A couple of years ago, From Software released the groundbreaking RPG, Elden Ring. Built on the foundations of the Dark Souls series, Elden Ring repurposed familiar ideas and elements into a wholly new, fresh and exciting role-playing game that feels as conceptually refined as it is innovative. I mention Elden Ring because, in many ways, Atlus' Metaphor: ReFantazio is built on the same principals. By taking the foundations of the Shin Megami Tensei and Persona series and bringing out its best qualities, Atlus is able to craft something that feels familiar yet mature and distinct in its ambitious, original presentation and superb execution.

Metaphor: ReFantazio takes place in a land called the United Kingdom of Euchronia, a medieval fantasy realm rich in history, culture, religion and rather unfortunately, a bit of racial and political strife. Various races called Tribes exist in this world, all loosely based on or inspired by recognisable fantasy archetypes and subsets. Unfortunately, despite efforts to unite the Tribes, discrimination and racism is rampant, leaving the kingdom in a fractured and divided state. Things are only made worse by the death of the king, Hythlodaeus V. A journey begins to find his successor.



You play as an unnamed protagonist, a childhood friend of the king's son, the Prince of Euchronia. Events transpire and you suddenly find yourself whisked away on an adventure to secure the Prince's claim to the throne from the clutches of Louis, a charming, devilishly handsome yet manipulative figure who wants the throne (think Griffith from Berserk with less aura). Unfortunately, due to the Prince's worsening condition from a curse, time is of the essence.

Like Persona, each ally is fleshed out, captivating and incredibly well-written, with the standouts being the lovable Hulkenberg and the tragic Heismay.

Along your journey, you meet up and recruit various companions from different pockets of the kingdom, each embodying some aspect of society while acting as our lens to view this world through. Naturally, these allies end up becoming your trustworthy party members. Like Persona, each ally is fleshed out, captivating and incredibly well-written, with the standouts being the lovable Hulkenberg and the tragic Heismay. As a collective unit, the cast of Metaphor is as memorable as Persona 5's Phantom Thieves. Even our unnamed protagonist (who we can name at the start of the game) is, for first time in an Atlus RPG, voiced - rest assured, the voice acting is so good, you don't lose out on any of the benefits of a silent protagonist.



During development, Atlus stated that it wanted Metaphor: ReFantazio to feel like a sprawling fantasy adventure, perhaps akin to something like Final Fantasy. To that end, the studio has succeeded and even surpassed some of my expectations. Across its lengthy 80-hour journey, Metaphor truly feels like you're on a whirlwind adventure - one filled with moments of joy, sadness, frustration, loss, regret, and wonder. It's a simple yet effective story with layers found in its characters and their terrific development throughout the game, either through bonds with the protagonist or external forces that either force them into action or make them quietly reconcile with difficult aspects of their lives.

The storytelling is strong which shouldn't come as a surprise from the makers of the Persona series, but Metaphor: ReFantazio also shines in the gameplay department. The gameplay will immediately feel familiar to anyone who has played the Shin Megami Tensei or Persona games. Ultra-stylish turn-based battles take centre stage with a lot of thought once again put into the attractive presentation of these fights. The UI is flashy, easy to navigate and easier to grasp, especially with so much going on at any given moment.



If you're a newcomer, all of it is going to feel overwhelming but luckily, the game does an excellent job in its tutorial of getting players accustomed to the flow of gameplay - honestly, it's even more accessible than Persona for new players, yet it still keeps the flexible, addictive complexity that veterans will absolutely enjoy.

Ultra-stylish turn-based battles take centre stage with a lot of thought once again put into the attractive presentation of these fights.

While out in the field exploring, run-ins with monsters (which are called "Humans" in the game) aren't always going to trigger a turn-based battle as lesser enemies can be defeated in real-time combat, again bringing over some ideas from the Shin Megami Tensei series. Archetypes are your central sources of power that you draw your abilities from - think of a traditional class or job-based system but greatly expanded upon. Different kinds of archetypes provide various skills and benefits that you can use to exploit enemy weaknesses or counter them in battle. Furthermore, archetypes can be made more powerful with the game's "Follower" system in which you can forge and nurture bonds with people across the kingdom, gradually raising your power, effectiveness and even influence.



Atlus introduces more time management into Metaphor where you'll have to wisely choose what to do with your "free" time. You can choose to progress the story by tackling the main quests quickly, spend time grinding and learning more about the world, or find a nice balance of your time that feels rewarding and makes sense for the progression. More importantly, there are so many NPCs to speak to across the kingdom and so many great stories that you'll completely miss if you aren't stopping to smell the flowers once in a while, so to speak. Atlus does another excellent job of giving players agency where it matters the most and in this case, once again letting us experience the journey at (mostly) our own pace. Can you call it another illusion of freedom? Sure, but that only makes Atlus damn good illusionists.

There are a lot of systems at play in Metaphor that will immediately click with veterans, though some omissions mght leave players feeling a bit cold. For example, as phenomenal as the bond system is in the game, there is no way to develop romances like Persona. Atlus made it very clear before the game's launch that this would be the case, though in all honesty, it's an RPG that doesn't really need a romantic hook to be compelling. Since romance is a big attraction of the Persona games - and you're better off waiting for Persona 6 for your love fix - it's clear that Metaphor is trying to do its own thing, either by disassociating with Atlus' past titles or attempting to switch up expectations, and I respect that.



On a less positive note, there are a couple of minor nitpicks that hold Metaphor: ReFantazio back from reaching masterpiece-status. The fantasy realm places a heavy emphasis on its warring politics and religion, and how these dominate, divide and control its people (very much like reality, actually). Contradictory to the game's title, there are some ideas that aren't delivered as subtly as a metaphor. In fact, certain messages hit you over the head like a steel baseball bat at times. There are a few lines of dialogue that could've been tuned up a bit to not be so blunt with its social commentary and messaging, especially in the early sections of the game. However, it's very well-written overall.

You can choose to progress the story by tackling the main quests quickly, spend time grinding and learning more about the world, or find a nice balance of your time that feels rewarding and makes sense for the progression.

The other is slightly less of an issue but it has to do with some textures, especially on PS5, looking a bit rough or ironically too smooth, coming off like an early PS4 game at times. It's not a major issue unless you strain your eyes, so it can be forgiven.



The soundtrack for Metaphor: ReFantazio is where I get to gush and just sing praises like I'm in Sunday church. Shoji Meguro, the composer behind Persona 5 and a number of other Atlus titles, once again brings his A-game to Metaphor. Meguro, proving that he's one of the most talented people on the planet, creates a score that, at first listen, sounds like typical medieval fantasy until you really pay attention. Meguro fuses many different genres to create an otherworldly soundtrack that's so distinct, so iconic and so epic that it almost single-handedly elevates the game. The overall presentation and sound of Metaphor: ReFantazio is outstanding, though I had to talk about how amazing the soundtrack is too.

Metaphor: ReFantazio comes from a mature, seasoned Atlus that has a firm grasp on its strengths as a studio by now. By borrowing elements of Shin Megami Tensei and Persona, Atlus breaks down the formula, tightens up the loose screws and rebuilds it into an incredible new game that stands on the foundation of its past successes. It might not make as strong of a first impression as Persona 5 but for Atlus fans, Metaphor is a dream come true and easily one of the best games of 2024.

*PS5 Review code provided by Sega