It's safe to say expectations for this Metaphor: ReFantazio June 2023 is high after its initial reveal at the Xbox Game Showcase. As the first original game from Studio Zero, as well as another major project Personality 5 Director Katsura Hashino After his departure from P-Studio, anticipation for the Metaphor: ReFantazio has been, understandably, at a fever pitch. But about every new information disclosed metaphor Seems to only leave fans with more questions. I wonder how much metaphor Play or feel like personality or Shin Megami Tensei The game also seemed to rule the day, moving the needle forward for that particular style of RPG.
Thankfully, no one is thinking metaphorIn terms of Atlus' 'quality' other major RPG franchises can breathe easy. Not only that Metaphor: ReFantazio Mix the best parts personality and SMT With a healthy dose of classic RPG inspiration, it transcends its myriad influences to become the sum of its parts and one of the unmissable games of 2024. It's a fast-paced and feature-rich experience that begs to be played by both personality and RPG fans in general, and a mix of elements from Hashino's work in it personality The franchise with an addictive job system makes it one of the biggest games in Atlus' catalog.
the backbone of Metaphor: ReFantazio Its a well-written and thematically dense story. Going beyond the traditional limits players might encounter in A personality game, metaphor Faces the same challenging issues that affect society at large. To its credit, it offers no easy answers and doesn't stoop to weak platitudes. Instead, plot and character development work together to address themes of discrimination, social stratification, and what it takes to unite society toward a brighter future in the face of overwhelming opposition and conflicting interests. There is no easy answer metaphorBut what it offers players feels well-earned, given how the characters and their worlds develop throughout the story.
That story revolves around a single event, the assassination of the current ruling king. This regicide sets in motion a chain of events that causes metaphorThe protagonist, an unnamed hero with his fairy friend Gallica, embarks on a secret mission with the hope of restoring the deposed prince. The rest of the world is unaware that the prince is still alive after an assassination attempt years ago, and a small resistance has sprung up hoping to restore the rightful ruler to the throne. Without delving into spoiler territory, shocking revelations about the plot against the royal family and the hero's place in it provide an emotional gut punch and catharsis at the end of the journey. But of course, that payoff would be impossible if it weren't for the excellent and charming cast of characters.
Apart from being interesting and well designed, the heroes and villains Metaphor: ReFantazio Rank among some of the best party members and opponents in any RPG. It's not hyperbole to say that the game's main villain, Louis Guiburn, is an RPG antagonist on the same level as Sephiroth or Kefka, and the fact that he's as easy to empathize with as you are to hate him is proof. Both he and the rest of the cast are three-dimensional. Specific social bonds have become a key element of the system personality series from Personality 3 returns to metaphorAnd developing those relationships reaps the same rewards by further developing each ally's personality while also benefiting the player in terms of their combat skills.
There are many nodes personalityThere are certain elements Metaphor: ReFantazioBut one area where the title stands out on its own is with its combat and progression system. Unlike the monster-collecting and fusion elements that are the cornerstones of both personality and Shin Megami TenseiIn battle and progress metaphor are centered around archetypes. Archetypes are essentially classic RPG job classes, filling the fairly archetypal roles one might expect such as Healer, Warrior, Mage, and so on. But by developing relationships with allies and strengthening those bonds, players unlock advanced archetypes, each of which has unique synthesis attacks with other archetypes within and without a particular class lineage.
It's a system with a surprising amount of depth, especially once players unlock the skills the archetype learns and the ability to recognize synthesis attacks available with other classes. Players can talk to informants in each area metaphorof the map, for a price gain valuable insight into the denizens of a particular dungeon and their weaknesses. Armed with this information and a little planning, it's not uncommon to waltz into an area and lay waste to enemies en masse by playing archetypes and their unique abilities. The turn-by-turn gameplay in combat also borrows liberally from the press turn system, where exploiting enemies' weaknesses results in more turns for the player and a chance to earn bigger rewards from “Unscathed Triumph”.
similar to personality series from Personality 3 Next, the main quest Metaphor: ReFantazio is governed by a calendar system. Aside from a few days where special, story-related events take place, players have an afternoon and evening section dedicated to a selection of activities. Exploring dungeons consumes the afternoon, and following those adventures players must return to a nearby town for rest and recuperation. Thank you, metaphor Quest is very generous when it comes to deadlines, meaning players have plenty of time to prepare between major missions. In these sections, it is possible to do any number of things that each ultimately contribute to making the player and their allies more powerful.
There are 5 “King Virtues” players need to strengthen throughout their journey (attributes eg personality), unlocking higher levels more dialogue options that eventually lead to higher-level bonds with allies (ie advanced archetypes and combat abilities). Additionally, there are bounties to collect, key items and treasures to find, and side-quests specific to each party member and ally's bond level that are worth pursuing in between dungeon-crawling sections. And while the turn-based combat is a blast and just as addictive personality and SMT series, metaphor While there's a significant level gap between players and enemies, dungeon-crawling streamlines things by allowing enemies to execute in real-time without entering the battle screen.
in front metaphora lot of attention has been paid to the game's breathtaking visuals, character designs, and art direction. of many metaphorThe monster design and general atmosphere of the game is influenced by the visionary artist Hieronymus Bosch of the 16th century, but metaphorThe cast is as diverse and engaging as one would expect from an Atlas RPG. the world of metaphor Essentially divided into 3 regions, in which 8 tribes live. Each of these tribes has a unique appearance and characteristics that set them apart from the others, and together form a wonderfully designed environment. metaphorThe world feels like a fully realized place.
Of special note metaphorFor the score, composer Shoji Meguro returns once again to contribute a series of incredible arrangements that add to the game's general fantasy vibe. The songs themselves are a far cry from what Meguro composed Personality 5 But no less exciting, proving how important music is to the overall RPG experience by serving to enrich it and draw the player in. Along with its score, one metaphorIt has UI elements and menu design. The personality Menus and combat screens that pop visually, but games don't slouch metaphor's stylized art direction makes them almost overwhelming in terms of their beauty and complexity.
A fitting cap to the 'Year of the RPG'
This year has been host to many incredible RPG experiences with Atlus' own Persona 3 Reloaded and Shin Megami Tensei 5: Revenge Among them, however metaphor Sounds like a feather in the studio's cap. One of the main questions around metaphor Whether players can expect the same long experience Personality 5And I'm happy to report the main findings metaphor Give players more than their money's worth. Hashino's comments indicated that players can expect 80-100-hours of experience metaphorThere is plenty of post-game content available for anyone looking to get more out of the title.
My own playthrough of the main story finished in 68 hours, with plenty of time on side quests and extra activities. If I were to follow some of the other things I favor for the final game, I can easily see a standard playthrough taking most players around 80 hours, especially if they need to retry certain challenging bounty hunts or main story boss fights.
But even at its somewhat daunting triple-digit length, metaphor Sounds like an intense experience. I would argue that the game is one of the best paced RPG titles in a long time, with an ounce of fat in it, and worth every moment of the main quest and the player's time afterwards. If there is a knock against metaphorAnd that's a minor point, given that some of the harder boss fights boil down to trial and error with the archetype system gaming, but that can also potentially be attributed to my brute-forcing certain encounters intended for post-game.
Studio Zero and Katsura Hashino have made a bold statement Metaphor: ReFantazioInstantly cementing the title as one of Atlus' greatest RPGs and an impressive debut for the new development house. Much of that made up Hashino's work personality The series returns here exclusively metaphor And fans of the series will feel familiar, but in subtle ways it pushes the envelope for many of the franchise's signature elements. metaphor Clearly a game of its own that RPG fans shouldn't miss. The greatest RPGs are experiences that last long after the credits roll and warrant repeated playthroughs with the player, even at 80-100 hours. metaphor is a game I can see myself returning to time and time again as one of my new favorite role playing games.
Metaphor: ReFantazio Launches October 11 for PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S. Game Rant was provided with an Xbox code for this review.
