Metaphor: ReFantazio

Metaphor: ReFantazio has single-handedly reinvigorated my love of JRPGs. A genre I'd fallen out of love with for such a long time, often because the long run times are difficult to keep up with as the father of a young child. But Atlus has crafted a fantastic game here, taking everything good from the Persona series and scrubbing it of everything I generally found off-putting about them - the major one being, you aren't a child going to school!

The school life aspect of the Persona games is the reason I've never fully got on with them. There's something very Japanese about teen dramas that has always seemed incredibly dull and alien to me. But the teen angst is no more in Metaphor: ReFantazio, instead replaced with a gorgeously crafted fantasy world, replete with a whole host of quirky characters and unique style. A fantasy world where humans are horrific grotesque monsters that terrorise the populace. A fantasy world where... a giant magical floating rock face has decided to hold an election.

I may have simplified the story a bit here, but this truly is the gist of it. Metaphor: ReFantazio begins with the death of the king and the power vacuum this creates due to the death/disappearance of the prince. The king, of course, has planned for this, and via the use of his royal magic, creates a giant version of his face in a flying rock so he can watch over the world's first election. The election of the new king is open to anyone, including any random person off the street; however, the powers that be, of course, try to use their influence to win the election for themselves.

You play as one such random person off the street, an Elda, whom everyone seemingly thinks is the cause of bad luck and is akin to the dirt on the bottom of their shoe. You are, however, on a quest with your best friend, a fairy named Gallica, to win the throne on behalf of the aforementioned missing, presumed dead, prince. Guided by a fantasy book which talks of a world in which there is no discrimination, where everyone is equal, you want to bring these ideals to the world of Euchronia. A noble cause, even if this fantasy book purportedly shows the actual real world we inhabit. If only, eh?

You're slowly (and I mean slowly, this is a long game) introduced to a whole host of characters who will help or hinder you along your way to making the world in this fantasy book a reality. You have your seemingly evil-for-evil's-sake antagonist, an elf-like knight who blames herself for the prince's predicament, a world-renowned bounty hunter who also happens to be a punch-happy cat-girl, a Lady Gaga lookalike imprisoned in what appears to be a library, an incredibly Scottish necromancer, and many more. It's a wonderful, mixed cast, and it's enjoyable spending time with all of the ones who have small side-stories you can undertake in your downtime from the main quest.

Gameplay is your typical JRPG fare in terms of battles; however, being able to pick and level up different Archetypes (Metaphor: ReFantazio's class system) brings new elements to a truly great tried-and-tested system. Playing on normal, I found the game challenging enough without ever being infuriating (except the dragons, my god, the dragons), and anytime I found my team had been wiped, it was generally from a lack of preparation or tactical nous on my part rather than down to the gods of RNG.

The Archetypes themselves are a good mix of your usual fantasy fare, along with some more far-fetched ideas. Whilst you have your usual wizards, knights, and healers, a personal favourite of mine is the Merchant, an Archetype that involves injuring enemies by throwing your own hard-earned cash at them. Each Archetype generally has upgraded versions too, where the basic skills expand in scope and increase in power. Archetypes can also use powerful Synthesis skills, where multiple characters combine their attacks to inflict major damage.

There's a unique style to everything Metaphor: ReFantazio tries to do, with the music being some of the most original to soundtrack a game I have ever heard. It's dark and moody, which the story often takes its turn into as well. Some characters have gone through the heartbreaking loss of a child and have come to terms with this in different, sometimes incredibly disturbing ways. There's humour in the game too, however, which lifts the mood in what is often an oppressive world. I especially liked the fact that you'd gain a point in your luck stat sometimes when you used the toilet, or the characters ripping into Hulkenberg, the elf-like knight, for her appetite for eating absolutely anything and everything.

Whilst I generally adored everything about Metaphor: ReFantazio, there are still a few issues. The game is very long, and there are often moments you feel could have been cut and would have made no negative impact overall had they been removed. Sections where you may have finished all the available quests and dungeons, and as such have many days to fill with dully increasing your stats. There's also an optional end-game quest to defeat the trial of the dragon, and MY GOD IT IS A SLOG. I actually regret forcing myself through it as it really sullied the game for me and nearly made me finally call it quits.

I'm glad I powered through these moments though, because Metaphor: ReFantazio is a treat both visually and storywise. Atlus has finally made a Persona game that can draw me in entirely; all it took was giving me a good old-fashioned fantasy JRPG without forcing me to go back to school.​​​​

https://questtozero.com/game-review/metaphor-refantazio-review/