Product Info

Platform

Switch 2, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X, PC

Publisher

Sega

Developer

ATLUS

Genre

Action, Adventure, RPG

Players

1

File Size (Minimum)

62.1 GB

Release Date (NA)

Oct 10, 2024

Purchase From

eShop

PSN Store

Microsoft Store

Steam

Home » Metaphor: ReFantazio for Nintendo Switch 2 (Review)

Metaphor: ReFantazio for Nintendo Switch 2 is the latest port from the acclaimed 2024 game that’s well worth playing on the handheld console with its entertaining mechanics and an intriguing story, despite the visual downgrades compared to other platforms.

A Kingdom Worth Saving

You follow a young man from the Elda tribe, a rare species that was believed to be extinct, who embarks on a journey to save his childhood friend, the prince, from a deadly curse. You’ll travel with your fairy named Gallica, who’ll provide some assistance on your travels, but you’ll meet new encounters, both friendly and hostile, as you try to put a stop to Louis Guiabern, the prime suspect of the one who placed the curse on your friend and killed the king. You’ll go through the struggles and hurdles as you find yourself competing against Louis, but you’ll find out soon that there’s more than just saving a friend. You’re saving a kingdom.

Its story is fascinating and well thought out as you travel through this traditional fantasy adventure where castles, kings, rule, the land, discrimination, and magic exist. Monsters called “Humans” roam the lands with terrifying and bizarre-looking visuals. These vile-looking creatures carry a unique flair and style that the team over at ATLUS can pull off really well. During your playthrough, you’ll find yourself tangled in various mechanics from social status and political movements to earn the public’s favor. It’s similar to the recent Persona games but with a twist. You’ll also have the opportunity to summon a power that’ll benefit you and your team in battle against these Humans and other tough opponents. Sounds familiar? It should, as the team that worked on the Persona series are together again for this new IP.

A Familiar Feeling

This new role-playing game (RPG) brings familiar vibes that make it feel like a branch from ATLUS RPGs, such as the calendar system, the social stats, and of course the turn-based combat that uses unique powers to draw out transformations and powerful skills against foes.

While the game uses turn-based combat, you’ll have the opportunity to use real-time combat where you can defeat weaker enemies without having to go into battle. This feature saves time for players and allows them to quickly earn small amounts of in-game money and experience points. If you surprise the enemy, you can stun it before the battle even begins by landing a few attacks on it. Players will be prompted to start the fight, switching the gameplay from real time to turn based.

Players take turns attacking enemies, using turn-based play, but if they get into a jam, they can push the controller’s left joystick to reset the battle and try a different approach. Players will need to take advantage of enemy weaknesses to gain the upper hand in battle, such as extra turns; and prevent enemies from taking advantage of your team’s weaknesses, such as your main character being weak against fight attacks. For boss fights, players must consider their combat strategy and party setup, such as the arrangement of characters in the front and back rows. The game offers some fast-paced action, and if you’re at a point you want the game itself to take over, the auto battle is available. With a variety of skills and ways to fight, it’s one of the best turn-based combat systems.

You’ll have the opportunity to call upon Archetypes, transformative forms that grant you power. By raising their ranks you can learn new skills and use them to customize your party. Your party can equip many different Archetypes such as the Warrior who can deal high damage and the Seeker who can cast wind magic and buffs. Players can unlock new Archetypes as they play through the game’s story and strengthen their Royal Virtues with supporting characters. There are a few extra steps to get them unlocked, such as spending MAG points, but with the flexibility the game offers, it’s well worth investing in. If you’re a fan of Final Fantasy Tactics or Bravely Default, then Metaphor: ReFantazio is the game for you.

As you explore, you can scan the area using “Fae Sight” to spot enemies from a distance and gage their threat level using colored outlines around them. Blue means weak and you can deal with it without a battle, yellow means you are on par with its level and red means it is a higher level than yours which you might want to avoid battling with. It’s a very handy mechanic for exploring dungeons and other areas that you’ll be roaming around in. And with the mini map available to guide you, you’ll be able to find hidden chambers for treasures or monsters that lie in wait. If your attacking enemies you can turn real combat experience into turn based combat with a key command on the controller

When travelling across the world, you’ll need to rely on the game’s mobile vehicle called the Gauntlet Runner. With the Gauntlet Runner, you can cook meals, read books to help raise your bonds with the team, known as Royal Virtues, find a resting spot, and find ways to increase your stats. It’s a neat and unique transportation that molds well with the overall game’s aesthetics.

The game’s calendar system is structured to the game’s story deadlines. Your actions will count, such as traveling to a dungeon and back. Specific events tied to a day are blocked off from doing anything else. The political campaign follows this mechanic heavily, and improving your relationship with your comrades also requires time spent to improve your team and unlock traits to help your Archetype and combat support. For example, you can guard against attacks and gain additional turns. The game will give notifications to players that will help plan your days ahead. Think of it like a safety net so you don’t accidentally overlap activities.

From mastering Archetypes to navigating political campaigns, there’s plenty to learn and accomplish while strengthening your team. With a compelling combat system, it’s a RPG worth diving into and finally available for the Nintendo Switch 2.

A Stylish Adventure

The game’s user interface is one of the best designed, with its gorgeous, unique style and subtle animations  that make it an overall creative treat. It certainly takes a page of creativity from other ATLUS games and feels more polished. It’s not just the game’s menu but also the battle scenes. Pausing the game to just look at the design is candy for the eyes. It’s one of the best menu and interface designs to this day.

The game’s soundtrack carries various scores that give it that fantasy vibe with its orchestrated tunes and powerful choirs that give it a bold and unique identity. Battle themes are powerful scores that give an extra layer of energy. Overall, it’s a splendid soundtrack that holds up from beginning to end.

A Portable Kingdom

With the game coming to the Nintendo Switch 2, it offers various ways to play. Players can adjust the gameplay in three different options that let them dictate whether they want it to be heavily focused on performance, graphics, or a balance between the two. The option can be adjusted for handheld and dock mode separately. Testing out the options, the graphics do showcase being closer to high-performing consoles like the PlayStation 5, but they do show a drop in frame rate in both handheld and dock mode. This issue is most recognized by players while exploring open areas. While everything feels smooth and fluid in terms of performance, the visuals suffer, especially in dock mode. The balance option carries the two other options’ ups and downs, more likely this is the option many will want to choose.

While playing in handheld mode, I found myself using performance mode because the visuals are reduced for the Switch 2 screen and experience the game’s original movement when exploring and battling. While having the option to have cleaner graphics during dock mode is a want, the balance and performance options feel more desirable when roaming through environments and performing fluid battle moves. Overall, shadows and lighting are noticeably different when compared to the Switch 2 and PlayStation 5. Nintendo’s console renders fewer shadows and less environmental detail. The reduced shadows and environmental details are understandable compromises for bringing a visually ambitious RPG to a portable console, but they’re noticeable when compared to the more powerful platforms. If you’re looking for a more visual and performance game, then you’d stick with the more powerful platforms. Despite some of the visual adjustments, having the option to play this purrtastic RPG on a handheld device, the Switch 2 makes it extremely desirable to have the game on the go.

The Final Campaign

Metaphor: ReFantazio is a meowtastisc fantasy RPG that features an intriguing story, strategic combat, and various extensive and engaging mechanics to dive into, all wrapped with a gorgeous presentation and engaging soundtrack that makes it one of ATLUS’s finest RPG experiences. The option to take it on the go makes it more desirable and worth playing even with some visual hiccups.

An Nintendo Switch 2 code was provided by the publisher for this review. Metaphor: ReFantazio launches on the Nintendo Switch 2 on November 12, 2026. The game is currently available for the PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC. Fans can visit the game’s official website for more information.