I’ve been a fan of the modern Persona games and their clever mix between dungeon crawling with turn-based combat, and social elements.
The latest game from the same creators, Metaphor: ReFantazio, is a massive twist on the tried and tested formula, and many fans’ dream come true.
Metaphor takes the best of what makes the Persona series great and brings it into a whole new high-fantasy universe.
The game boasts the expected great gameplay loop, soundtrack, stylish menus and anime visuals the Persona team is known for.
It doesn’t just repeat Persona’s mechanics but adds some much-needed changes that greatly improve gameplay.
Set in the fictional United Kingdom of Euchronia, the story follows the journey of a misfit from the elda tribe, a minority that’s being discriminated upon in this fantasy world.
Your protagonist is tasked with saving the kingdom’s slumbering prince from a terrible curse after the king has been killed by a scheming usurper.
The new theme revolves around Game of Thrones-like court intrigue and politics, which feels fresh compared to Persona’s usual high-school setting.
Much more than just “fantasy Persona”, Metaphor: ReFantazio brings a tonne of welcome changes that long-time Persona fans will appreciate.
Its more relaxed structure gives players enough time to complete all of the game’s content, even without meticulous planning.
Unlike Persona’s tight calendar, Metaphor: ReFantazio timekeeping lets you max out bonds, complete all quests, and level up all Archetypes in a single playthrough.
Metaphor turns Persona’s day-night cycle on its head, and here you dungeon crawl during the day and build relationships at night.
The new game features more dungeons, but they are shorter and very well-designed, so dungeon crawling never feels tedious.
There’s real-time combat for easier encounters and as an opportunity to gain advantage in tougher fights, which improves pacing, and adds a new strategic layer to gameplay.
The world looks gorgeous and is a joy to explore, and although travelling between locations takes time, it doesn’t feel wasted, as you always have something to do while on the road.
With the new fantasy setting comes a massive roster of new, interesting characters you will meet and bond with throughout your journey.
Personas are replaced with more than 40 Archetypes, each tied to the bond you nurture with a follower.
A welcome improvement from Persona is that once you max out an Archetype, it can still earn you experience towards another one.
You also get to transfer up to four abilities from other Archetypes to your current one.
Synthesis attacks push you to experiment with mixing and matching the Archetypes equipped in your party to see what powerful moves you can get.
Metaphor: ReFantazio twists the Persona formula in more than one way, adding an intriguing new setting, greatly improved gameplay, and many quality-of-life changes.
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