GamesRadar+ Verdict
GamesRadar+ Verdict
TODAY’S BEST DEALS$49.99at Walmart$49.99at Best Buy$69.99at Amazon
TODAY’S BEST DEALS$49.99at Walmart$49.99at Best Buy$69.99at Amazon
TODAY’S BEST DEALS$49.99at Walmart$49.99at Best Buy$69.99at Amazon
TODAY’S BEST DEALS
$49.99at Walmart$49.99at Best Buy$69.99at Amazon
$49.99at Walmart
$49.99at Walmart
$49.99at Best Buy
$49.99at Best Buy
$69.99at Amazon
$69.99at Amazon
Pros+Stunning art direction+Fantastic balance of exploration and social elements+Gripping story
Stunning art direction
Fantastic balance of exploration and social elements
Gripping story
Cons-Slow paced opening-‘Safe’ returning Persona and SMT features-Repetitive dungeon layouts
Slow paced opening
‘Safe’ returning Persona and SMT features
Repetitive dungeon layouts
Why you can trust GamesRadar+Our experts review games, movies and tech over countless hours, so you can choose the best for you.Find out more about our reviews policy.
Why you can trust GamesRadar+Our experts review games, movies and tech over countless hours, so you can choose the best for you.Find out more about our reviews policy.
In all my years of playing JRPGs,Metaphor: ReFantaziois the first that’s made me shed a tear for the pure, simple reason that it’sso good. There’s little I love more than spending arguably far too many hours getting lost in the world of enormous games like Xenoblade Chronicles or Persona 5 Royal, and developer Studio Zero has delivered everything I could have asked for with its debut fantasy epic, even if it does take a while to grow into its full splendor.
Jumping off the page
(Image credit: Atlus / Sega)
Fast factsRelease date:October 11, 2024Platform(s):PC, PS5, PS4, Xbox Series XDeveloper:Studio ZeroPublisher:Atlus
Fast facts
Release date:October 11, 2024Platform(s):PC, PS5, PS4, Xbox Series XDeveloper:Studio ZeroPublisher:Atlus
Release date:October 11, 2024Platform(s):PC, PS5, PS4, Xbox Series XDeveloper:Studio ZeroPublisher:Atlus
Metaphor: ReFantazio uses a ‘press turn’ combat system like that seen in SMT 3 through 5. Combatants are each assigned a set number of ‘turn icons’ for each round of combat, and once you’ve used all of yours up, it switches to the opposing side. Generally speaking, you can expect your team to have one icon for each member of your active party, but things like the powerful ‘Synthesis’ team-up moves will use up two icons, so you have to strategize carefully.
(Image credit: Atlus / Sega)
Real dynamics are introduced to combat through Archetypes. This is Metaphor: ReFantazio’s twist on traditional class or job systems that you may find in other JRPGs, and there areloadsof them to pick between too. From generic sword-swingers to mages and buff-slinging commanders, each Archetype has access to their own unique weapons and abilities to ensure there’s plenty of scope for experimentation.
Archetypes are unlocked throughout the adventure as you develop your relationships with various characters. Experimentation is thoroughly encouraged as all party members can give any Archetype they want a whirl, and thanks to the option to ‘inherit’ skills – equipping a few from any mix of the classes even when you’re not using them – you can whip up some unique character builds to wreak havoc on the battlefield. What’s more, Archetypes can eventually be changed on the fly outside of battles to suit whatever boss or dungeon you’re about to take on, or just for a change of pace, which keeps combat encounters exciting throughout.
Living your fantasy
(Image credit: Atlus / Sega)
“Landscapes look like they’ve been pulled straight out of a classic fairytale”
“Landscapes look like they’ve been pulled straight out of a classic fairytale”
When you’re not frying giant eggs with legs in dungeons, there’s stillplentyto do out and about in Metaphor: ReFantazio’s various cities that’ll make veteran Persona fans feel right at home. The entire story plays out over a set number of months on an in-game calendar, with deadlines to complete certain story-related dungeons. After completing your tasks and waiting for those deadlines for the next chunk of plot to unfold, you have free time to spend on side quests, boosting your Royal Virtues (Persona fans will recognize these as Social Stats), or deepening your bonds with the characters.
Bond conversations are exactly like Persona Social Links, which isn’t a surprise given that the development team is composed of veterans of the Persona series. Characters have eight ranks to unlock, with progression revealing new side-stories, passive abilities, and Archetypes. That’s all well and good, but you’ll want to spend time improving bonds because every character is just so damned likable – a joy to hang out with in this vibrant world.
From the stern merchant Brigitta to the adorable (but devastatingly lonely) Maria, Metaphor: ReFantazio’s characters all stand strong thanks to a combination of thoughtful writing and fantastic voice acting, and the world feels fuller for the range of accents and dialects included. Powerful performances elevate characters – the justice-driven Clemar, Leon Strohl, quickly became my favorite for this exact reason. If there’s anything to criticize here it’s that the vast majority of the bond conversations aren’t fully voiced, which feels like a missed opportunity given how much emotion and heart each of the actors bring to their roles.
Familiar features
(Image credit: Atlus / Sega)
A long-lasting adventureMetaphor: ReFantazio a truly enormous game – it took me around 87 hours to complete it on ‘Normal’ difficulty, including its side content. There’s no doubt that this number could go even higher on the more challenging difficulty levels.
A long-lasting adventure
Metaphor: ReFantazio a truly enormous game – it took me around 87 hours to complete it on ‘Normal’ difficulty, including its side content. There’s no doubt that this number could go even higher on the more challenging difficulty levels.
Metaphor: ReFantazio a truly enormous game – it took me around 87 hours to complete it on ‘Normal’ difficulty, including its side content. There’s no doubt that this number could go even higher on the more challenging difficulty levels.
It’s frankly difficult not to draw comparisons between Metaphor: ReFantazio, Persona, and Shin Megami Tensei. Game director Katsura Hashino has spent around 30 years at Atlus, leading production on some of the best Persona and Shin Megami Tensei games – it’s easy to feel the influence of that work on this new production from Studio Zero. That’s not a bad thing, necessarily, but it does at times feel as if Metaphor is playing it safe, relying on familiar elements that it knows fans will love as opposed to reinventing everything for this new fantasy setting. In this sense, Metaphor feels more like an evolution of Atlus' best rather than a totally new venture, which is fantastic if you click with those familiar systems, but means the result isn’t something that feels entirely new, either.
(Image credit: Atlus / Sega)
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1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension”
1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension”
1
Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension”
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3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action”
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4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien”
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Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite”
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2Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat”
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3Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses”
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4Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist”
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5Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands”
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5
Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands”