The battle music in Metaphor: ReFantazio is incredible. Urgent, insistent chanting builds tension over dramatic string stabs before a glorious brass fanfare emerges with choral harmonies. It’s as grand and operatic as the game as a whole. It’s also diegetic – not just a background score but summoned into the game world by the player character’s fairy companion to inspire. Music is – quite literally – magic.
A soundtrack of bangers won’t come as a surprise to fans of Atlus’ previous RPGs – the Persona games in particular are known for their jazzy funk tunes. Here, the switch to rich classical orchestration presents a new style but a familiar reliance on catchy earworms.
And that’s emblematic of Metaphor as a whole. Structurally and gameplay-wise it’s somewhat familiar, yet smart changes and a shift to high fantasy ensure this is a fresh experience and the next step in Atlus RPGs. It’s far more than just Persona in fantasy clothing.
About Author
