When it comes to the best games studios based in Japan, competition is extremely high. From Software struck gold when it createdthe mainstreamDark Soulsformulathat the games industry can’t seem to get enough of, while Nintendo has an extremely tight grip on the market with both its hardware and massive library of classic hits. When it comes to JRPGs, however, two studios shine extremely bright: Square Enix andAtlus.
While Square Enix as a corporation is an absolute giant thanks to its work as both a major publisher and studio,Atlushas begun making a name for itself over the past several years, proving that it isn’t to be overlooked when it releases games. Looking ahead to what’s coming in 2022, it seems like this might be Atlus' year to shine brighter than it ever has before.
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The Future of Atlus in 2022
In March, Atlus is keeping thePersonatrain rolling withthe rerelease ofPersona 4 Arena Ultimax, a remastered fighting game follow-up to the events of bothPersona 3andPersona 4that fans have been asking for since the previous console generation started. While some might view it as a simple spin-off fighter, demand for more content surroundingPersona 4has been high since 2020’s widely successful PC port ofPersona 4 Golden. On top of that, rumor has it that Atlus will be announcing and releasing a remaster ofPersona 3later this year which would help continue the franchise’s rise in popularity that started withPersona 5’slaunch in 2017.
Atlus does far more than develop thePersonaseries, however, as it proved with2021’s release ofShin Megami Tensei 5, a mainline title in the franchise thatPersonaoriginally spun off from. Fans can likely expect to see some sort of additional DLC content for the game coming sometime later this year in the form of new story quests, DLC demons, and plenty of extra challenge quests. While there isn’t anything officially announced forSMT 5yet, it takes one look at the post-launch support thatShin Megami Tensei 4received to piece together that Atlus is interested in supporting the franchise.
In addition to everything listed so far,Atlus stated recently that it’s hoping to release a title that will be a “pillar"for the company. Fans have taken this in many different ways, with some thinking that this means thatPersona 6is on the near horizon. That doesn’t seem very likely given the fact that there’s been no official announcement for the game yet, but there’s plenty of other franchises that Atlus could be working on that could be viewed as a pillar.
Series such asTrauma Center,Tokyo Mirage Sessions, orCatherinecould be receiving sequels, but the most likely title that Atlus was referring to isProject Re Fantasy, a game that’s been in development since 2016 and could be the newest pillar IP for the company. There’s not a whole lot known about the game, but given its lengthy development cycle, it could be ready for release sometime soon. No matter what’s in store, the year ahead is looking extremely solid, which means that fans ofAtluswill have plenty to be excited for in the coming months.
