BUT! Metaphor's narrative conceit (which I won't spoil - at least, not yet) does give me hope that its deployment of these familiar elements is more than mere set dressing, especially when it has such a unique flair elsewhere.
To that end, Metaphor is a game of contrasts. Often, it's a delightful subversion (or even outright rejection) of its own genre, but it rarely sustains that feeling; choosing, instead, to deploy rote narrative tropes and familiar character archetypes, as if it fears to tread too far from its roots.
This is mostly a product of my own disinterest in, even disdain for, the subgenre of high fantasy. I have tried, time and time again, to engage with it - understand it's appeal - but I fear it's just not for me, so whatever else I say about Metaphor will be colored by that perspective.
Okay, so Metaphor: ReFantazio is fascinating, not the least of which is due to it's wealth of inspirations (it's actually convinced me to read, "Utopia," by Thomas More), but I'm not convinced I love it - at least, not to the degree of other Atlus titles.
Decided to get away from Va'ruun'kai for a bit, and revisit some of my favorite locations in the base game (2023) -- starting with the Martian Colony, Cydonia. The posters especially, are really fantastic -- presenting an idyllic vision of Mars that never was.
I'd be remiss not to mention the landscape, too, with it's blood-red skies, stony spires, and gravitational anomalies.
Starfield: Shattered Space (2024) really commits to its industrial aesthetic -- juxtaposing long, dingy corridors with sterile, well-lit corporate offices.
It really shouldn't shock me after playing P5R, P3Remake, and SMTV, but Metaphor: ReFantazio's demo is an audiovisual treat, with top notch cutscenes, UI and enemy design. I only wish it strayed further from the safety of its precursors, and better embraced it's weirder elements. Spoilers below:
