Metaphor Re:Fantazio | Review Thread

[John Elden Ring]

Game Title: Metaphor: ReFantazio

Platforms:

• Xbox Series X/S (Oct 11, 2024)
• PlayStation 5 (Oct 11, 2024)
• PC (Oct 11, 2024)
• PlayStation 4 (Oct 11, 2024)
• Xbox One (Oct 11, 2024)

Trailers:

• Metaphor: ReFantazio — Travel Beyond Fantasy | Xbox Series X|S, Windows PC
• Metaphor: ReFantazio — Story Trailer | Xbox Series X|S, Windows PC

Developer: ATLUS

Publisher: SEGA

OpenCritic - 95 average - 100% recommended - 7 reviews

MetaCritic - 93 average - Must Play - 20 reviews

But Why Tho? - Jesse Vitelli - 9.5 / 10

Metaphor: Refantazio is the culmination of everything that came before it. It’s a mixture of Atlus’ RPG track record crafted into something bold and new. It takes stock of the fictional stories Atlus has told in the past and how people have resonated with them for years.

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Checkpoint Gaming - Charlie Kelly - 10 / 10

I've always wanted Atlus to tackle political fantasy as a genre and of course when they finally do it with Metaphor: ReFantazio it's one of the best RPGs in years. This is the result of 20 years of incredible game craft that has taken shape in the best and most refined version of the Persona and Shin Megami Tensei formula that we've ever received. Probably the best we'll ever get. This is their magnum opus. With immensely satisfying and tactile turn-based combat, and a memorable cast of characters including the alluring and ever-intimidating villain Count Louis, you'll be taken by the world and story to explore within Euchronia. Much like the protagonist, you'll be compelled to save its people. Metaphor: ReFantazio is a crowning achievement under Atlus' long-running and award-winning belt. You should join them on the throne. The view is beautiful from up here.

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Console Creatures - Matt Sowinski - 9 / 10

Metaphor: ReFantazio is a fantastic experience, built on the foundation set by Persona but becoming something all of its own. The story is great, the characters are interesting, and a brand-new combat system delivers one of the most exciting games this year.

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Dexerto - Anyka Pettigrew - 5 / 5

Metaphor: ReFantazio is the ultimate culmination of everything Atlus has learned from its best games and is a huge step forward for the future of its JRPGs.
The delightful combat, incredible cast of characters, and intricate fantasy setting all make for a brilliant experience that no Shin Megami Tensei or Persona fan should miss out on. It’s certainly a game-of-the-year-worthy title and a smash hit for Atlus to end the year with.

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Enternity.gr - Christos Chatzisavvas - Greek - 9.5 / 10

Offering an ever-evolving combat system that rewards experimentation, along with a goal-focused plot and parallel activities that don't alter the mix, Studio Zero's first major title is a real gem at its peak.

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GameBlast - Farley Santos - Portuguese - 9 / 10

Metaphor: ReFantazio combines tactical combat, social interactions, and exploration into a rich experience set in a unique fantasy world. The flexibility provided by the Archetype system encourages the creation of varied strategies, while the progression structured in days adds a layer of planning that enriches the journey. With so many options for activities, from side quests to moments of socializing, it is difficult to have two days the same. However, there are some limitations, such as the repetition of activities and the lack of creativity in some optional dungeons, making the experience tiring at times. In addition, the inconsistent graphic quality and the drop in performance are points that weaken the immersion. In the end, with an extensive campaign and a competent localization, Metaphor: ReFantazio offers a robust and memorable RPG. The title does not revolutionize the studio's formula, but it is still an immersive and engaging experience.

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Gamer Guides - Ben Chard - 97 / 100

At the end of its massive runtime, Metaphor: ReFantazio never suffers from pacing issues and tells a captivating story that stirs your imagination. With fantastic additions to the familiar Press Turn battle system and one of my favorite casts in a long time, this is one fantasy you won’t want to miss.

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GamingTrend - Jack Zustiak - 100 / 100

Overall, Metaphor plays like a dream from start to finish. There's less downtime than Persona and fewer frustrating moments than Shin Megami Tensei, with the whole game feeling like a high-stakes road trip with your best friends. The road to the throne is a tough one, but it's one well worth walking.

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PPE.pl - Wojciech Gruszczyk - Polish - 9.5 / 10

A new world built on familiar foundations. Metaphor: ReFantazio does not revolutionize the genre, but encourages more players to the systems and mechanics offered by the developers of Persona.

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Push Square - Robert Ramsey - 9 / 10

Metaphor: ReFantazio is one of the most memorable RPGs we've played in years. In pursuing a new property, complete with a fantasy setting, Atlus has allowed its creativity to blossom, resulting in a brilliantly rich experience - both in terms of narrative and audiovisual design. While Metaphor takes obvious gameplay and structural cues from the developer's previous projects, it combines and refines those elements to make an epic, kingdom-hopping adventure that feels unique and deeply fulfilling.

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Quest Daily - Shaun Fullard - 10 / 10

I’m not going to beat around the bush, Metaphor: ReFantazio is my game of the year. Atlus and Studio Zero have taken the best bits of the Persona series and somehow made them work within a medieval fantasy setting. But it’s no mere Persona 'holiday special'. The new IP enhances and evolves the formula, becoming a shining example of how to do JRPGs right. When it comes to my games, I value story and character above all else, and Metaphor delivers that in spades.

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Rock, Paper, Shotgun - Unscored

A wonderful RPG that builds on many of Persona's foundations, with a strong sense of exploration and a lovely suite of pals. But its heavy combat focus may mean it remains in the memory less than its high school predecessors.

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Stevivor - Matt Gosper - 10 / 10

Metaphor ReFantazio sets out to blend the best of its predecessors’ gameplay with an all-new setting, and the result is far greater than the sum of its parts.

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TechRaptor - Andrew Stretch - 9.5 / 10

Atlus has leveled up the Persona formula in every way. The world-spanning adventure of Metaphor: ReFantazio offers a diverse world to explore, deep and relatable stories to share with your party, an incredible combat system with unlimited possibilities of Archetype powers, and plenty of quality of life improvements to make sure you're spending more time playing the game and not wondering what to do next.

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The Beta Network - Samuel Incze - 10 / 10

Metaphor: ReFantazio is a thrilling JRPG with a unique story and the typical engaging gameplay elements that Atlus is known for. The combat is challenging, featuring the press turn battle with a new risk-reward system adding depth to the classic turn-based formula. While the game shares some similarities with the Shin Megami Tensei and Persona series, such as social stats and character bonds, it carves its own path with a captivating narrative and stunning world. The excellent voice acting, music, and visuals further enhance the experience, making it a must-play for JRPG fans.

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The Outerhaven Productions - Jordan Andow - 4.5 / 5

Metaphor: ReFantazio is one of the best turn-based JRPGs I've played in quite some time. It’s a fantastic game, featuring breathtaking visuals and incredible sound—kudos to Atlus for that. However, I do wish the game had better pacing and a more seamless world structure.

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TheSixthAxis - Nic Bunce - 9 / 10

Metaphor ReFantazio is sublime. Persona fans will have an absolute blast playing this, and hunting out the subtle (and not-so-subtle) nods to its franchise cousin. A couple of minor annoyances make it feel a little rough around the edges hold it back from an otherwise perfect score.

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VGC - Jordan Middler - 5 / 5

Metaphor: ReFantazio could have so easily been Persona with the names filed off, but it's so, so much more than that. It matches fun, expansive combat with an excellent cast of characters that make the near 100-hour journey an unforgettable one.

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Video Chums - Mary Billington - 9 / 10

Metaphor: ReFantazio is a more mature take on RPGs that delivers something quite different while maintaining enjoyable and somewhat familiar gameplay. Plus, mastering archetypes, exploring dungeons, and fighting for the crown is handled with perfect pacing.

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WellPlayed - Nathan Hennessy - 9 / 10

If you can only play one turn-based fantasy roleplaying game this year, let it be this one. Swords and sorcery Persona is a marvellously executed pitch.

 

[ethomaz]

The demo was good.
Nothing new (I mean new in therms of innovation... it is the cliche JRPG formula that Square Enix seems to have forget about) but very very very good.

And just to cause buzz here...

IMO this game is better than Wukong and deserves a spot in GOTY lists (not as winner but as contender).

 

[Entropi]

I wasn’t hooked by the demo, but I’m glad to see it turned out well—or great, I should say.

 

[ethomaz]

I wasn’t hooked by the demo, but I’m glad to see it turned out well—or great, I should say.

What where your issues with the demo? I found it pretty good.
It is generic JRPG plot / story but the results where great.

I mean it remember a mix of The Legend of Heroes + SMT/Persona + old FFs.
But it was very well done and paced.

 

[Entropi]

What where your issues with the demo? I found it pretty good.
It is generic JRPG plot / story but the results where great.

It is good. I think I just needed to spend more time with it.

 

[Entropi]

Oh man, sometimes it sucks to be a PlayStation owner; there are so many good games to play right now. I’ll focus on SH2 for now and find time for Refantazio sometime after.

 

[ethomaz]

You can call me crazy.

But it takes a lot of inspirations in The Legend of Heroes: Trails games... it just feels way more polished and better graphics/presentation (budget $$$)..

 

[quest4441]

Good for those who like it, still not gonna buy

 

[voke]

Lets goooooo, i knew this would be the last 90+ of the year. Super hyped to play this shit man ive waited ages

gonna finish the demo after silent hill 2 and be ready for launch!

 

[kurogaki]

as much as I love their games I'll wait for the future complete "royal edition"

 

[Gods&Monsters]

Weird. I did not get these feelings at all playing the demo. I couldn't care less about the story and characters. The annoying fairy is the same from SMT but even more annoying.

I was always going to get it but not Day 1, I'll wait for the Christmas sale. Silent Hill 2 is priority this week

 

[Kokoloko]

Will get on discount or wait till complete edition. Atm my backlog is too much and SH2 takes priority now
Im still not into the art style too much, something feels off for me

 

[On Demand]

This is going to be one of those games where there’s few reviews and split for each platform to keep the score high.

 

[voke]

The demo was good.
Nothing new (I mean new in therms of innovation... it is the cliche JRPG formula that Square Enix seems to have forget about) but very very very good.

And just to cause buzz here...

IMO this game is better than Wukong and deserves a spot in GOTY lists (not as winner but as contender).

Lol I beat Wukong and I don’t think it’s anywhere near the GOTY conversation. I see it frequently brought up on social media and it confuses me tbh lol. People speak about it like it’s locked in but the only games that have it on lock this year for noms is Rebirth, Astro Bot, and now Metaphor.

0 doubts that Metaphor challenges some of my favorites of the year. I’ve loved Atlus my whole life…. Been waiting on something bigger from them since SMTV

 

[FatKaz]

This is going to be one of those games where there’s few reviews and split for each platform to keep the score high.

Opencritic should give a better overall score regardless of platform.

Sitting at 91 on opencritic.

 

[Muddasar]

Weird. I did not get these feelings at all playing the demo. I couldn't care less about the story and characters. The annoying fairy is the same from SMT but even more annoying.

I was always going to get it but not Day 1, I'll wait for the Christmas sale. Silent Hill 2 is priority this week

Atlus has a cult following.

Their niche games are only reviewed by their fans.

A bit like From games in the past.

Inflated review scores are the norm.

 

[On Demand]

Opencritic should give a better overall score regardless of platform.

Sitting at 91 on opencritic.

Yeah I saw that.

Opencritic should be the standard. Metacritic has too many possible shenanigans that can be done.

 

[saltyashell]

This is going to be one of those games where there’s few reviews and split for each platform to keep the score high.

I expect Xbots to latch on to it and champion it as GOTY, because it's the only GOTY contender they can access on their platform

 

[TrishaCat]

Metaphor: ReFantazio Review | RPG Site

Atlus' seven year journey to releasing Project Re Fantasy was worth the wait as it combines some of the very best ideas from their previous games into a lovely fantasy setting with a compelling cast of characters and a deeply intricate, well-designed job class system.

www.rpgsite.net

 

[voke]

I expect Xbots to latch on to it and champion it as GOTY, because it's the only GOTY contender they can access on their platform

Yeah they're 100% going to champion it. I mean, at least it's for a great game. assuming these are the noms, there's a chance only 2-3 games will be playable on Xbox.