Without much pretense, you’re put into the shoes of a young man in the cold-hearted Kingdom of Euchronia. With the reigning king freshly murdered and his only son (whom you have an unexplained connection with) in a curse-bound coma, a magically-driven election soon kicks off as candidates compete for the open seat on the throne, yourself included. The inner workings of the election process and your role within it changes and evolves as the roughly 80-hour story unfolds, but this setup serves as the compelling drama that propels you through a land plagued with racism, inequality, poverty, religious extremism, and exploitation.
These themes are at the forefront of Metaphor, and they aren’t just set-dressing – even a quick glance at its writing will tell you how it expresses its inherently progressive politics without pulling any punches. As you gain allies, interact with the people who embody these struggles, and travel across the land to earn the support of seemingly disparate societies, the story consistently demonstrates an understanding of the dynamics that give rise to such an ugly world. For a game called Metaphor, it’s not exactly interested in subtext, and in some respects, that’s to its advantage as it makes Atlus’ stance unmistakable.
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The sense of adventure you get from traveling across the kingdom and the powerful sense of purpose you have to do so drive its memorable journey, distinguishing itself from those that came before it. When I finally closed the book on Metaphor after 80 hours, I felt a unique warmth in its message, because it’s driven by the ideals of a just society smartly contextualized in a unique metanarrative. Metaphor: ReFantazio is poetic, and at times, idealistic, but it also understands its complexities and that change requires action, and that even far-fetched fantasy stories can serve as inspiration to make our world a better place.
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