It is rare that I review a game from a new IP and find myself thoroughly impressed. This is specifically the case when a game is made by developers I already like. Crafted by the teams behind the Shin Megami Tensei and Persona series, Metaphor: ReFantazio is a game I knew I’d enjoy. However, I had no idea that it would shape up to be one of my favorite RPG experiences this year.

In Metaphor: ReFantazio, you play as a named protagonist who is referred to as Captain in voiceovers after a certain point in the game. The King of the kingdom of Euchronia is killed, which sets in motion a sort of royal competition in which anyone in the kingdom can become king if they win the faith of the people. Due to various circumstances, you and your allies set to win this competition after awakening to a fabled power known as the power to summon Archetypes.

As all Atlus RPGs do, Metaphor: ReFantazio has an underlying theme. At first glance, you would think that the game is an aptly titled social commentary on our current era, as the world is filled with things like xenophobia, prejudice, poverty, class disparity, corruption, and more. This isn’t incorrect if you choose to focus on that aspect of the game. However, if you play long enough, you’ll begin to realize that the true theme of Metaphor: ReFantazio lies in the power of storytelling.

Each main ally character (playable or otherwise) is connected to an Archetype, a heroic ideal manifested by the player (or one of his party members) during combat. By forging bonds with other characters, you can awaken new Archetypes, thereby being able to unlock new abilities and diversify your team. Many of these characters’ stories involve overcoming fears and anxieties to become the ideal version of their heroic self, or as close to it as humanly possible.

Some of these storylines are tragic, some are heartwarming and uplifting, and others are riveting. This is storytelling at its finest, though the bonds (and time management) are more friendly than in a Persona title. While you do need to be careful to manage your time and upgrade your social stats and bonds while balancing doing side quests and other content, it feels like a good entry point for people curious about Atlus’ other (more intensive) RPGs.

Combat in Metaphor: ReFantazio is going to be very familiar to you if you’ve played Persona or Shin Megami Tensei games. As you roam the dungeons, you can attack in real time to reduce an enemy’s stun meter. Once you’ve depleted it, if you initiate a battle you will get initiative, starting first. Alternately you can just run into enemies and start as normal.

Battles are turn-based, utilizing the typical Shin Megami Tensei “Press Turn” system, where hitting enemy weaknesses gives that character an extra turn. However, your party can only have a maximum of 8 actions total, so extra turns aren’t endless. You also get access to abilities known as Synthesis skills, which combine two allies’ Archetype powers in order to unleash stronger attacks.

Certain battles are even more strategic though, as certain enemies react negatively to characters with certain Archetypes, so preparing for fights ahead of time requires planning. Buying information from Information brokers is vital for bounty hunts because they can help you mitigate these issues before you reach your bounty.

The world of Metaphor: ReFantazio is lush and vibrant with color, history, and lore. The game even offers a handy “memorandum” that records important events, information, and terminology so you can understand important details. Better still is that the memorandum updates over time so as you learn about things in conversation you can have more information available to you.

Unlike Persona games though, while there is a lot to do throughout your journey, it doesn’t feel as overwhelming as you’d expect. I found myself going through the game relatively quickly, though that isn’t to say it is easy by any stretch. Even on the easiest mode, there are some stiff challenges you’ll face.

However, I found every moment of my time with Metaphor: ReFantazio enjoyable. There are fewer minutiae to manage than in Persona games, though equipment and Archetypes still offer deep advancement systems. It’s like the best of both worlds between a Persona game and a more casual RPG. As a new IP, I think Metaphor: ReFantazio exceeds expectations in all sorts of ways.

From the stellar art style to the beautiful soundtrack, Metaphor is a feast for the senses. The lore (mentioned previously) is meticulously built, and while the game does provide a self-contained story, there is a lot of room to build in future installments. The story gets emotional at a variety of points too, and doesn’t feel like a standard, “paint by numbers” experience.

It’s hard to find flaws in Metaphor: ReFantazio’s formula, especially since it is a refined version of a formula that has been improved upon for well over two decades. The team behind the game has taken everything they have learned from Shin Megami Tensei, Persona, and Soul Hackers to create an all-new IP with its own identity. I was skeptical when the game was announced because a fantasy RPG is new territory for them, but it absolutely works.

If I had to complain about one thing, it would be that I feel like character builds are a little more limited than I’m used to from Atlus’ work. You can carry over a few skills between Archetypes, but unlike Fusions it’s hard to really build something specific because it is tied directly to bond levels. This is a minor complaint though compared to how polished everything is.

Overall, if you like any of the previous games in the series I’ve mentioned here, you’ll have a blast with Metaphor: ReFantazio. I would recommend this to players who find Persona games overwhelming, or for new players who have felt too intimidated by the time-management concept to give Persona games a try. Alternately, if you’re just an RPG fan who wants to try something new, you can’t go wrong here.

Metaphor: ReFantazio is a distilled version of RPG greatness. I greatly hope that this is the start of a series because I would love to see what the team creates from here. Even if this is simply a one-off game though, it tackles a lot of hard topics with grace and care. Metaphor: ReFantazio should absolutely be on Game of the Year ballots this year.

A PC Review Copy of Metaphor: ReFantazio was provided by Atlus for the purposes of this review.

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Metaphor: ReFantazio

$59.99

9.5

Score

9.5/10

Pros

• Great Story
• Beautiful Soundtrack
• Engaging Combat and Gameplay
• Fun Characters
• Beautiful World and Lore

Cons

• Character Build options are less in-Depth