What would it be like to see the reality of a utopia manifest in front of you, only to be undercut and washed away before your eyes? What would you do if the perfect world you imagined began to fade away as you stood, paralyzed, unable to do anything?
That’s pretty much the thesis that Metaphor: ReFantazio puts to you. The upcoming role-playing game (developed by Studio Zero and published by Atlus) comes from alumni of the Persona and Shin Megami Tensei series, and is the publisher’s first wholly entirely original game since the studio’s establishment in 2016.
And – as a lifelong SMT fan – I am absolutely gushing to note that it is being led creatively by director Katsura Hashino, character artist Shigenori Soejima and music composer Shoji Meguro; all series veterans. And, I tell you what, you can really tell.
This feels like an SMT game in all but name. The latest trailer from the Game Awards 2023 really shows this off; between the battle system, the over-dramatic story, and that incredible world… this is a fantasy epic that eschews the ruined post-apocalypse of Tokyo in favour of something much more fantastic, much more original, much more… well, Studio Ghibli (and yes, I do say that because of the weird British accents).
The game takes place in a medieval European-inspired fantasy setting that is considered the “mirror” to the contemporary backdrop of the real world(which does sound a bit DMT4, to be honest), and follows a non-silent protagonist who must embark on a journey to protect their kingdom, while overcoming numerous obstacles and forging alliances with many companions he meets along the way.
But, the most important thing here is the release date: Metaphor: ReFantazio will be released in Fall 2024 for Xbox Series X/S, Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4/5 and Steam.
Previously, we only knew it was 2024 – but now we have that ever-important ‘Fall’ window.
