It feels like Atlus is at a bit of a crossroads.
The longstanding Japanese developer behind hit RPG franchises like Persona, has been relying on the same kind of formula for decades now. Even when it attempts something new — like 2024's excellent Metaphor: ReFantazio — it still falls back on the Persona-style design that rocketed the company to its current heights.
As it turns out, though, Persona and Metaphor director Katsura Hashino is well aware of the potential dangers that come with staying strictly in your lane.
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In an interview with Game Informer (subscription), Hashino stresses that Atlus' future is all about finding ways to "evolve our JRPG and what it looks like".
"More so than just latching onto a specific genre of game, we're going back to how we can evolve our JRPG and what it looks like. For us, it's coming to a turning point where we want to really take it to the next level in terms of how our JRPGs are," the veteran explains.
But that's not to say Atlus will suddenly pivot to something that's completely different for the sake of it. Hashino continues: "Of course, we want to retain our strengths, whether that be our narrative or elements that make us JRPGs."
So what kind of change is Hashino actually looking for? Well, as much as hardcore fans may not want to hear it, he does mention "accessibility" concerns, suggesting that more could be done to bring Atlus titles to a wider audience.
"With these changing times, we do feel the need to update our format and create games that would be more widely playable, not just within the JRPG realm, but something that would be easier, more accessible for a wider audience. We're hoping to update our format with that in mind," he admits.
As alluded, these are the kinds of comments that'll no doubt spark debate amongst the Atlus faithful, but we must admit, we're now really interested in seeing what the developer comes up with next.
You'd think that Persona 6 will be the first game to really try and tackle this new direction, but as we all know, that project could still be a long ways off from actually releasing.
What do you make of Hashino's observations? Do you think Atlus needs to change its trademark formula, or should it just keep doing what it does best? Try something new in the comments section below.