CAN YOU IMAGINE A PERSONA GAME happening in a medieval fantasy setting? That's what ATLUS and SEGA explored when they announced Metaphor: ReFantazio, a game developled by Studio Zero, the team responsible for Persona 5.
The developers recently launched a demo of their latest game, and players can get a chance to try venture into the mystical realm via Steam.
Upon entering this medieval world, what can fans expect? Is ReFantazio a clone of the Persona series? Or does the game offer a unique twist?
Heads up! The protagonist can now talk
Wait is this for real? An ATLUS protagonist can now speak?
Yep, that's right! After spending years deciphering the emotions of previous ATLUS protagonists like Makoto Yuki (Persona 3), Joker (Persona 5), The Nahobino (Shin Megami Tensei V), Metaphor: ReFantazio's main character has voicelines.
This is a welcome sight to see especially since there are numerous interactions between him and his fairy companion, Gallica, though it can also be argued that the protagonist still has those silent-vibes given that he is a man of few words.
Oftentimes Gallica will interact with various characters and while there are other video game fairy companions who end up annoying players, Gallica doesn't fall into that category.
With a solid voice-over mixed with a pleasing personality and Gallica ends up as a beloved sidekick.
Metaphor has really nice artworks
The game's artstyle and visuals are stunning to look at, as it feels like a real-life painting turned into a video game. It was so good that we didn't mind if the introduction sequence was tedious, filled with anime-esque scenes, as the artworks have truly been mesmerizing. It even managed to bring life to the various cities in the game, and with so much radiance, we felt eager to interact will all of the NPCs in the universe.
However this may seem pose a problem when looking at the graphical output of the game. There are environments that looked blurry and require some level of polishing, but we wouldn't say that it would bring the entire game down, in fact the demo proved that ReFantazio is already a promising spectacle.
Is Metaphor a Persona clone?
If you've played the previous Persona games, the combat will be very familiar given its turn-based approach. In addition players will get a chance to strike their foes before battles to gain an advantage.
Like Persona, there are melee attacks and magical abilities that players can use, and for them to use the latter, the characters need to summon their archetypes to give them immense abilities. To channel their archetypes, players need to visit More, who has the same role as Igor in the Persona series.
Enemies will have their share of strengths and weaknesses so players need to be aware of which magic abilities will weaken them and which spells will have no effect on them.
The combat may not be a revolutionary or out-of-the-blue experience given its similarities with the Persona games, but it is very fun and engaging, especially with the artstyle supplementing the battles.
However as one digs deep into the game, it seems like ReFantazio is a celebration of Atlus' 35th anniversary as the game features elements and references not only from the Persona series but also from Shin Megami Tensei.
The narrative
The first few hours of the demo offers a lot of mystery and intrigue and especially since there are hints that connect the world that we live in to that of ReFantazio. Eventually we learn more about the universe of ReFantazio, from its politics, its magical systems, history, and so on.
Right from the get go, we already experience how all of these factor in as the protagonist becomes a victim of racism and discrimination, plus there are other characters who have also been affected like Strohl.
So far the characters that we play end up being likeable. As mentioned earlier, Gallica seems to be the perfect match with the protagonist, then we look into the backstories of Strohl who we deeply root for upon learning what he has been through. Given their narratives, the game tackles profound themes centered on duty and even anxiety.
And while there is a lot to be desired with the characters, the same can be said with the overall plot. As we go through each mission, questions marks will be raised, and hopefully we reach a satisfying conclusion once the full game is released.
Metaphor: ReFantazio will officially go live on October 11, 2024, available to play on PlayStations 4 & 5, PC, and Xbox Series X|S.
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