Atlus has shared more details about its upcoming fantasy role-playing game Metaphor: ReFantazio.

Your Base/Mode of Transport

The game will have our main character (the blue-haired guy in every trailer) running a mobile base called the Gauntlet Runner. You talk to your party members, take breaks, and even clean up the deck. Most importantly, it brings you to the game’s many cities and dungeons.

Speaking of party members, here they are:

Protagonist/Main Character

Together with the fairy, Gallica, he embarks on a journey to lift the deadly curse placed on his childhood friend, the prince of Euchronia.

He is a boy of the elda tribe, branded a “tainted” people by the state religion who believe the elda have inherited dangerous and heretical magic. Being so rare among the populous, they are detested and discriminated against throughout the kingdom.

Gallica

A travelling companion, Gallica is the guide who helps the protagonist carry out his mission to save the prince. Although she is too small to participate in battles, her knowledge of magic and ability to perceive the enemy’s power is superior to the protagonist due to her fairy nature. She doesn’t mince words, but she is a reassuring ally on his journey.

Strohl

He is a young man of the Clemar tribe who meets the protagonist in the recruitment centre for the State Army. A smart young man with a strong sense of justice, he hails from a noble family. And yet, it seems his circumstances are complicated, as it is rare for a noble to enlist in the army alongside commoners.

Hulkenberg

A knight of the Roussainte tribe and former member of the royal family’s Kingsguard who served on the prince’s side. Despite her young age, she excelled in the use of various weaponry, and was assigned to the personal guard of the prince. But when the prince was attacked, she failed to protect him and set out to wander, carrying the stigma of this failure in her heart.

Heismay

A former knight of the Eugief tribe. He has acute perception compared to most others, due in part to the Eugief trait of being sensitive to sound.

With an appearance that differs greatly from other tribes, it’s not uncommon for Eugiefs to be discriminated against—and it seems Heismay is no exception, his past is his own burden to bear.

Combat

The game’s battle system combines action and turn-based commands. You approach an enemy in real-time, slashing them like you would in a character action game. Then when prompted, press the Squad button to summon your party members to deal turn-based attacks and whatnot to enemies. This system combines flexibility and strategy in one go, with party customization also promising to offer high degrees of freedom.

Also, the transition from real-time to turn-based command battle with the main character eyes is pretty awesome; Metaphor isn’t short on style, that’s for sure.

Check out the gameplay below, with timestamps. Metaphor: ReFantazio will be out in Fall 2024 for PC, Xbox, and PlayStation consoles.

0:00 – Cutscenes and gameplay; Gauntlet Runner explanation
3:29 – World, lore, and battle system explanation (JP)
6:09 – Characters
7:44 – Battle system

Update: English version of Atlus’ presentation added.