The latest RPG from the Persona devs may be game of the year material, but certain gamers won't like this one thing

As a seasoned gamer with over two decades under my belt, I must say that Metaphor: ReFantazio has certainly piqued my interest and captured my imagination. Having grown up on the legendary Persona series, I was eager to see what this new venture from its creators would bring to the table.

Initially, when the game ReFantazio was officially introduced, I must confess that it wasn’t something that grabbed my attention immediately. Given that I haven’t dabbled in any of the Persona series games before, a fresh IP from their creators didn’t seem particularly enticing to me.

During Summer Game Fest 2024, I was the sole individual who got a chance to play Metaphor: ReFantazio. Instantly, this distinctive Japanese role-playing game caught my attention. Being one of the fortunate few to experience Metaphor: ReFantazio prior to its launch, everything I’ve played thus far has exceeded my initial excitement and expectations. The talented team at Studio Zero under Atlus, the publisher of Persona, have created something truly remarkable.

However, the game has ended up being longer than I was initially told (I believe the 50-60 hours I was quoted is more-or-less just pushing through the main campaign without interacting with much side content), so between the long runtime and my time reviewing Ara: History Untold I have yet to finish Metaphor: ReFantazio. I can’t provide a final score until the credits roll, but I’ve spent well over 40 hours in the United Kingdom of Euchronia already, and I have a lot of thoughts about what may end up being one of the very best Xbox games of the year.

What is Metaphor: ReFantazio?

In essence, Refantazio marks Studio Zero’s debut as Atlus’ third creative unit, a team nestled in Japan under the SEGA Corporation. Atlus is particularly renowned worldwide for its epic Persona series of role-playing games (RPGs), a legacy that has amassed an incredibly devoted fanbase.

Studio Zero was established post the launch of Persona 5 Royal by a group including director Katsura Hashino, character designer Shigenori Soejima, composer Shoji Meguro. They chose to create a completely new intellectual property for Atlus after this. The outcome is Metaphor: ReFantazio, which showcases similar gameplay and social simulation aspects found in Persona games but with a more whimsical backdrop set in an entirely fresh and distinctive universe.

In the fictional kingdom of Euchronia, located in the United Kingdom, disaster strikes when the king is murdered, and it’s thought that his only heir has perished. However, unaware to the assassin, the king had used a unique magical power exclusive to the royal family to initiate the Tournament for the Throne upon his death – a competition where anyone from the nation could potentially become the next king based on the trust and backing of the people. You control an Elda, a member of a frequently disrespected race, who is on a covert mission to locate the true Prince, the rightful Crown Heir, and prevent Euchronia from plunging into turmoil.

In a nutshell, Metaphor: ReFantazio is an epic RPG journey that blends real-time and tactical turn-based battles, and features a distinct class system inspired by magical Archetypes. This game will be available starting October 11, 2024, on Xbox Series X|S, Windows PC, and PlayStation 5|4. You can grab it for $69.99 from Best Buy, or opt for the Collector’s Edition priced at $149.99, also available at Best Buy. If you’re hesitant, give it a try with the free demo that lets you play the first 5-7 hours, which carries over to the main game if you decide to purchase it later on.

Metaphor: ReFantazio — Performance and stability

The latest RPG from the Persona devs may be game of the year material, but certain gamers won't like this one thing

Performance highlights

Metaphor: ReFantazio has been running very well on Xbox Series X, with only a handful of dropped frames.
This has also been a very polished game for me, as I’ve encountered remarkably few bugs.
The game runs well on ASUS ROG Ally, too, and a pre-release patch seems to have largely fixed performance issues we discovered on PC.

Primarily, I’ve been immersed in Metaphor: ReFantazio on the Xbox Series X, and the game has been performing exceptionally well. There aren’t many adjustable graphics or performance settings to tweak (in fact, there are very few, if any), but the game looks and performs admirably. The performance remains smooth even in densely populated areas or when multiple enemies appear on-screen. During my gaming sessions, I’ve only encountered a limited number of skipped frames.

The game’s stability is outstanding, with no crashes or significant problems to report. Frankly, it’s hard for me to recall any bugs I’ve encountered, which is quite impressive considering the scale of this RPG. However, some players who tried the demo on PC mentioned CPU-related performance issues in vast open spaces. But let me assure you, a pre-release patch during our review time fixed those concerns, providing my coworker Alex Cope with a seamless frame rate on PC.

On my ASUS ROG Ally X, I spent numerous hours enjoying Metaphor: ReFantazio. The gaming experience turned out to be far superior than I initially anticipated. Running at a resolution of 1080p with the Low graphical setting, I activated AMD’s HYPR-RX visual features (you can learn more about AMD Fluid Motion Frames on ROG Ally in our explanation). This setup delivered a consistent frame rate of approximately 35 frames per second in open areas and around 65 FPS during combat and other game segments.

In a simpler manner, you could say that “Metaphor: ReFantazio functions like Xbox Play Anywhere. This means you purchase it only once from the Microsoft Store and can enjoy playing it not just on Xbox but also on your computer (including portable devices). Your progress is saved in the cloud, which was incredibly convenient during my recent work trip to San Francisco. I spent hours playing Metaphor: ReFantazio on the plane.

Metaphor: ReFantazio — Art design and audio

Art & audio highlights

Metaphor: ReFantazio has excellent art design, from its menus and interfaces to its character designs and worldbuilding.
Its art style is likely to be divisive, however — this is hardly the most visually evocative game, with a flat and neutral color palette.
However you feel about how the game looks, though, no one will argue that Metaphor: ReFantazio has solid audio design and a phenomenal soundtrack.

I find Metaphor: ReFantazio visually appealing due to its user-friendly design that works seamlessly across various hardware. However, it’s important to note that opinions on this game are divided, with some people criticizing its muted color scheme and inconsistent textures. Despite these criticisms, I think the artistic design of Metaphor: ReFantazio outweighs any perceived flaws in its style.

In a new twist of phrase, we can say that ReFantazio masterfully constructs a captivating, immersive, and original universe brimming with intriguing and layered characters. The game boasts breathtaking landscapes, and each character stands out visually and purposefully distinct. The adversaries are also enthralling, showcasing an impressive array of variety, stretching from ordinary RPG foes to truly grotesque Eldritch-inspired creatures. Additionally, ReFantazio excels in providing a three-dimensional feel that sets it apart from many other games with similar artistic styles; even the characters’ clothing displays depth and distinction from their figures.

The artistic prowess of this game shines particularly in its cinematic scenes and user interfaces. The cinematics are expertly animated with a vibrant blend of color and emotion, but unfortunately, they’re less frequent than desired within the overall gameplay. On the other hand, Metaphor: ReFantazio excels in crafting menus that harmoniously balance readability, usability, and aesthetic appeal with distinctive visuals and elements. Each menu offers a unique Metaphor: ReFantazio experience, which is no small feat to achieve.

At last, I’ve reached the audio aspect of Metaphor: ReFantazio! To my delight, more than I anticipated, the narrative isn’t solely text-based but includes excellent voiceovers in both Japanese and English. The audio design is spot-on for monsters, combat, and the overall world ambiance. However, none of that compares to the exceptional original soundtrack by the brilliant Shoji Meguro. This soundtrack is potent, dynamic, and responsive, accentuating every fight, conversation, and growth perfectly. It’s the kind of music that you can appreciate immensely without even needing the game itself!

Metaphor: ReFantazio — Narrative and world

Narrative highlights

At first glance Metaphor: ReFantazio tells a fairly predictable story of a struggle for power in a dystopian society wracked by classism and discrimination.
However, the game deviates from the expected in several creative ways and is overall well-written and directed.
Studio Zero also did a brilliant job building a world that feels believable and more alive than what we usually see in video games.

In a twist of events, Louis, once a commoner, rose to become a warlord through exceptional skills in magic, fighting, and strategy. This ascension led him to slay the legitimate ruler of the United Kingdom of Euchronia. Previously, the only heir to the throne mysteriously disappeared and was believed deceased. Louis aimed to seize the throne for himself, asserting that power is the sole form of authority worthy of respect. However, the late king had anticipated such a move, triggering the activation of the royal family’s incredibly potent magic.

Instead of leading a violent overthrow, Louis was instead compelled to participate in a Royal Tournament, where the winner would be crowned king. The ruler, along with his magical powers, declared that whoever earned the trust and backing of Euchronia’s populace within a specific timeframe would ascend the throne, regardless of their social status – whether they were nobility, commoners, or criminals. However, our unnamed protagonist pursues a different goal – to defeat Louis, thereby lifting the curse that has kept the lost prince in a coma for years and returning him to his rightful position on the throne.

The unique challenge lies in the fact that Louis, along with other leading contenders for the throne, are essentially immortal thanks to the king’s magical protection, which means no violence or assassination is an option for his successor. This central concept forms the basis of ReFantazio’s story, compelling you and your comrades to devise creative solutions and participate in the Tournament for the Throne. To outmaneuver Louis and save the prince from imminent peril, you must win over the populace who disdain your heritage, gaining their support along the way.

I really like the story that has been told so far in Metaphor: ReFantazio, but by my reckoning, I’m likely only around halfway through the game at the time of writing. What I can say is that the United Kingdom of Euchronia feels like a real, believable fantasy world that changes and progresses over time — and time does move. Everything you do progresses time, and you have to choose how you spend the limited time you have carefully; do you grow closer to your friends and followers, help people in need, grow stronger in dungeons, or move forward with your plans to save the prince?

At this point, you’ll gain insights into Euchronia, a land with its nations bound together yet independent, and its diverse groups (or ethnicities) fractured by widespread prejudice. You’ll also discover the stark contrast between the majority living in poverty and the privileged few. Additionally, you’ll find out that Euchronia, once similar to our world, was devastated by an uncontrollable technological advancement. In a poetic sense, ReFantazio acknowledges your presence, treating you as the hidden force of destiny manipulating events within the protagonist’s world from yours.

I’ve experienced plenty, but I don’t want to give anything away. Let me just tell you that I’m thoroughly enjoying this tale thus far. Additionally, I find myself drawn to the social interaction aspects reminiscent of the Persona series, where you form deeper connections with your allies to enhance their abilities. Some of these subplots are quite touching, like Maria’s story, a young girl whose family is broken after her father is killed. She invites you into her life, adding a deeply emotional layer to the game.

Initially, I had concerns that the clock continually advancing, which was presented during the demo, might become bothersome in the actual game. However, Metaphor: ReFantazio cleverly provides segmented access to the game and offers adequate time for completion of most tasks, provided one thinks strategically and carefully plans the sequence of actions.

The characters are skillfully crafted and voice-acted, significantly enhancing the storyline. However, despite being an engaging, fated leader, the main character often maintains a distant demeanor and speaks sparingly. Additionally, there are instances where gameplay takes a back seat to focus more on the plot, which might not be preferred by all gamers.

Metaphor: ReFantazio — Gameplay and combat

Gameplay highlights

Metaphor: ReFantazio is basically split into three parts: strategic turn-based combat, dungeon exploration, overworld combat, and social simulation.
All these pieces tie together well and have remained very fun and engaging after dozens of hours of play time.
The turn-based combat is especially interesting because of the Archetype magic system, which lets you explore essentially countless different strategies with your party.

ReFantazio might be a game that Persona fans already know, but for me, it’s a new RPG experience. Essentially, your adventure in Euchronia will involve traversing dungeons and either defeating or subduzing enemies swiftly in simple combat, facing off against stronger adversaries in complex, strategic turn-based combat, or exploring tranquil zones, shopping, conversing with NPCs, fostering relationships with followers and allies, and enhancing your abilities.

Initially, let me clarify that ReFantazio isn’t an open-world game like some others you might be familiar with. Instead, it follows a more structured path common in RPGs, gradually unveiling new areas as the story unfolds. While you have flexibility in deciding the sequence and method of tasks, the overall narrative arc remains consistent across different playthroughs.

In city or village locations within the game, there will be no combat encounters, instead, you’ll overhear conversations between NPCs. This means that people in these areas will be interacting with each other and also responding to your presence and actions. By doing so, you can gain a deeper understanding of the world and your role within it. On the other hand, intense gameplay focused on action, such as battling enemies and collecting treasure, is only found within specific dungeons. These dungeons are unique in their settings and difficulty levels, often resembling complex mazes filled with adversaries and valuable loot.

As you delve into dungeons, it’s not about aimlessly wandering or passively waiting for battles to find you. Instead, you engage in real-time combat, swiftly defeating lesser adversaries or gaining the upper hand against tougher opponents by momentarily disabling them. However, be aware that there’s also a risk involved, as enemies can counterattack, and if you encounter a stronger opponent first, brace yourself for an exceptionally challenging battle.

In the midst of these sequential battles, ReFantazio’s gameplay truly showcases its brilliance. Your character awakens an age-old magic called Archetypes, which unites the spirits of ancient heroes who followed similar paths. By tapping into this magic through your emotions, you can summon potent abilities aligned with those paths. The protagonist can also awaken this ability in those they become close to, but it extends beyond that: as you unlock new Archetypes and forge deeper relationships, you can pass on any discovered Archetype to any of your comrades, and these companions can likewise share the skills and abilities they’ve gained from the Archetypes they can channel.

From my perspective, Archetypes function similarly to traditional RPG character classes, yet they offer a fascinating twist: each character can master any class you unveil, blending the skills from multiple classes once learned. This results in an exceptionally versatile and dynamic combat system, capable of accommodating countless strategies. While characters can certainly stick to their inherent roles defined by their distinct strengths and weaknesses, the opportunity to craft unusual combinations leveraging a multitude of offensive, defensive, supportive, and even collaborative “Synthesis” abilities you’ll discover is truly exhilarating.

After more than 40 hours of gameplay, I haven’t managed to uncover every Archetype yet and there’s no chance I’ve unlocked all their hidden aspects. The game offers a lot of freedom, which means that even after many hours, I’m still looking forward to the turn-based battles. Interestingly, the enemies you encounter also get a share of this variety in combat style.

In Metaphor: ReFantazio, the dungeons are thrilling to delve into and battles are top-notch, however, it fails to spark my anticipation in discovering a treasure chest. Often, the items found within lack excitement or usefulness. Nevertheless, I’m thoroughly enjoying myself, even when not actively playing the game. Unfortunately, this may not be the case for all players.

In many of the gaming sessions I’ve experienced, there have been numerous stretches where action is scarce or non-existent for periods lasting 20, 30, or even 40 minutes. During these times, progress can still be made simply by watching cinematics and participating in dialogue, both spoken and otherwise. While I personally enjoy immersing myself in the game’s world and characters, I occasionally ponder when interactive gameplay will resume again. This prolonged lack of action might be discouraging for players who prioritize gameplay over story.

Metaphor: ReFantazio — Accessibility and approachability

Accessibility highlights

Metaphor: ReFantazio is fairly approachable, although it does throw a lot of information and systems at you that you’re expected to remember, and tooltips are sparse.
However, turn-based combat makes the gameplay very approachable, and there are various difficulty levels.
Accessibility options are relatively limited, though, with no advanced options for visual, audible, or physical disabilities — not even a way to rebind controls.

To wrap up, just like I typically do, I’d like to discuss the accessibility and user-friendliness of Metaphor: ReFantazio. This aspect appears to be a challenge for this category of video games, and Metaphor: ReFantazio doesn’t entirely deviate from these patterns. In terms of approachability, Metaphor is quite simple to get the hang of, with a storyline that unfolds in a straightforward manner and is easy to understand. The turn-based combat system is also beneficial for those who might find complex games requiring high physical dexterity challenging.

Although ReFantazio presents a multitude of systems to handle, it offers tutorials, recaps, and summaries for your reference. However, you need to actively seek them out if you happen to forget something. On the positive side, there are multiple levels of difficulty available, catering to both beginners and advanced players. As for accessibility, the experience is somewhat mixed.

In Metaphor: ReFantazio, you’ll find your typical choices for subtitles, audio adjustments, and various customization options for controls and the interface. Yet, it lacks some essential features that one might expect. For instance, it doesn’t offer color-blind modes, improved menu legibility, or remappable controls – features that are now standard in contemporary games. I had anticipated a more comprehensive suite of accessibility options from such a renowned studio.

Metaphor: ReFantazio review — Final thoughts

You should play this if …

✅You love the Persona games already

If you’re already fond of Persona, then this choice is an obvious one for you. Essentially, ReFantazio carries a significant influence from the renowned JRPG series, as it was created by numerous similar talents – think of it as a fresh narrative set in a different universe with some exciting new features.

✅You’re looking for a meaty, expansive RPG to occupy your time

If you’re looking for a game that could easily consume several hours of your time, Metaphor: ReFantazio offers the material and variety to do just that while keeping it enjoyable throughout. This is particularly beneficial if you’ve grown tired of open worlds, as Metaphor: ReFantazio won’t make you traverse endless landscapes filled with plains and mountains.

You should not play this if …

❌You can’t stand games that take away gameplay at times

I’m thoroughly enjoying the tale of Metaphor: ReFantazio thus far, yet I must admit that for roughly an hour during my gaming sessions so far, I haven’t actually been controlling the game. If you prefer games (and their narratives) to be purely about gameplay, Metaphor: ReFantazio might prove frustrating for you.

Without delaying further, let me clarify that I haven’t finalized my thoughts or assigned a score to Metaphor: ReFantazio as of yet. However, having immersed myself sufficiently into the game, I am certain that most parts of my eventual review will remain unaltered once the ending is reached.

If the second half of the game doesn’t undergo a significant transformation, Refantazio is shaping up to be one of the most influential and captivating games I’ve played this year. To be honest, it’s sparking my curiosity about the Persona series, and I might even download Persona 3 Reload and save it for later. In essence, Refantazio is a detailed, leisurely paced RPG that places great emphasis on world-building, storytelling, and character development, and I’m really enjoying that aspect of it.

Over the past few weeks, I’ve been delighting in creating unusual combinations of characters, skills, and gear for my expanding team, which has brought me great pleasure. There have been moments when I should have been sleeping, but instead found myself getting out of bed, turning on my Xbox again, and playing long into the night. To put it another way, ReFantazio’s captivating gameplay mechanics, social interactions, immersive world, and distinct (occasionally heavy-handed) storyline have already won me over before I’ve even reached the end of the game.

This is one for the Persona fans, the JRPG fans, the story-driven game fans… it’s not for the players who demand every moment be nail-biting, action-packed gameplay. I’ll be back once I’ve properly finished Metaphor: ReFantazio with my final score, but don’t expect too much of what I’ve written to change. If you’re sold, you can pick up Metaphor: ReFantazio on Xbox for $69.99 at Best Buy.

2024-10-07 17:10

The latest RPG from the Persona devs may be game of the year material, but certain gamers won’t like this one thing