Summary
For quite some time now, it has been known that one ofMetaphor: ReFantazio’s overarching themes is anxiety. More recently, however, director Katsura Hashino has been open about how that theme would be reflected in some ofMetaphor: ReFantazio’s core elements. Now that the game has finally been released, it becomes increasingly clear as its story progresses how much weight that theme of anxiety carries.
Each game by Atlushas some kind of overarching theme that not only directly affects its narrative but also the characters in its world.Persona 5, for instance, revolved around the idea of breaching the limitations of modern society and, therefore, featured outlaws as its Personas.Metaphor: ReFantaziohas now done something similar with its theme of overcoming anxiety, which is made manifest in its Persona-like Archetypes and combat mechanics.
Metaphor: ReFantazio’s Overarching Theme Is Anxiety
Archetypes Are the Result of Metaphor: ReFantazio’s Characters Confronting Their Insecurities and Fears
Metaphor: ReFantazio’s Archetypes are essentially thePersonafranchise’s Personasin that they are an otherworldly manifestation of a character’s inner self and generally represent that character’s internal struggles. InMetaphor: ReFantazio, its characters awaken to their Archetypes upon confronting insecurities that have long gone unaddressed, after which the strength derived from that conflict is personified as a giant figure reminiscent of a hero. Just as it is withPersona’s Personas, the manifestation of each ofMetaphor: ReFantazio’s Archetypes is generally tied to dire plot points that almost force the game’s characters to face their fears, so they serve as a method of character development alongside the narrative itself.
Metaphor: ReFantazio’s Archetype awakening scenesare unabashedly representative of anxiety as well, depicting each character violently ripping their heart out before assuming their new form. This was an intentional move made by the developer to show the lasting impact that anxiety has on the heart and the human condition and how each of the game’s main characters falls prey to the same vice. AsMetaphor: ReFantazio’s characters rip out their hearts, they are choosing to separate themselves from anxiety and to remain in full control of the seat of their emotions and desires.
ThePersonaseries is famous for its gruesome awakening scenes, with games likePersona 5that see characters brutally ripping masks off of their faces.
Metaphor: ReFantazio Includes an Anxiety Combat Mechanic That Can Inhibit Characters
In addition toMetaphor: ReFantazio’s core Archetype mechanicis a status ailment called “Anxiety” that can severely inhibit characters in combat. While it’s not guaranteed to happen every time, whenMetaphor: ReFantazio’s characters are ambushed or struck by a critical hit in battle, they have a chance to become afflicted with Anxiety. While a character is afflicted with the debuff, players have no control over their Archetype skills, meaning that the character will perform a random action when players select “Archetype” from the combat menu. This effectively shows how anxiety can cause a person to lose control of their senses and behave erratically, depending on the situation.
To make matters worse, once a character has been afflicted with the Anxietystatus effect inMetaphor: ReFantazio, any attacks made against that character will not consume enemy Turn Icons. This translates to real-life anxiety in that it shows how easy it is for a deeply anxious person to unknowingly submit to the control of others, whether it be out of fear of what they might think or in an effort to impress.
Metaphor: ReFantazio’s themes of anxiety and how they manifest in the game differ fromPersona’s themesin that, whilePersona’s Personas generally represent a character’s true self,Metaphor’s Archetypes represent a weakness that the character has chosen to overcome. This, as well as the Anxiety combat mechanic inMetaphor: ReFantazio, helps to drive home the game’s overarching themes of anxiety and provide any gamers who might struggle with the increasingly common emotion with something they can relate to.
Metaphor: ReFantazio
WHERE TO PLAY
From the creative minds behind Persona 3, 4, and 5 comes Metaphor: ReFantazio, a unique fantasy world, where your protagonist will journey alongside his fairy companion, Gallica, to lift the curse from the kingdom’s lost prince.Control your destiny, face your fears, and awaken magical Archetype powers that lie dormant in your heart. By awakening to an Archetype, you will unlock the power to channel and combine the abilities of unique job classes. Strengthen your bonds and build your party to take down powerful foes and discover the kingdom’s true nature.
