Katsura Hashino and many of the key figures behind the Persona series have delivered their first original release since leaving P-Studio, Metaphor: ReFantazio, and it’s a doozy.
While the Persona series is iconic at this point and remains a consistently good experience, as seen earlier this year with Persona 3 Reload, there’s no denying that the series is formulaic. The hero washes into a new town. He teams up with their dumb soon-to-be best friend. They then start an urban fantasy journey full of inappropriate moments with their homeroom teacher, authority figures betraying them, and a local incident growing to apocalyptic proportions.
Metaphor breaks free of that formula. Not only that, but it sets itself apart by taking that foundation and adding a radically different story and superior UI to make one of the greatest JRPGs in years.
The Good:
- Distinct visual style, exceptional voice acting, and unique soundtrack
- A high-fantasy story that is somehow jarringly relevant to the real world
The Bad:
- Lack of missable content may make things feel overly easy
- Has the traditional JRPG slow start
Review Details:
- What Platform Did the Reviewer Play On?: PlayStation 5
- Platforms Available: PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PC
- Official Release Date: October 11, 2024
Metaphor: ReFantazio sets the new standard for JRPGs
Metaphor: ReFantazio, as they say, goes hard. There’s no other way to describe it. Right from the start, it establishes itself as different in the most in-your-face ways possible.
After the introductory cutscene, the game hits the player with its unique watercolor-like graphics. Then comes its music, complete with a Buddhist monk spitting bars over a symphony. Before long comes the battle system, which folds together elements of Persona, Suikoden, and classic Final Fantasy with an elegant UI of its own.
While Metaphor shares DNA with many of its forerunners, it manages to stand apart in its style while bringing the genre forward mechanically.
Then comes the story. In an age of entertainment that is often paralyzed with fear over creating something that inspires thought in consumers, Metaphor: ReFantazio chooses to be bold.
The central idea sticks out on its own. The king of Euchronia is assassinated without a living heir. Despite this, his “royal magic” lives on and commands his citizens to choose a new king for themselves. What follows is a literal election campaign. Figures from the old regime, celebrities, and hopeful weirdos hit the road, looking to endear themselves to the masses.
It’s a novel approach, standing far apart from the many “highborn person looks to restore peace to their continent” retreads. Metaphor: ReFantazio doesn’t stop there, though. Despite its thin coat of high fantasy paint, the game tackles a laundry list of real-life issues that other works of fiction wouldn’t dare to.
Racism, classism, religion, and many other perenially contentious issues are discussed in explicit terms, demonstrated in subtle and overt ways, and then analyzed in regards to how they fit into people’s political priorities. It’s stunningly ambitious and executed almost flawlessly, save for its suave but cartoonishly evil antagonist.
All this is held together by Persona-style structure and pacing. Metaphor: ReFantazio borrows its cousin’s calendar system, with certain actions advancing time and a deadline being attached to each major plot moment. This keeps the larger story in focus while still offering the player freedom in how to approach things.
The Bottom Line: Metaphor: ReFantazio combines a one-of-a-kind story, refined gameplay, and Atlus’ signature flair to make a must-play JRPG.
Score: 10/10
