Metaphor: ReFantazio

Lore & Background

Metaphor: ReFantazio is set in the United Kingdom of Euchronia, a medieval fantasy realm mirroring the contemporary real world, after the assassination of its former King. Years earlier, an assassination attempt on the Prince resulted in him being cursed and falling into a long slumber. The protagonist, an orphaned boy of the magic-wielding Elda tribe and the Prince's childhood friend, participates in the Royal Tournament held to decide the throne's successor, journeying across Euchronia to rally support from its people while searching for a way to lift the curse.

Reader's Guide

Metaphor: ReFantazio is significant as a major role-playing game that incorporates systems from previous Atlus titles, including dungeon crawling, social simulation, a day-night cycle, weather system, and a calendar-based structure similar to the Persona series. The game features a 'Follower' system building on Social Links and Confidants, where players forge bonds to increase public favor. The Archetype system acts as a job system, allowing party members to wield multiple archetypes and perform synthesis skills. Combat includes real-time action and turn-based mechanics with a Press Turn system. The game sold one million copies on release day and won multiple awards, including the D.I.C.E. Award for Role-Playing Game of the Year and the Grand Prize at the 2025 Japan Game Awards. Its legacy includes praise for its narrative, worldbuilding, visuals, gameplay, and themes reflecting real-world issues, though it faced some criticism for technical problems at launch.

Did You Know?

• The game was first announced under the working title Project Re:Fantasy in December 2016.
• The game sold one million copies on release day across all platforms.
• It won the Game Awards for Best Art Direction, Best Narrative, and Best Role-Playing Game.
• A Nintendo Switch 2 version will be released on November 12, 2026.