Metaphor: ReFantazio is an upcoming JRPG created by ATLUS, the studio behind many fan-favorite games such as Catherine, Persona, and Shin Megami Tensei. In a year packed with already phenomenal JRPGs like Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth and Persona 3 Reload, there’s still a lot to anticipate with Metaphor: ReFantazio. Here’s everything to know before its release on October 11, 2024.
Metaphor: ReFantazio’s Franchise
Very rarely will new, big budget JRPGs be new IPs. Just this year, some of the biggest game releases have been entries in long-lasting series. The start of this year was jam-packed with JRPGs, such as Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth, Persona 3 Reload, and Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth. All three of these games were phenomenal in their own right, and did very well critically. What makes Metaphor: ReFantazio stand out from the pack is the fact that it is a brand new franchise, with no ties to other series like Persona or Megami Tensei.
This is a brand new world, set in a unique fantasy-inspired setting. ATLUS has made tons of games that take place in either the real world, or a science-fiction inspired landscape. Look at the recent Persona 5 Royal, or Shin Megami Tensei 4 for reference. Metaphor: ReFantazio takes place in a really unique, fantasy setting with all kinds of classic iconography like elves, pixies, knights, classical towns, and political intrigue. The story of this game is set to have tons of political themes that will be overarching throughout the entire plot.
How Will it Play?
Shifting gears onto the gameplay, Metaphor: ReFantazio is doing a clever system change. Take a look at any of ATLUS’s JRPGs, and one will find a ton of turn-based games. This writer has nothing against turn-based, by the way. There is honestly a lack of turn-based RPGs in the modern gaming landscape. Metaphor: ReFantazio is turn-based, but it has a couple of really interesting twists. There is an action element to the combat. When the player explores dungeons, they can in real-time combo enemies with a series of slashes to begin fights. Depending on this first encounter, the enemy might have less health at the start of the fight than if the player didn’t.
Once the initial encounter starts, the game shifts to turn-based. The style of turn-based is press-turn, just like the Persona and Megami Tensei games. This means the player will be using buffs, debuffs, physical and magic attacks, and trying to exploit enemy weaknesses. If one has played Persona, especially the recent entries, the RPG combat here will look very familiar. It’s refreshing that ATLUS is sticking to turn-based combat, since many of their contemporaries like Square Enix have gone real-time instead. The turn based combat here looks great, and that’s a great way to sum up this entire game.
Metaphor: ReFantazio Will be Huge
This game’s presentation is just on a whole other level. ATLUS has been consistently knocking it out of the park with graphics, and especially HUDs and UIs ever since Persona 5 almost ten years ago. Their design philosophies for these elements of their games have been so strong. Take a look at Metaphor: ReFantazio, and one will notice immediately how stylized and striking the game’s visuals are.
And that wraps it up. Metaphor: ReFantazio seems like a really exciting game. This writer loves the Persona games, and this game seems to have a similar vibe and aesthetic, while doing its own thing. There will be tons of different gameplay segments. Dungeon crawling, social exploring, and fighting bosses and enemies. If a JRPG fan prefers fantasy settings over more contemporary stuff like modern day Japanese high school, check out Metaphor: ReFantazio when it releases in a bit over a month.
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