Aside from seeing the special PGDX presentation, we also got to play a demo of Metaphor: ReFantazio, the next JRPG from Atlus. Based on our time with the game, we’re now even more excited for this new title!
Metaphor: ReFantazio is an upcoming JRPG from Studio Zero, and it features many veteran staff members from the Persona series. For instance, the game is directed by Katsura Hashino, with character designs by Shigenori Soejima and music by Shoji Meguro; all three are key members of the development team for Persona 3, 4, and 5.
As such, you can think of Metaphor: ReFantazio as an evolution of the Persona series. After all, based on the game’s various previews over the past year, it features a familiar turn-based combat system along with social simulation elements and a calendar system.
At PGDX 2024 during the weekend, I got to try a 45-minute demo of the game that was split into three parts. Given that I’ve played Personas 3 to 5, I felt right at home with Metaphor: ReFantazio. Make no mistake though, this is still a brand-new game that feels different from Persona in many aspects, ranging from its setting to its enhanced gameplay mechanics.
The first demo that I tried was of the game’s first dungeon. This had some intriguing story parts, and it also revealed that the playable character is fully voiced now. Though the highlight for me in this first demo was actually trying out the game’s dungeon exploration and turn-based combat system.
Exploration should feel familiar to Persona fans, but its medieval fantasy setting makes it feel like its own game. Even based on this first dungeon, I already want to see more of the world given that I’m a big fan of medieval fantasy worlds.
What’s also an evolution is the more action-focused exploration. In the Persona games, you can initiate a combat encounter by hitting an enemy in the dungeon. By hitting them before they notice you, you’ll get the advantage at the start of the encounter. This system returns in Metaphor: ReFantazio, but hitting enemies is now a more involved process.
Instead of hitting the enemy just once, you’ll need to hit them multiple times and then press another button to initiate combat. It seems like a small change, but in practice, it does help make dungeon exploration feel more active as you’ll need to watch how enemies move so that you can hit them with a flurry of attacks at the right time to get an advantage.
As for the main turn-based combat system, gameplay works similarly to Persona in that players can attack, guard, or use a skill via Archetypes (think of them as Metaphor: ReFantazio’s version of the Persona mechanic). In the first dungeon, the turn-based combat encounters are pretty basic, though the second part of the demo showcases more gameplay features and elements
After my fifteen minutes with the first part, I proceeded to the second part of the demo which had me explore a dungeon alongside two party members. The highlight of this dungeon is a quest involving an NPC.
This side quest is fairly simple as I only needed to look for a key in the dungeon to unlock a door to rescue a group of prisoners. What is interesting is the NPC. At the end of the quest, I unlocked what seems to be the game’s version of a Social Link. By doing so, I unlocked a new Archetype for my main character.
After completing the quest, I got to explore the dungeon more. Here, I found out that attacking weaker enemies (marked blue when you use the scan function while exploring) will let you skip the combat encounter, though you’ll still be awarded some experience. This is a nice addition as it helps minimize the tediousness of exploring given that you can essentially skip fights against weaker mobs. Of course, you’ll still need to face stronger enemies (marked yellow for enemies around the same level and red for tough enemies) as a proper combat encounter.
With two other party members at my side, I got a better feel of how combat works. The most exciting addition in this game is the Synthesis function where party members can team up for a more powerful attack. There is a downside though as using a Synthesis move will consume more turn points (which are marked in the upper left side of the screen).
Synthesis moves and Archetype abilities have physical or elemental damage. Much like the Persona games, using the right move is key in winning tough combat encounters — this is something I learned in the third and final part of the demo.
This isn’t the exact boss we fought, but it does have a somewhat similar look.
The last part of the demo saw me control a full party of four against a tough mid-game boss. This boss hits hard, and it has tentacles that can regenerate when destroyed.
Sadly, I wasn’t able to defeat the boss in the fifteen minutes I had for this part. Still, the boss fight confirmed to me that Metaphor: ReFantazio scratches that same itch as the Persona series does in terms of combat, though it has enough new twists and enhancements to make it feel unique.
Gameplay aside, what I found to be most memorable with my 45-minute demo was the game’s visual style. Atlus is no stranger to RPG’s with distinct and eye-catching styles, but Metaphor: ReFantazio might just be one of the most striking games from the studio when it comes to aesthetics.
It’s hard to put into words, but Metaphor’s visuals seem to combine the best parts of a gritty medieval fantasy world with eye-popping colors and UI elements. I also liked how crazy and colorful the enemy designs are in this game which Atlus mentioned are inspired by the Dutch painter Hieronymus Bosch. As someone into art history, this aspect of the game is no doubt one that I’m most interested to see more of.
Metaphor: ReFantazio Initial Impressions: We can’t wait for more
The Metaphor: ReFantazio demo I got to try was less than an hour long, but it already gave me a good idea of what to expect. Of course, there are still lots of things I want to learn more about such as its story and the Archetype mechanics. Based on what I experienced though, this game is already shaping up to be a must-play for Persona fans thanks to its familiar yet enhanced gameplay, along with its intriguing setting and excellent visual style.
Metaphor: ReFantazio will be released on PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, and PC on October 11, 2024.