Metaphor: ReFantazio continues Atlus' generational streak of stylish, remarkable JRPGs. Persona and Shin Megami Tensei fans will feel at home but this new fantasy world is gracefully transformative and rife with meaningful subtext.
“Humans are the real monsters.”
The thought resonated with me early into Metaphor: ReFantazio‘s narrative, one that not so subtly works to tackle and deconstruct themes from our own reality, a reality many would wish to escape for any other kind of fantastical existence. No doubt Atlus and Studio Zero did not plan to release their work in proximity to such a tumultuous inflection point in history.
The 2024 United States Presidential Election loomed over my time playing Metaphor: ReFantazio like a scalding sun, its blaze threatening to blind me from surface level interpretation. And in the week since the results were tallied, it should come as no surprise that one would hope for some kind of greater purpose… or merely the promise of one day change being enacted for the good.
The United Kingdom of Euchronia–the realm where Metaphor: ReFantazio tells its tale–is mired in familiar problems to our own Earth. While a separation of church and government are implied, Euchronia and its rule of law seems beholden to the Sanctist church. Nine Tribes populate the world and while most appear relatively human-like, tribalism and prejudice run rampant.
In the opening hours of Metaphor: ReFantazio, Euchronia is any typical fantasy world. Magic is a force both dangerous and helpful. Brick and mortar castles dot the landscape. Drink flows at taverns; deadly beasts roam the wilds unchecked; kings rule over a population both royal and impoverished. But this is a title developed by Studio Zero–a new branch at Atlus helmed by Katsura Hashino, the director of Persona 3, 4, and 5–and typical simply does not seem to be in the DNA.
Of course, the common inclination is to frame Metaphor: ReFantazio as Persona without the classroom, Shin Megami Tensei without the monster collecting. And certainly, the game presents echoes of its forebears but in a way that eases newcomers in while delighting Atlus fans, yet providing them with new twists. The day after receiving my first Archetype–Metaphor: ReFantazio‘s version of a class/job system–I told my gaming coworker that I got the equivalent of a Persona.
Those light jabs aren’t done to reduce what Studio Zero is bringing to the table, merely to offer that anchor of familiarity. In a sense, Social Links are here as are core attributes meant to represent the protagonist’s growth. For me, there was no doubt that I was playing an Atlus game during my time with Metaphor: ReFantazio. But that anecdote is more a testament to the distinct mark the publisher and developer has placed on the Japanese gaming and RPG landscape than throwaway praise.
Metaphor: ReFantazio is its own beast, one forged from decades of experience establishing mechanics, iterating upon them, and implementing them in new and exciting ways.
Often I will look back on my time playing Persona 4 Golden on the PlayStation Vita. For a person as lonely and isolated as I was for having moved across the country, the group of friends combating otherworldly forces in Inaba provided significant solace. I would savor every conversation, always hoping to increase my bond with these characters who truly felt like friends outstretching their hands through the screen. Persona 4 Golden is one of my most beloved games and speaks to the unparalleled quality of each subsequent Persona experience.
While part of me may yearn for other games to match that experience, I recognize that Persona 4 is not unique–my experience with it is. Other games across the spectrum have provided me with equally engrossing moments with beloved characters. And in its earliest days of being revealed, I mused that Metaphor: ReFantazio was going to simply be another Persona game with a high fantasy coat of paint.
When I made my way to Euchronia’s capital city of Grand Trad after the meaty prologue, I was taken aback by a game presenting me an opulent hovel festering with racists and classists.
A fantasy setting arranging the populace in any manner of wealth and status is nothing new. Many have played a game or watched a movie where a simple pauper rises above the ranks, often becoming the benevolent monarch or savior of the populace who initially deemed them unworthy. And Metaphor: ReFantazio is content with dabbling in tropes of the genre. But like many of the best works of this type, it is all about sincerity and delivery.
It should come as no surprise that Studio Zero was formed in the twilight of 2016. While that year’s American election felt like some kind of reckoning for the status quo, it was part of a larger worldwide shift into an uncomfortable discourse. I do not want to insist that a Japanese game developer was somehow influenced by American politics but the similarities running through the veins of Metaphor: ReFantazio are impossible for a person like me to ignore.
The game’s narrative is, in a sense, framed by a popularity contest for Euchronia’s new king. The former king was assassinated in his bedchamber. The prince and rightful heir is presumed dead but has actually been moved away, suffering from a curse that has put him in an endless sleep. From beyond the grave the deceased king conjured up a magic spell where a massive formation in the sky would show the faces of the most likely heir. The more popular or notable the candidate, the larger and more prominent their face appears on this formation.
The protagonist and their party initially band together seeking a way to free the prince from his curse. But soon the player becomes caught up in the race for the throne. Studio Zero makes it painfully obvious who the primary villain is, literally opening the game with a cutscene showing them stabbing the king. This man, Louis, is of the Clemar tribe, a horned race seen as one of the most respected and prominent tribes in Euchronia. And on the day of the king’s funeral Louis openly admits to assassinating the king, claiming his right to the throne and holds the palace hostage in an attempt to claim a magic relic.
While Louis’ admission may seem shocking, it garners support from the populace. If this sounds devastatingly familiar to you, you’re not alone. Yes, it bleakly echoes Donald Trump’s sentiment that he could shoot someone in the streets and would not lose any support. And after November 2024, that feels truer than ever.
Metaphor: ReFantazio perhaps couldn’t have been such a bold predictor of the future but it is eerie nonetheless. And no, I don’t wish to dwell too candidly on the similarities between a fictional universe and our own reality but Studio Zero seemingly understands what it is doing.
Throughout the game a book carried around by the protagonist references a world where there is no magic, where its peoples live in homes that tower towards the sky, a place where all “tribes” are seen as equal. If it were a joke Studio Zero’s tongue would be firmly planted in its cheek. But this “fantasy” world meant to represent our own is more twisted irony meant to call out the bleakness of our reality. Players exist in a fantasy world, one that I’m sure many players would love to retreat into. But there is an inescapable quality to the suffering that must be undertaken so progress can be made, so that dreams can flourish.
Studio Zero does little to hide the message behind their metaphor and I was honestly okay with it. Running through the streets of Grand Trad and trying to speak with characters, you can feel the venom. Here, the protagonist is an Elda, a tribe barely thought to exist because a sighting of them is so rare, almost to the point where it is considered a bad omen by some. The world feels so large and the player by comparison is merely a speck.
Symbolism can often be cloying when the viewer or reader or player isn’t given ample space to interpret and draw their own conclusions. The opening act of Metaphor: ReFantazio does not work to be subtle. I would argue that any player who doesn’t have a lightbulb switch on over their head merely isn’t paying attention. The world may be packed with numerous creatures, it’s the “humans” that are the most grotesque monsters capable of devastating villages and scaring the population. All of the game’s tribes have distinct features–whether they be horns, long ears, tails, or three eyes–yet it’s the Elda, the most humanoid of them, that is most derided.
A glimpse into the game’s glossary is enough indication that Studio Zero put ample time into ensuring Metaphor: ReFantazio is a sprawling world with a rich history. And there is certainly a lot for the player to glean when speaking with anyone who will talk and reading any available texts. As the narrative progresses, players will be exposed to a number of gorgeous locations that establish a sense of place and scale to Euchronia. It becomes a road adventure when players acquire the fascinating Gauntlet Runner, a kind of mobile home on legs.
As much as I enjoyed the numerous locales and bustling activity of Grand Trad and the larger villages and cities, it’s on the Gauntlet Runner and those quieter moments where the pedigree of character writing begins to shine. Metaphor: ReFantazio offers players a voiced protagonist, a rarity for the Atlus umbrella. While not all scenes in the game are voiced, the English actors do a phenomenal job with the text, offering a wide range of dialects and personality. Whether it’s goofing off with Strohl or having a bite to eat with Hulkenberg, players will become attached to the growing main cast and the side characters that filter through the narrative.
Developing these relationships is seemingly simpler, as they will naturally grow over the story. Players don’t need to worry about saying the “right” thing, merely responding how they prefer with the handful of provided options. Studio Zero does not stray from the pillars of JRPG main character building. Don’t expect Baldur’s Gate 3 levels of intricate branching dialogs. While most of the characters fit into certain molds, they are written and acted in a way that allows players to bond with them, making the relationships have weight and depth. Much like in a Persona game, you will want to waste an evening cooking just to have a moment of interaction.
Smartly, nearly every aspect of the narrative feeds into a particular part of the gameplay. Being a popularity contest for the throne, players must work to increase their Royal Virtues. Think Persona‘s Social Stats but unlike those, players naturally increase bonds with characters in Metaphor: ReFantazio. Here, increasing Royal Virtues through performing quests or time-consuming tasks will often open up other quests or give the player access to different vendors.
As players grow their relationship with various characters over the course of the game, they will unlock access to new Archetypes. These Archetypes act as a magical manifestation a person’s heroic virtue. 46 Archetypes can be unlocked during the game and represent a wide range of familiar classes players may recognize from various RPGs across the medium. There’s a Mage, Healer, Warrior, Summoner, Thief, Brawler and a lot more.
The starting lineage of any Archetype can often be leveled up into a more complex form that is granted new skills and abilities. For example, a Mage can level up into a Wizard and then grow to become either a Warlock or Elemental Master. The process of evolving these Archetypes has them start out with a base number of skills, as in the Mage starts with access to Fire and Frost spells and eventually learns Electric attacks. As these Archetypes progress they get passive buffs and skills to make them even stronger. Soon into the process, skills from other Archetypes can be fused into others, maximizing potential efficiency.
Archetypes are an extremely complex system in Metaphor: ReFantazio and one I had a delight growing to understand as battles increased in their complexity. Players will note that Archetype composition is extremely important. Magic-wielding ones are superb at taking advantage of elemental weaknesses of enemies but can’t take physical punishment. At a base level, the Knight Archetype can’t inflict much damage but is capable of absorbing blows and taunting enemies.
To further bolster the importance of understanding Archetype fundamentals, players gradually unlock Synergy attacks between Archetypes. The earliest example of this was having the protagonist using a Mage with Strohl rocking a Healer. Their Synergies were able to perform a Fire and Light attack that would hit every enemy. In the first main dungeon consisting of a lot of undead enemies, this would result in matches ending quickly. Which is especially great when the game rewards you with bonus experience and currency for going unscathed. But be careful! Synergy attacks consume MP from both characters.
Only when players grow bonds or level up Archetypes will they begin to fill out the roster. In doing so, mastery of the Pick Turn system is not far from reach. In Metaphor: ReFantazio‘s turn-based combat, each move costs a turn, indicated by stars at the top of the screen in battle. Dish out a physical attack, use an item, deploy an Archetype skill, or defend and that ticks away a star, moving one step closer to the enemy’s turn.
However, this system has its intricacies. Hit an enemy with the elemental or physical damage they are weak against and that move only counts as a half. Know that Strohl’s healer Archetype won’t do any damage? Pass a turn to Hulkenberg and let her do a physical attack instead, using up less of your turn. But there are drawbacks, as well. Players can lose their turn if they miss an attack and enemies can also benefit from hitting the player’s team with weaknesses.
Because Archetypes and their skills are often so powerful, they can sometimes be seen as a crutch. However, the cadence of dungeon runs often prevents this from happening on harder difficulties. MP is a precious resource in combat and most Archetype skills consume it, so players need to be wise on how they tackle each fight and what items they bring along.
The flow of the game is dictated by a calendar that is bookmarked by crucial dates where the player usually has to tackle a major dungeon by a certain day or it is considered a Game Over. Shops may have discounts on certain days and even the weather can influence certain aspects of the gampelay. Additionally, side quests undertaken by the player may need to be completed in a expedient time frame or they will fail. Thankfully, the information players need to keep track of everything is easily presented.
Metaphor: ReFantazio does have a significant amount of dungeon crawling to it and the initial onslaught of mechanics can feel a little overwhelming. But when going into Grand Trad, Studio Zero gracefully has a sense of how fast and frequent to introduce new mechanics and narrative layers to the player. For most players I can see it taking upwards of 100 hours to reach credits.
And despite that massive length, it doesn’t detract from the sprawling nature of Metaphor: ReFantazio. The game’s core dungeons are intricate and daunting, often holding side paths featuring secrets and shortcuts ensuring that progression is meaningful. A great balm for combat is that players while wandering a dungeon can attack enemies they see patrolling. If the enemy is a low enough level, players will kill it and get the equivalent rewards. For higher level enemies, mashing attack will build up a stun meter, opening up the possibility of entering combat with the enemies stunned for their first turn. However, if an enemy gets the jump on the player, they lose the initial round of attack.
Unsurprisingly, Metaphor: ReFantazio is a gorgeous sight to behold. Shigenori Soejima’s character work is given massive liberty to allow his memorable characters a fantastical flourish and the creature design is immaculate and disgustingly haunting. Rather than jazzy pop and music appropriate for the streets of Tokyo, Shoji Meguro has composed a score featuring vocals and orchestration that align with the mood of the Velvet Room.
Metaphor: ReFantazio is a superb JRPG. Studio Zero’s debut effort maintains the velocity of Atlus’ past two decades of work. It is not a reskin of Persona nor an embellishment of established concepts. Familiar mechanical beats exist but are captured in a unique world and, better yet, an original IP which feels increasingly rare. While it may only be for a brief moment, it feels like a saving grace we are allowed to step foot in this fantasy merely to temporarily escape from a reality that often seems so bleak.
