At Gamescom 2024 in Cologne, Germany, I got the chance to play the first hour of Metaphor ReFantazio, the upcoming RPG from Atlus that borrows a lot of DNA from the studio’s successful Persona RPG series. It certainly looked and played like a Persona game, but with an epic fantasy story filled with political intrigue and no small amount of bizarre body horror.
Suffice it to say, players should expect something different than the high school drama they’ve come to expect from the franchise. Metaphor is, from the start, a game about changing the course of a country’s history, with a simpler story that will undoubtedly become more complex as the fantasy world intertwines with our modern world.
It’s hard to say how much Metaphor deviates from the Persona mold, especially given the series’ tendency to unfold slowly over dozens of hours. But the new game bears enough hallmarks of the fan-favorite series, from its battle systems to its stylish menu art, that it will draw in new players.
The main character (right) and his fairy friend, Gallica (left).
Metaphor ReFantazio opens on a somber note: the king is dead, and the fantasy confederation of Euchronia, which includes three minor nations and eight races of fantasy creatures, is in turmoil. To save the kingdom, players assume the role of the rarest of those races — an Elba with normal ears and no horns (a human by our standards) — on a quest to free the king’s son from a terrible curse.
With him is Gallica, a fairy companion (from another of the eight races) to aid him and spread knowledge to the player. In his possession is a book adorned with gold leaf given to him by the royal prince, and within its pages are images of an impossible land of steel buildings and one people. That should sound familiar, for it is our world.
How the fantasy world is connected to our reality is far from clear after an hour of play. This was especially true towards the end of my demo, when I joined the army of the kingdom of Euchronia to complete my mission and came to the aid of a fortress that was being attacked by some truly bizarre creatures, including eggs with legs. Yes, you read that right.
The game’s monster design intriguingly blends human and animal parts for some striking and repulsive enemies that look like they’ve been ripped straight from a Hieronymus Bosch painting, which seems to tie into the game’s overarching theme (barely hinted at in the demo) of horror at what is (and isn’t) conventionally considered human. Namely, atop a mountain of dead soldiers stood a colossal boss that defies description: humanoid, four legs dangling with swords spearing down from each, feathered wings studded with hands sprouting from the thing’s head. As the protagonist stares at the behemoth in horror, someone gives it a name: human.
Then a voice asked if the protagonist would stand up to defy fate, and after he agreed, it violently transformed him into a giant suit of armor. Which, if I’m honest, felt like I was controlling a supersized Persona. Just as I was taking on the boss, my demo time ended.
The royal capital of Euchronia, Grand Trad, with the imposing and geometric Regalith Grand Cathedral, the center of the state-sponsored religion. Interestingly, my Metaphor demo began with a disclaimer that “the creators of the game do not condone violence against governments or religious organizations.”
It’s a promising start to a game with a large world and plenty of lore, which I found in journal entries in the pause menu. But it’s impossible to say whether the game’s setting will be an enjoyable place to while away dozens of hours. The fantasy world is presented as a powder keg, with a tense alliance of nations under Euchronia populated by mythological races battling it out.
Furthermore, there is clear class politics at play, with lower castes being ostracized and punished for using magical items (called “igniters”). In the short intro, the protagonist befriends a nobleman who volunteers to join the armed forces to prove that not all gentry avoid the front lines.
Metaphor’s setting is filled with drama, but of a different kind than the high school settings of recent Persona games. The new game looks to tackle more mature themes of national, racial, and class politics, though that may alienate players accustomed to the teenage antics, angst, and relationship building that have become synonymous with the franchise.
The start menu for Metaphor, featuring the signature stylized menus of the Persona series.
The combat feels good enough, using conventional fantasy magic instead of Persona skills, and it follows the turn-based combat rhythm that players have come to expect from Persona games. One thing it’s missing is the sneaky ambush mechanic. You can attack them early to whittle down their health (or get ambushed yourself), but it lacks the stealth mechanics that suited the heist theme of Persona 5 Royal , for example.
Whether the story lives up to its promise is hard to say after an hour of playtime. But many of the trappings of Persona games are present here, including some truly gorgeous and stylized UI touches like scene transitions (some parts of the menus are a little bland this time around).
We’ll have to wait for the full experience to see if Metaphor ReFantazio differentiates itself from its Persona predecessors, and if players will take to the new direction.
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