We talk quite a bit about review scores on this site, and there’s a good reason for that. That reason is while not everyone has to listen to reviews and not all opinions about reviews are “accurate” in the minds of many gamers, when you get the right game with the right score…it just “feels right.” When that feeling happens, it encourages you to buy the game, especially if you weren’t sure about whether it would “be worth your while” before. In the case of Metaphor ReFantazio by Atlus, you might have been hesitant to try it out because it is a new franchise. However, as Metacritic highlights, the game is one of 2024’s best.
As of right now on Metacritic, Metaphor ReFantazio has a whopping 94 review score. It should be noted that it only has 31 review scores currently, so that number could go up or down as things progress, as it’s not a short game, which shouldn’t be a surprise since Atlus made it. Regardless, that ties the game with Astro Bot as the leading scorer for 2024, easily putting it in the “Game of the Year” category for upcoming award shows and events. But what exactly are reviewers saying about the title to make it GOTY-worthy?
Some note that this isn’t merely a “new franchise” but the “culmination” of everything Atlus has done with its past RPG franchises. It builds on what they did while also tackling new themes and styles. True to that theme, many praised the games’ story and characters along with its “endlessly strategic combat,” which will make many happy. Those are some of the biggest “themes” that Atlus likes to hit on, and it’s clearly working here.
A common line that was said throughout the reviews was that the title was “more than the sum of its parts,” meaning that Atlus put together many familiar things but ensured that they were not just meaningful but beyond what fans would sometimes expect. A recent report highlighted the differences between the new game and past franchises by Atlus, and it’s worth the read.
The visual style was another element that was constantly praised, as Atlus took its fantasy setting to special places with the menus, world design and so on. Reviewers also made it clear that the game taking about 100 hours to fully beat wasn’t a bad thing, either.
So, if you were interested in the RPG but wanted to see what others thought of it, there you go!
