooses to spend time with a certain character, and the bond of their relationship levels up if they choose the right dialogue options.
Each relationship is linked to a certain summon (Architype this time, not a Persona), and new abilities are unlocked as you move up the eight Bond levels.
No romance will ever come from the Bonds system, though. As we said above, Metaphor: ReFantazio is all about forming political allegiances. Your aim is to impress people with your ideology, not your flirting skills.
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Ben Huxley is a freelance contributor to Radio Times, with bylines also in TechRadar, WhatCulture, GAMINGbible, and Live Science. A writer of fiction, too, he has a few short stories published and a novel on the way. He has a BA in English Literature, and an MA in creative writing.
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