Summary
In 2024, the latest title from the modernPersonacreators at Atlus’ Studio Zero will be released.Metaphor: ReFantaziois a turn-based RPG with light action elements, essentially serving as the next evolution inShin Megami Tensei 5andPersona 5 Royal’s brand of JRPGs. There’s a reason it isn’t connected to their franchise, however, and that is to giveMetaphor: ReFantazioits own look. In trading urban fantasy, and a post-apocalyptic take on it, with a high fantasy setting,Metaphor: ReFantaziohopes to do something new with its predecessors' style.
Even ifMetaphor: ReFantazio’s light action combat ends up as more of a spectacle than a fleshed-out system in the long run, it’s still among the many stylistic choices thatsetMetaphorapart fromPersonaandSMT. With an actively speaking protagonist, a focus on the heroes’ journey across a magical world with almost painterly skyboxes, and even the introduction of fantasy race dynamics,Metaphor: ReFantaziostands out from its peers in many ways. Perhaps the most understated aspect among them is howMetaphorpushesPersona’s already-advanced anime aesthetic to the next level.
The Role of Anime Scenes In Metaphor: ReFantazio
As shown in its trailers,Metaphor: ReFantaziowill benefit from 2D-animated cutscenes just like severalPersonatitles before it. ThePersona 5games in particular not only use animated intros, but also scattered animated cutscenes to punctuate big moments, somethingit andMetaphorshould already have in common. With other big-budget JRPG franchises likeTalesincreasingly mixing anime cutscenes with regular ones, it’s not a surprise to see one of their pioneers continue their use, especially asMetaphor’s 3D scenes increasingly resemble their anime counterparts. However,Metaphor: ReFantazioisn’t content with just following trends.
Anime Could Be Deeply Integrated Into Metaphor: ReFantazio’s Gameplay
The full extent of its visual flourishes aren’t visible yet, but compared toPersona 5, one improvement inMetaphor: ReFantazio’s maximalist UI is more than meets the eye. After successfully landing a combo on a field enemy and transitioning into turn-based combat, what could be the graphic forMetaphor’s All-Out Attack appears. Enemies are left damaged and stunned, but of visual interest is the cut-in’s 2D animated nature. Quick anime cutscenes like these probably exist for every party member, and there could be other instances where the game flits in and out of 2D animation during combat. All of this forms the next step inPersona’s visual design, and isn’t the only novel thingMetaphoris doing with its anime aesthetic.
Metaphor: ReFantazio Doesn’t Follow Anime Trends
Specifically, by looking so much likePersonaorShin Megami Tenseiwhile simultaneously being so different from them,Metaphor: ReFantaziois subverting its anime stylings. It takes place in an alien yet active society, and tells tales of personal, political, and planetary intrigue with similar gravitas. AsevenShin Megami Tensei 5grounds itselfwith a high school backdrop amid its blasted wastelands, it doesn’t take long to see that, for all thatMetaphorshares with its predecessors, they don’t conform to the same style of JRPG.
JRPGs’ Anime Meta Is Subverted In Metaphor: ReFantazio
In truth, the typical anime aesthetic one would expect from a Japanese RPG, or even a traditional fantasy anime, is barely present inMetaphor. The modern-day cities filled with fantasy races, massive mechanical vehicles, and utterly bizarre monsters seen inMetaphor: ReFantaziospeak to a magical and political worldthat, while populated by characters with anime facial shapes, does not conform to an established anime meta. It’s rare to see a big-budget video game push the boundaries of genres or other art forms likeMetaphor: ReFantazio, but that should only draw in more players to see what this stylish and innovative game has in store.
