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Gaming | Psychology
How ‘Metaphor: ReFantazio’ Explores the Concept of the Hero Through Gameplay
Personal connections underpin the essence of heroism
Two weeks ago, I did an overview of the UI of Metaphor: Fantazio, particularly in how it reused the successful formula of the Persona franchise to fit into the world of Euchronia. This week, I wish to delve deeper into the idea of the “hero” that permeates throughout the series.
I am a huge fan of mythology and have written several pieces discussing the use of “hero” in games, so when I saw how this game incorporates the theme of heroism through its “persona” and “confidant” systems (referred to as archetypes and follower bonds in this game), I couldn’t resist dedicating this article to it.
Here is how Atlus reconceptualised and incorporated the concept of a hero into Metaphor: ReFantazio’s well-established gameplay system.
Relating Two Systems in One
In the all-too-familiar Persona series, characters summon their personas based on their true strengths. For example, in Persona 5, characters confront unjust authority figures, leading to the awakening of their personas, which aids them in battling shadows. These personas represent the characters themselves, with only the main character able to summon multiple personas.
Additionally, the social link system reflects the power of friendship; by forging deep connections, the protagonist gains benefits that enhance their combat abilities. While both systems are crucial to gameplay, they do not directly affect one another. For example, neglecting to strengthen a character’s relationship with the protagonist doesn’t significantly impact persona summoning — it merely results in fewer buffs during battles.
Metaphor brings these two systems together to form a new system. By meeting and levelling up the friendships between the main character and the side characters, players unlock archetypes. These archetypes are the “personas” that the characters bear. By choosing a certain…
