The king of the land has been murdered. Behind his murder, there is a plethora of corruption and confusion as the land decides it needs to elect a new king. What will happen in this sequence of events? Will the rightful heir claim the throne, or something more sinister? Let’s seize our destiny in our review of Metaphor: ReFantazio!
Game: Metaphor: ReFantazio
Developer: Studio Zero
Publishers: Sega, Atlus
Platforms: PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5 (Reviewed), Steam, Xbox Series X/S
Release: October 11, 2024
Genre: Role-playing
*Special thanks to Atlus/Sega PR for providing a PS5 review Key*
Intro/Story:
Metaphor: ReFantazio is a fantasy role-playing game set in the United Kingdom of Euchronia, a realm inhabited by diverse Tribes, each facing varying degrees of discrimination. The protagonist, Will (or in my case, my name, Jimmy, as you can name the protagonist whatever you want) is a young elda boy and childhood friend of the cursed prince. The protagonist embarks on a quest to lift the prince’s curse and navigate the kingdom’s political turmoil following the assassination of King Hythlodaeus V.
Throughout your journey in Metaphor: ReFantazio, you will meet several different characters from many different backgrounds, social classes, creeds, and ethnicities. Your part will be composed of them as well. Together, they confront challenges posed by societal prejudices, mysterious monsters called humans, and the ambitious general Louis Guiabern, who seeks to exploit the kingdom’s instability for his gain. During this metaphoric journey, the group uncovers deep-seated corruption within the kingdom, confronts their demons, and strives to bring hope to a world overshadowed by discrimination and oppression. The narrative delves into themes of social inequality, the complexities of power, and the resilience required to challenge systemic injustices.
The development team has done something unique in Metaphor: ReFantazio. They made a game that has such deep ties to the actual real world, and it was released during a period when this was very relevant. Metaphor: ReFantazio tackles several themes that most games do not touch, and not only does it tackle these themes, it does it extremely well. Not once the writing was out of place, or not relevant. The themes of societal issues, discrimination, and resilience are integrated into quests and interactions. In addition, the main characters in the game are written insanely well and have some of the best character development in all of gaming, the delivery of the story, and pacing of the entire game are fantastic from beginning to end.
Very few games can deliver a game of this quality. However, the team at Studio Zero did it and did it fantastically.
Gameplay:
Metaphor: ReFantazio combines traditional turn-based combat with real-time action elements and social simulation aspects, offering players a rich and immersive experience in a meticulously crafted fantasy world. The real-time action elements can be utilized in two different ways, to get an advantage in the turn-based battle, or to eliminate enemies (i.e. weaker enemies) in minimal hits. It can also put players at a disadvantage if they are hit.
In the turn-based combat, Metaphor: ReFantazio focuses on strategy and exploiting enemy weaknesses, similar to Atlus’s Persona and Shin Megami Tensei series. This is heavy on the Shin Megami Tensei side. Strategy is a must, or you can find yourself “SMT’D” in several fights. Once the strategy is set, players use a combination of physical attacks, magical spells, and unique character abilities. The unique abilities are similar to Persona, in which players summon their Archetypes to do their unique moves. This plays into strategy as well.
Outside of combat, there is so much to do and see in Metaphor: ReFantazio. The world of Euchronia is expansive and richly detailed, with multiple zones for players to explore. Dungeons are intricately designed with puzzles, traps, and hidden treasures. As in Persona games, there is a social component in the game. Players will build bonds with several people. A core part of Metaphor: ReFantazio involves building relationships with party members and other NPCs. Choices made during these conversations and events can impact character dynamics and influence the storyline. Metaphor: ReFantazio weaves its gameplay tightly with its story, featuring choices that affect the plot and character arcs.
Additionally, Characters can be customized through skill trees, equipment, and abilities. Players can craft or acquire unique gear to enhance their performance in battle. The combat in the game requires strategy so customization, refining, and fine-tuning is a must in Metaphor: ReFantazio. There is so much more to go on and about for Metaphor: ReFantazio, but Players truly need to experience the game itself.
Audio/Visual:
Metaphor: ReFantazio boasts a stunning visual aesthetic, blending medieval and fantastical elements. I can honestly say, as a fan of Atlus, Sega, and Studio Zero games, this is probably one of the best-looking worlds they brought to life. Every setting tells a story. From the actual environments to the NPCs in each location, to the dungeons, everything just is fantastically designed. So much love and care was put into Metaphor: ReFantazio and it truly shows.
Metaphor: ReFantazio also features a richly composed soundtrack that complements the immersive world-building. The battle theme itself spawned several memes as wwell and is a banger. Add this with masterfully crafted audio mixing, and top-tier voice acting and Metaphor: ReFantazio delivers on all levels.
Fun Factor:
I easily put 100 hours into Metaphor: ReFantazio and I really could not get enough. I did another playthrough after finishing the game almost immediately. Metaphor: ReFantazio truly leaves a lasting impression and is fun from beginning to end. This is a rarity to this date for gaming in general.
Wrap-up/Conclusion:
Metaphor: ReFantazio won several awards last year and is highly praised across the board by those who played it. Everything is masterfully crafted and treated with so much love that it truly shows in every single aspect of the game. You are truly doing yourself a disservice if you skip this game or have not played it yet. I highly recommend it in every single aspect.
– Until next time, Mgs2master2 out!
*Special thanks to Atlus/Sega PR for providing a PS5 review Key*
Score: 10/10 – Metaphor: ReFantazio is truly a once-in-a-lifetime, generational type game. Not many games can reach this pinnacle of greatness. If you are an RPG gamer, you owe it to yourself to play this game. It won RPG of the year for a reason.