Metaphor: ReFantazio‘s Akademeia, like the enigmatic More who presides over it, is teeming with magic. The room, which operates as More’s study, exists outside the confines of Euchronia, a beautiful space with books and knowledge abound, where the protagonist can study the power of Metaphor‘s Archetypes. It is an interesting backdrop for a place of confinement; a prison for More that is made more hospitable by his cat, Plateau, and the protagonist’s company. Considering both the verticality of the space and the player’s agency, Akademeia is a reflection of the studies More toils away at, allowing the protagonist to seek answers just as his teacher does through his library.
When comparing Metaphor: ReFantazio‘s Akademeia to the Persona series’ Velvet Rooms, it’s clear that the two follow both similar and disparate approaches in design. Both act as places suspended from reality where their protagonists can seek guidance, whether it be through demon fusion or studying Archetype lineages, addressing the foundations of their respective combat systems. Of course, Akademeia and the Velvet Rooms move beyond functionality, as they are woven tightly within their respective narratives, in some cases even upending their stories’ plots entirely. Where Akademeia has an advantage, however, is in both its finer interactions and the agency it offers in moving around its space, like in the case of its upper level bookshelves.
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“Let No Warrior Forget This Truth”
Among the many books of More’s Study lies research notes on the Archetypes, an easily missed feature should players not think to look up. These research notes delve into the “times of yore,” addressing the sequential lineages afforded by the power of Kings, while considering their combat advantages and disadvantages. Like Akademeia’s other books, these notes reflect directly on Metaphor: ReFantazio‘s combat system, considering party synergy and Archetype specialties; “a sword’s purpose is ultimately as a weapon, and it is not weapons alone that decide a battle’s victor” reads the book on the Warrior lineage, which Gallica points out is reflective of its lack in versatility beyond physical, front row attacks.
Akademeia Makes the Most of Environmental Interactions
These books, alongside Akademeia’s attention to the finer details, make the ability to wander its space feel both mechanically and environmentally rewarding. Rather than keeping all of its information strictly in non-diegetic menus, Akademeia considers the practicality of its space, using books as a literal tool to impart knowledge to the player. Some of its other interactions, like the King’s Scroll or the Book of Apocalypse, help to foreshadow future plot revelations and secret bosses, while petting Plateau or gazing at the celestial globe gives clues into More’s character and the greater limitations of Euchronia’s world, the former initiating dialogue about his confinement, while the latter addresses how the association between astronomy and magic means they have both been restrained.
The Next Velvet Room Incarnation
Now, Metaphor‘s Akademeia has the strength of being a library on its side to facilitate a lot of its interactions, but there’s something to be said about its agency that could be transferable to a future Persona Velvet Room. The Velvet Rooms of the series have gone from literal incarnations of the name to more transitory states, evidenced by Makoto and Yu’s elevator and limousine incarnations. Neither of these spaces are exactly conducive to providing much interaction beyond Igor and his respective attendants, and Persona 5 followed with similar limitations, albeit purposefully, through its manifestation of a prison, keeping Joker locked away. This tendency towards more static spaces (at least, when it comes to being able to move freely), could make it an interesting pattern for Persona 6 to break, following Metaphor‘s lead.
The theme of Persona 6, like the rest of the game, is still shrouded in speculation, though however the next Velvet Room manifests, it could stand to benefit from small interactions that make reference to its respective world, or even to the folklore of its demons/Personas, considering that Persona 5 wrapped most of that away in its Personas’ stat menus. While it can be argued that what isn’t broken doesn’t need fixing, expanding on the allure of the Velvet Rooms through player agency in the space could be a great way to consider more Igor and Velvet Room attendant interactions within their own domain. The Persona 2 duology’s Demon Painter, who itself is a reference to Kazuma Kaneko, shows how small references and interactions within the Velvet Room can be compelling, and Metaphor‘s Akademeia is an affirmation of this.
RPG
JRPG
Action
Adventure
- Released
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October 11, 2024
- ESRB
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T For Teen // Blood, Language, Mild Suggestive Themes, Use of Alcohol, Violence
- Developer(s)
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Studio Zero