Metaphor: ReFantazio

Metaphor: ReFantazio (メタファー：リファンタジオ) is an upcoming 2024 role-playing video game developed by Studio Zero and published by Atlus. It is the first original game from Studio Zero since its formation in 2016 by Persona series director Katsura Hashino, character designer Shigenori Soejima, and composer Shoji Meguro, which is scheduled to be released on 11 October 2024 for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Microsoft Windows and Xbox Series X/S.

The game explores the themes of ideal and reality and takes place in a medieval fantasy world that is the "mirror" of the contemporary real world, following a non-silent protagonist who sets out on a journey to protect his kingdom while overcoming obstacles and forging bonds with companions he meets along the way.

Metaphor: ReFantazio was first announced under the codename Project Re:Fantasy in December 2016, with no more information revealed until 2023. It derives many of its gameplay mechanics from previously established Atlus role-playing games, such as turn-based combat involving the exploitation of enemy weaknesses, overworld exploration with a calendar system and light social simulation elements, and a mechanic enabling players to develop more intimate relationships with their party members outside of combat.

Premise
Metaphor: ReFantazio takes place in the United Kingdom of Euchronia, which is set in a medieval fantasy realm that acts as a "mirror" to the modern real world. The assassination of its King sparks chaos and unrest throughout the kingdom, while also invoking a unique form of magic only previously known to the King, known as the Royal Magic. These events end up setting the stage for a tournament to be held across the world in order to decide the throne's successor. The main protagonist is a boy of the Elda tribe who has been ostracized by wider society for being "tainted" with the inheritance of forbidden magic and is often subject to discrimination and prejudice as a result. He is to embark on a quest to lift a curse placed on his childhood friend, the crown prince of Euchronia who had just witnessed his father's assassination. Throughout the journey, he will be accompanied by a fairy companion named Gallica, whose immense knowledge and ability to sense magic aids him on the path ahead.

Other allies aid the protagonist and Gallica throughout the narrative. The main party comprises Strohl, a horned nobleman of the Clemar tribe who meets the protagonist at the State Army recruitment center, Hulkenberg, an elf knight of the Roussainte tribe formerly acting as part of the Royal Family's kingsguard and harboring considerable guilt for her inability to protect the Prince, and Heismay, a bat-like former knight of the Eugief tribe who is sensitive towards sound and endures similar discrimination from other tribes in the kingdom due to his physical appearance.

Development
Following the Japanese release of Persona 5 in September 2016, the game's director Katsura Hashino, who had been involved in Atlus' tentpole franchise Megami Tensei as the prior game director for Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne (2003), Digital Devil Saga (2004), Persona 3 (2006), and Persona 4 (2008), as well as the creative producer of the publisher's 2nd Creative Production Department, later known as P-Studio, announced his intent to leave the development team and his duties with the Persona series, citing a personal desire to explore other projects due to what he considered a shift in creative direction with Persona 5. On December 19, 2016, Atlus Japan revealed that Hashino was establishing a new internal development studio within the publisher named "Studio Zero", whose mission statement was to "create for all platforms as the big counter [to modern mainstream RPGs] the current era needs." Alongside Hashino's involvement, Atlus said that the rest of the staff at Studio Zero was composed of alumni who had previously contributed to past RPGs published by them, while stating that they would reveal preliminary details on the development team's first game project during a livestream scheduled for later that week. On December 21, 2016, Atlus officially announced Studio Zero's first game, a fantasy role-playing title under the codename "Project Re:Fantasy", which would be directed by Hashino. The game was also confirmed to feature character design by Shigenori Soejima and music composed by Shoji Meguro from the Atlus Sound Team, both of whom previously collaborated with Hashino on both the Persona games he directed, as well as the action-puzzle platformer Catherine (2011). Alongside the game's reveal, Japanese publication Weekly Famitsu released an exclusive interview conducted between them, Hashino and Atlus company director Naota Hiraoka. The latter outlined the importance of Project Re:Fantasy as a new IP for Atlus, affirming that the goal behind creating Studio Zero was to "aim even higher" with original projects that could stand separately from either the Megami Tensei or Persona franchises, though the development team's formation was previously stifled due to the people of interest to the company being committed to other projects at that time, which partly led to Hashino's selection to serve as creative producer and game director for the project after finishing Persona 5. Hashino himself explained Studio Zero's intentions of creating a role-playing game rooted in traditional fantasy aesthetics, reflecting on his awareness of the publisher's reputation for creating RPGs with contemporary backdrops to counter developers who were more comfortable with the fantasy genre as it went mainstream. Hiraoka additionally spoke to Soejima and Meguro's involvement in the project, calling them both "indispensable" members of the Persona series development team who would continue to hold their respective roles at P-Studio, but were brought onto Studio Zero and Project Re:Fantasy due to a shared desire between Hashino and Hiraoka to have their talents serve another project away from their typical contributions. On December 23, Atlus opened the official website for Studio Zero, with a foreword from Hashino and an unveiling for further staff involved in the studio and Project Re:Fantasy beyond Hashino, Meguro and Soejima. At this time, Atlus was recruiting locally for more staff to join the game's development, including programmers, planners and designers.

A second concept video for the game was released in December 2017 alongside the announcement that Studio Zero was developing the enhanced re-release Catherine: Full Body for PlayStation 4 and PlayStation Vita. Alongside the teaser, a new developer message from Hashino was released online, where he clarified the team was "very much in the middle of development", but not to the point where they could divulge specifics regarding the title's gameplay, though the teaser was meant to infer elements of the game itself. In later interviews, Hashino stated that he would have more to share on the game following the Japanese release of Full Body in February 2018. In the November 2019 issue of Game Informer, Shigenori Soejima affirmed his enthusiasm for being involved in the game's development, describing the challenge presented regarding defining "what exactly is fantasy and how can we bring a meaningful fantasy game into this world?". He also asserted that the game was in a state where a concrete direction had been decided upon and the team were moving forward with it. A second interview between Weekly Famitsu and Naota Hiraoka in July 2021 included further anecdotes regarding the game's progress, whereby Hiroaka stated, “PROJECT Re FANTASY is progressing little by little, and we hope to deliver it when the timing is right.”

According to Hashino, the game will explore the themes of ideal and reality.

Marketing and release
The game was officially unveiled as Metaphor: ReFantazio in June 2023 during Microsoft's Xbox Games Showcase video presentation, where it was slated to release for Windows and Xbox Series X/S. Later that month, a "Special Celebration Livestream" featuring the Persona Stalker Club was streamed on YouTube where the game was separately confirmed to be in development for PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5. A "Creator Message" video presentation featuring development interviews with game director Katsura Hashino, character artist Shigenori Soejima and composer Shoji Meguro was released following the reveal trailer. A second trailer unveiling additional gameplay, character and story details premiered during The Game Awards 2023 pre-show in December 2023.

A demo of the game was showcased during Atlus Fes 2024, which took place between June 8 to June 9. It consisted of Scenario Mode, Dungeon Mode, and Boss Challenge Mode, being available to gamers for 15 minutes.

Metaphor: ReFantazio is scheduled to be released October 11, 2024 for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Windows and Xbox Series X/S.