Developer: Atlus, Studio Zero
Publisher: Atlus, Atlus USA, Sega, SEGA of America
Release date: October 11, 2024
Available on: PC. PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X/S (reviewed on the S)
Metaphor:Refantazio is the latest JRPG from Atlus, and, like the Persona series, contains some very heady themes. Prejudice, nationalism, religion, and even the nature of reality are all explored. The cast is fairly likeable, and nicely varied. Adding to the characters are their Archetypes, magical alter-egos that can be explored and developed. There is plenty of content here, with multiple endings. As with other Atlus titles, the music is outstanding, and the visuals nicely done. It’s not a perfect game, but for JRPG fans it’s a title worth checking out.
PROS
Large amount of content between main story and side missions
Multiple endings
Likeable cast of characters
Nicely nuanced villain
Interesting story
Lot of variety with Archetypes for combat
Outstanding music
Good visuals and voice acting
Wide variety of enemy types
Fast travel mechanic makes things easier to move about the world
CONS
Battle dialogue can get very repetitive
Some backtracking that feels more tacked on to lengthen quests
Some dungeons can be frustrating to navigate
In all, Metaphor: ReFantazio continues Atlus’ winning formula. The story unfolds well throughout, and the cast of characters are likeable. The main villain is nicely nuanced as well. There is plenty of content here to make it worth the purchase, and multiple endings do give it replay value. It can feel a bit long (especially after you cross the 50 hour mark) for some, and the battle dialogue can get downright annoying with its repetitiveness. Despite the flaws, it’s still worth your while, and it stands out as one of the better JRPGs to be released this year.
9/10 stars
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