As both an Atlus RPG and the next original project from Persona mastermind Katsura Hashino, Metaphor: ReFantazio has an expected number of similarities with the Persona series, especially where its blending of RPG gameplay and social systems is concerned. Metaphor: Refantazio even has some signature versions of elements that have come to be synonymous with the Persona franchise, with characters visiting a Velvet Room-style location to enhance their power in Metaphor known as Akademia. But the way that the game handles Akademia's liaison, More, is in stark contrast to the Persona series' utilization of the Velvet Room's Igor.
A recurring figure in every Persona game to date, Igor is the custodian of the Velvet Room, the space between the waking world and the dream world where each game's protagonist discovers and then further develops their true power. Despite being such a crucial figure across the Persona franchise, players never get much insight into Igor's backstory or personality beyond his casual, friendly demeanor and self-proclaimed purpose as the servant of Philemon. In contrast, More is a fleshed-out character with direct ties to the world of Euchronia whose story takes on an important part of the hero's journey in Metaphor: ReFantazio.
Metaphor: ReFantazio's Louis Guiabern Joins the JRPG Villain 'Hall of Fame'
Metaphor: ReFantazio's best-in-class narrative is anchored by main villain Louis Guiabern, who joins an impressive list of great JRPG villains.
More Plays a Direct Role in Shaping the Plot of Metaphor: ReFantazio
Though he shares a similar role to that of Igor in the Persona series, when it comes to More, there's, well, more than meets the eye. Not only does the character serve as the party's power broker and gateway into understanding Archetypes, but he also plays a pivotal role in the overarching plot of Metaphor: ReFantazio. The game's protagonist and antagonist are deeply invested in a book banned by Eucrhonia's state religion, Sanctism, that tells of a utopia that sounds eerily similar to an idealized version of the real world. The author of this book is none other than More himself, and his vision for what Euchronia can and should be drives both Metaphor's heroes and its villain, Louis Guiabern.
While Igor plays a direct role in shaping the future of the protagonist in each Persona game, helping them understand the power that resides within them and providing the means to awaken and develop it, he never shapes the events that unfold in any meaningful way. As a result, Igor is more of a passive observer than an intentional participant in the journey that the party takes through each game. In contrast, More isn't just a guiding force, his ideas and written work provide the initiating event that drives Metaphor's central conflict.
More's Ties to Metaphor's World Open Up Opportunity for Further Exploration
The following contains minor spoilers for Metaphor: ReFantazio.
There's no denying that Persona's Igor is one of the most iconic characters in the entire franchise and a major player in the development of each game's protagonist, but his custodianship of the Velvet Room relegates him to being trapped in between planes of reality. Conversely, More is very much a corporeal figure within the world of Metaphor: ReFantazio. Players eventually learn that the location of Akademia is sealed within a part of the Mage Academy, a former force for research and advancement shuttered by Sanctists, leaving More and his seemingly dangerous ideas trapped therein.
After learning of More's fate, the party resolves to see their journey through to the end to both realize the dream contained within his idealistic novel and allow for him to continue his travels, researching both the world of Euchronia and its inhabitants in pursuit of developing new philosophies. More's place as an actual physical being within Metaphor's rich world, as well as his interesting backstory and importance as a figure in the past, present, and future of that universe, make him an ideal subject for DLC that tackles either the rise of Sanctism, his research into Euchronia's kings of old, or his future in the new and improved version of Euchronia.
Metaphor: ReFantazio
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 93 /100 Critics Rec: 98%
- Released
- October 11, 2024
- ESRB
- T For Teen // Blood, Language, Mild Suggestive Themes, Use of Alcohol, Violence
- Developer(s)
- Studio Zero
- Publisher(s)
- Atlus
- Engine
- GFD
- Number of Players
- 1
- Steam Deck Compatibility
- Playable
WHERE TO PLAY
- Platform(s)
- PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S
- OpenCritic Rating
- Mighty
