After nearly eight years, ATLUS’ Project Re:Fantasy has finally arrived as Metaphor: ReFantazio, a new turn-based fantasy RPG from Studio Zero. This RPG was spearheaded by Persona series director Katsura Hashino, and it certainly had very high expectations to meet after all these years in development. Usually, expectations like these are near-impossible to meet—even more so after the release of the widely successful and critically acclaimed Persona 5. Despite this, ATLUS and Studio Zero have shocked fans, including myself, and delivered what could be regarded as one of the greatest RPGs ever developed in Metaphor: ReFantazio.
Metaphor: ReFantazio starts out like no other game I can recollect, with the murder of a nation’s king at the hands of a sinister and heartless villain, Louis Guiabern. While it sets the tone for what I believe is one of the RPG genre’s greatest villains, the game makes sure the player, the guiding hand of this great adventure, is just as important. The narrator of Metaphor: ReFantazio begs the question, “Is fantasy limited to the confines of imagination? Would you call it a powerless creation?” This question sets the theme of Metaphor: ReFantazio and it follows up with a profound answer: one of the most memorable adventures I’ve ever experienced in gaming.
A tournament for the king’s throne takes center stage as the protagonist, Louis, and others vie for power, glory, and hope to shape the country by their will. Metaphor: ReFantazio is a journey unlike many others in the RPG space, despite borrowing concepts and aspects from both Persona and Shin Megami Tensei. This is ATLUS’ 35th-anniversary title, and it truly stands on business.
The Beginning Hours of Metaphor: ReFantazio
Metaphor: ReFantazio’s incredible adventure begins with a young boy on a carriage heading to Grand Trad, the capital of the United Kingdom of Euchronia, in the year 785. The protagonist belongs the Elda tribe, a seemingly unremarkable race that doesn’t have distinct features compared to the other tribes: Roussainte, Clemar, Ishkia, Eugief, Mustari, Rhoag, Nidia, and Paripus. He also carries a strange black book that he seems to hold very dear. This book has great importance in both the story of the game and the aforementioned questions that were posed to you, the player.
With the king’s death, it appears that there’s more discrimination between the tribes of the country than ever before. In addition, the use of igniters, conduits of magic that are powered by the innate energy known as Magla, is only elevated in such an environment. The carriage gets attacked by bandits using their igniters to extort money from innocents, but their plundering gets cut short when a red-haired Roussainte woman attacks the bandits.
The bandits are in real trouble, and so is the protagonist, as he and Gallica are both sent off a cliff in the Tradia Desert, the vast region surrounding the illustrious capital. Fortunately, they’re both intact, but the protagonist doesn’t seem to remember anything about why exactly he was on the carriage to begin with. Once more, Metaphor: ReFantazio manages to foreshadow something that not many players might pick up on at all. I certainly didn’t until way later, and the teases have a massive payoff.
Into the Fray
Metaphor: ReFantazio doesn’t waste much time in its opening hours, as it gives you a glimpse of exploration in the Tradia Desert right after the cliffside fall. The game immediately breaks the norm of ATLUS titles by giving you a voiced protagonist, as the Eldan boy will speak the dialogue lines you select for him in the story. That one change alone already immersed me heavily into the story, and I quickly became invested in the protagonist quite quickly.
After Gallica sends inspiring musical magic into the protagonist’s mind, you can traverse the desert, gain some valuable insight into the nation’s current state, and head into Grand Trad proper. Here, the protagonist is reminded of his true mission by Gallica: to find a military contact that will help him break the curse afflicted on the prince, who the masses believe is dead. Along the way, players are treated to the first party member who will aid the protagonist on his journey: the honorable Leon Strohl.
Despite his status as a Clemar and a noble in title, Strohl doesn’t judge the protagonist on his race but rather on his personality and beliefs. Players get to see this when Strohl asks the protagonist about the strange black book he’s been reading and then proceeds to give his own thoughts about the fantasy world it depicts: a reality similar to our very own. As new enlistees under the command of the cowardly Captain Klinger, the protagonist and Strohl both head into the Northern Fort, overrun by humans.
Combating the Metaphorical Threat – Humans
Metaphor: ReFantazio does live up to its own name, as metaphors are abound in this game. Humans are strange monsters in the game with distorted appendages and body parts. Some are also designed after singular parts of the real-world human anatomy, like a tooth or an ear. In short, they’re very bizarre and are unlike any of the game’s tribes, and this was definitely done on purpose to serve as a metaphor for how vile humans in our world can be.
The Northern Fort serves as the first dungeon that helps you get used to the combat system while providing some exposition on the human threat. Like the Persona games previously Hashino directed, Metaphor: ReFantazio is a turn-based RPG with a max of four party members in the active party. At the very start, you can only control the protagonist, as Strohl is an uncontrollable “ally” member. I was getting Persona 3 FES flashbacks here, but fortunately, Strohl becomes playable not long after this dungeon.
While in the dungeon, you’ll fight Homo Gorleo, a menacing owl-like human that turns soldiers into minced meat. The Homo Gorleo boss fight is actually quite straightforward since it acts as the end of the tutorial and introduces Archetypes, manifestations of heroic power, for the protagonist. The first Archetype is the Seeker, who uses wind skills and other magic to gain an upper hand in combat. Similarly to Personas, these Archetypes are first awakened in a hero during a great internal crisis, forcing them to rise above their adversity.
A Familiar Combat System With Some Twists
The signature press turn system from the Shin Megami Tensei series is back, and it’s arguably better than ever in Metaphor: ReFantazio. In short, landing critical hits or hits to an enemy’s weaknesses will cause a turn icon to blink, allowing for an additional action. Reminiscent of Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance, missing an attack or negating attack damage will remove two turn icons for you or the enemy, and repelling it will end the turn altogether.
Front and back positioning is an interesting and unexpected addition to the combat system. As you’d expect, being in front means your attack damage will be greater at the cost of defense while being in the back raises defense at the cost of attack damage. Certain skills make use of positioning as well, including long-range shot skills found in some Archetypes. Positioning is key for boss fights, as some can enrage if even one character is on the front row before a certain attack.
The combat system doesn’t reach its full potential until you have four party members, but it’s quite enjoyable once you meet the military contact, Grius, and venture into the Nord Mines. Further into the dungeon, the party finally gains access to multiple Archetypes going forward, thanks to the mysterious researcher More.
It also quickly became apparent that characters can definitely exhaust all their MP very quickly if they aren’t mindful in battle. I didn’t run out of MP, but I certainly did multiple times while progressing through the massive Regalith Grand Cathedral. I’d say MP tuning is more unforgiving here compared to vanilla Persona 5’s first Palace, but later dungeons and areas tend to offer more MP replenishing items.
On the Field
When I learned that Metaphor: ReFantazio would have a similar field battle system compared to Trails through Daybreak, I was very excited to see what it could do. The field battle system lets you avoid constant encounters with enemies that are a few levels below you, allowing you to grind more efficiently. This is true for both RPGs, but I actually enjoy its implementation quite a lot in Metaphor: ReFantazio.
On the field, you can attack enemies to whittle away at their stun gauge, and you usually need only a few attacks to do so if you’re around the same level as the enemy. You can land critical hits by attacking from behind, ensuring you enter battle with the advantage. After you are three levels higher than that enemy, you can defeat them on the field to avoid a squad battle and save some time. This is extremely useful for grinding, especially in the end-game, and you’re awarded with generous amounts of XP, too.
It’s worth noting that there’s a battle theme that plays when you’re engaged with the enemy on the field, and one of two battle themes will play in a squad battle. Like Persona, these battle themes play when you have an advantage or a disadvantage in battle and enter a squad battle manually by pressing the button. Every single battle theme in Metaphor: ReFantazio is phenomenal, by the way, with a Buddhist monk singing in a mixture of Esperanto and Latin.
Incredible Depth with Archetypes
Archetypes bring a whole new dynamic to the press turn system, and in some cases, they may pay homage to the ATLUS franchises that made Metaphor: ReFantazio possible. Each Archetype has a specialized role, so no two Archetypes will be similar unless they’re within the same lineage. For example, the Knight Archetype acts like a tank with high defense, while the Thief Archetype is nimble with higher evasion and a Steal skill. At More’s Akademia, a unique realm visited in the protagonist’s imagination and dreams, you can unlock Archetypes and improve them by using MAG, a magical resource earned from battle and bond events.
Other Archetypes provide really interesting effects, such as Faker’s Roguery, a skill that can take away your turn icons, cause them to blink, or add more turn icons during your turn. This skill comes in clutch during boss fights, but there’s obviously risk involved. I enjoy the depth offered by the Archetype system, as you can unlock stronger Archetypes in a single lineage along with more powerful skills and the ability to inherit skills.
There’s no shortage of variety, and it could take multiple playthroughs to really master all the Archetypes there are. I didn’t begin to truly love this system until more than halfway through the game, though, which is where you unlock some of the most powerful and uniquely designed Archetypes like Soul Hacker, Devil Summoner, and Tycoon. At this point, you can truly make each Archetype your own and make them more versatile while staying true to their role.
Coin or MAG?
The Archetypes are half the story, though, since the in-game economy of Metaphor: ReFantazio plays a great role in the party’s strength. There’s a plethora of accessories, weapons, and gear in the game. In fact, Metaphor: ReFantazio might be the most loot-focused game that ATLUS has created with the press turn system we know and love.
There are various rarities, with most of the gear being common and uncommon in gray and blue, respectively. Rarer weapons and gear can be acquired from dungeons, quests, and bounties, along with your fair share of hard-earned coins. You can also buy them from the many in-game shops you will visit on your journey, even those in remote villages off the beaten path.
Unsurprisingly, a lot of the game’s next-best gear was actually quite expensive during certain segments. This is most likely why discounts are a weekly occurrence on “Idlesday” in Metaphor: ReFantazio—it’s typically the perfect chance to use the money you gained from dungeons and bounties to gear up and tackle the next challenge.
MAG is just as useful as coin, however. You will be spending MAG to upgrade the aforementioned Archetypes, unlock unique skills and attributes for the Masked Dancer and Summoner lineages, or trade it with the MAG exchange representative for money. I didn’t use the exchange much since MAG can be exhausted quite quickly with upgrades, but it does come in handy when you’re running low on funds.
The Vibrant Sense of Adventure and Fantasy
The world of Metaphor: ReFantazio is grand without feeling overwhelming, and every step of the journey is a true adventure full of wonderment. That feeling did not go away while battling enemies in dungeons, exploring forests full of monsters for requests, or taking the massive Gauntlet Runner on a road trip to the next main town. In fact, the Gauntlet Runner itself and the premise of the tournament greatly build upon the game’s fantasy setting.
You get the Gauntlet Runner right after the first dungeon, with the pilot, the smart but comedic Neuras, at the helm. The protagonist and his crew may travel to locations in a matter of days on the Gauntlet and camp at select locations when night sets in. During that travel, you will discover strange vistas that emphasize that Metaphor: ReFantazio’s world is strange and, at times, can’t be explained.
The crew’s adventure across the world map is narrated by More, voiced by Greg Chun. From his seat in the Akademeia, More gives ear-pleasing descriptions of the locations that players visit, the dangers they may face, or the hints of mysteries that are waiting to be brought to light. His narration makes travel feel like it’s part of a fairy tale, just like the book that the protagonist often reads.
Minds Behind the Fantasy
The color-brushed art style and stellar design of Metaphor: ReFantazio are thanks to the countless developers at Studio Zero, including character designer and illustrator Shigenori Soejima, Archetype designer Yuji Himukai, mechanical designer Ikuto Yamashita, conceptual designer Kazuma Koda. These developers have a strong pedigree with works that include Persona, Etrian Odyssey, Evangelion, and even NieR: Automata, so their talents are definitely suited to help create a unique and complex fantasy world.
Despite some of the game’s visual imperfections, the development team’s attention to detail on the UI, world map design, character designs, and environments are unhindered. We all knew what ATLUS was capable of when they upped their game with Persona 5, and Metaphor: ReFantazio is able to fully encapsulate you in its world because the visual elements are so in tune.
ATLUS Perfects the Calendar System
The calendar system is integral to the gameplay experience in Persona 3 through 5 and now Metaphor: ReFantazio. When I learned that Metaphor: ReFantazio took place over the course of a few months, I thought the game would feel short. Instead, the game feels incredibly well-paced, with some flexibility for quests and other activities for each day.
That being said, proceeding into a dungeon will still take up that entire day, and progressing social links or completing activities that raise social stats will take up half a day. The use of the calendar system usually means that you have to think carefully about how you want to spend those days leading up to the next major event, usually represented in the top right-hand corner with a countdown.
ATLUS has finally perfected this system and brought some quality-of-life features that you won’t need to manage every single day so closely, however. Social stats are much easier to level up this time around, social links don’t require a “right” dialogue option to earn affinity with that character, and the teleportation mechanic lets you revisit any major town in a flash. If you’re really efficient, you will be able to complete all social links, bounties, and quests without much trouble on your first playthrough, which I applaud.
The Smaller Details of Daily Life
Outside of the main story, daily life in Metaphor: ReFantazio mostly consists of talking to and spending time with followers, taking on bounties and requests, traveling to optional dungeons, and boosting social stats by talking to NPCs. There’s no mini-game equivalent to Persona 5 Royal’s billiards and darts, but I think there are plenty of things for the protagonist to do. In addition, there are smaller details that make daily life feel different in this game.
Since the Gauntlet Runner is integral to the game’s story and world exploration, players will explore a different side of day-to-day life on this massive ship. There will be times when social links can only be progressed on the Gauntlet Runner in certain instances, most notably Neuras and Heismay. You can also cook to gain very valuable meals that can be used as items, clean the ship or do laundry to increase max HP and MP or read to improve social stats.
In short, the Gauntlet Runner holds many of the daily life aspects I came to expect, and I think it serves its purpose well as the protagonist’s “home.” I did find it funny when I discovered that using the bathroom during Idlesday will increase the protagonist’s Luck stat by 1 each time, so there’s some incentive for doing these mundane tasks.
Metaphor: ReFantazio’s Characters are Brilliant
To speak more on roles, every character, party member, or follower is incredibly well-written in Metaphor: ReFantazio. This is one of the first ATLUS games where I truly became invested in all the social links, and none of them disappointed me. The character arcs are honestly brilliant, and you don’t need to worry about needing to select specific dialogue options to progress each social link. Checks with the Royal Virtues, aka social stats, are still required to progress, however.
From the trickster Alonzo to the distrustful Brigitta, every character develops by spending time with the protagonist and learning why he’s so confident as a candidate in the tournament for the kingdom’s throne. Characters share their deep regrets and see them face harsh consequences in a world that’s unforgiving to many and bountiful for few. Despite it being a title set in a fantasy world, Metaphor: ReFantazio has some of the most relatable characters I’ve experienced in an RPG yet, especially those that are followers only.
Honestly, these characters make the tournament feel more impactful on the ground level, as it does have an effect on how the world views the protagonist and his deeds. You will come across many candidates while traversing the world on the Gauntlet Runner, each with their own beliefs about the kingdom. Some are radical, some are grounded, but each candidate brings a perspective that was formed from this well-crafted world.
The Glory and Defiance of Louis Guiabern
Turning to the villain now, Louis Guiabern is cold, calculated, prodigious, and motivated. Louis fits in the evil tactician role that many fantasy RPGs have had, but his aura is still unmatched, and he’s somewhat unpredictable. In fact, he understands the protagonist just as much as the protagonist’s own companions, and he will even work with him for half of the entire game.
It’s profound that the first scene of Metaphor: ReFantazio involves the murder of the king by his hands, and he makes his motives known. It’s no secret he wants to keep, as he’s just positioning it in his favor since he didn’t leave evidence. I think it’s refreshing that we know the villain at the start of an ATLUS RPG this time around because Metaphor: ReFantazio builds up Louis as quite a formidable threat.
Louis’ entourage, most notably Juna, Fidelio, and Basilio, are some of the most fleshed-out characters in the game, and I absolutely adore them. At first glance, you’d think that Louis would be on his own like the true killer that he is, but he truly moves and thinks as a leader, even if it’s mostly for his self-interests. He attracts those wanting to break free of the world’s narrow-minded views on race and upbringing, making him the glorious and defiant leader he is.
Your Resistance
To stand up to Louis, the protagonist and Gallica must have competent and capable allies to back them up, no matter the cost. Metaphor: ReFantazio delivers with a strong cast of characters, each representing one of the game’s races. This includes noble Clemar Strohl, the dutiful Roussainte Hulkenberg, the wise and aging Heismay, the radiant and beautiful Nidia Juna, the wholesome and caring Mustari Eupha, and a certain character you recruit after the September 14 date, which is one of the game’s most pivotal days.
Every party member has their time to shine, and they fit right in, including that final party member near the endgame. Metaphor: ReFantazio solves a problem that previous Persona games had: characters not having enough time or narrative investment within the story itself. Aside from the opportunities to raise bonds with them, the party members generally have much to say throughout the story, commenting on every development.
The Tournament Opposition
I mentioned that the tournament has many candidates vying for victory, but there are so many factors involved. Louis is not the sole threat to the player, as you’re meant to be an underdog in every sense of the word. Players are up against the influence of the Sanctist Church, which paints the Elda as a race of “taboo” that has sinned against God. At the head of the Sanctist Church is Sanctifex Forden, a holy leader who is the clear favorite to win the tournament at first.
Metaphor: ReFantazio knows how to push the stakes, showing the player that this tournament will change everything for the winner. The candidates, such as the charismatic Paripus Catherina and the arrogant Roussainte Glodell, fight with everything they have for their respective races, and it’s constantly reminded throughout the game until its end. At the same time, the tournament adds to the adventure factor that makes this fantasy RPG so satisfying as you await your arrival in each location sanctioned for the tournament.
The Thematic Value of Metaphor: ReFantazio
Metaphor: ReFantazio’s characters are excellent, and this is due in part to their correlation with the game’s theme, which explores anxiety and the meaning of purpose. Anxiety is inherently linked to magic, Magla, and, without spoiling, the state of the world in Metaphor: ReFantazio. Breaking through this anxiety and reaching a moment of self-realization unlocks their latent powers and helps them grow as characters.
Whether it’s Strohl’s wishes to restore his ruined hometown or Hulkenberg’s inner turmoil to redeem herself as a knight to the prince, each social link explores this theme quite nicely. Finding one’s purpose or beginning the process of reaching that purpose or goal may come with overcoming your anxiety and doubts.
Although anxiety is a prominent factor for much of the kingdom’s hardship (and it’s explicitly named at times), it’s not a crutch for the narrative. It does come into play in a tangible way near the end of the story, but there’s a really good reason in the game’s lore for why that’s the case.
I think More’s character traits are worth highlighting as well since he’s so vital to the protagonist’s journey and the actual player. Despite his wise and scholarly demeanor, More is often anxious and doubtful of himself, often seeking guidance from the protagonist. More’s own journey revolves around the literal discovery of who he actually is, tying once again into the game’s theme in a way that players might not catch onto immediately.
Metaphor: ReFantazio is 2024’s Best RPG in My Book
I can speak on Metaphor: ReFantazio for hours and dissect it even further, and I believe that reflects how brilliant and awe-inspiring this RPG is. Really, it’s one of the best games of the year, and it certainly earned its place as a Game of the Year nominee. I’d go as far as to say that this is ATLUS’ magnum opus, combining the best elements of their previous games into a single title—the very best they’ve made.
From the incredibly refined combat to the impressive art style or the heartwarming cast of characters to its masterful villain, Metaphor: ReFantazio manages to do it all as a turn-based RPG at its core. I think what comes after Metaphor: ReFantazio will be just as wonderous and interesting since ATLUS can take some cues from this game for future titles. The bar has been set, and it’s very high. But somehow, ATLUS proves once again that they’re capable of going even higher.
Disclaimer: ATLUS provided Final Weapon with a PlayStation 5 copy of Metaphor: ReFantazio for review purposes.
