Metaphor: ReFantazio is a stunning RPG epic, but has it bitten off more than it can chew?

Metaphor: ReFantazio is the next drop-dead gorgeous RPG from many of the minds behind some of the most beloved Persona games. Its new combat system introduces smart real-time elements to cut down on needless fights against underpowered enemies. Its fantasy world feels dense with history and lore, brought to life by breathtaking art design. And its characters all seem likable and fun, even with our limited time with the game. 

The new combat of Metaphor: ReFantazio is partially striking as it moves away from the Persona’s turn-based system in two key ways. First, when you are out in the field, you can strike enemies multiple times without going into menu-driven combat. In fact, you can dodge and even stun enemies to get the upper hand before starting your turn-based assault. In practice, it's not dissimilar to the real-time combat you can do in the recently released Trails Through Daybreak.

The second combat change is that of turn orders. In most Persona games, everyone in your party makes a move, and then each one of the enemies does the same, and it goes back and forth. Here, there isn’t a turn order where teams go back and forth, like in game like Fantasian or the SaGa series. Instead, you get a number of crystals before the enemy will attack, these crystals with depend on what sort of enemy/enemies you are fighting. Different attacks will use a different amount of crystals. So even if you have four party members and four crystals, you might do an especially powerful attack as the protagonist and not get to act as all your party members before the enemies’ turn.

This system leads to interesting problems where you might only have three crystals in a move, but the character in your party with a group healing spell is four moves away, so you will have to find a different way to replenish everyone’s health.

And while the combat is deep, the world-building of Metaphor looks to be even deeper. In our first hour, we were introduced to several races and species, regions and tribes, necklaces that allowed us to cast spells (and seemed to be little more than a fashion statement for the rich), and even a guy taking drags from a fantasy vape. This isn’t a game that slowly layers in new terminology instead, opting to throw you in at the deep in full of proper nouns and made-up words. Thankfully, this works in Metaphor’s favor as it really does feel like you are discovering a new world.

There is one problem though…

Metaphor: ReFantazio is about as subtle as a two-by-four to the back of the head. When you start the game you are asked for your name in the fantasy world. That world is the dark medieval inspired United Kingdom of Euchronia and as soon as you start playing you discover your character is carrying a “fantasy book” that is set in a modern-day earth. This earth is free from the prejudice and bigotry that permeates Euchronia and its many humanoid species as everyone there is only one race: the human race. So yes, Metaphor: ReFantazio is a game about racism and bigotry and institutional structures that support them. 

Having played Persona 5 Tactica last year, this is no surprise, that game was basically an introductory course into political sociology and it wound up having shockingly progressive politics and something genuinely quite powerful to say about young people’s role in keeping those in power in check. However, it isn’t P-Studio working on this game. It's a new development studio within Atlus called Studio Zero. 

Studio Zero is something of an all-star collective of Persona veterans, including most notably the creative director of Persona 3, 4, and 5, Katsura Hashino. Hashino’s work has often also been loaded with social messages. The problem is, as a writer, he’s much messier than the younger team that is working on modern Persona. The clearest example of this is how his games have often treated queer characters, most uncomfortably Persona 3. Which was so tone-deaf the infamous “beach sequence” was severely cut down for this year's Persona 3 Reload to remove any mention of the older woman who the teenage Junpei was crushing on being transgender. Ten years later, Persona 5 still treated gay people as a punchline, especially when Ryuji was often put in uncomfortable positions with a recurring stereotypical camp couple. 

To be fair, though, it has been almost a decade since Persona 5 came out (sorry, it's true, that game is eight years old), and the world has changed a lot. Moreover, I am sure Hashino and his team have changed and grown, too. However, for as much as I wanted to love my time with Metaphor, every time there is a reference to the protagonist Elda's tribe being “tainted” I found myself doubting if this team would be able to do justice to a story about systemic bigotry and the ills societal shackles when painting with such a heavy brush. For as much as Persona 5 Tactica is about breaking down the systems that bind us to build something better, it is worth remembering that Makoto’s story in base Persona 5 ended with her deciding to become one of the good cops.

We will only really know if Metaphor: ReFantazio can put its money where its mouth is when it comes to tackling these themes once we have played the whole thing, but the good news is that the game isn’t actually that far from release. October 11th, 2024 on PC, Xbox One, Series X|S, PS4, and PS5 is when we will get our answers and find out if fantasy really is better than reality.

This preview is based on an early demo from Gamescom 2024. The final product is subject to change.

Lexi Luddy

Contributing Editor

Lex Luddy is a freelance writer and journalist. She has written for Vice, Fanbyte, PLAY Magazine, Gayming Magazine, Push Square, startmenu and more. She can be found on BlueSky @basicallilexi.bsky.social talking about Like A Dragon, Kirby, and queer representation in media.