A mouthful in all senses, Metaphor: ReFantazio, an original IP from Studio Zero – a team made up of Persona veterans – continues to stretch the word soup of game names to its limit. But what does it mean? Well, just like part of its namesake, it’s an idea, a comparison, and an image that is designed to take your mind to unexpected places. This becomes even more clear when you actually play it, with Metaphor: ReFantazio drawing on the grotesque and off-kilter ideas of the Persona franchise and spinning them out into an all-new RPG experience.
My word, does it looks good! From the fully animated cutscenes, via the imaginative character and creature designs, the anime-esque gameplay envelops you in a fantasy world that’s totally its own.
Our playthrough starts with a murder. The king, already seemingly on his deathbed, has a blade plunged into his body, potentially sending the kingdom spinning off into chaos, as his only heir had recently died himself. There’s foul play afoot and Louis, a behorned knight, is at the centre of it.
You take on the role of a young Elda boy, whose origin in the story starts by being kicked off a cliff. Accompanied by the fairy Gallica, a slightly more combative Tinkerbell, you’re on a vital mission to infiltrate the royal guard, though that’s as far as your knowledge goes at this point. Perhaps it was the fall off a cliff.
As well as being our companion, the opening of our demo sees Gallica cast our character’s favourite spell, which suddenly brings the world to life with music. I love the idea that the soundtrack has been cast on our character rather than just accepting that every event is just accompanied by music. The vocal-led, high tempo track certainly makes things more dramatic, and throughout our hour with the game it’s often stunning.
Eight tribes and three nations make up the United Kingdom of Euchronia. As you’d expect, the city is more diverse than our characters have encountered out in the sticks, though it’s mainly two tribes – the Clemar and the Roussante – that you’ll see.
There’s some racial undertones at play within the fantasy setting, and as an Elda you’re looked down on by pretty much everyone else. Gallica speaks out against the prejudice, and here’s hoping that people become more accepting as you progress. It’ll be interesting to see whether the Studio Zero team use this opportunity for social commentary, or whether it’s purely a narrative tool.
You’re on the way to the Grand Cathedral, an inverted pyramid looming out of the desert. Despite the sandy setting, it’s a very British city that you’re visiting, with the localised language options using local accents to bed things in further, and Georgian-styled streets filled with people.
As you wander around you can listen in on all the gossip of the city-folk, with ‘PSST’ signs showing that you’re not really supposed to be listening in. It’s fun though, and gives the world some real grounding as the people talk in hushed tones about the assassination and how the country is going to hell. It’s so stereotypically British that you even get to join a queue. ‘Press A to join a queue’, might just be this winter’s favourite meme.
There were so many cutscenes in our hands-on that it feels as though this is a TV series that you’re occasionally playing, though I’m sure that balance is going to be a lot more gameplay-heavy across the finished game. What is does prove is how involved the storytelling is, and the production values are truly stunning. After an hour in this world I’m already fully invested in seeing where this tale goes.
Leon Strohl is your first companion, and it’s in his company that you first experience true battle. It’s here that it becomes clear who the monsters in this world are: they’re humans, though not exactly as you or I would know them. In fact, the first ‘human’ looks more like a dinosaur escaping from an egg, with vaguely human legs. So, there’s that.
You can start Squad Battles here, with turn-based combat playing out as you’d expect. You can choose to attack, defend, or utilise skills or items, gaining experience when the enemy is vanquished. You can surprise enemies by catching them unawares with a swipe of your sword, letting you enter combat with an unanswered attack and an initial stun which makes chopping them into bits a little bit easier.
During our hands-on this was the most straightforward aspect of Metaphor: ReFantazio, but the reassuring combat should allow the more unusual world and narrative room to breathe.
Metaphor: ReFantazio was one of Gamescom 2024’s highlights, and a game to keep an eye on as we hurtle toward its October release. Our hands on gave us a massive taste of the world that Studio Zero are building, and it looks utterly fantastic across the board. Persona fans, or those seeking this year’s freshest RPG experience, should be salivating at the prospect.
