Side Quest #009

Welcome back to Side Quest #009. It's been two weeks since our last campfire (October 30, if you keep a quest log), and the world didn't wait for us. A big Atlus RPG just landed on a new console, two December launches are close enough to plan around, and this week's folklore comes with horns. Pull up a chair.

Continue? — what's worth your time right now

• Metaphor: ReFantazio (Switch 2) came out yesterday, November 12. Atlus's 2024 fantasy RPG now fits in your bag. One catch: physical copies are a game-key card rather than a full cartridge, so you still have to download the game.
• The Apothecary Diaries Season 3 has been streaming on Crunchyroll since October 2, with new episodes on Fridays. Maomao is still the sharpest person in any room and still has zero interest in being told so.
• Tougen Anki: Nikko Kegon Falls Arc also premiered October 2 and runs 24 episodes. It's on Crunchyroll, English dub included. It's built on a feud between the descendants of oni and the descendants of Momotaro, the peach boy who went demon-hunting. Hold that thought for the Deep Cut.

On Deck — what's coming

• December 4: Monster Hunter Wilds on Switch 2. Capcom's port has local wireless co-op for up to four hunters plus online cross-play, so your PC or PS5 squad can still drag you along.
• December 11: Path of Exile 2 hits 1.0. Grinding Gear Games takes it out of Early Access on PC, PS5 and Xbox Series X|S, and it stays free-to-play. The launch adds Acts 5 and 6, two new classes (the Duelist and the Shadow), a new endgame storyline and the Conquerors of Wraeclast challenge league.
• December 11: The Apothecary Diaries: The Late Lady's Treasure opens in Japanese theaters. Crunchyroll has the rights outside Asia, but there's no Western release date yet, so keep an eye out.

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From the Guild Hall

• Metaphor: ReFantazio Archetype Tier List: all 46 archetypes ranked for the Switch 2 launch, with unlock conditions and the best skill to inherit from each.
• Monster Hunter Wilds Best Beginner Builds for Switch 2: six complete loadouts, so you don't spend your first night on December 4 staring at the armor menu.
• Path of Exile 2 1.0 League Starter Builds: six safe picks and a day-one plan for Conquerors of Wraeclast, because nobody wants to reroll at 3 a.m.

One Deep Cut

Why do oni have ox horns and wear tiger-skin loincloths? The usual explanation is a pun on the compass. In the old Japanese system that paired directions with zodiac animals, northeast was ushitora: ushi (ox) plus tora (tiger). Northeast was also the kimon, the "demon gate", the unlucky direction that evil was said to travel through.

So when artists drew a demon coming from the demon direction, it got the horns of one animal and the hide of the other. That's the visual shorthand Tougen Anki inherits when it splits its cast into oni blood and Momotaro blood. The next time a horned brawler swings at you on screen, you're partly looking at a direction on a map.

Play / Watch This

Play Metaphor: ReFantazio on Switch 2. If you skipped it on other platforms in 2024, it's out right now and it's portable, so those long dungeon nights can happen on the couch, on a train or under a blanket. If you're starting fresh, our best party and builds guide covers the early, mid and late game, so you can skip the theorycrafting and get on with the adventure.

That's the run for this issue. Save often, hydrate between boss attempts, and keep the northeast corner of your desk tidy, just in case. See you in two weeks. If a friend forwarded this to you, grab your own copy.