Platform(s): PS5, Xbox Series X/S, PC
Genre: JRPG, RPG, Fantasy, Turn-Based, Allegory To Classism & Racism But Completely Fictional

2024 has perhaps been one of the single best years in the history of Atlus. They have released several excellent games this year already, including Persona 3 Reload, Unicorn Overlord (published by them but developed by Vanillaware), and Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance. So, it’s crazy to think that even amongst those games, Metaphor ReFantazio has the potential to be one of the best gaming experiences not just in 2024, but in this entire generation.

Election Day

The story and narrative in Metaphor ReFantazio are majestic but perhaps the highlight of the story isn’t how epic or sprawling it is, but also how dark and unrelenting it is in exploring mature and complex subject matter. The main characters and protagonists of Metaphor ReFantazio aren’t black-and-white heroes, and this becomes clearer as game progresses, they all have a bit of grey to them and their actions reflect this.

These aren’t a bunch of naive high school kids or teens, they’re a bunch of idealists and pragmatics who will do anything to accomplish their goals. Of course, these are still heroes, so they don’t cross the line. However, killing and deception are still on the table so where exactly is the line? And that’s what makes these characters more than just one-dimensional do-gooders. The game also isn’t afraid to depict deaths, and while Persona 3 had its share of one or two deaths, the ones in Metaphor ReFantazio feel like they have more weight to them because the characters are so likeable and interesting.

I mean, to summon the Persona equivalent in this game and ‘awaken’ to that power for the first time, the characters literally tear out their hearts from their chests and speak out of them to an allegory crowd like old-school microphones. In comparison, shooting yourself in the head is mild at best. If that doesn’t tell you what kind of game to expect, I don’t know what will. All of this darkness is also reflected in the world and setting of Metaphor ReFantazio.

Things may look shiny and awe-inspiring on the outside, but just like the real world, things aren’t as rosy as they seem to be. Society is fraught with prejudice and discrimination against other tribes, with classism being the norm and religious dogma restricting the masses. All the leaders and prospective politicians are embroiled in political machinations and corrupt in some way. Just like 2023’s Final Fantasy XVI, it’s clear that this game took a lot of inspiration from Game Of Thrones (even though that’s likely a cliched thing to say at this point).

Speaking of Final Fantasy XVI, while both games feature similar dark and mature themes, Metaphor ReFantazio has much more depth and complexity. The issue with Final Fantasy XVI was that it all felt skin deep or superficial, and the only race/species in the game were humans. Meanwhile, Metaphor ReFantazio features many different races and species, each with its own traits, characteristics, culture, religion and more. You have your elvish race with the Roussaints, the furries with the Paripus, the isolationist exotic race with the Puspari, the cute mascot race with the Eigif, and several more.

It’s all really fascinating, especially how they’re infused into the narrative and themes of the story, so kudos to the writers at Atlus; this is all a lot more complicated than a Persona game usually is when it comes to lore. No wonder it took them so long to develop this game (Metaphor ReFantazio initially began as Project Re:Fantasy all the way back in 2016, over eight years ago). Thankfully, the developers are acutely aware of this, so there’s a nice and concise little Memorandum mechanic where you can read up on notes for the lore and details you’ve discovered throughout your adventure.

The production value of Metaphor ReFantazio is through the roof, and it’s probably one of the most AAA-worthy AAA games Atlus has ever made, with anime scenes that are even more extensive than the ones in past Persona games. Atlus has often just used silent protagonists in the past. There’s nothing wrong with a silent protagonist, but for the first time in an Atlus JRPG, the protagonist is voiced and it adds a bit of extra personality to the protagonist. Besides that, the protagonist pretty much follows the conventional silent protagonist tropes of Atlus  JRPGs and players can still project themselves onto the protagonist by choosing the dialogue answers, as usual.

By The People

Gameplay-wise, Metaphor ReFantazio feels familiar and new at the same time. Atlus fans will be immediately familiar with the core gameplay mechanics in the game, as it borrows a lot of elements from the Persona games. Yes, Metaphor ReFantazio is closer to the Persona games than the more classic and traditional Shin Megami Tensei mainline series. It’s important to be clear that Metaphor ReFantazion is primarily still a turn-based JRPG because the only real-time action elements are when you’re hitting enemies in dungeons, where it requires a bit more finesse than what you’re probably used to in the Persona and SMT games. You can now dodge rolls and it’s easier for enemies to start battles with advantages now if you’re not careful.

In Metaphor ReFantazio, the characters ‘awaken’ to their Persona-like manifestations of power called Archetypes, there’s even an Igor-like character named More and the game’s version of the Velvet Room, called Akademeia. There are even Social Links or Confidants, which are simply called Bonds in Metaphor ReFantazio. You can form Bonds with people called Followers, increasing the Bonds will unlock new abilities, perks and new Archetypes. The core gameplay loop is also similar. Metaphor ReFantazio uses a Persona-like calendar system, and the story missions will have deadlines. How you spend your time during your days is up to you, and it’s a mix of going to dungeons to engage in combat, spending time with your Followers to increase Bonds and doing other misc activities to increase your Royal Virtues, the game’s equivalent of Persona’s Social Stats. Yes, these include reading books and stuff like that to increase states like Wisdom, Imagination and others.

However, what distinguishes Archetypes from Personas is that they function more like a class or job system, with each Archetype adhering to a specific class or job. This is the biggest departure in terms of gameplay when it comes to Metaphor ReFantazio. It takes some getting used to. Why? Unlike the Persona games where only the protagonist can use multiple types of Personas, in Metaphor ReFantazio, every character has the same potential and can use all Archetypes (well, most of them with one or two exceptions, the Protagonist has to still feel special). This adds a much more complex strategic element and planning in Metaphor Refantazio compared to the Persona games. Which character uses which Archetype is totally up to you, so instead of having a certain character stuck to a specific class like in the Persona games, the potential is limitless in Metaphor ReFantazio. While the combat still features the traditional Atlus JRPG tropes of hitting weakness and the Press Turn System, the Archetype system is extremely flexible but also takes more time and effort to understand. Of course, some characters are better suited to certain Archetypes than others, but again, there’s a lot of freedom and room for creativity.

In addition, there are plenty of quality-of-life improvements in Metaphor ReFantazio. Brought over from Persona 3 Reload and Shin Megami Tensei V Vengeance, players can save literally anywhere (with the exception of in dungeons). Atlus has refined grinding in JRPGs to a fine art. You don’t even have to waste time fighting weaker enemies by engaging in battles with them because attacking them in the dungeon will kill them immediately if you’re at a higher level (this allows you to save MP without wasting them on weak enemies). Also, I appreciate how there’s a bonus (EXP, etc.) for battles where you defeat enemies without getting damaged so there’s an incentive for completing battles as fast as possible (this is what I’ve always wanted in the Persona games).

Another praise-worthy aspect of Metaphor ReFantazio that I can’t miss mentioning is the music. Of course, Atlus JRPGs are often known for how great their music and soundtracks are, especially the Persona games. While there aren’t really any songs like the Persona games, the music in Metaphor ReFantazio is clearly meant to evoke an epic and majestic feeling, something orchestral and more reminiscent of other fantasy JRPGs like Dragon Quest and Final Fantasy. Last but not least, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the striking and vibrant UI in Metaphor ReFantazio. Atlus has been the king of stylish and creative UI ever since Persona 5, and this game is no different. It’s essentially UI porn for those who are into these kinds of things, and going into menus always feels like eye candy for the heart and soul.

As almost perfect as Metaphor: ReFantazio can be, the game still suffers from a few minor issues. Firstly, the font in the game is pretty small and there were no options to make it bigger; it was sometimes hard to read something on the screen or to focus on something with everything that happens onscreen (I play on a TV, not a monitor). Another problem is not really that big of an issue, but after coming from playing Shin Megami Tensei V Vengeance several months ago (where I had complete freedom of how and when to progress through the game), the time constraints and deadlines in Metaphor: ReFantazio can feel somewhat restrictive and limiting. That being said, they aren’t any more limiting than any of the new Persona games, and Metaphor: ReFantazio is less strict on that element compared to the Persona games.

As for the length of the game, Metaphor: ReFantazio is up there with Persona 5 Royal as one of the longest games Atlus has ever developed. Your first playthrough will likely take at least around 80 hours to finish and completionists may well take over 100 hours easily, especially with multiple playthroughs and whatnot. In terms of hours of content, not many games can boast of beating Metaphor ReFantazio.

The Front Runner

In a year filled with already great JRPGs like Persona 3 Reload, Visions Of Mana, and Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, Metaphor: ReFantazio still manages to stand out and be a masterful game worthy of the highest praise. This is a clear GOTY candidate for 2024 and it’s also perhaps what I could even arguably be Atlus’ magnum opus to date. It’s a game that any JRPG fan worth their salt should most definitely play at least once in their lifetimes.

Long live the king. Long live Metaphor: ReFantazio!

PROS

• Brilliant story and immersive narrative with detailed lore and intricate world-building.
• The most streamlined and deep turn-based system Atlus has ever made in their JRPGs (more like Persona rather than SMT).
• The Archetype system is much more complex than the Personas in the Persona games.
• Visually striking with beautiful and vibrant artistic UI.
• Lots of quality-of-life improvements that make playing the game go smoothly and make the 100 hours pass by like butter.
• Phenomenal orchestral music that makes the game even more epic.

CONS

• Small font, time constraints, and deadlines can feel restrictive or limiting.

FINAL SCORE: 100/100

Review copy provided by SEGA. Metaphor ReFantazio is now available on PS5, Xbox Series X/S and PC.