Metaphor: ReFantazio Reveals New Details on Story and Setting

With its promise of a unique new fantasy setting, and with the game being billed as Atlus’ next big property, expectations are naturally high from Metaphor: ReFantazio, and new tidbits revealed by its developers continue to paint a promising picture of how it’s shaping up.

In a recent stream hosted by Atlus – which also featured director Katsura Hashino, character designer Shigenori Soejima, and composer Shoji Meguro – new details were revealed on upcoming fantasy RPG’s story and setting (via ResetEra).

Metaphor: ReFantazio is being billed as an epic high fantasy story, and it will see players stepping into the shoes of a protagonist who diverges from the heroes you may have grown accustomed to seeing in Atlus’ RPGs.

“With this protagonist, there was a feeling of wanting to depict somebody we haven’t been able to in our past games, because of their modern settings,” says character designer Shigenori Soejima (transcription via Gematsu). “Overall, we wanted an androgynous and heroic protagonist—someone who looks like they’re about to change the world—with a design that emphasizes their firm, resolute gaze.”

The protagonist will be accompanied by Gallica, a fairy who is described as “classically fantastical in many ways”, but has “a more modern aesthetic” where her character design is confirmed. According to Soejima, the development team at Studio Zero got the “initial creative momentum” it needed to design the game’s characters according to its setting after it had nailed down the look for Gallica.

Metaphor: ReFantazio’s story will revolve around a kingdom where the king and his son have died, leaving a power vacuum and an ensuing bid from many to step in as the new ruler. The protagonist is one such character vying for the throne, and in your bid to be elected the next king, you’ll be travelling around the world in an armoured tank to gain supporters for your cause.

Players will meet characters belonging to a number of different races, as is befitting of a fantasy setting, while you will also be aiding the many citizens you meet on your travels in various ways. Performing these favours will earn you their support and strengthen your bonds with them- which might seemingly be this game’s take on Persona’s Social Links.

According to director Katsura Hashino, “fear” and facing one’s fears will be the core theme of Metaphor: ReFantazio’s story.

“Throughout my time at Atlus making RPGs, we’ve always thought about the core themes of each game as the foundation of everything, but one key phrase for Metaphor: ReFantazio is ‘facing your fear,'” Hashino says. “Ever since we were primates, humans have always grappled with fear as a fundamental part of our shared experience. Depending on the person, fear can either paralyze somebody or maybe even cause their decline, but it can also propel people forward at times, too. It’s a very fundamental emotion we experience as humans, and depending on how we view it, it can push us to somewhere outside of our comfort zones. That’s a key concept we try to explore in Metaphor: ReFantazio.

“‘Fear’ may sound like a simple theme, but because it’s so simple, we hope people don’t walk away thinking, ‘That was a fun, momentary escape. Now back to reality, where nothing has changed.’ Rather, we genuinely want people to feel something about their life, maybe even feel encouraged, or empowered, through playing this game. That way, the experience is rich and meaningful, even as entertainment, and we aren’t compromising Atlus’ philosophy towards RPGs, and we’re still providing something new and enjoyable to our fans. That was really the end goal for us.”

Metaphor: ReFantazio is set to launch sometime in 2024 for PS5, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, and PC. The game is currently in the polishing stages of development.