A fantastic adventure that redefines JRPGs

Metaphor: Refantazio is the latest JRPG from Studio Zero and Atlus, the latest from ​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​ Persona Franchise. Given that Persona is, in a way, an extension of an even earlier franchise for Atlus, Shin Megami TenseiIt’s no surprise that Metaphor: Refantazio Also has a familiar look and feel on the surface. That being said, this is not just a re-skin of the same old thing. Metaphor: Refantazio is Atlus’ first step into true high fantasySomething a little less common for JRPGs, but a prime example of what should be explored more.

As they begin their journey, players are immediately met with a cutscene with the untimely death of a king, an event that will start the plot for the rest of the game. From there, we meet our voiced protagonist along with his fairy companion, Gallica, who Both begin their journey to save a prince and fix a desperate world. The Kingdom of Euchronia faced difficulties that challenge modern ideas, asking players what is a utopia, and if such a thing is really achieved when the world is already so corrupt.

A story within a story

Atlus explores the idea of ​​a utopia amidst a kingdom in ruins

As with other Atlus games, Metaphor: Refantazio would be nothing without its history and world-building. Despite the emphasis on metaphors, there’s no mistaking the message Atlus is trying to get across to its players as they explore a kingdom rife with racism, classism, and religious fanaticism. To set this bleak society, players are sometimes given a look at the protagonist’s storybook he carries around, which centers around a utopia in which everyone is equal regardless of tribe, lineage or wealth.

Although challenging the ideas of the modern world is not exactly new for Atlus, as the majority of its games often confront the corruption of society in some way, The darkness overseeing the fantasy world is one that many players could find ways to relate to in one way or another. When the protagonist explores the various regions of the world to ensure the fate of the kingdom’s lands in the right hands, we see the desperation of people long forgotten by their leaders and those who have become nothing more than a pawn in political warfare.

Among the quiet moments where players will witness the brutalities that occur as a result of the state of the world, there will also be moments of hope. Riveting moments where the party will come together to make a change in an attempt to make the utopia that seems just out of reach. Players will be pushed to confront whether a society, such as the Kingdom of Euchronia, can be saved when it has already fallen so far and What this could mean for a world like ours.

Echoes of previous Atlus games are apparent, but not overwhelming

Metaphor: ReFantazio manages to revamp familiar mechanics in new and exciting ways

Despite these fantastic differences, the weight of a heavy story isn’t the only thing Atlus games share. Although this is not as similar to the other as Shin Megami Tensei And Persona are to each other, there are some mechanics familiar to Atlus players. Many of Metaphor: Refantazios game mechanics are polished versions of previous elements: Archetypes are the replacement for Personas, Royal Virtues are the replacement for social stats, and Followers are the replacement for Confidants or Social Links.

Although it is obvious that the aspects are similar, Metaphor: Refantazio Does offer some quality of life changes and enough differences that combat has a uniqueness to it. Although each party member has a specific archetype they are linked to, unlike personas in previous games, Players have the freedom to swap things out and customize their party more than ever before. Perhaps the closest we’ve seen to this level of customization was in persona 5 tactics, Where players can assign a secondary persona to their party members, allowing for more overall versatility.

Metaphor: Refantazio Takes this idea one step further by allowing you to switch and change the archetypes of your party members on a whim. Given the loss of the complexity of the Persona Compendium, this change leaves room for players to find satisfaction in customizing and adapting their party for the various dungeons they will encounter. As for the quality of life changes, not similar Persona Where the current rank in social stats was a mystery to players, Metaphor: Refantazio Eliminates any guessworkAllowing players to see exactly where they are in their social stat progress at any time.

Besides that, while time must be consciously managed, knowing how and when to increase bonds with followers is presented in a way that is much more obvious than previous games have offered. moreover, Metaphor: Refantazio Operates on a similar calendar system in which players will have deadlines for major plot points. Juggling dungeons, social stats and companions under a deadline is just as stress-inducing as any other Atlus gameBut that’s part of the appeal.

Each player has the freedom to approach their time however they want, resulting in unique playthroughs and a reason to return. However, fans may be disappointed to learn of a lack of Personas beloved romance mechanics in this game. Metaphor: Refantazio Removes this feature, opting for an approach similar to that of Shin Megami TenseiAnd so The protagonist is unable to develop anything more than a close bond with his followers. Given the lack of normality for the main character, as opposed to Personas Joker who is otherwise a normal high schooler, it is understandable why the feature was removed.

Since Joker’s everyday life outside the metaverse is pretty normal, like everyone else, it makes sense that he would engage in typical behaviors like romancing his companions. For our protagonist here, however, the awfulness of the world is happening out in the open as opposed to a netherworld or metaverse equivalent, Making romance seem a little out of place as a priority right nowNot only for him but also the rest of the world. The intimacy and closeness of characters remain, however, even if the technical aspect of dating is gone.

Turn-based combat with some real-time flair

Metaphor: ReFantazio polishes a familiar feature to streamline dungeon crawling

When it comes to combat, Metaphor: Refantazio Didn’t completely abandon Atlus’ knack for turn-based combat. However, there is a mix of real-time combat that helps create a more streamlined combat system. Not only does it help break up some of the monotony Persona Games are often subject to, but it also allows players to quickly gain experience while traversing areas heavy with enemies without expending too much of their own HP or MP. It is quite comparable to the preemptive strike format over most of these Shin Megami Tensei lineup, but polished and improved in a way that will hopefully carry over into future releases from Atlus.

As for the turn-based mechanics, they work similarly to Shin Megami Tensei And Persona In the sense that type weaknesses will affect damage output and turn order. Players still have the option of melee attacks or archetype magic attacks. The key difference here is primarily the use of positioning in combat, in which Players will be able to position each party member before attacking. This position will affect how much damage players deal and take, giving you an additional way to protect the healers in your party, or even avoid hits when enemies target a certain position.

Final Thoughts & Review Score

A must-play fantasy JRPG

Metaphor: Refantazio is as fantastic as players could have hoped for and every bit as difficult as those familiar with Atlus will expect. With fun combat and charming characters sprinkled throughout an otherwise gritty world, players are sure to come out of the story feeling satisfied and thoroughly challenged. While there’s little doubt that Atlus fans will love this, I’d challenge those who perhaps don’t enjoy the rest of Atlus’ catalog to give this a shot, especially if you have an appreciation for high fantasy and moving stories. Despite a long time commitment of nearly 100 hours, the value gained is priceless.

This riveting fantasy redefines the preconceptions of most modern JRPGs and takes players on an expansive journey beyond what they could have imagined. With polished mechanics and an improved player experience, it might be enough to say that Metaphor: Refantazio Has the potential to beat Persona Dethroned as Atlus’ most notable title. However, if the next mainline game for each Persona Or Shin Megami Tensei produces some of the positive changes we see in Metaphor: RefantazioThen it is safe to say we can expect even greater things from Atlus in the future.