Following its recent story trailer, Atlus has shared more details about the narrative of its upcoming RPG Metaphor: ReFantazio. Only the opening scenes are shown.
Particles of anxiety formed by people, magla, are the source of the world’s magic. A special device collects them in the city, and they’re used as funding for the kingdom. Their number has increased, with monster numbers rising as a result. The works of Hieronymous Bosch are significant for the designs of the Human enemies.
The United Kingdom of Euchronia was initially divided into three separate counties before being annexed into one. The royal family’s power has waned, though, with the new Sanctism religion ruling over the country. Sanctifex Forden is at the top of the list. He was sought as a new leader to avoid political instability.
Some don’t agree with Forden and Sanctism, but one prominent one is Louis. He’s a military elite, claiming that the kingdom has become infested by Humans due to the spread of anxiety under the current king’s rule. To gain power, Louis assassinated the king himself and planned an assassination of the prince.
The protagonist is trying to assassinate Louis, whose symbol of power is the Charadrius, the world’s only flying gauntlet runner that serves as his headquarters. Before the protagonist meets Louis, he encounters a Human and awakens to his Archetype.
At the king’s funeral, the main character attempts to assassinate Louis, but the election magic is invoked, birthed by the royal line that was arranged to be triggered upon his death. The king’s face in the sky communicates the popularity of the candidates.
More is the author of the fantasy novel that the protagonist carries, but he is imprisoned in Akademia. He offers knowledge regarding the Archetypes. He governs the Skeer Archetype lineage, which is what the protagonist first awakens.
Another major character is Grius, to whom the protagonist needs to send a certain message. He’s undercover as a soldier in the royal army. The protagonist then volunteers as a soldier at the royal capital, leading to his meeting with party member Strohl. He’s a noble who has a deep grudge towards Humans. His first Archetype is the Warrior.
Hulkenburg is a member of the Holy Order and once served as the prince’s guard. After failing to protect the prince, she left the royal capital and failed in her search for him. Her first Archetype is the Knight. The female character in the original Project Re Fantasy key art eventually became Hulkenburg.
Heismay has a painful past, and his first Archetype is the Thief. Junahis is a songstress more famous than the royal family. Her Archetype is the Masked Dancer. The Swinging London fashion movement of the 1960s inspired her and other designs.
Neuras is the pilot of the gauntlet runner, initially a gauntlet runner designer for the royal family. He unlocks the Gunner Archetype. Bonding with him is teased to alter the gauntlet somehow.
Check out our previous coverage detailing the tribes.
The Memorandum option in the main menu will detail the setting. Fans can look forward to mini-videos released by the character More, too. He will introduce various facets of the game’s setting.
Metaphor: ReFantazio takes place in the United Kingdom of Euchronia, a land plunged into turmoil following the assassination of its king. The story takes a dramatic turn when the Royal Magic, a mystical power previously known only to the king, is unexpectedly invoked, sparking a grand royal tournament to determine the next ruler.
Amidst this tumultuous backdrop, the protagonist, alongside their partner, the fairy Galica, embarks on a quest to lift a curse cast upon the prince, believed by the kingdom to be deceased. Their journey spans the expansive lands of Euchronia, revealing that their mission is intricately tied to the ongoing tournament for the throne. To succeed, they must forge alliances with a diverse array of friends and followers from the various tribes that inhabit this world, each with their own unique contributions to the unfolding narrative.
A newly highlighted technique is Synthesis, which combines party members’ archetypes, performing powerful attacks at the cost of both you and the cooperating ally’s turns. All three characters in the active party can even use Synthesis for devastating attacks. The development team has worked hard to ensure that players will alter their strategies the further they progress instead of keeping to the same party configuration the whole game.
Check out the previous information deep-dive.
Metaphor: ReFantazio will launch for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Steam, Xbox Series X|S, and PC on October 11, 2024.
