Metaphor: ReFantazio first impressions: A polished Persona
Studio Zero and SEGA’s Metaphor: ReFantazio is now out, and we had the chance to get our hands on it early. Here’s how the spiritual successor to Persona pays homage to the well-beloved RPG series.
Metaphor: ReFantazio is now out on modern platforms. ATLUS SEA is running an event with regional content creators to celebrate the game’s launch.
Introducing Metaphor: ReFantazio
Metaphor: ReFantazio is a project by Studio Zero, initially announced as “Project ReFantasy. This is a small department under ATLUS, formed in 2016 right as Metaphor was announced. Their first official release as a studio was the enhanced re-release of Catherine: Full Body in 2019, and Metaphor makes their first title from the ground up.
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While the studio is a relatively new name, the key figures at the helm of Metaphor’s development are not. Director and producer Katsura Hashino, character designer Shigenori Soejima, and composer Shoji Meguro: these three were at the heart of Persona 3, 4, and 5, and now Metaphor.
Thus, the review gaming cliché of comparing every JRPG to Persona 5 is actually justified this time.
A familiar, yet fresh, experience
Metaphor takes after the Persona identity. This is true for its art style, story pacing, mechanics, and progression. However, it sets itself apart through the small refinements that have been made to each.
If you’ve played Persona 5, or the more recently released Persona 3 Reload, then Metaphor will not feel like a completely foreign experience. Despite this, it does not struggle to surprise and entice frequently.
A sensory treat
Visually, it has a unique grunge identity consistent across all elements. It’s not for everybody, but the designs are striking nonetheless. The stylized menus and character portraits, the otherworldly, monstrous enemy designs, and the never-still menus and screens keep you on your toes.
The soundtrack is another one of Shoji Meguro’s masterpieces. He produced epic auditory experiences, some overlaid with vocals in Esperanto, just to prove he can succeed in just about any genre. I played on the English voiceover, and it was pleasant to hear that many of the characters had distinct accents.
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It makes the in-game world feel less bland while improving immersion; the “United Kingdom of Euchronia” setting of the game is loosely based on the real medieval Western world, after all.
Metaphor’s gameplay
The combat in Metaphor: ReFantazio is the classic turn-based RPG we’ve known and loved from Persona. Instead of Personas, there are “Archetypes,” named after typical classes in a role-playing game. These Archetypes, like Knight, Healer, Mage, can be “equipped” by any party member, as opposed to only the protagonists of the Persona series.
The turn mechanic received an overhaul that forced me to be more creative with my turns, but the battle has been largely untouched otherwise. Every aspect has either been changed or improved, with the exception of All-Out Attacks which is completely absent in this game.
The pacing of the Daily Life portion of the game has been widely improved compared to Persona. The series struggled with long downtimes of just going through the same streets, talking to the same NPCs, and occasional dungeon runs. Metaphor remedies this by introducing various activities like side quests and bounties, and frequently changing your environment so the lull period in between story beats does not feel as trudging.
The concept of Social Links or Confidants also remains. This time, the system is called “Supporters,” as in those who support the protagonist’s bid to be king.
Mature Persona, finally
One of the major departures from the high-school-tinted Persona series is the consistent adult-oriented theme of Metaphor: ReFantazio. In the 20-odd hours I played, I’ve seen mature concepts discussed and portrayed onscreen consistently. For example, the protagonist is considered to be a member of an oppressed race, and NPCs who are of a “more superior race” are not subtle about it at all.
This is not to say that Persona titles did not do so. The difference Metaphor makes is how unabashedly and frequently it happens throughout the game. Almost all main characters in Metaphor are adults, so it makes sense that they would deal with adult issues.
SEGA provided Esports INQ with a review copy of the game for PC via Steam.
So far, Metaphor: ReFantazio has been a treat to play. If you enjoyed any of the modern Persona titles, then this game is definitely worth a try. A free demo is available across all platforms. The full game is now available on PC via Steam, PlayStation 4 & 5, and Xbox Series X | S.
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