A greater look into the widely anticipatedMetaphor: ReFantazioarrived in an Atlus Exclusive showcase this week, providing fans with more context on its story and gameplay structure. With a narrative centered around a race for the throne in a land fraught with injustice and bigotry,ReFantaziois set to build upon its unique fantasy backdrop with familiar features from past Atlus titles. Though its development team differs from those involved inPersona 5 Strikers' creation, much ofMetaphor:ReFantazio’s identity revolves around its journey structure, sharing a few key similarities that should appeal toStrikersfans.
Though directorKatsura Hashino ended up foregoing the road-trip formula inPersona 5, the concept would later come to life inPersona 5 Strikers, a hack-and-slash spinoff following the events of the original game. While Hashino wasn’t directly involved withStrikers, his original idea came to fruition through the Phantom Thieves' travels across Japan. Finally able to build upon the concept in his own artistic vision, Hashino’s work onMetaphor: ReFantazioputs this idea of a grand journey in quite a different context, drawing from the real-life experiences of traveling and applying it to a medieval fantasy setting. Much likePersona’s emphasis on scheduling (andStrikersin particular), traveling inReFantaziowill involve time constraints, social bonds, cooking, and more.
Metaphor: ReFantazio Will Share Key Similarities with Persona 5 Strikers' Journey Formula, Action Combat
The Gauntlet Runner Explained
Metaphor: ReFantazio’s stacked development teamincludes Ikuto Yamashita, whose work onNeon Genesis Evangelionseems evident when viewingReFantazio’s ‘Gauntlet Runner.’ The Gauntlet Runner is described as an armored vehicle that the protagonist, alongside their party, will use to venture across different terrain; from pastoral towns to wastelands, there will be ample opportunities to tackle dangerous dungeons, collect bounties, and appeal to the masses. Despite the Gauntlet Runner’s formidable outward appearance, its inside is quite cozy, complete with a kitchen, laundry room, war room, and more, allowing for chances to develop bonds with party members.
The Gauntlet Runner shares clear parallels withStrikers’RV, used as both a means of travel and a way to decompress or go over any important adventure information. Similarly,Metaphor: ReFantaziowill put emphasis on its fixed itinerary structure, drawing from the modern-dayPersonascheduling feature.Strikerskept its journey feeling appropriately paced in its varying locations, and it looks likeReFantaziowill adopt a similar momentum, making sure each area doesn’t overstay its welcome. At the same time,ReFantazio’s freedom of movement seems like it’ll be much more expansive than what was offered inStrikers, allowing players the choice of both where, and when, they venture into various dungeons and semi-open world spaces.
Speaking ofReFantazio’s dungeons, the title will take an interesting approach in its dual combat mechanics. Much likeStrikersexperimented with its hack-and-slash gameplay,ReFantaziowill incorporate real-time combat alongside its turn-based offerings. Described as a way to keep traversal exhilarating while mitigating the need for slower-paced battles with weaker enemies, the action elements ofReFantazio’s combat see the protagonist slash at foes in the overworld, allowing them to be taken down more quickly and efficiently. An interesting thing to note is how Archetypes might play into this side of combat, as the Atlus presentation demonstrated a swap to the “Brawler” designation, showing the protagonist throwing punches instead of using a sword.
Demonstrating ReFantazio’s Themes Through Adventure
With the title’s emphasis on discovering terrain, it seems likeReFantaziowill offer up the benefit of learning about new locales while maintaining a sense of home through its Gauntlet Runner, drawing fromStrikers’same sense of adventure. Similar to howStrikersafforded the opportunity to learn about different areas of Japan,ReFantaziois likely to utilize its journey structure to show how the many peoples of its world differ in lifestyle and customs. This could be all the more conducive to showing its themes of prejudice and class divides, giving the player a glimpse intothe disparities ofReFantazio’s peoplewhile having the protagonist gain influence by helping those in need.
