After the Metaphor: ReFantazio demo launched in September, I found myself salivating at the thought of playing the full game when I got the chance. Now that I have, I can confidently say this game rewired something in my brain because of its story and characters.
The Narrative
The narrative is where this game truly shines. For the first three dungeons, the game does an excellent job of world-building. Meeting our companions, learning their stories, and building camaraderie with other allies adds layers to the world. It gives deeper insight into the corrupted nature of Euchronia’s ruling class. I found this part to be a little on the nose with its “the church is evil, racism is rampant, and eat the rich narratives.”
However, once we reach the fourth dungeon, the narrative distances itself from that and shows the true history of Euchronia. The first unraveling shocked me as the cogs in my head started to turn. I asked myself questions about Euchronia’s creation, the origins of the maladies that plague the land, and how we fit in as players. As more revelations came to light, I’d put down my remote and walk around my room with my face in my hands, muffling excited screams and anguished cries.
The Party
In my initial review, I found it refreshing that Metaphor: ReFantazio did not force romantic routes. While there are romantic implications with a few of the characters, I am glad romance is not an option. There’s no time for temptations of the heart when there’s a crown to win.
Learning about the pasts and struggles of our companions in and out of our party underlines why we fight for the crown. Each ally we meet has a dream of a better future for everyone. However, each ally understands that change does not happen overnight. They must be the change they want to see in the world. We follow each companion as they become that change despite the jeers of the masses. In the end, the seeds of that hope blossom in those around them, allowing them to believe they will see the better future we seek.
Louis
Right from the opening video before the title screen, we know Louis Guiabern is a menace. Shin Megami Tensei fans immediately noticed the similarities between him and long-time character Louis Cyphre. Other fans online compared him to Griffith due to his angelic looks, magnetizing charisma, and astounding might. All of those comparisons are valid, but he is not a mysterious force behind the scenes. He’s front and center, giving malcontent citizens who wish for a better future an anchor of hope in his dream of a utopia.
In every scene he enters, the man captures my attention with his steadfast charisma. He speaks of equality and purging the world of its evils, progressing the world into a better future. He commends antagonistic forces that best him and appreciates their determination as it matches his. He, like us, has an army full of people from different walks of life, working under his banner.
You want to believe in his dream. It’s the dream our protagonist and our party dream of. However, the details of that world and motivations for wanting it are privy solely to him. As we move throughout the game, his true motivations come to light, engulfing him in many more shades of grey.
Growing Pains
However, not everything is roses regarding Metaphor: ReFantazio. I had moments where I lost progress because I didn’t level appropriately. Around the game’s climax, I found myself severely weaker against a boss when I passed the last area 10 in-game days ago with minimal issues. The game does stress to level, but I didn’t think too much of it and worked on leveling my bonds. That was a mistake.
Luckily, I had the foresight to make multiple saves because I was afraid of messing up at certain parts of the game. At the cost of backtracking 5 hours, I was leveled to a point where I could fight the next major boss without any issues.
I also had this problem at the end of the game. I was able to fight the first phase of the final boss with little issue. However, phase two proved to be much more than I could handle at level 70 with none of my archetypes maxed out. I had no choice but to boot up a previous save and level myself to 85 and my
archetypes to the max.
However, leveling to that point was a 5-hour slog. While being able to murder enemies in the overworld without going into proper combat is great, I did get bored of running through towers and dungeons waiting for the mobs to respawn.
My Game of the Year
Overall, Metaphor: ReFantazio deserves all the awards it’s been receiving for best narrative and game of the year. It’s a wonderful story with a strong cast to support the weight of the heavy crown we seek. It can be boring when it comes to leveling, but the game does its best to make the process as productive as possible without having to go into actual combat if you’re above an enemy’s level. If you’re looking for the best in modern gaming, this is one game to look into.
