Metaphor: ReFantazio is a new fantasy IP from Atlus, the studio best known for Persona. It originally launched around two years ago on PS5, Xbox Series X and PC. With the Switch 2 now more than a year old, Atlus has finally brought the game to Nintendo’s latest console, much like it did with Persona 3 Reload.
I consider Metaphor one of the best RPGs of its release year, and its Game of the Year recognition was well deserved. There’s something genuinely different about it. A lot of JRPGs tend to stick to familiar ideas, but Metaphor feels like it’s doing its own thing.
Studio Zero and director Hashino had previously worked on Persona 5, a game with a very recognisable style. Naturally, expectations for their next project were high, especially with it being a completely new IP. I think they delivered. Metaphor doesn’t quite match Persona 5 in terms of style, but its concept, gameplay and presentation give it a personality of its own. I can’t really think of another RPG that looks or feels quite like it.
Anyone familiar with Persona will recognise certain elements, although there are some fairly big differences. Combat, for example, isn’t entirely turn-based. It uses a hybrid system instead. The school setting is gone too, replaced by a fantasy world with a very different cast of characters.
You can see Persona’s influence in several of the mechanics, with some systems receiving improvements along the way. Still, Metaphor never feels too dependent on those ideas. I particularly enjoyed its visuals and art direction, which are excellent. There’s a bit of Persona and Shin Megami Tensei in its design, but the result feels different enough to stand apart from both.
The story is another major part of the experience, with some beautiful anime sequences helping move things forward. It begins with the king dead and the prince suffering from a curse that has left him in a coma. A magical contest then allows anyone to compete for the throne, provided they can gather enough support from the public.
You play as a young man whom you can name yourself, and certain dialogue choices allow you to influence his personality as the story progresses. He’s an outcast who once served the prince, and the two shared a close relationship. Much of the adventure involves travelling across the world, with the journey divided into different sections. The story also spends time exploring how people from different backgrounds view and treat each other.
And this is a big game. Metaphor is a lengthy RPG with plenty to get through. I’d already played it on PC and Xbox and enjoyed it immensely, so my main interest this time was seeing how well Atlus had managed to bring the experience to Switch 2.
There’s still a demo available on Switch 2, and it offers a fairly substantial portion of the game. My first impressions of that version weren’t particularly positive, though. The image quality looked disappointing, and performance wasn’t holding a steady 60 FPS either.
Thankfully, the final release gives players more flexibility. Atlus has included three graphics modes: Quality, Performance and Balanced, with Balanced selected by default.
One feature I particularly appreciated was the ability to configure graphics modes separately for handheld and docked play. You can use Performance mode while playing handheld, for example, and have the game automatically switch to Quality mode when docked. I can’t recall seeing another Switch 2 game offer this particular option. It’s a smart addition, and I found it worked quite well.
After spending time with all three modes, I’d recommend sticking with Balanced. It offers a reasonable compromise between image quality and performance, although you shouldn’t expect a locked frame rate. In my experience, it generally fluctuated between 30 and 50 FPS. Fortunately, the Switch 2’s VRR support helps make those fluctuations less noticeable. I didn’t find the experience unpleasant, despite the inconsistent frame rate.
Performance mode is there if you’re having trouble with Balanced, but I wasn’t particularly happy with how the game looked using that setting. The drop in image quality was enough to make me switch back.
Quality mode takes a different approach, targeting a stable 30 FPS while offering a higher resolution and improved visuals. I actually think it looks fairly close to the PS5 version in some respects. Of course, the PS5 version targets 60 FPS and generally manages to maintain it, although I remember encountering some frame drops there as well.
I’m not going to spend too much time discussing the gameplay itself, since we already reviewed Metaphor: ReFantazio when it launched on PC and consoles. Our original review covers those aspects in greater detail, so I’d recommend reading that if you want to know more about the actual game.
As for this Switch 2 release, I’m quite impressed with what Atlus has managed to achieve. Metaphor is easily one of my favourite games available on the platform, and I think the developers made some sensible decisions with the port. Rather than forcing everyone to use the same graphics settings, they’ve provided three different options that cater to different preferences. I especially appreciate Balanced mode, since this sort of approach isn’t something we see particularly often on Switch 2. The separate handheld and docked settings are another welcome touch.
If you’ve somehow missed Metaphor: ReFantazio until now, I’d strongly recommend playing it. It’s an excellent RPG, and the Switch 2 version is a good way to experience it.
Game Information
- Game Title: Metaphor: ReFantazio
- Price: $39.99
- Publisher: SEGA
- Developer: ATLUS
- Platform: Switch 2
- Review Code: Provided by the publisher
