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'Tis mine Game of The Year by Choice
Thou who tampers Anxiety into Greater Strength still
Thine inspiration shall be set ablaze by this fourth wall breaking masterpiece
A fantasy game needs that precious kindling with which a player's passions may ignited into a fire-forged trust
Thy fantasy novel hast that flame of Grand Fantasy Katsura Hashino

https://gtm.you1.cn/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3387528508
Set in the dystopian Kingdom of Euchronia, home to a diverse set of Races and Cultures, his Majesty the King Hythlodeus V is assassinated by the military Paragon Louis Guiabern.
The Regicide leads to a Royal Funeral in the capital Grand Trad.
You, a travelling boy with a fantasy novel and a fairy as a companion, are tasked with delivering a message to an agent in light of the grim events of the regicide.
Despite the ruler's untimely demise, he was capable of devising a plan for the royal succession upon his death.
The future heir shall be crowned on the national Holiday marking the end of the Annex War, Day of the Hero,
according to the will of the people.
This marks the beginning of a bloody war of succession for the throne, between several contestants attempting to the gain the people's favour.

Atlus, as we all know, is fond of building their narrative around an ostracized protagonist, an outcast who has to forge his path in the presence of inequities. Only this time, it ventures into an ambitious fantasy world.
Ín Persona 5 the player takes on the role of a wrongfully convicted adolescent who is shunned by his environment and school for juvenile delinquency.
In Metaphor''s case, one plays a travelling boy of Eldan descent in a country where the Elda are highly discriminated against by the Sanctist church.
The Kingdom of Euchronia is as much emblematic of racial diversity of its many ethnicities, as it is of racism and oppression against unfortunate people of its lower classes in a country heavily influenced by the strong hold that the Sanctist church has on the regency.
As it so happens, the Eldan race is the most rare and most discriminated races of all, intensifying the outcast lifestyle of the protagonist.
https://gtm.you1.cn/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3389266405
Metaphor ReFantazio follows the tried and tested mechanics of the Persona games which respresent an amalgam of Life Simulation via Social Links (here followers), dungeon crawling and turn based combat with a strong focus on narrative exposition.
Battles have a real time component to it as well. Upon successful assault of the enemy while remaining unscathed through evasion, an ambush will be initiated which grants guaranteed damage and a stun on the target enemies.
These battles are won by wit and strategy as they are much more challenging than the battles of our beloved, alas too easy, Persona 5 Royal; even on the normal difficulty.
Having played 60% of the game on Hard and 40% on normal, I can assure you that your mettle as a strategizing commander will be tested.
Dungeons require intel from the taverns spy masters and efficient build planning to succeed, especially on the Hard difficulty.
The amount of different builds and their relative synergies is vast, making this a game with much potential for replayability.

This Game does its Game Awards award for best Art Direction justice.
What you have here is a cohesive work of art with beautiful sprites, marvellous waterpainiting vistas, compelling asset art style and gorgeous anime cutscenes to propel the narrative into epic heigths of a Grand Fantasy.

As Atlus fans are accustomed to, there is a strong emphasis on User Interface in the works from the Japanese developer.
The incredibly elaborate animated UI of Persona 5 Royal was already something to behold, but the UI employed in Metaphor Refantazio goes even further.
All the shopkeepers menus and game menus are a sight to behold.
Living and breathing works of animated art will unleash glory upon your eyes wherever you look.
Making a simple act as navigating menus, which you do a lot in a JRPG, a transcendental experience.

There is a journal in the game called memorandum and let me tell you it is quite extensive.
The memorandum makes for a comprehensive deep dive into the lore and cultures of the Kingdom of Euchronia immersively easy.
It is a transcription of a multitude of information concerning culture, history, technology, narrative and summaries on the actors of this fantasy stage in their respective character portraits.
A handy almanac on all things Euchronia in case you forget something or you just want to read something about someone anew.

It can not go unmentioned how excellent the voice acting in this work of art is.
The plot follows a Game of Thrones like plot and it translates to the voice acting.
What made Game of Thrones so great was the great writing and its plethora of different accents.
The voice actors here have different accents too and all do a magnificent job, side character or recurring protagonist...it matters not.
Equally, this is complemented by the great writing of the dialogues and the Game of Thrones like plot.

Here is that obligatory paragraph about the incredible soundtrack composed by Shoji Meguro.
This grand fantasy tale is partially carried by its matching soundtrack.
In the same vein, I have to mention the outstanding battle theme.
Oftentimes you will find yourself abstaining from action in battle and simply nodding to the monk rap, as the community has started call the epic verses spit in this banger, instead of progressing your turns.
Furthermore, the journey boasts many more memorable tracks. One of which is the second gauntlet runner track which will be unlocked later in your journey.
Another wonderful and epic song reminiscent of a musical cry for help with its tie not vocalizations.
An ode to bravery in an unfortgiving world marked by monsters, anti-secularism and racism.
Fantastical musical score befitting of a wondrous fantasy journey.

94% rating
Personally this is my Game of the Year with Black Myth Wukong.
I was delighted to see that IGN made it their GOTY after Astro Bot won the GOTY award during the Game Awards.
Next time the game of the year shall be yours Atlus!
https://gtm.you1.cn/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3389266570

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⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️☆

As a fan of JRPGs and Atlus titles like Persona and Shin Megami Tensei, Metaphor: ReFantazio caught my attention immediately. This game delivers a visually stunning world, a gripping narrative, and a complex combat system, but it does have its share of minor shortcomings.

Pros:

• Breathtaking visuals: The hand-drawn art style and imaginative environments create an immersive fantasy experience. Every area feels alive, filled with intricate details.
  
• Memorable soundtrack: The music masterfully sets the tone, especially during climactic moments. The battle themes are unforgettable.
  
• Deep and strategic combat: The blend of classic turn-based mechanics with modern innovations keeps battles engaging and rewarding.
  
• Rich storytelling: The narrative is filled with emotional moments and unexpected twists, tackling mature themes with finesse.
  
• Expansive world: Exploring the diverse locales is a joy, and the game rewards curiosity with hidden secrets and lore.

Cons:

• Steep learning curve: The game throws a lot of mechanics and systems at you early on, which might overwhelm newcomers.
  
• Challenging difficulty spikes: Some battles, particularly boss fights, require intense preparation and strategy, which could frustrate casual players.
  
• Shallow side content: While the main story shines, some side quests feel like padding and lack depth.

Final Thoughts:
Metaphor: ReFantazio is a stunning JRPG that combines a compelling narrative with strategic gameplay. It's perfect for fans of Atlus who enjoy deep worlds and intricate mechanics. While the game falters slightly with its steep introduction and occasional filler content, it sets a high standard for fantasy RPGs and leaves a lasting impression.

Recommended for: Fans of story-driven JRPGs, strategic combat, and breathtaking worlds.
Not recommended for: Players looking for a light, casual gaming experience or fast-paced action.

Best Persona / SMT game ever, 10/10. Shigenori's character designs have finally been unleashed from high school, too. A much deeper and engaging story than any Persona game before, dealing with very real political themes.

This game is a culmination of 35 years of ATLUS history.

Metaphor: ReFantazio takes what's great about almost all of ATLUS' franchises into one big subtle homage. It combines the combat system of DDS and SMT, the life sim gameplay of Persona, with themes and callbacks to Etrian Odyssey and many other games. This game takes after a multitude of games yet still feels unique by itself and with its own unique identity.

Definitely peak from an Atlus game. Persona 3 has always had a special place in my heart, but somehow, this won out for my favorite Atlus game. I don't know if this will become a franchise but i know at the very least, this is a phenomenal game and i would recommend it to everyone I know(If i didn't already recommend it to everyone i know while i was playing it lol).

best atlus game ive played yet very much recommend

issa good game

It plays like a Persona game, but like make it fantasy. I love this game, and anyone who loves Persona, and fantasy games will love this game too.

I feel like this is a good middle ground between SMT and Persona leaning more towards the latter. The combat was exceptionally intuitive and quite easy to abuse if one would wish to. The Archetype system was really cool and not locking party members into one role was really nice to see. The art was top notch, the music amazing. I love the monk singing to me.
You're not SUPER pressed for time, I had 7 or 8 days left after doing everything. I love the more mature route the game took.

In the end this game rocks and I love it. Easy GOTY contender for me.

Good game