Metaphor: Refantazio, the game that sold one million units on the same day of its release, is now the Best Role-Playing Game at the Game Awards 2024. Beyond the Best RPG award, it has secured Best Narrative and Best Art Direction.
Like the director Katsura Hoshino’s words that the success of a game lies in the glimpse of the emotion, the game succeeds in its effort to generate immersive sensations in the players.
This article will be a comprehensive guide to Metaphor: Refantazio, covering its plot, gameplay, technicalities, development, responses, and other features. Let’s start.
Quick Facts
| Genre | Role-playing |
| Developer | Studio Zero |
| Publishers | Sega, JP: Atlus |
| Director | Katsura Hashino |
| Programmer | Yujiro Kosaka |
| Composer | Shoji Meguro |
| Writers | Yuichiro Tanaka, Katsura Hashino |
| Release Date | October 11, 2024 |
Why Metaphor: Refantazio Is Special?
When Katsura Hashino decided to leave the highly regarded game series Persona to explore different concepts, the decision was met with negative responses. Fans and the studio needed him to develop another Persona game, but Hashino chose to establish a new studio to produce a very different game. He named the studio “Zero” and the game “Project Re: Fantasy”, later renamed into Metaphor: ReFantazio.
Aware of the expectations of gamers, Hashino worked intensively on the project by researching and incorporating traditional fantasy aesthetics into the role-playing experience, which resulted in gameplay that tempted the gamers to revisit it multiple times.
The uniqueness of the game is in the distinct body sensations it makes rather than its storyline and suspense. Various gamers reported that they revisited the game even after completing 100%.
The Storyline Of Metaphor: Refantazio
The game is set in a fantasy world called Euchornia where various tribes with distinct characteristics co-exist. The tribes Paripus and Elda suffer a lot because of the prevailing discrimination. Meanwhile, some other tribes rival each other on the differences in ideologies. Louis Guiabern’s group based on atheism and Social Darwinism conflicts with Sanctifex Forden’s religious group.
In this situation, a boy from the Elda tribe, with his companion Gallica, starts a quest to improve the situation of Euchornia. They are met with various tasks and struggles, which the player should tackle and solve to unlock newer levels. According to the players’ choices and performances, the game will carry them to multiple endings.
Main Characters Of The Game
Similar to the director’s previous work Persona, the game is filled with various important side characters that help the protagonist to achieve the goal. Some of them are playable by the gamer. Let’s get into the main characters and details regarding their archetypes.
- Will The Protagonist: Despite his unique and rare archetype, Will is a person with many more flaws than his strengths. He was faced with discrimination in his childhood. However, the main plot involves him trying to lift a curse planted on the prince of Euchornia.
- Gallica: Will is accompanied by his childhood friend and partner Gallica on his journey. As an expert in magic and traditional knowledge, she provides guidance and relief for Will.
- Louis Guiabern: He is the main antagonist of the game who allies with specific tribal powers to assassinate the king of Euchornia. He is a powerful character with the will to power and expertise in hunting. Louis is considered one of the best villains in the Japanese gaming ecosystem.
- Additional Characters: Other notable characters include Strohl, Grius, Hulkenberg, Heismay, Junah, Eupha, Basilio, and Fidelio. These are all playable characters.
How To Purchase Metaphor: Refantazio?
The game is available to purchase on Playstation, Xbox, and all the major gaming marketplaces. The digital anniversary edition includes a soundtrack, an artbook costume set, and bonus items along with the base game.
System Requirements For PC
The game can be experienced on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and Windows. Here is a system requirements specification for Windows PC:
| Category | Minimum Requirements | Recommended Requirements |
| OS | Windows 10 | Windows Latest |
| RAM | 6 GB | 8 GB |
| CPU | Intel Core i5-3570K or AMD FX-8350 | Intel Core i5-6600 or AMD Ryzen 5 1500X |
| Video Card | NVIDIA GeForce GTX 750, 4 GB or Intel ARC A310, 4 GB or AMD Radeon R7 360, 4 GB | NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970, 4 GB or Intel ARC A380, 8 GB or Radeon RX 580, 4 GB |
| Free Disk Space | 90 GB | 90 GB |
Explore more: Black Myth: Wukong – Everything You Need To Know
Conclusion
Metaphor: Refantazio is a highly recommended game by critics, achieving the status of one of the top-rated games. If you are interested in adventurous games with subtle insights and enhanced gameplay experience, you can get into it.
The game’s manga adaptation is in the development stage, and we can expect another exciting announcement regarding another part soon. You can follow the game’s official X (Twitter) account to stay updated.
