[Mista]

PC Gamer: 95/100

A beautiful, 100-hour-long journey from beginning to end, Metaphor: ReFantazio takes the best elements of Persona 5 and somehow improves on them.

TheSixthAxis: 9/10

Metaphor ReFantazio is sublime. Persona fans will have an absolute blast playing this, and hunting out the subtle (and not-so-subtle) nods to its franchise cousin. A couple of minor annoyances make it feel a little rough around the edges hold it back from an otherwise perfect score.

VGC: 5/5

Metaphor: ReFantazio could have so easily been Persona with the names filed off, but it's so, so much more than that. It matches fun, expansive combat with an excellent cast of characters that make the near 100-hour journey an unforgettable one.

Push Square: 9/10

Metaphor: ReFantazio is one of the most memorable RPGs we've played in years. In pursuing a new property, complete with a fantasy setting, Atlus has allowed its creativity to blossom, resulting in a brilliantly rich experience - both in terms of narrative and audiovisual design. While Metaphor takes obvious gameplay and structural cues from the developer's previous projects, it combines and refines those elements to make an epic, kingdom-hopping adventure that feels unique and deeply fulfilling.

Dexerto: 5/5

Metaphor: ReFantazio is the ultimate culmination of everything Atlus has learned from its best games and is a huge step forward for the future of its JRPGs.The delightful combat, incredible cast of characters, and intricate fantasy setting all make for a brilliant experience that no Shin Megami Tensei or Persona fan should miss out on. It's certainly a game-of-the-year-worthy title and a smash hit for Atlus to end the year with.

TechRaptor: 9.5/10

Atlus has leveled up the Persona formula in every way. The world-spanning adventure of Metaphor: ReFantazio offers a diverse world to explore, deep and relatable stories to share with your party, an incredible combat system with unlimited possibilities of Archetype powers, and plenty of quality of life improvements to make sure you're spending more time playing the game and not wondering what to do next.

God is a Geek: 9.5/10

Metaphor: ReFantazio is another landmark game from the Persona team, with top tier combat and a gripping story that I couldn't stop playing.

Gaming Trend: 100/100

Overall, Metaphor plays like a dream from start to finish. There's less downtime than Persona and fewer frustrating moments than Shin Megami Tensei, with the whole game feeling like a high-stakes road trip with your best friends. The road to the throne is a tough one, but it's one well worth walking.

Checkpoint Gaming: 10/10

I've always wanted Atlus to tackle political fantasy as a genre and of course when they finally do it with Metaphor: ReFantazio it's one of the best RPGs in years. This is the result of 20 years of incredible game craft that has taken shape in the best and most refined version of the Persona and Shin Megami Tensei formula that we've ever received. Probably the best we'll ever get. This is their magnum opus. With immensely satisfying and tactile turn-based combat, and a memorable cast of characters including the alluring and ever-intimidating villain Count Louis, you'll be taken by the world and story to explore within Euchronia. Much like the protagonist, you'll be compelled to save its people. Metaphor: ReFantazio is a crowning achievement under Atlus' long-running and award-winning belt. You should join them on the throne. The view is beautiful from up here.

The Outerhaven: 4.5/5

Metaphor: ReFantazio is one of the best turn-based JRPGs I've played in quite some time. It's a fantastic game, featuring breathtaking visuals and incredible sound—kudos to Atlus for that. However, I do wish the game had better pacing and a more seamless world structure.

Stevivor: 10/10

Metaphor ReFantazio sets out to blend the best of its predecessors' gameplay with an all-new setting, and the result is far greater than the sum of its parts.

XboxEra: 9.5/10

Metaphor's world design is almost dreamlike, down to the very storybook of irony that Will carries around with him all the time. The cast bonds together incredibly well and I love how everyone has a part to play in this fantasy land of pixies, a race for the throne, dog and box-headed races, and the like. The artwork is gorgeous, the music is splendid. Mixed in is a simple yet fun combat system, complete with unique overworld encounters in the dungeons and out about in towns. I've no metaphors for this—Metaphor: ReFantazio is a fantastic RPG for all.

Digital Trends: 4/5

In many ways, Metaphor: ReFantazio feels like the next mainline entry in the Persona series in all but name. In others, it carves out an identity all its own. The strategic turn-based combat system is just as satisfying as ever, while Archetypes and globe-trotting put a new perspective on an otherwise familiar experience. I could see the plot twists coming a mile away, but the endearing cast of characters made the journey worthwhile. It's not perfect, but Atlus has earned my vote of confidence. Consider me a follower.

TheGamer: 5/5

Metaphor: ReFantazio is a new peak for Atlus. It takes so much of what was great about Persona, refines it, and throws that powder into an exciting fantasy setting with incredible lore, well-developed characters, and a fresh new battle system.

Metaphor: ReFantazio Reviews

Metaphor: ReFantazio is rated 'Mighty' after being reviewed by 165 critics, with an overall average score of 93. It's ranked in the top 0% of games and recommended by 98% of critics.

opencritic.com

Metaphor: ReFantazio Reviews

From the creative minds behind Persona 3, 4, and 5 comes Metaphor: ReFantazio, a unique fantasy world, where your protagonist will journey alongside his fairy companion, Gallica, to lift the curse from the kingdom’s lost prince. Control your destiny, face your fears and awaken magical...

www.metacritic.com

 

[Ferdinand the Cowfish]

Insane.

I was expecting good reviews but not this good.

These are GOTY-level reviews.

 

[Optimus]

Skeptical until I see uninfected minds weigh in on this thing.

 

[Spiders]

Happy to see good reviews, but goddamn how good is the gaming press at fellatio!?!? No wonder publishers are happy to pay for it!

 

[John Matrix]

Amazing reviews but I'm not touching this game with a 10 foot pole. I was reading the IGN review and they said the game deals with racism, inequality, poverty, religious extremism, and exploitation. The review also said the game's writing "expresses its inherently progressive politics without pulling any punches".

I'm not paying money to spend 80-100 being lectured and to hear how conservatives and religious people are evil. Hopefully the people this game was made for enjoy it but I don't think it's for me.

 

[Amorous Biscuit]

Absolutely furious this is reviewing so well. I don't have enough money for all these good video games!

 

[Optimus]

Amazing reviews but I'm not touching this game with a 10 foot pole. I was reading the IGN review and they said the game deals with racism, inequality, poverty, religious extremism, and exploitation. The review also said the game's writing "expresses its inherently progressive politics without pulling any punches".

I'm not paying money to spend 80-100 being lectured and to hear how conservatives and religious people are evil. Hopefully the people this game was made for enjoy it but I don't think it's for me.

And there it is! Steering well away from this.

 

[Ferdinand the Cowfish]

Absolutely furious this is reviewing so well. I don't have enough money for all these good video games!

I have no hope of finishing this before the Romancing Saga 2 Remake is relased but I'm going to try

 

[JORMBO]

Amazing reviews but I'm not touching this game with a 10 foot pole. I was reading the IGN review and they said the game deals with racism, inequality, poverty, religious extremism, and exploitation. The review also said the game's writing "expresses its inherently progressive politics without pulling any punches".

I'm not paying money to spend 80-100 being lectured and to hear how conservatives and religious people are evil. Hopefully the people this game was made for enjoy it but I don't think it's for me.

A lot of those are just common story themes. Just because it touches on something like poverty doesn't mean the game is woke. Liberals will often latch on to anything that seems like it may match their politics and act like the game was meant to talk specifically to them when it was not. Tales of Arise touched on all those topics but wasn't a woke game, for example. I don't think it's any reason to panic but maybe wait for more impressions.

 

[John Matrix]

A lot of those are just common story themes. Just because it touches on something like poverty doesn't mean the game is woke. Liberals will often latch on to anything that seems like it may match their politics and act like the game was meant to talk specifically to them when it was not. Tales of Arise touched on all those topics but wasn't a woke game, for example. I don't think it's any reason to panic but maybe wait for more impressions.

That's a sensible take. I've always enjoyed the Persona games and they all touch on those issues, Atlus is a Japanese company, they don't tend to be very woke. Looking forward to reading your impressions of the game as well as the impressions of others in the forum.

 

[Ferdinand the Cowfish]

For people wondering about the game, there's a demo, which lasts about 6 hours and is the "Prologue" for the game. Progress carries over to the main game.

I haven't played it yet but will probably start tomorrow or Wednesday. It's essentially early access for the main game which releases on Friday.

 

[Tapped]

Nice to see such great reviews, I enjoyed the demo a lot and I'm looking forward to Friday. My main concerns were around how good the battle system will be as it develops into mid game and beyond as well as the archetype system replacing personas and being unable to change archetype mid fight like the MC could in Persona but we'll see how both of these play out beyond the intro demo section.

Persona 5 (really the whole Persona series) shares a lot of crossover with Metaphor thematically, covering a lot of the stuff mentioned in that IGN review. P5 is about social/cultural change (especially for those who don't belong/have a place), oppression, moral and ethical ambiguity and struggling to find a way to live freely. It has a range of plot points (some more prominent than others) that involve topics like abuse of power (including domestic, sexual, political, corporate, judicial and criminal), race, caste/class, homelessness, rape, mental health/suicide and religion. I always felt the series covered any theme it approached very well, it usually weaves these complex topics into a wider story and doesn't really "preach" anything or pander to a specific viewpoint so I'm not really worried about it happening in Metaphor either. Having said that I could be wrong and we might be in for a 100 hour lecture on equality and civil rights through the lens of a fantasy world with elves, goat men and rabbit women.

 

[infinitys_7th]

Nice to see such great reviews, I enjoyed the demo a lot and I'm looking forward to Friday. My main concerns were around how good the battle system will be as it develops into mid game and beyond as well as the archetype system replacing personas and being unable to change archetype mid fight like the MC could in Persona but we'll see how both of these play out beyond the intro demo section.

Persona 5 (really the whole Persona series) shares a lot of crossover with Metaphor thematically, covering a lot of the stuff mentioned in that IGN review. P5 is about social/cultural change (especially for those who don't belong/have a place), oppression, moral and ethical ambiguity and struggling to find a way to live freely. It has a range of plot points (some more prominent than others) that involve topics like abuse of power (including domestic, sexual, political, corporate, judicial and criminal), race, caste/class, homelessness, rape, mental health/suicide and religion. I always felt the series covered any theme it approached very well, it usually weaves these complex topics into a wider story and doesn't really "preach" anything or pander to a specific viewpoint so I'm not really worried about it happening in Metaphor either. Having said that I could be wrong and we might be in for a 100 hour lecture on equality and civil rights through the lens of a fantasy world with elves, goat men and rabbit women.

SMT as a whole has been that way. SJ is very environmentalist, for example. Demons are entities created by human thought, given power by acknowledgement and belief, so naturally the games deal with human issues metaphorically represented by them.

 

[O-N-E]

Pretty much my most anticipated game, but I'm actually not sure if I'll get to playing it soon.

Already in the middle of a bunch of games that I paused and need to get back to at some point.

 

[bork]

HYPE

 

[O-N-E]

Soejima's art is so damn good btw.

Always love it when there's more to look at.

 

[Hinedorf]

Looks cool as fuck! Only just saw this on Steam and you can instantly know it's an Atlus RPG which have been great for awhile. Fuckers can't do wrong with Persona so I'll definitely give this a try.

 

[O-N-E]

Ugh... reviews mentioning how it's very politically charged, delivers a clear message and is inherently progressive.

From what I can tell it's just about basic racism and that's not actually progressive unless it gets into equity, diversity, inclusion. It just seems to be about basic human compassion, but we'll see. Maybe it's worse than I imagine.

 

[Grinchy]

This looks pretty sweet. Never heard of it before this thread.

 

[GreyHorace]

I get that people are worried about the progressive messaging the reviews mentioned. That said, I expect the developers of Persona to be able to handle these themes with more subtlety than the braindead wokies in the West who made games like Dustborn. Japan is still a socially conservative country, and a lot of the woke progressive brainrot that they espouse in the West would be utterly rejected in the land of Nippon.

 

[infinitys_7th]

I get that people are worried about the progressive messaging the reviews mentioned. That said, I expect the developers of Persona to be able to handle these themes with more subtlety than the braindead wokies in the West who made games like Dustborn. Japan is still a socially conservative country, and a lot of the woke progressive brainrot that they espouse in the West would be utterly rejected in the land of Nippon.

Also remember all these same people thought Kanji was gay and Naoto wanted to grow a penis.

Now, will libtardism affect the translation? It's certainly possible. But this game is coming from a foreign perspective that at its core may not be what a westerner thinks it is.

 

[Zefah]

Wow, was not expecting such a positive reception. I honestly haven't been too excited from what I've seen of the game.

 

[kiNeMs]

Another Japanese game doing well. Funny that.

 

[Mal]

A beautiful, 100-hour-long journey from beginning to end, Metaphor: ReFantazio takes the best elements of Persona 5 and somehow improves on them.

 

[Grinchy]

Yeah, I'm like 85 hours in to Persona 3 and it's just taking me forever to finish. I can't take these long games as well as I used to.

 

[BlackOlivesMatter]

Yeah, I'm like 85 hours in to Persona 3 and it's just taking me forever to finish. I can't take these long games as well as I used to.

Get back to me when you've finished Persona 4 five times and waifued Yukiko every single time.

 

[infinitys_7th]

Get back to me when you've finished Persona 4 five times and waifued Yukiko every single time.

Honestly not a big fan of any of the P4 girls, but Naoto is stacked and knows how to handle a gun and Chie loves being full of meat. Yukiko's snickering just can't compete.

 

[BlackOlivesMatter]

Honestly not a big fan of any of the P4 girls, but Naoto is stacked and knows how to handle a gun and Chie loves being full of meat. Yukiko's snickering just can't compete.

Yukiko is cannon per the anime. Also heir to the Amagi Inn and a freak in the sheets.

 

[infinitys_7th]

Yukiko is cannon per the anime. Also heir to the Amagi Inn and a freak in the sheets.

Rise is heir to Marukyu Tofu and would probably make a great housewife when not Risetting it up. Also independently wealthy.

 

[O-N-E]

Mitsuru besto gyaru.

 

[infinitys_7th]

Mitsuru besto gyaru.

Aigis > Kawakami > Mitsuru (dateables anyway)

IMHO

Honestly can't really go wrong, I just always found the P4 girls to be the weakest together. Still just ticked you cannot date "Maya" in Reload, especially post-Kawakami breaking that wall. I'm in my 30s and still hot for teacher lol

 

[infinitys_7th]

Soejima's art is so damn good btw.

Always love it when there's more to look at.

It has came into its own now and evolved over the Kaneko style. I still think Kaneko is better for the "demon invasion" style because his designs have an unearthly look to them, but Soejima's look better for fantasy.

Thankfully Doi tightened up his "roadkill" demon designs too on the SMT side. His characters always looked good, but that Lilith shit from SMT4. Ugh.

 

[kiNeMs]

Yeah, I'm like 85 hours in to Persona 3 and it's just taking me forever to finish. I can't take these long games as well as I used to.

Yea I think no. 3 was a slog.

 

[Hinedorf]

I'm 3 hours into the demo. It's a fucking persona game in virtually every single way. Lots of quality of life stuff to make it more action-oriented in between the typical turn based RPG where everything is heavily weighted on the enemies weakness.

It's scratching a persona itch I haven't had since 5 and it feels lovely. 100 hours? Easily. Already found 13% off on Fanatic site with another 20% coupon so at least getting something off. Demo was a good idea, got me hooked!

 

[Erdrick]

If this were 30 years ago, I'd have been all over this. I just don't have it in me anymore for these games. It's just too much nowadays for me. Like a Dragon, Resident Evil and Dragon Quest games are basically the only series left that I am willing to devote a lot of free time to nowadays.

The localization quality concerns me as well but I wasn't really planning on playing it as it was anyway.

 

[Zefah]

I'm 3 hours into the demo. It's a fucking persona game in virtually every single way. Lots of quality of life stuff to make it more action-oriented in between the typical turn based RPG where everything is heavily weighted on the enemies weakness.

It's scratching a persona itch I haven't had since 5 and it feels lovely. 100 hours? Easily. Already found 13% off on Fanatic site with another 20% coupon so at least getting something off. Demo was a good idea, got me hooked!

Nice! Didn't realize there was a demo. If it runs decently on Steam Deck, I'll pick up the full version.

 

[Ferdinand the Cowfish]

Yea I think no. 3 was a slog.

Out of all of the new style Personas, 3 is my favorite.

Maybe because I played it on PS2 when it first came out and was blown away by how unique it was.

Also, Yukari is the best waifu.

 

[HeresJohnny]

Amazing reviews but I'm not touching this game with a 10 foot pole. I was reading the IGN review and they said the game deals with racism, inequality, poverty, religious extremism, and exploitation. The review also said the game's writing "expresses its inherently progressive politics without pulling any punches".

I'm not paying money to spend 80-100 being lectured and to hear how conservatives and religious people are evil. Hopefully the people this game was made for enjoy it but I don't think it's for me.

Thanks for pointing this out. Going to wait a while and see if it's actually in there or if IGN is just projecting their liberalism on something that isn't there. Added to the Do Not Buy list for now.

 

[Mal]

If I was a teenager with no life, I'd get it. I tried the demo and the quality is there. But as an adult with responsibilities, there's no way I can have the time and keep interest for a 100+ hours game.

Wish this would of been 30 hours, 40 absolute max.

I prefer 10-20 hours games even, astro bot was perfect.

 

[Amorous Biscuit]

Also remember all these same people thought Kanji was gay and Naoto wanted to grow a penis.

Now, will libtardism affect the translation? It's certainly possible. But this game is coming from a foreign perspective that at its core may not be what a westerner thinks it is.

I don't have experience with the Japanese version of P4 but the messaging in the Western version definitely felt as though it was alluding to Kanji going through some shit and dealing with fears of being gay. Especially with all the buff bathhouse dudes.

You're telling me he's not gay? Or at the very least, bi?