Metaphor: ReFantazio is the latest game from Studio Zero, a studio under Atlus. The game is set for an October 2024 release, and to give potential players a taste of the upcoming game, a demo was released this past weekend.
The Premise
Our protagonist is on a mission to reverse a curse placed on his childhood friend, the prince of The United Kingdom of Euchronia, who is believed dead. While the task isn’t easy, it only becomes more difficult when the King is assassinated, throwing the country into utter chaos. Without a known heir who can stake a claim on the throne, our hero must join the tournament for the throne to ensure his friend’s rightful place and cleanse him of his affliction.
The Neutral: Narrative
The writers are a little on the nose with their narrative. However, sometimes it’s better to keep things that don’t impact the story simple. This way, we focus on bigger themes and the hero’s journey.
There is in-your-face racism against the player character and other NPCs you meet in the demo. It’s a reflection of the corrupt country in Metaphor. While our protagonist won’t heal that overnight, I’m sure as players progress in the main game, barriers will be broken and ideologies will be challenged.
The lack of romantic interests for this game is a breath of fresh air. I am happy about this. In many cases, the romance routes in Persona games are shoehorned in, and the social links suffer for it.
The Fantastic: Battle Mechanics
The game builds its battle system from past Atlus games but adds more to battle optimization. Instead of forcing yourself into a turn-based battle against weaker mobs, now you can beat them in the overworld.
The transitions into battle are great. They show if your party has the advantage or not when commencing turn-based combat.
Players must now use positioning to fight enemies. Moving characters to and from the front lines to dodge insta-kills and keeping squishier companions out of harm’s way is vital in some fights. It’s much more interactive and strategic than in past games. Don’t worry. It doesn’t take up a turn.
The game also doesn’t end when the player character dies, and I am eternally grateful. Long gone are the days of a premature game over screen because the enemy lands a hama/mudo on me before I could get a chance to attack.
The Wonderful: Creating Your Own Battle Experience
As we progress through the game, we unlock subsets of abilities. All members of the party can learn these subsets. This allows players to build teammates as they wish. While we can only control the protagonist’s stats, the ability to give other teammates healing spells is appreciated.
Teammates also have synergy attacks that can be unlocked. These come from teammates being in contact with each other. While they do more damage and buff up the party, they cost two turns. However, some of them have special cutscenes. They’re worth using if you’re in a pinch and need a heavy hit or a buff.
What Tickles This Art Nerd
As a lover of art history, there are references I noticed that tickled my fancy.
The use of the Vitruvian man instantly grabbed my attention. The Vitruvian man reflects the perfect person in the sense that the Vitruvian man fits into both a circle and a square, a balance between the divine and the real, much like a king. A king is a man but is revered as a divine being. In many historical contexts, we have sovereigns naming themselves as ordained by god. Therefore, using the iconography of the Vitruvian man in our journey makes sense.
Oddly enough, the biggest threats are called humans. After looking at the first boss, I couldn’t help but remember a Reddit post I came across a few months ago that connected the humans in Metaphor to The Garden of Earthly Delights by Hieronymus Bosch. After fighting the first boss in the game, I drew more connections from that piece. I find myself way more excited to see how the team at Studio Zero drew from the painting and created more warped humans.
Overall Thoughts
Metaphor: ReFantazio is a testament to what happens when game studios invest in their teams and allow them to grow. From the updated battle mechanics, combat versatility, and monster designs, it’s a testament to Studio Zero’s love for video games. I cannot wait for the full release. Metaphor: ReFantazio will be available on PS4/PS5, Windows, Xbox, and Steam.
