Metaphor: ReFantazio Was Almost A Standard High Fantasy RPG

Summary

• Metaphor: ReFantazio began as standard high fantasy fare before evolving into Studio Zerio's unique take on the genre.
• Hashino felt the world they were working on with standard races like elves and dwarves wasn't too interesting.
• The game's creative vision has resonated with players and critics.

Metaphor: ReFantazio was the first foray into fantasy for director Katsura Hashino and his team at Studio Zero (an Atlus internal studio), who had previously worked on Persona 3, Persona 4 and Persona 5. These games had fantastical elements, but they were grounded in a realistic setting and had characters that struggled with real-world problems. Metaphor: ReFantazio, on the other hand, is set in the fictional kingdom of Euchronia and while the characters also deal with real-world problems, they do so within a fantastical backdrop.

Hashino has previously said that he read Lord of the Rings to get a crash course in fantasy while making the transition from Persona to Metaphor. In an interview with Japanese outlet Famitsu (translated by Automaton), Hashino said Metaphor began with a standard high fantasy setting and the team had made concept art for standard races like elves and dwarves (thanks, IGN).

Metaphor Began With Lord of the Rings

"In the early stages we were considering a high fantasy setting with elves, dwarves and the like," Hashino said. "We had Shigenori Soejima [Persona artist] come up with a bunch of sketches, but it felt kind of ordinary. It didn't look like something that was unique to us."

There are endless amounts of Tolkien-inspired high fantasy novels out there, and they're enjoyed by many, but Hashino is a creative who only wants to make something if it represents him and his team: "There are already so many great fantasy works out there. Rather than a traditional approach, we decided to focus on our unique take on fantasy, and were careful not to stray from that," Hashino revealed.

Metaphor: ReFantazio is still very much a fantasy setting, with Euchronia's various tribes replacing the races you normally see in fantasy settings. As you'd expect, there is plenty of prejudice and animosity between the tribes. That's the core theme of Metaphor's world, in fact.

Studio Zero's fantasy vision has certainly gone down well with players, as Metaphor: ReFantazio is a critical darling and also Atlus' fastest-selling game ever. In our perfect 5/5 review of Metaphor: ReFantazio, executive editor Meg Pelliccio called it "a new peak for Atlus."

Metaphor: ReFantazio

WHERE TO PLAY

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 Archetype powers that lie dormant in your heart. By awakening to an Archetype, you will unlock the power to channel and combine the abilities of unique job classes. Strengthen your bonds and build your party to take down powerful foes and discover the kingdom’s true nature.