Metaphor: ReFantazio is far more than just Persona in fantasy clothing, it could be a new high bar for the genre

Metaphor: ReFantazioDeveloper: AtlusPublisher: SegaAvailability: Out 11 October on PC (Steam), PS5, Xbox Series X/S

The battle music in Metaphor: ReFantazio is incredible. Urgent, insistent chanting builds tension over dramatic string stabs before a glorious brass fanfare emerges with choral harmonies. It’s as grand and operatic as the game as a whole. It’s also diegetic – not just a background score but summoned into the game world by the player character’s fairy companion to inspire. Music is – quite literally – magic.

A soundtrack of bangers won’t come as a surprise to fans of Atlus’ previous RPGs – the Persona games in particular are known for their jazzy funk tunes. Here, the switch to rich classical orchestration presents a new style but a familiar reliance on catchy earworms.

And that’s emblematic of Metaphor as a whole. Structurally and gameplay-wise it’s somewhat familiar, yet smart changes and a shift to high fantasy ensure this is a fresh experience and the next step in Atlus RPGs. It’s far more than just Persona in fantasy clothing.

Despite the first Megami Tensei game launching in 1987, it wasn’t really until 2006’s Persona 3 that Atlus hit the mainstream in the west. That grew further with Persona 4 (2008) and then exploded with Persona 5 (2016). Since the latter’s release, outside of Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance, Atlus has been mostly preoccupied with looking backwards with spin-offs and re-releases of its existing catalogue. Metaphor, then, marks the future – a brand new standalone world and story built on recognisable mechanics, what it’s calling a “culmination of our RPGs”. It’s an exciting prospect.