By 2024 golden

Developed by Studio Zero and published by Atlus, Metaphor: ReFantazio certainly comes to crown a fantastic year for the Japanese publisher. With highly acclaimed releases like Persona 3 Reload, Shin Megami Tensei 5: Vengeance, and Unicorn Overlord, Metaphor: ReFantazio manages to surprise...perhaps the correct word is not surprise, but rather materialize what many fans of the company already imagined. A game with obvious similarities to Persona, but innovating in a series of aspects.

Announced in 2016 under the codename Project Re:Fantasy, the game would be the studio's first work under the tutelage of the legendary director Katsura Hashino, responsible for memorable JRPG genre titles such as Persona and Shin Megami Tensei. But instead of going for the obvious, the director veers away from the commonplace and seeks inspiration in Western stories, such as The Lord of the Rings, promising memorable moments, incredible discoveries, and breathtaking action.

Released for PlayStation 5 and 4, Xbox Series X|S, and PC, the game definitely shows that JRPG is on fire in 2024, managing to diversify each title and with very high ratings for all of them. Atlus definitely has a lot to celebrate with everything they offered to players this year.

The throne is abandoned

Metaphor: ReFantazio presents an extremely engaging story that keeps you hooked from the start, paying attention to every dialogue of the various characters presented. In the Kingdom of Euchronia, unified after a series of conflicts involving three peculiar nations, everyone clamors and can seek its leadership. This all due to the death of King Hythanlodous VI in his chambers, secretly caused by a military man named General Louis, besides the fact that the rightful successor, the monarch's son, was cursed by a rebel tribe, leaving the boy in a deep coma. Before chaos and disorder can once again reign within the kingdom, a figure very similar to the king emerges from the skies, announcing that the new leader of the region will be chosen by the people, starting the fight for the throne... and for the future.
 

And it is from the context that anyone can claim the throne that our intrepid protagonist emerges, unlike all the standard stereotypes seeking power, like a religious leader or some military figure. But make no mistake, despite the fragile and introspective appearance, he has something much more impactful: true friendship.

The character whose name is chosen early in the journey is a childhood friend of the prince and seeks to solve not only the origin of the curse but also to reverse it so that his friend can assume the throne that is rightfully his. But of course, this will not be resolved in the most obvious and simplistic way.

The plot of Metaphor ReFantazio goes far beyond just another story that we are all used to. Throughout the epic journey that can last about 100 hours (as a good JRPG demands), we are presented with various motivations, ranging from revenge, racial prejudice, social issues, greed, among many other ailments of our current society. I dare say that the game's story is much more of a socio-political tale than anything else, a highly risky choice by Atlus, but one that worked out very well.

Even though you read "about 100 hours" and that certainly causes a surprise for those who are not used to PersonaLike games, time passes very quickly in this vast universe, where our society is something that in the game's story is labeled as utopian. After all, how can all tribes live peacefully, with equal rights. Well...let's not talk too much about politics here.

Meet the Archetypes

Since a great game is not built only on an excellent story, Metaphor: ReFantazio features refined gameplay, which manages to escape as much as possible from the traditional turn-based combat. And I say this in a very positive and surprising way.

Here, the classic Personas give way to the Archetypes, which, unlike the classic Atlus franchise, resemble the classes of a traditional RPG (warrior, mage, wizard, etc), which can be trained and used by everyone in your party, thus providing more variety in battle.




It is worth noting that some archetypes require the character to have a certain level in their class, making you explore a little of each form to get to know and play with all of them. I must say that I found this form quite rewarding, as I appreciate getting to know a little of each piece of the game's structure that the title has to offer.

Speaking of combat itself, the studio knew how to explore the pre-combat very well, offering advantages when taking down the enemy without their perception, causing a series of damages that can even avoid turn-based combat. And even though I am a fan of JRPGs, I consider this a very intelligent action aimed at a new audience, leaving strategic battles focused on larger creatures that really require something more.

Make the most of your time

By this point in the text, I think you have already noticed that the game draws heavily from Persona and Shin Megami Tensei. But to make this even more evident, we have a series of social links, side quests, and the possibility of improving your party's skills through special objectives. Of course, all respecting the calendar that can be used as you find most interesting.

Among other activities are relationships, which are vital and essential for success in missions. In addition to improving the qualities of the archetypes, they can provide memory spaces for each team member, among other things. It is noteworthy that in Metaphor: ReFantazio there is no possibility of romance, which is also a trademark of the franchise, but let's face it, it is not missed here.

One point that I confess bothers me in the relationship dynamics is the fact that the dialogue options do not influence the closeness of the character, as in Persona. Here, there is a very clear ease in creating strong bonds with everyone on your team in a way that does not require you to respond to what each party member would like to hear.

A feast for the eyes

If there is one point that I never tire of praising Metaphor: ReFantazio for, it is how the game presents a beautiful visual, with cell-shaded graphics, in the best anime style at central points of the story. Not only in cutscenes, but the game itself presents stunning visuals in dungeons, in the design of the archetypes, and even in their activations, despite some hiccups. The moment when the archetype is summoned for the first time is unforgettable. I won't go into too much detail to not spoil your experience.

I cannot fail to praise how the game's menus are of extreme good taste, with characteristic and differentiated interfaces for each character, making your experience remarkable in all aspects of the game. It is truly satisfying to pause just to appreciate how well each corner of the menu is utilized and laid out.

If you are already a veteran of other games from the publisher, you already know that the soundtrack is something that transcends in every moment of the journey, right? Whether in moments to enjoy the day, in tactical battles, or even in dungeon progress. Metaphor: ReFantazio has a special soundtrack for everything.

The gateway for new players

Metaphor: ReFantazio has a series of qualities that no other JRPG has, which I believe can end up bringing new players to get to know more about the genre. It's not just any game that can keep us engaged for over 80 hours without natural wear and tear. 



Because the game presents a greater dynamism in battles, without the need for every encounter to be mandatory turn-based combat, it would not be an exaggeration to say that there are moments of hack'n slash in the adventure. Undoubtedly, it is a great merit to stray from the standard JRPG pattern, even though the controls do not execute combos at the speed of a game in the genre.

The review of Metaphor: ReFantazio was conducted on an Xbox Series S, thanks to the key sent by the publisher, to whom we thank for their trust.