Atlus is known for its RPG franchises. It has two big ones that have had good releases over the course of the last decade, and earlier this year, they made a key remake that did incredibly well, with a DLC that will drop soon. However, now they’re focusing on something new with Metaphor: ReFantazio. This RPG will play quite a bit differently from those other franchises while still maintaining the flair and stylings that made those other RPG series so great. Another element that might surprise you is that the game won’t focus on certain “heroic” ideas but instead be about things like anxiety.
The Gamer was at a special preview event for the title, and director Katsura Hashino had a video of himself shown that helped explain why anxiety is a focus:
“We wanted to explore the idea of people realizing their inner strength, as well as fighting their anxieties and fears by finding common ground with others.”
As noted in a previous trailer, Metaphor: ReFantazio isn’t necessarily about saving the world but getting elected as the realm’s leader. You’ll have to work around the realm and build up your name so that you can prove you’re worthy of leading the people and keeping them safe from harm.
Some of you might realize that there’s a certain “Key Election” coming up, and the director wanted to ensure that this game released around them was pure coincidence:
“We really didn’t realize this title might overlap with any specific real-life elections. We continue to be surprised by the strange similarities between our real world and the world of Metaphor.”
Strange similarities, indeed! After all, many people are anxious about an upcoming election, but that’s another topic entirely.
When The Gamer talked with lead scenario planner Yuichiro Tanaka, he noted that the team wanted to show off “people putting in a lot of effort and power into making a better future. We wanted to really focus on the power that it can potentially bring to make the world something better.”
By making a “fantasy election story,” they were able to craft the narrative to be both about the player and the people of the realm who are “trying to have a better future.”
To that end, as you travel and meet the different tribes, you’ll witness their anxieties and fears firsthand and have to work with them to earn their trust so you can get their support in the election. So do right by the people, and you’ll come out on top!
