The year isn’t over yet, but if you follow any RPG fans online, then you know they’re calling Metaphor: ReFantazio game of the year material. Well, based on the Steam reviews, those people may be onto something. It’s a highly popular anime-style RPG from developer ATLUS, known for the phenomenal Persona franchise, in a brand-new world that’s more fantasy-inspired than the latter.
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Metaphor: ReFantazio follows political turmoil after the king’s assassination and a hero’s journey to restore peace and prosperity to the kingdom. Taking control of the main character, players delve into dungeons, tackle quests, and meet various companions with unique relationships and virtues all while finding the time to complete the main story across an expansive world. It’s a lot to swallow for players unfamiliar with ATLUS’ particular brand of role-playing game, but it’s also one of the more welcoming titles from the team. It’s an excellent starting point if you’ve been curious about these games, though it’s not without issues. As you’ll see in the various negative Steam reviews below, people have concerns and qualms and are unafraid to voice such opinions and gripes.
On the positive side, players proclaim this to be the best RPG from the studio to date, with an engaging storyline and unmissable cutscenes. Many also consider the challenging combat to feel rewarding despite the difficulty. Unfortunately, that’s also a point of contention. On the negative side, many players claim the difficulty is too extreme, and replaying many of the boss fights—an often necessary endeavor—ruins the experience.
Furthermore, countless negative reviews from Steam players point toward the infamous DRM, Denuvo, as lowering performance and causing problems when attempting to play the game. Players also claim poor balancing, overly tricky boss battles, and boring dialogue and characters that erase any fun from the experience.
If you’re on the fence regarding Metaphor: ReFantazio—many players’ GOTY for 2024—here’s a look at the latest ATLUS RPG, as told by Steam reviews!
