Metaphor: ReFantazio Is GameSpot’s Game Of The Year 2024

Although Metaphor: ReFantazio is the previous Persona staff’s first foray into excessive fantasy, it may additionally be essentially the most grounded and deeply human sport they’ve ever created. By weaving magical parts with common topics–such as prejudice, poverty, grief, cycles of violence, nervousness, and the position faith and politics can play in each oppressing and empowering the people–Metaphor is ready to look at humanity with a ways and thru a singular lens. It poses numerous inquiries to its gamers, all whereas admitting the solutions won’t be easy or absolute. And but, it locations particular emphasis on one query particularly: Does fiction have the facility to form our world?

By the point the sport involves an in depth, the reply is a convincing sure. Metaphor: ReFantazio is a stupendous exploration into how fantasy is a vessel for concepts and humanity even within the darkest of instances. It understands the influence that artwork and the concepts transferred by means of it have on society, and asks us to each imagine in and scrutinize the media we eat.

The sport’s solid of characters–from bubbly, blonde pop star Junah and the wisened ninja Heismay, to the disgraced-yet-beloved Louis–are all well-designed, well-voiced, and totally partaking, making them immediately interesting (or detestable) to gamers. Every presents their very own exploration into the assorted aforementioned themes, weaving tales which might be equal components heart-wrenching and heartwarming. This depth can also be afforded to the sport’s quite a few facet characters, which comprise the best and most fully-realized roster of social hyperlinks in an Atlus sport to this point.

The studio handles all these narratives with nuance and precision, demonstrating a respect for its gamers’ intelligence in addition to immense conviction in its personal beliefs. In a time when video games are all too usually criticized for being too political, Atlus takes a agency stand on the facet of compassion and makes it clear that there’s advantage in addressing social points, taking collective motion, standing up on your concepts, and believing in a greater future for each your self and people round you. Residing in concern and giving into hatred is straightforward, Metaphor reminds us. It’s remaining hopeful and caring that takes energy.

Regardless of being a prolonged sport, Metaphor is outstandingly paced, with an applicable period of time devoted to every space, character, and story arc. These arcs are all significantly memorable, too, as the sport is crammed with spectacle, off-the-wall conditions that thrust back monotony, and compelling plot twists. In that sense, the sport usually jogged my memory of the late ’90s JRPGs I grew up playing–the ones crammed with theatrics, humor, and a eager sense of journey. It is an nearly intangible and indescribable high quality, however one which Metaphor undoubtedly possesses.

And but, Metaphor markedly improves old-school, turn-based fight, addressing the commonest complaints with the system–namely its slower pace–through good button mapping, excellent celebration flexibility, and the addition of sunshine action-style fight. This all makes for battles which might be strategic but breezy, and dungeon traversal that does not overstay its welcome or start to really feel extra like a chore than an journey. The sport’s different programs, from its calendar and Royal Virtues to its Archetype tree, completely match inside the fight, creating dynamic gameplay that feels interconnected and immensely satisfying.

Outstanding artwork route and music additional elevate the expertise, as quite than use a single coloration palette, as Persona usually does, Metaphor leverages a number of completely different colours to convey numerous themes, tones, and amplify its sense of journey. Its music is equally advanced and juxtaposing, because it bounds between angelic choirs to frenzied chanting. Although its tales is likely to be common, there may be an otherworldly high quality to its visuals and music, reminding gamers that this world is darkish and fantastical.

No matter when Metaphor: ReFantazio was launched, it will stay an distinctive title. However within the 12 months 2024–a 12 months marred by political unrest, rising inequality, concern, mistrust, misinformation, and division–no sport feels fairly as apt and important. Whereas not each work of fiction can change the world, or instill inside it a goodness that has seemingly been stripped away, Metaphor: ReFantazio is a reminder that artwork can change us.

Curious in case your favourite sport of 2024 made it in our prime 10? Try our listing of GameSpot’s 10 greatest video games of 2024.