This fantasy RPG left me speechless after I played it, and it promised a lot. After 4 hours on Metaphor ReFantazio, I know it will be one of the biggest events of 2024 – Metaphor: ReFantazio

It’s hard to think about Atlus these days without falling into its two great brands: Shin Megami Tensei and Persona. Moreover, this second one has become the emblem of the Japanese studio, but this does not mean that they are not thinking about new frontiers. The premiere will take place in October Metaphor: ReFantasio, perhaps the name of the Japanese company that is most eager to break with the two sagas I mentioned, and at 3DJuegos we have had the pleasure of trying it out now. 4 hours at the helm One thing is clear to me about this medieval fantasy RPG: it’s going to be one of the biggest things of the year.

From the real world to medieval fantasy with an Atlus twist

At first glance, what sets Metaphor apart most from games like Persona 5 or Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance is its setting. We’ve left behind the Japan we’ve seen in several games from the Japanese studio, and it’s time to say hello to it. Euchroniaa fantasy world created in contrast to our real world. There, the death of the king has created a tense political situation, which is also aggravated by cultural and racial clashes between different tribes. As you can imagine, this game lacks social criticism, and this Studio ZeroCreated by P-Studio, the creators of Persona, it doesn’t shy away from reflecting on prejudice and the damage it causes.

From prejudices Our protagonist will know a lot, a young man from the Elda tribe, who is not approved of in Euchronia for his complicated relationship with magic. As a childhood friend of the beginning of the kingdom, our mission will be to take part in a tournament organized to elect a new monarch and win it in order to create a better society. Obviously, this is just the beginning of the plot, but it makes it clear that this is not “just another fantasy story”. Metaphor: ReFantazio has very own way do something and explore the problems that arise.

Now, with this new setting, it appears a brutal change of philosophy when introducing its world and the events that take place there. With such a rich fantasy setting, it would be a shame to limit the plot to one location, and that is why the new Atlus project is presented more as travel between many places. Metaphor will take you on a journey through this new fantasy reality with its own myths, customs, societies and rules, and here Atlus has bet very heavily on knowledge ambitious to tell us about all aspects of Euchronia.

Travel and Time Management: A Recipe for Winning

Every time you move between locations – be it towns, dungeons or even other places – you will have a narration telling you everything notable about that place. It is understandable that for Japanese RPGs, keeping this epic fantasy feeling This is important, and the truth is that the way the game conveys the place in the world of each of its locations is simply captivating. Of course, don’t think that it is done in a bubble, but rather that it fits perfectly into the system that will make Persona fans feel right at home modern: time management

The calendar is back, and juggling along with it be able to cover all the contents of the RPG, and this is not a small thing. In this case, we will have to not only be aware of what we do during the day, day and night, but the trips will also be closely related over time. If we leave location C another level of responsibility for management, calendar use, and metaphorical time: ReFantazio becomes a strategic exercise with the potential to improve on the already successful mechanics we saw in Persona.

Obviously, this recipe could not be missing relationships with other characters. Equivalent social links about metaphor: ReFantazio followersand they are also given a new coat of paint on top. By befriending the NPCs that inhabit Euchronia, you will not only tell us their stories, but also receive various rewards, ranging from items to improvements to the game’s archetypes and classes. Again, DNA of the Person It’s here, but through evolution it gives us more than just a 1:1 translation.

Archetypes and combat, playable crumbs

But what are archetypes? You can’t talk about Atlus without talking about an outstanding combat system, and here Studio Zero’s work also claims first place. In this case, we have new evolution Press Turnthe turn-based combat system we saw in Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne and which has accompanied the Japanese company for decades. They are back juggling strengths and weaknesses elementaryBut the biggest twist is how we build our group of heroes. This is where archetypes come into play.

In short, these hero spirits represent the game’s classes. We can unlock and develop dozens of them, and they all have pre-assigned attacks that we will unlock as we gain experience with this archetype. During decide which archetype to use for each character, you will have to base it not only on the advantages it gives you in upcoming fights, but also on skills of participants your party. If one of the characters in the game has good stats to become a mage, you will have to prioritize those skills.

Ultimately, what the archetype system leaves us with is this: ambitious squad where we can expand and paint how we want to solve problems. Do you remember how SMT daemons and Personas work? Well, yes, but they can also be more complex and specific, since they are predefined classes rather than generic units.

If you love micromanagement as much as I do, know that the stats your character gets when you level up are you will control themallowing you to decide build Choose who you want as if it were Shin Megami Tensei. Add to that the ability to decide how to control all party members, and you’re left with a very sensible evolution of the formula we’ve seen in previous team games, in terms of depth.

None of this would matter without the proper dungeons, and I have great news for the most demanding of us, we will have dozens to visitwhich is confirmed by a Japanese study, and none of them will be procedurally generated. That is, all these levels They will be handmade, and they will have their own aspect that is worth highlighting. Some will introduce you to puzzles, others will have many hidden paths, and there are even stealth sections or optional fights. Atlus sets high goals for the design of its dungeons, so that everyone has their own taste.

“Atlus Brand” Couldn’t Go Unnoticed: Music and Art

It’s impossible to talk about Atlus games without commenting on their music and aesthetics, and Metaphor can give them all a thumbs up. Shoji Meguro is a true master of rhythm.and the epic fantasy tone perfectly matches his talent for creating powerful songs. As for the visual aspect, we are looking at a new level for a studio that has already proven itself with its aesthetic mastery. Although at times it seemed overloaded to me (very few, yes), the style is so baroque and anime The title radiates its own personality and catches the eye with surprising ease. Nothing is awkward or unfinished, and during the 4 hours of play I couldn’t help but be stunned due to the virtually endless amount of detail that populates the interface and every corner of the game.

I know that only I saw a tiny part everything Metaphor: ReFantazio has to offer, but that alone is enough to send my hopes through the roof. Atlus is gearing up to launch Studio Zero in style with one of his most ambitious video games to date. Individuality throughout, deep mechanics and impeccable art direction are the house’s calling cards, but they don’t make this new RPG predictable. I’m certainly looking forward to the full version, which will be released this October.

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