Following the reveal of a new trailer at The Game Awards 2023, Sega reached out with a press release with new details, images, and music of the JRPG of Metaphor: ReFantazio.
The game, which was originally known as Project Re Fantasy, is the first labor of love of Studio Zero, Atlus' development team directed by Katsura Hashino of Persona 5, Persona 4, Persona 3, and Shin Megami Tensei III – Nocturne fame.
Today we get to learn more about the story and the characters that we'll meet in this brand-new high fantasy JRPG.
We start with the story, which is described as follows.
Our story takes place in The United Kingdom of Euchronia, where the assassination of the king brings chaos and unrest to the land.
Then, one fateful day, a magic known only to the king called the Royal Magic is invoked, and the world becomes embroiled in a royal tournament for the throne.
In the midst of this, the protagonist, together with his partner, the fairy Galica, must find a way to break the curse that has been placed on the prince that the kingdom believes to be dead. To do so, they depart on a journey across the vast land.
They will discover that in order to achieve their goal, they must participate in the tournament for the throne, and this great task shall require them to ally with many friends and followers of the various tribes inhabiting the world.
We also get brief but interesting character profiles for the hero and four of his traveling companions.
Protagonist
Together with the fairy, Galica, he embarks on a journey to lift the deadly curse placed on his childhood friend, the prince of Euchronia.
He is a boy of the elda tribe, branded as a "tainted" people by the state religion who believe they have inherited dangerous and heretical magic. Being so rare among the populous, they are detested and discriminated against throughout the kingdom."
Gallica
Not only a traveling companion, Gallica is the guide who helps the protagonist carry out his mission to save the prince. Although she is too small to participate in battles, her knowledge of magic and ability to sense magla is superior to the protagonist due to her fairy nature. She doesn't mince words, but she is a reassuring ally on his journey.
Strohl
He is a young man of the Clemar tribe who meets the protagonist in the recruitment centre for the State Army. A smart young man with a strong sense of justice, he hails from a noble family. And yet, it seems his circumstances are complicated, as it is rare for a noble to enlist in the army alongside commoners.
Hulkenberg
A knight of the Roussainte tribe and former member of the royal family's Kingsguard who served by the prince's side. Despite her young age, she excelled in the use of various weaponry, and was assigned to the personal guard of the prince. But when the prince was attacked, she failed to protect him and set out to wander, carrying the stigma of this failure in her heart.
Heismay
A former knight of the Eugief tribe. He has acute perception compared to most others, due in part to the eugief trait of being sensitive to sound.
We then take a look at a few screenshots and concept art, on top of the key art. The concept art shows three locations of the game, the Northern Border Fort, the Royal Capital Grand Tiad, and the King Face Rock in the sky.
These environmental concept artists are by Koda Kazuma of NieR: Automata fame, while the mecha design is by Ikuto Yamashita, whom you may know for anime like Neon Genesis Evangelion, Nadia: The Secret of Blue Water, and Sento Yosei Yukikaze.
Next, the official Japanese website added another video showing gameplay footage, including the menus.
Lastly, we also get a preview of a few of the game's music tracks by Shoji Meguro, who is behind the music of Atlus classics like Persona 5, Persona 4, Persona 3, and Shin Megami Tensei III – Nocturne.
Metaphor: ReFantazio will release for PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and PC in fall 2024.
If you'd like to see more, you can check out the reveal trailer from the Xbox showcase in June and a video with commentary by the developers.
Incidentally, on Monday, December 11, Atlus will host a livestream from Japan at 8:30 p.m. local time.
While the broadcast will be exclusively in Japanese, there will be several voice actors in attendance including Natsuki Hanae as the Protagonist, Sumire Morohoshi as Gallica, Kensho Ono as Strohl, and Saori Hayami as Hulkenberg.
