Metaphor: ReFantazio review: refined RPG gives Persona fans something new

When I was fighting a giant egg boss that required me to crack its shell before dishing out catastrophic damage, I was wondering when the moment would come where I’d see how Metaphor: ReFantazio would differentiate itself from Atlus’ crown jewel, Persona. To be honest, this thought came up multiple times during my playthrough.

Metaphor’s Followers act the same as Persona’s social simulation elements, and the new Archetype systems are manifestations (like Personas) that characters can call upon to dish out flashy attacks. You’re even on a similar calendar system where you have to manage your activities.

As I continued on and began to delve into the nuances of Metaphor‘s gameplay systems, I realized that it could indeed stand on its own two feet. While the RPG doesn’t completely escape Persona’s shadow, Metaphor’s likable cast, refined turn-based combat, and captivating art direction makes it worth playing for fans and RPG enthusiasts alike, even if the story veers into predictable territory.

A new age of kings

Metaphor: ReFantazio follows a young blue-haired protagonist and his fairy companion Gallica as they compete in a tournament to determine the United Kingdom of Euchronia’s next ruler after the death of its king. Whoever earns the will of the people will claim the throne. The protagonist carries a fantasy book that details an egalitarian and utopian society free of prejudice that looks an awful lot like modern-day Japan with its towering skyscrapers. Large and grotesque monsters called Humans roam the land. The protagonist is also trying to reawaken a curse-stricken prince so that he can claim his birthright as king.

It’s not hard to see Metaphor’s plot twists coming, which sometimes takes the surprise out of the winding saga, but it’s still an enjoyable ride en route to the reveals. What helps elevate the tale is the charming cast of characters. In particular, the royal army officer Louis Guiabern is an excellent primary antagonist. He’s present from the very beginning of the story (as he’s the king’s murderer) and is constantly in the party’s presence. He’s a commanding force throughout the entire game.

There’s a certain point where the party even infiltrates his entourage, making the game feel like an undercover spy thriller at times. Not only is Louis physically strong, but also cunning, and I was constantly intrigued by whether he knew something was fishy. Louis isn’t without his faults. He believes in the same democratic ideals as the protagonist, but over the course of the game, the cracks in his seemingly sound logic start to surface as he becomes more desperate.

My favorite character out of the playable main cast is Heismay, the quick and acrobatic bat. He serves as the group’s elder, often imparting wisdom to his teammates. He’s also coming to terms with the death of his son, which is explored further in Metaphor’s Follower system. This functions very similarly to Persona’s Social Links and Confidants; you’ll learn more about the characters and their backstories while also unlocking gameplay benefits. These include forming a bond with Brigitta, who helps lower shop prices, or Catherina, who occasionally comes in and knocks off a large percentage of HP on enemies at the start of battle, potentially making some boss fights easier if you get lucky and trigger her effect.

It feels like there are fewer people to bond with this time around than your typical Persona game, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. There are only a handful of NPCs outside of party members, and this actually makes the protagonist’s inner circle tighter and more intimate, befitting a king. A big change with the Follower system is that you no longer have to worry about making sure every response is correct in order to maximize the points earned to rank up.

There are lots of little iterations on Persona’s formula like that, which add up to some welcome quality of life changes. In Persona, you’d also have to carry a matching creature with the same arcana as the person you’re talking to, or you risk not being able to reach the next level. That pressure is eliminated here, and picking the response that the character is likely to positively respond to simply rewards the player with more MAG, a separate currency used for unlocking new skills and Archetypes. I was able to enjoy the conversations more without the needless micromanaging.

Euchronian globetrotters

The way Metaphor’s calendar and schedule system works is a bit different compared to Persona. Whereas engaging in a bond event or doing an activity to raise social stats (called Royal Virtues) like Wisdom and Tolerance uses up an afternoon or night, the party can also discover and travel to different locations. Traveling typically takes between 1 and 3 days, which makes you consider the trade-offs between traveling to a dungeon to take care of a sidequest or doing something else.

It’s an extra spin on Persona’s calendar twist that makes Metaphor almost feel reminiscent of, oddly enough, The Oregon Trail. There are also certain ranks within your bonds that require the conversation to take place on the Gauntlet Runner, the group’s transportation vehicle, as well as activities that can only be done while traveling, like cooking recipes to create special healing items. It always felt satisfying to save those conversations for when I needed to travel to a certain destination and fulfill a stockpile of quests there.

Along the way to a destination, the party will sometimes stop at a landmark like tourists and have a short conversation about its lore. Instead of being a fully explorable 3D area, these landmarks are simply just 2D portraits of the area with the party in the background that look almost like developer concept art. This lets Metaphor’s gorgeous art direction shine. From the mesmerizing emerald hues of Sporico Cave to the Prismatic Sea’s intense colors, the scenic route makes for a welcome distraction from the world’s political strife.

The dungeons, however, are less pleasant to look at. Many of these spaces are bland and tend to blend in with each other. They’re not as intricately and individually designed as the Palaces in Persona 5, which featured a lot of bespoke designs as they represented antagonists’ psyches. In Metaphor, the inside of these locations mostly look like typical rusty dungeons you’d find in any fantasy RPG. They’re a bit of a bore next to the stylish art everywhere else. For example, there are three towers that eventually play important roles in a future sidequest, but they’re only filled with purple brick, making them a dull chore to explore.

Still, its art direction is stellar most of the time. The user interface is snappy and stylish, just like you’d expect from an Atlus game. I even love how the Archetype tree interface is modeled after da Vinci’s Vitruvian Man, which emphasizes Metaphor’s European aesthetics. Every little detail matters.

Fighting for the future

Metaphor’s Archetypes work similarly to your typical RPG character classes. My party members can become Mages, Warriors, Gunners, and more with the right spirit equipped. But what I love about Archetypes is their unbridled flexibility. Each character has an affinity towards certain stats; Hulkenberg and Stohl are more physically based, while Junah and Eupha rely on magic. However, I’m not restricted from switching to Archetypes that focus on the opposite stat. Each hero can learn any skill by leveling up Archetypes. They can then carry a few over to another class at the cost of some MAG. It’s a meticulous and grind-heavy system for those min-maxers who love modern Fire Emblem games.

A small addition to the gameplay is the ability to attack enemies on the field in real time before diving into a turn-based battle. By filling up their stun meter, I can launch a preemptive attack to lower a foe’s HP and enter battle with an advantage (this year’s The Legend of Heroes: Trails through Daybreak had an identical system). It’s a slightly more engaging wrinkle on the battle advantage mechanic many RPGs have, though it still feels bare-bones.

The turn-based battle system plays a little more like Shin Megami Tensei than Persona. For each character in battle, players get a turn icon, and doing any action uses one up. The twist here are Synthesis Attacks, which are like team-up attacks between members. They’re incredibly powerful, with some having effects that can change the tide of battle, but they require two icons instead of the usual single one.

New details like that help Metaphor stand out from Persona and Shin Megami Tensei, while still retaining the strategic planning and synergy that Atlus’ turn-based combat is known for. Like those other series, hitting enemy weaknesses earns you another icon, while hitting them with elements that they absorb or block further depletes yours. It’s important to exploit enemy vulnerabilities whenever possible, and you’re even incentivized to do it as winning battles unscathed grants bonus experience and MAG.

As an even bigger change from Atlus’ normal signatures, Metaphor completely departs from Persona and Shin Megami Tensei’s creature designs. Whereas those two franchises overlap and share their monster and demon compendiums, Metaphor has entirely original designs. There are giant birds, skeletons, and dragons instead of the same demons we’ve seen over and over. While the enemy variety may seem par for the course for a fantasy game, it’s a welcome change of pace in the context of an Atlus game that gives it a distinct visual personality.

In many ways, Metaphor: ReFantazio feels like the next mainline entry in the Persona series in all but name. In others, it carves out an identity all its own. The strategic turn-based combat system is just as satisfying as ever, while Archetypes and globe-trotting put a new perspective on an otherwise familiar experience. I could see the plot twists coming a mile away, but the endearing cast of characters made the journey worthwhile. It’s not perfect, but Atlus has earned my vote of confidence. Consider me a follower.

Metaphor: ReFantazio was tested on Xbox Series X.