Atlus has once again proven why they are considered one of the best developers in the JRPG genre with Metaphor: ReFantazio, a game that is quickly becoming a strong contender for Game of the Year in 2024. The gameplay, narrative depth, and artistic design contain so many things to rave about. As expected from the developers behind the Persona franchise. Naturally, when setting up the game, you’ll want to optimize your experience, and one of the first choices Metaphor: ReFantazio asks you to be selecting is your preferred audio language: English or Japanese?
At first glance, you might assume Japanese audio is the ideal choice—it’s a JRPG, after all, and developed by Atlus. But there’s more to consider here. Without delving into spoilers, Metaphor: ReFantazio explores themes deeply connected to race, culture, and the distinctions between various tribes. Due to this, we actually recommend opting for the English audio.
Why? The game’s story is enriched by how the different people interact with each other which can include political, social, and racial intrigue, and the English version utilizes a variety of accents, which really brings out the diversity of these cultures. It makes the characters more distinctive, helping players better understand the cultural nuances at play.
That said, both the English and Japanese voice casts are fantastic, so you can’t go wrong with either. However, for a clearer connection to the game’s themes and character distinctions, English audio is the way to go. But then again, the game is fantastic so you’re probably going for multiple playthroughs. You can do one for each audio track.
Want the best possible start? Check out one of our guides for the different Archetypes for early game. We also made a list of the best practices you can do at the start of your campaign to give you the best possible start.
Metaphor: ReFantazio is one of the best gaming experiences you can have in 2024. If you’re still not convinced, you can try out the incredibly extensive free demo.