Metaphor: ReFantazio Feels like Home for JRPG Players

At the Summer Game Fest Play Days, attendees played a trial version of ATLUS and Studio Zero's upcoming game, Metaphor: ReFantazio. Development and planning for Metaphor began right after the first Catherine game and has been touted as a celebration of ATLUS' past 35 years. Given how much of the online fanfare focused on the menu design and user interface, I was skeptical of the gameplay. As much as I've enjoyed the sleek designs ATLUS is now known for, gameplay is more than just aesthetics. Thankfully, Metaphor breathes new life into the JPRG genre.

During my trial, I was given three modes to play: Dungeon Mode, Scenario Mode, and the Boss Challenge. I swapped the voice and text language between Japanese and English to see if there were any major changes, but they were almost identical. This is convenient for players who want to hear the Japanese voice cast but read in their native language. Starting with Scenario Mode, I learned more about the protagonist and the tumultuous setting of Euchronia in this part of the trial. Through his fairy companion, Gallica, I got a first look into the class tensions and prejudice against the main character's Elda tribe. There are limited character responses to dialogue prompts, which feel inconsequential in the introduction until you meet Strohl. Opening the menu, I read through some of the lore and a recap of the key parts I had just played through in the story.

The Scenario Mode and Dungeon Mode allow you to try out solo battling and fighting as a team. After ATLUS introduced over forty classes, known as Archetypes, at the Summer Game Fest 2024 presentation, I had to look at the Archetype Tree. For the purposes of the demo, only the protagonist, Strohl, and Hulkenberg were available. All already channeled the Archetype with the highest stats at the time, so it wasn't worth changing before I headed into the dungeon battle. Interestingly, the calendar section included several events, such as Forgiveness Day and Day of the Hero, along with special discounts designated for those days.

Our overall quest was listed as "Save the Prince from Death's Curse," but Dungeon Mode is limited to a basic rescue mission within the first floor of the Grand Trad. Combat mechanics are real-time and turn-based, akin to the dungeon-crawling aspect of the Shin Megami Tensei and Persona franchises. Once in battle, my team could only deal physical damage as the dungeon was fairly early in the game. It's like slipping into an old pair of jeans for Persona players as surprise attacks provide an advantage, and Synthesis team attacks clear up enemies quickly.

The most immersive portion of the trial was the Boss Challenge, as the team heads into a major boss battle. Here, I could try out Metaphor's line formation system, allowing me to change character formations. Those in the front can deal heavier damage while taking more damage, while those in the back take less damage but land weaker attacks. RPG players will know the standard best practice formation: magic users and healers should go behind the physical fighters and tanks.

Taking a step back, I took a long time exploring the ship since I spent half an hour fighting enemies. I wish I had taken the opportunity to look through the entirety of the ship before committing to an action during the tutorial. During this portion, called gauntlet runner activities, the player can do several skill-raising activities—such as using the washing machine or reading a book—and improve stats (called virtues) by spending time with allies. I chose to hone weapons with Strohl and boosted my courage while developing the protagonist's bond with him.

Afterward, I picked the inopportune time to tour the ship. While Gallica reminds me to hurry up and head to the deck, I make the protagonist visit the bathroom. The English localization team did an excellent job expressing the protagonist's sense of humor and urgency as a prompt reads out, "I'd prefer not to die on the toilet" and "The entire runner's gonna be taking a bath if we don't do something quick!" I was preoccupied with trying to make the most of my fifteen-minute trial, and I figured I could take down the boss in five minutes. Had I not been cut off by the automatic timer, I would've beaten the boss entirely, as it only had less than a quarter of its health left.

Overall, I'm excited to play the full game once it launches. I'm interested in how the story will unfold as the team engages in a power-grab tournament for the throne. More information will surely come during The World of Metaphor: ReFantazio panel at Anime Expo.