Metaphor Analysis: ReFantazio for Xbox

“Is this reality or just a fantasy?

When I think about the games that have had the most impact on my life, I can’t help but think of the RPG genre.. I play a lot of other genres, but every time I play an RPG, especially one of Japanese origin, a feeling of nostalgia and affection overcomes me. And role-playing games focus on the journey, on the long adventure that got you there and brought about a change in both the characters and you. Metaphor: ReFantazio reminded me of this throughout the dozens of hours I devoted to it. The new title from Atlus and SEGA is an unprecedented adventure with a deep story that will surprise you on more than one occasion.

When I started my journey in Metaphor: ReFantazio I tried by all means not to compare it with Persona 5one of Atlus’ masterpieces. However, there are so many things in this episode that it’s hard to separate them. Fortunately, it only lasted a few hours. After fully immersing myself in this completely new fantasy world, I realized that Studio Zero’s adventure is a new take on the genre.

History

Metaphor: ReFanfazio is a brand new RPG that attempts to build a new world and characters. And while many new franchises fail to find the key to success, Metaphor: ReFantazio builds its world perfectly. It never overwhelms you or confuses you. Rather, it guides you through every juicy detail and draws you into a complex and surprisingly easy-to-understand web.

Our young protagonist’s adventure begins in a world full of political unrest, racism, xenophobia and other social problems that mirror those of our reality. The job of our protagonist, now with his own voice, is to break a curse that affects the nation’s prince, the rightful heir to the crown.. After the assassination of the current king, a competition for the throne begins. So we with our group of characters We join the race to break the prince’s curse and stop a despicable ruler from taking the crown..

I realize I’m only talking about the beginning of the story, but talking about the heart of the matter would spoil the users’ journey and I’m against it. However, I can talk about things that involve the plot, like the themes the game addresses. Anyone who has played RPGs from Atlus and Studio Zero knows that they stop at nothing when it comes to dealing with sensitive topics. The Persona and Shin Megami Tensei franchises have never shied away from touching on sensitive topics, but Metaphor: ReFantazio takes it to a new level.

For example, the xenophobia and racism that the protagonist suffers from. As one of the last Elda in the country, everyone despises him.. After all, this breed carries bad omens, according to superstition, and the game will remind you of this at every moment. Most characters will always look down on you, no matter how much you help them.

. Even after entering the race for the throne, you will be frowned upon. However, this is where the protagonist’s determination and his desire for an ideal world comes into play. Interestingly, the game depicts the ideal society as we have it in real life, which I found cool and ironic. With these details, it’s amazing how much better this new license is at immersing you in its world than many other franchises..

ReFantazio’s worldbuilding isn’t limited to the visual elements we’re used to. You have a city focused on religion, ruined towns and coastal places that remind us of other places which we stumbled upon during our years of gaming. However, the way it presents these elements along with the story is what makes it so unforgettable.

For example, the capital. City races aren’t just there to liven up the streets. You can see how the Clemar They are at the top of the food chain and look down on other inferior races, who are nothing more than cannon fodder for the military. If you enter certain alleys, you may see children from the discriminated tribe of Paripus in the streets without food or shelter to protect them. It’s an unforgiving world, but it’s so well designed and cohesive that you can be a part of it. In a way, it reminded me of the well-designed and immersive world of The Witcher.

Gameplay

To make it easy, The structure of Metaphor: ReFantazio is very similar to that of the Persona saga. The structure of the game is compartmentalized into days and in these we have daily activities. You can do one in the morning and one in the evening. They all vary, talk to your companions to increase your bond with them, do something to increase royal virtues or your social stats, or go to a dungeon if one is available. However, Persona, especially the latest installment, he did somewhat tedious things at specific intervals. Even though it seemed like a 20 hour tutorial before the good stuff arrived, Metaphor: ReFantazio gives you carte blanche as quickly as possible and feeds you with new mechanics and surprises at every moment.

For example, you will receive a quest to enter a specific location in the first town you visit. You will have more than a few days to do it. While you can improvise and jump into the main mission instantly, preparation is key to everything you do here. You can make contracts to kill monsters, go shopping, strengthen our bond with a partner who needs our moral support, etc. The variety of activities and places to visit makes a structure that we know if we have played other Atlus titles even more attractive.

What I liked most about Metaphor: ReFantazio is the archetype systema kind of Persona with which we will transform into a giant armor to destroy our enemies. The fact that characters can have multiple classes and are not tied to a specific class is a great help and opens the way to complete customization of our character.

At first, I let my followers use the archetypes they awakened. Strohl was my warrior, Hülkenberg my knight and so on. However, the more archetypes I unlocked by gaining new non-playable followers, the more I wanted to experiment. For example, if you want to unlock the Magic Knight, you need to level up the Knight and Mage. It reminded me of that GameBoy Advance masterpiece called Final Fantasy Tactics, which I really liked.. I played with different versions most of the time and found them very useful in every way. Additionally, the fact that leveling archetypes is so simple encourages the process even more.

The combat type works like any item-based RPG. Enemies and archetypes are vulnerable to the elements, and hitting a weak spot will give you an extra turn. You also have normal attacks that you can use to save MP. In addition, you have skills Synthesis, which combines the power of two Archetypes in striking movementsbut they pass the turn of the two characters. In general, Metaphor: ReFantazio offers great combat, familiar to veterans of the genre and easy to understand for newcomers..

One of the most notable improvements in Metaphor: ReFantazio is that allows us to defeat enemies and even stun them before the fight begins. If an enemy is too weak, you don’t need to engage in turn-based combat to take them down. Simply smash them with your sword by pressing X repeatedly and reap the rewards. However, if the enemy is of your level or stronger, you can attack them to break their stun bar and gain an advantage on the first turn.. However, the same goes for you. If the enemy hits you first, he will have the advantage. It may seem like a small change from the turn-based RPG formula, but it’s the best quality of life feature that Atlus and Studio Zero have added. Plus, it keeps you on your toes during a dungeon and avoids hundreds of turn-based fights in favor of something more fluid.

Graphics and sound section

Visually, the game may not have the best graphics in the world, but that doesn’t matter much either. The art section shines with its own light thanks to a wonderful world, characters and enemy design. And Metaphor: ReFantazio is a complete visual masterpiece. The only negative point would perhaps be the stability problems that the game sometimes presents, with sudden FPS drops (played on Xbox Series X) and character animationwhich sometimes seems difficult when moving.

Finally, and something that deserves praise of its own, is the sound. Atlus and Studio Zero have always known how to create excellent soundtracks. However, Shoji Meguro, composer of the Shin Megami Tensei and Persona saga, gives his best in Metaphor: ReFantazio. The combination of orchestral instruments with religious and epic chants makes this some of the best work I’ve heard in a video game. Even a typical skinny putty fight turns into a full-fledged concert that will have you turning the volume on your headphones to maximum. Note also that The game is fully translated into Spanishsomething that Atlus has gotten us used to since the launch of Persona 5 Royal. It also has a voice selector, so we can choose between listening to the dubbing in English or Japanese (the latter is of course recommended).

Conclusions

I have no doubt. Metaphor: ReFantazio has established itself as the best RPG of 2024 and one of the best of this decade. Her story touches on many controversial and sensitive topics, but it does so in a way that isn’t uncomfortable. Rather, it serves to paint a picture between fantasy and reality, culminating in certain moments that we will remember for a long time.

If there’s one flaw that all long RPGs have, it’s the way they handle pacing.. The way things play out in many situations causes these games to take many hours, which can overwhelm the user. Metaphor: ReFantazio follows in the footsteps of other Atlus games and it will take us 70-80 hours to complete, or more, in case we want to do absolutely everything. In my case this is a negative point, because it always gives me the feeling that with half the duration it would be possible to make a rounder product if possible.

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