Publisher FuRyu has just dropped a trailer for their new game Valret, and it has my JRPG-loving heart incredibly excited. The upcoming school-life RPG looks like a mix of Persona and the publisher’s previous games Monark and The Caligula Effect. If you’re a fan of Atlus, you won’t want to miss out on this one!
A New School-Life RPG Has Dropped
The Valret announcement trailer made its debut on April 23 on the official FuRyu YouTube channel. The two-minute trailer shows off the JRPG’s story, setting, and gameplay. In Valret, you play as a protagonist who has just transferred to Kousei Academy. The story centers around you stumbling upon a “glitch,” which leads to the discovery of “another world.” This alternate plane is filled with monsters trying to replace humans in your school.
And yeah, I know what you’re thinking. Isn’t it kind of cheap to compare a school-sim RPG to Persona—especially when there are so many of these games? Totally fair. However, where I get similar vibes is in the way the “other world” is directly influenced by the feelings of the characters. These worlds are also created by the “hopes and dreams” of the main cast. Starting to feel those Persona similiarties?
In the trailer, they even show your group entering a dungeon-like area that’s manifested from one character’s desire to be liked. So yeah, this game actually looks awesome. I also won’t lie—I got chills from the trailer’s tagline: “This isn’t a story about finding someone else—it’s about finding yourself.” The trailer’s description also hints at deeper story themes, as the plot explores students “coping with the difficulties of growing up.”
‘Valret’ Is A mix of JRPGs
While not as high-budget as Atlus games, I think the art style of Valret is incredibly charming. It reminds me of a mix of games like Danganronpa, The Caligula Effect, and Monark—which makes sense, given that FuRyu published the latter two. Valret is being developed by Team Noir and AQURIA—who actually made The Caligula Effect back in 2016.
Interestingly, I also found the combat sections to look similar to Tokyo Mirage Sessions ♯FE, which is one of my favorite games. So yeah, the new FuRyu game looks totally up my alley and seems perfect for anyone who loves Persona-type games. Valret is set to release on PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch, Steam, and Epic Games starting August 28, 2025.
The post If You Love ‘Persona’, FuRyu Is Releasing A New RPG Called ‘Valret’ – The Trailer Is Incredible appeared first on VICE.
