Metaphor: ReFantazio is one of 2024's highest-rated games

Metaphor: ReFantazio is a new IP from Studio Zero, a subsidiary of Atlus founded in 2016 and helmed by Katsura Hashino, the director of Persona. Back in 2016, the studio announced they were working on a new project, then titled Project Re Fantasy. In 2023, the game was officially revealed as Metaphor: ReFantazio, a high-fantasy RPG that many compared to Persona.

Atlus released a 7-hour-long demo where players could experience the prologue of Metaphor: ReFantazio, and many were already convinced that it was a must-buy. Then, the RPG's review embargo lifted, and critics began sharing their opinions and ratings of the game. Based on an average of 30 critic reviews, Metaphor: ReFantazio currently holds a 94 score on Metacritic, one of the highest ratings in 2024. For comparison, Final Fantasy VII Rebirth earned a score of 92 after 151 reviews, while Astro Bot stands at 94 with 135 critic reviews. Metaphor: ReFantazio will receive more reviews, potentially raising or lowering its average score.

Metaphor: ReFantazio Is 2024's RPG with The Highest Score

Either way, this shows that Atlus has once again hit the mark with another RPG, much to the delight of its parent company, Sega. Just this year, Atlus released Persona 3 Reload and published Unicorn Overlord in partnership with Vanillaware. Meanwhile, another Sega subsidiary, Ryu Ga Gotoku, released Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth, not to mention other non-RPG titles. Metaphor: ReFantazio has proven to be another standout in a year filled with major releases and will likely be nominated for Game of the Year at the end of the year.

What's especially interesting is that Metaphor and other games show that turn-based RPGs are stronger than ever. While Baldur's Gate III demonstrated that there's still room for more traditional RPGs to shine, JRPGs are showing that their anime-inspired style, with fixed characters and less modular storytelling, continues to resonate with players.

However, it's worth noting that many demo users reported performance issues with the RPG, particularly on PC. Several reviews mentioned this performance problem and commented on the game's slightly underwhelming graphics for a 2024 title. This is due to Metaphor: ReFantazio being developed on the same proprietary engine used on Persona 5 Royal, rather than the Unreal Engine 4 employed in Persona 3 Portable. Nevertheless, Atlus has already stated it's working on fixes to ensure a smooth launch for Metaphor: ReFantazio.

Metaphor: ReFantazio will be released worldwide on November 11th for PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S, and PC via Steam. If you're ready to dive into an 80-hour-long adventure, don't forget to check out our price comparison for the cheapest Metaphor: ReFantazio CD keys, and prepare your eloquence because the electoral race is about to begin.