Metaphor: ReFantazio on PS5
How art impacts life is different for everyone, but there is no denying that it can elicit changes and transform how we think about certain things. Whether we want to or not is a whole other matter, but that is the underlying question that SEGA and Atlus‘ brilliant roleplaying masterpiece, Metaphor: ReFantazio, proposes at every pivotal moment. In a world seemingly bent on separating everyone through power, politics, and beliefs, is there still room for good?
After the assassination of the reigning king and with the heir cursed to slumber in a coma, unable to take his place as the ruler of the Kingdom of Euchronia, players find themselves thrust into the heart of things as not just a potential hero, but also a viable king. In a world at the risk of falling apart, the greater powers have dictated an election take place, driving you to experience the life of the people through various lenses and deciding the path forward against a whirlwind of inequality and prejudices that cuts awfully close to our reality.
The developers’ intentions are clear. Metaphor: ReFantazio does not shy away from its more mature themes, as the game constantly puts them front and centre through core gameplay mechanics. The people you will meet, the allies and enemies made, and how you build up a base of support all tap into the idea of differences and our actions to close or widen the gap. It helps create a world that feels like it’s truly living and breathing; not quite close to a fairytale, but more of a sobering reflection of reality.
While the narrative promises much, the gameplay is no slouch, either. Atlus remains masters of their craft, building on the familiar systems of its other RPG stalwarts to create something recognisable yet unique in Metaphor: ReFantazio.
Building relationships and bonds with people is pure Persona, down to the time management needed to navigate the calendar system and all the possible activities you can get up to within that timeframe. Dungeon diving is well worth it for the XP and treasures, but so is enhancing your kingly virtues and helping people out; this push and pull keeps you on your toes constantly and personifies the impact of everything you do and don’t.
It is something that new players will have to get used to, the inability to do everything you want to produce the best outcomes. And the fact that side quests, bonding sessions, and the like do not fill like filler makes the choice even more complicated and in turn, more memorable as you continue on the journey to be crowned king. Atlus may have made progression less obtuse and more transparent, but this is still an adventure that requires hard choices to be made.
When the need for combat arises, then the turn-based system will undoubtedly draw comparisons with the Shin Megami Tensei franchise. Both you and the enemies will have a limited number of turn icons to utilise, with consequences aplenty for specific outcomes. Exploit an enemy’s weakness to elements and attack types, and you gain an extra turn. Miss an attack or have it blocked, and it wipes out two precious turn icons and puts you on the back foot.
Picking up knowledge and new strategies is half the fun during combat in Metaphor: ReFantazio, and the other half is learning to master the Archetypes system. Functionally, it is similar to a Job system where each character in your party can specialise in a particular Archetype, compelte with unique skills and attacks to the table. With a party of four, that can mean all sorts of combinations that can deliver huge advantages in the right situations and also glaring weaknesses in others. As you progress, you can even carry over skills from one Archetype to another to fill any gaps you find significant.
Furthermore, advanced Archetypes can be unlocked to build on the more basic roles, expanding the options available in battle. Even though the different movesets and skills of the Archetypes can make for a strategic affair, the game amps it up further with Synthesis attacks, drawing from the Archetype combinations in the party for powerful team buffs and attacks that require more turn icons, bringing the battle system full circle and rewarding a tactical approach and forward thinking.
There is no sense of exaggeration that feeling of pride and satisfaction when it comes to defeating the toughest enemies Metaphor: ReFantazio has to offer. You stand little chance trying to brute force your way through, but leaning into the intricacies of the system is what will make victory possible and ever so sweet. It also doesn’t wear out its welcome. Once players get sufficiently powerful, they can attack enemies in the world in real time to defeat them for full rewards or to gain an advantage against similarly powerful foes, removing the grind that can be associated with such RPGs.
That’s before we even dive deeper into the equipment and items that can be obtained throughout the journey. The challenges presented meant that there was more of a need to rely on items and the right equipment more often than not. The game knows this, and is sufficiently generous in what it doles out to keep you coming back for more, which is always a great selling point of a game that can occupy you for 80-odd hours.
Metaphor: ReFantazio plays really well, and the visual and audio design matches up too, as is expected from Atlus. From the menus to the stylised choices made for the characters and the world, this is vintage work from the studio in creating a world that is both believable and still retains a sense of fantasy. Interspersed with anime cutscenes to further flesh out some of the flashpoints, and the effort poured into the game becomes even more apparent. It may not come close to the photorealism that many games are judged on nowadays, but there is still something to be said about committing to a style entirely and making it work.
As for the music, composer Shoji Meguro has outdone himself by putting together a soundtrack heavy on orchestral pieces, punctuated with the occasional vocals that reflect the stakes at hand. Sure, exploring towns and resting is accompanied by melodic tunes that put you at ease, but nothing gets the blood pumping more than when the battle songs start and you feel that urge to chase victory at any cost.
With each milestone hit in Metaphor: ReFantazio, there is a growing feeling that Atlus has reached the zenith of its craft. Having already delivered excellent RPGs in the past, the systems and coherence of everything else in this latest adventure are just on another level, helped by a much more mature story that touches on relatable themes and beliefs and motivates players with actual purpose and the ability to change things. It is not often that a game can bring enjoyment as you play through it, while triggering questions aplenty about your ideals and how everything fits into the complex worlds both in and outside of it. That is the core of Metaphor: ReFantazio, and it shines brilliantly.
Metaphor: ReFantazio is available now on PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S, and PC.
SavePoint Score
Summary
A masterful RPG that gets everything right, Metaphor: ReFantazio doesn’t just bring the goods when it comes to gameplay, but also an engaging story that reaches beyond its fantasy world.
