Metaphor: ReFantazio Review – Atlus’ New Medieval Fantasy Persona-Style RPG is a Real Treat

As a seasoned veteran of the JRPG world, with over a thousand hours clocked in Atlus’ legendary Persona series, I must admit that Metaphor: ReFantazio has managed to captivate me like no other game in this genre has since Persona 5. The similarities are there, yes, but make no mistake – this is its own unique beast.

In 2016, Katsura Hashino, a key figure in the Atlus and Persona series, departed to establish Studio Zero under the Japanese publisher. Accompanying him were several dedicated Persona team members such as Shigenori Soejima (character artist), Shoji Meguro (composer), Yuichiro Tanaka (writer), and others like Kenichi Goto and Azusa Kido (designers). After the successful release of Catherine: Full Body Edition, their debut project, Studio Zero’s first original IP is now Metaphor: ReFantazio, a turn-based JRPG. Despite its questionable name, this is an extraordinary adventure that will leave a lasting impression.

To clarify, I find it relevant to share some background information as Metaphor: ReFantazio appears to be similar to the Persona series, except for minor differences. It’s essentially a fantasy version of Persona, where instead of Personas, you have Archetypes. The game is an adventure in a vast semi-open world filled with dungeons and people seeking aid, rather than a school setting. Instead of Social Links, it features Followers, and instead of Social Stats, there are Royal Virtues. It also includes a version of the Velvet Room, complete with its own Igor character. Despite these similarities, this game is not a criticism but an extension of the Persona series that fans will find comfortable yet unique. In essence, it’s like a spin-off that caters to everything a Persona fan would expect.

In this metaphorical tale, you assume the role of an anonymous Elda character, dispatched to the royal city of Euchronia on a crucial mission: rescuing a cursed prince. This is where the action escalates dramatically. From gruesome attacks by monstrous creatures called humans and power struggles for the throne, it won’t be long before you’re engulfed in a battle for the crown that has the fate of the entire country hanging in the balance. Amidst bitter racial tensions among Euchronia’s inhabitants (consisting primarily of bats, cats, mice, and other furry creatures), it falls to you to save the prince and unite the people of Euchronia in the process. The plot sets a rather complicated stage!

To put it simply, Metaphor is an extensive game, taking us approximately 105 hours to finish most of it. The storyline is filled with countless events that will keep you intrigued and on the edge of your seat. It’s thrilling, it’s emotional, it’s unexpected, it’s ominous and twisted, and yes, it even has its humorous moments. In essence, it’s everything you could hope for in a 100-hour fantasy role-playing game.

Stepping into this game feels like diving headfirst into a metaphorical masterpiece. The music, oh boy, it’s grandiose, adding an epic flair that’s hard to ignore. The sleek menu transitions from Persona 5 are still there, giving you a sense of familiarity while the battle scenes maintain their stylish charm.

The gameplay, though fundamentally resembling Persona as it’s a turn-based RPG, presents unique elements that distinctly set it apart. For instance, instead of the traditional ‘One More’ feature when exploiting a weakness, there is now a turn counter system. This allows you to manage the speed of battles, with hitting a weakness consuming only half a turn and missing a shot costing two out of the default four turns. If your attack is repelled, the turn immediately passes to the next player. It’s an intriguing system that reveals its subtleties as you become more accustomed to it. Moreover, the introduction of the overworld melee system enables you to swiftly dispatch under-levelled foes, conserving your MP and valuable time for encounters that offer a genuine challenge.

In the realm of gaming, I found myself immersed in ReFantazio’s ‘Archetype’ system, a captivating twist on what we know as the Persona system from Atlus’ iconic franchise. Though it shares some similarities, it’s uniquely its own. Just like waking up to it in the familiar world of Atlus, but here, I have the liberty to assign roles for every member of my squad. Plus, I can tweak their abilities and skills to suit my playstyle – a delightful feature that adds a layer of personalization.

From a boots on the ground perspective, my only real complaint would be that Studio Zero hasn’t really balanced the MP system as well as Persona’s, and you’ll constantly be scratching around for items and abilities that prolong your stay in a dungeon. That’s partly down to abilities setting you back more MP, and enemies having thousands of health points, meaning you spend more to takedown bog-standard enemies.  Despite trying to do the optional side content in difficulty order (as per the in-game graphics), I was constantly short on MP. And this is someone whose nailed the art of MP management over the last god-knows-how-many Persona games!

Speaking less about the prolonged, complex final battle against the boss that severely challenged our team management of mana points would be ideal. To put it mildly, it wasn’t enjoyable at all. This battle is just one example of the numerous challenging parts in the game, and unfortunately, its difficulty is amplified by the imbalanced MP system.

In essence, Metaphor shares a resemblance with the Persona series in terms of structure, offering both narrative-driven segments and periods where player choices determine time spent. Unlike Persona, there are no classes during free time in Metaphor, but it does provide opportunities to assume roles, explore wilderness, aid townsfolk, and engage in thrilling bounty hunts – similar to a classic fantasy RPG like Final Fantasy. Time management remains crucial, as timely completion of tasks is essential to progress effectively.

Beyond just the exciting journey, there are numerous characters and allies who have detailed histories and activities similar to Social Links for you to engage with. Essentially, Studio Zero has developed a fresh fantasy RPG using the Persona platform that works exceptionally well. It’s a concept we’d be delighted to see expanded in other genres as well – perhaps even sci-fi versions of Persona or Metaphor? Absolutely!

Essentially, ReFantazio shares some similarities with Persona in terms of mechanics, but it’s quite distinct from a typical Persona game. Although it offers Social Link substitutes, character alternatives, and turn-based gameplay, the overall experience is unique. To be honest, I haven’t been this engrossed by an RPG spanning 100 hours since playing Persona 5. Despite some minor flaws like balancing issues and difficulty peaks, it’s a remarkable journey into an intriguing world. The game may have a less-than-appealing name, but don’t let that deter you.

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2024-10-07 17:12