Overview
Metaphor: ReFantazio is a JRPG developed by Studio Zero and published by Atlus, released in 2024. Studio Zero was founded by Katsura Hashino, director of several Persona entries: so it is the team behind Persona 5 Royal applying its formula to a brand-new world, this time a political fantasy one. And it works very well.
Story and world
The action takes place in the kingdom of Euchronia. The king is assassinated, and the crown prince is struck by a curse. The protagonist, the prince's childhood friend, sets out to lift that curse, while the succession to the throne plays out as an election open to everyone.
The kingdom is home to several tribes, and the tensions between them are at the heart of the story. The game delivers a surprisingly direct message about discrimination.
Gameplay
You find the Persona structure here: time moves forward day by day on a calendar, and you have to split your days between the main progression, the dungeons and your bonds with your companions, ahead of fixed deadlines.
The archetypes act as a class system: each character can take on several of them, unlocked and upgraded over the course of the adventure, notably through the bonds you build with your followers.
For me, the calendar management, the archetypes and the pace of progression are perfectly oiled.
Graphics and music
You also find series regulars, such as Shigenori Soejima on character design and Shoji Meguro on music. The art direction is superb.
Verdict
Metaphor: ReFantazio successfully transposes the Persona formula into a fantasy world, with perfectly oiled systems, superb art direction and a surprisingly direct message about discrimination.