Metaphor: ReFantazio is the new game from Persona developer Atlus, and it’s a game of the year contender, one of the best-reviewed games of 2024.
Metaphor: ReFantazio currently sits at an aggregate score of 94 on Metacritic. The only other games with scores that high are Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree and Astro Bot, so it’s in good company.
In PC Gamer‘s 95/100 review, the site wrote “Unfortunately, Metaphor is not 170 hours long. According to my total play time it’s more like 110 hours if you do every last sidequest, major battle, and optional distraction. I say unfortunately because I wish I could have stayed in Metaphor’s world for even longer than that.”
For those worried that this is just another Persona-esque game, VGC‘s five-star review assuages those fears. “For all the ways Metaphor: ReFantazio is like Persona, the game tries its best to establish its differences from the outset […] The aesthetics are lifted from fantasy books rather than the popping, harsh colors of manga and anime. The soundtrack, no longer built on J-Rock anthems and ear-worm beats, is instead full of orchestral scores and chanting.”
Eurogamer‘s five-star review cements the game as one of the RPG greats. “Metaphor: ReFantazio is the culmination of the genre as a whole. It’s a quintessential Japanese RPG, inspired by the past but with Atlus’ distinct style, cementing the developer as the pre-eminent producer of the genre alongside Square Enix and its celebrated Final Fantasy and Dragon Quest games.”
The Metacritic aggregate isn’t everything, but many critics have already called Metaphor: ReFantazio their game of the year, so come The Game Awards, this is a likely contender for the top spot.
In other news, Diablo 4: Vessel of Hatred also launched to rave reviews from critics, but technical issues at launch have marred the experience for regular consumers.