Metaphor: ReFantaziowas just given a T for Teen age rating from the ESRB and fans are a little disappointed that it might be tamer than the studio’s other games.
WithPersona 3 Reload having released just last monthandMetaphor: ReFantazio expected to arrive this year as well, it looks like 2024 is going to be one of the strongest yearsAtlushas had in a while. So far, everything we’ve seen of Metaphor: ReFantazio has been received well by fans… until now.
As reported by Twitter user and reliable Persona insider MbKKssTBhz5, Metaphor: ReFantazio was recently given an age rating by both the ESRB and PEGI. Although you might think it’d obviously get an M for Mature rating like Persona and Shin Megami Tensei before it, it’s actually been given a T for Teen rating (or PEGI 16 in Europe and the UK).
This rating can be seen on the game’s official website, and is because of “Violence, Blood, Mild Suggestive Themes, Language, and Use of Alcohol”. With most of these themes being present inShin Megami TenseiandPersonaas well, it’s not clear why it’s not also been given an M for Mature rating, but it could be because it’s more fantastical in nature than Persona and perhaps a little less violent and bloody than Shin Megami Tensei.
Even though we may not know why the game has been given a softer rating than Persona and Shin Megami Tensei, fans don’t seem all too happy about the news.The quote-tweets on MbKKssTBhz5’s reportshow a lot of surprised reactions from gamers who thought that it’d be rated the same as those series, with some lamenting the fact that it likely means less, ahem, strangely-shaped creatures.
Although this might seem disappointing for Atlus fans hoping for a more mature adventure, it’s worth noting that an age rating isn’t the be-all and end-all. There are loads of T for Teen games out there that tell thought-provoking and mature stories, after all.
Other fans expected there to be more blood and violence than we’ve seen in recent Atlus games, sparking a fear that the T for Teen rating might result in a more “tame” game. While there does seem to be a lot of worries about Metaphor: ReFantazio’s content, there are also some more level-headed Atlus fans who have pointed out that some other games from the studio have gotten a similar rating and still had plenty of dark themes.
