A New Fantasy From the Masters
Metaphor: ReFantazio is the game that answers the question: what happens when the team behind Persona 5 — one of the most stylish games ever made — channels their talents into a high-fantasy setting? The answer is a masterpiece that combines jaw-dropping art direction, deeply strategic combat, and a politically charged narrative into one of the most complete RPG packages of the generation.
Director Katsura Hashino and character designer Shigenori Soejima have created a world that is unlike anything else in gaming. The United Kingdom of Euchronia draws from Western medieval fantasy but filters it through a distinctly Japanese design sensibility, resulting in a setting that feels simultaneously familiar and alien. The creature designs are spectacular — from the anxiety-inducing Humans (yes, in this world, "humans" are the monsters) to the ornate Archetypes that serve as the game's class system.
The art direction is the game's most immediately striking quality. Every menu, every transition, every battle animation has been crafted with meticulous attention to visual design. The UI is a tour de force of graphic design — navigating menus is genuinely pleasurable, which is something very few games can claim. If Persona 5 was a masterclass in style, Metaphor is the doctoral thesis.
Political Fantasy at Its Finest
The narrative follows the protagonist on a quest to become king by winning a magical election tournament — the Royal Tournament — using a system that measures the collective will of the people. It's an explicitly political story that examines themes of prejudice, populism, meritocracy, and the nature of leadership with surprising sophistication.
The tribal system of Euchronia — where society is divided into races with ingrained prejudices — creates immediate parallels to real-world discrimination that the game explores with nuance rather than heavy-handedness. Your companions each represent different tribal perspectives, and the conversations between party members about their experiences with prejudice are some of the most thoughtfully written dialogues in any RPG.
The calendar system from Persona returns, creating meaningful time management decisions. Days are spent traveling, fighting, and preparing, while social bonds with companions unlock narrative content and gameplay rewards. The system creates natural pacing that prevents the game from feeling either rushed or padded — every day matters, and the ticking clock of the Royal Tournament adds genuine urgency.
Strategic Combat Excellence
Combat is a brilliant hybrid of turn-based and real-time systems. Weak enemies can be dispatched in real-time in the overworld, while tougher encounters transition into a deep turn-based system built around the Archetype class system. With over 40 Archetypes to unlock and level — each with unique abilities, stat distributions, and equippable skills — the build variety is extraordinary.
The synthesis between Archetypes is where the combat truly shines. Combining abilities from different classes creates devastating combos that reward experimentation and planning. The difficulty is well-tuned, with challenging encounters that demand strategic thinking without becoming frustratingly punishing. Boss battles are multi-phase affairs that test your understanding of every system the game has taught you.
Dungeon design is a significant improvement over Persona 5's Palaces. Each dungeon has unique mechanics, puzzles, and visual identities that keep the experience fresh throughout the 80+ hour campaign. The final dungeon, in particular, is a masterful capstone that brings together every theme and mechanic in a satisfying conclusion.
✅ Pros
- Best-in-class art direction and UI design
- Deeply strategic combat with massive class variety
- Politically nuanced narrative with mature themes
- Outstanding dungeon design
- Calendar system creates meaningful pacing
- 80+ hours of consistently excellent content
❌ Cons
- Slow opening hours require patience
- Some Archetypes feel underpowered
- Fast travel options are limited early on
- Text-heavy sequences may test some players
- Performance dips in late-game areas
The Verdict
Metaphor: ReFantazio is a triumph — a new IP that instantly establishes itself among the greatest JRPGs ever made. Atlus has proven that their mastery of style, narrative, and strategic combat transcends any single franchise. This is essential gaming for RPG fans.
"If Persona 5 was lightning in a bottle, Metaphor is a thunderstorm — bigger, bolder, and just as electrifying."