Today we will discuss the metaphor – a new game from the creators of Persona 3-5, works of widely known and even cult in certain circles. Let’s see where the studio started creative experiments and whether 93 points on methacritic and nominations for the game of the year are justified.

I offer a video version for those who are more convenient for video format, and for those-a pleasant viewing.

The same who is more convenient or familiar to the text format, I wish you a pleasant reading. I warn you right away, There are many Bukaf.

Approximate time for reading: 40 min.

Table of contents

Entry and brief history of creation

The history of the appearance of Metaphor: Refantazio is inseparable from the Persona series, one of the iconic series in the JRPG genre that has been saved from another franchise – Shin Megami Tensei. The first three parts (the first and dilogy of the second) differed from their ancestor not too striking and were made by one composition of the developers.

Starting from the third part, the series was transferred to the hands of a new team, which now created the canonical image of a person – a simulator of an ordinary Japanese schoolboy who is planning a time visits a school developing relations with friends and in their free time fighting monsters in the grotesque world of the human unconscious.

The third part found popularity not only in Japan, but also in the West. The story of the cosplaying Kurt Kobein of schoolchildren faced with the embodiment of death, living in the 25th dark hour of day, hooked many players and received several reprints, the last of which, Reload, already striving for a full remake, was published in the early 2024th year. There is a detailed review of it in my blog.

The fourth part, who told the surprisingly lamp history of the investigation by a group of schoolchildren of serial murders in the provincial town, strengthened the position of the studio even more and was one of the main reasons to buy ps vita. Well, the five became the crown of the new trilogy, withdrawing a story, gameplay and art design to a new level. And at the same time collected very solid sales and fame, thanks to which the series ceased to be niche and passed into the train of the most noticeable and expensive Jrpg. Reviews (among the and video format) on the fourth and fifth parts are also in my blog.

And for our conversation, it is important that after the release of the fifth person, almost all key developers from P-Studio, responsible for its creation, said: “We said everything about the person and we have nothing to add,” we transferred work on a series of another studio (the five -responsible reprint of the five), created a new team Studio Zero and went to create a new original project, jrpg in fantasy style. As you already understood, the project was Metaphor: Refantazio (first shown under the name Project Re: Fantasy).

The game announced in December 2016. The development took about 8 years, I did not find information about some dramatic turns in her course. Assessments of critics fluctuate about 93 points, The players rated only a little weaker (91 score).

Well, let’s figure out whether enthusiasm is deserved, is it really a nominee for the game of the year and one of the best JRPG recent years, especially when among competitors Persona 3 Reload. And also see how far from the famous series the game of creators has taken the game. Comparisons with the person will be SO MANY, warned immediately.

I ask you to love and complain: Metaphor Re Fantazio.

Plot

Let’s start, as usual, with the plot. The game takes place in the fantasy world, which is approximately at the stage of our new time – the active colonization of neighboring lands, which is gradually losing the influence of the Church, similar to the Victorian era, clothes and architecture. One could even name a local setting, full of outlandish cars, steamancom, if not for the magic and related technologies that replaced steam, gunpowder and coal.

The United Kingdom of Uhronia is inhabited by a number of reasonable races, trying to get along together. There are no typical elves and gnomes here, although the prototypes of eared rus or horned clemians are easily guessed. There is an exotic, like Aijifs – erase -flying flying foxes. Well, Furi-quadrators Parips with ears and tails in the place where Japanese fantasy without cats and boys. Interestingly, ordinary people who are deprived of any strange signs are Elds – one of the rarest and despicable races.

The story starts with the murder of the king with the hands of one of his generals – ambitious and charismatic louis. And our main character, an unknown young man, arrives in the capital of the kingdom on the eve of the royal funeral. It is accompanied by a fairy of Gallik, who supports magic and advice.

In the hands of a young man a fantastic book about a utopian state, suspiciously similar to our real world, on a sword belonging once belonging to the king, and in the heart the hope of saving the best friend – the orphaned prince, the son of a recently deceived monarch, struck by a deadly curse and considered dead.

The hero enters the royal army, where he barely experiences a meeting with a terrible monster, which destroys a whole garrison and is called a “man”, in a battle with whom he opens the mysterious magical forces of the ancient archetypes, and then finds the allies, with whom he plans to kill Luis during the royal funeral, because it was he who did not kill the king, but also imposed a curse on the prince and only him. will or death can remove it.

But the plan of the heroes breaks up when it turns out that the old king before his death created a powerful royal magic, the purpose of which is to prevent the power and royal scepter, the most powerful artifact, into the hands of unworthy.

The palace soar into the sky, and the stone face of the late monarch declares a competition for the throne, in which anyone can take part, and only the sympathies of the people will determine who will get the crown. And the most supported applicants are protected by royal magic, which makes it impossible for a simple murder of Luis, on the side of which many.

And now the heroes have to participate in the tournament, travel all over the kingdom and abroad, meet with the most terrible monsters and strongest competitors, solve the riddles of ancient civilizations, survive many dangers and adventures, defeat Luis, relieve curses, and return the throne to the legal heir to the legal heir.

The plot develops quite slowly. The first 15-20 hours, he almost released leads the player by the hand, plunging into the context, telling who all these people and what is happening at all. And only at the end of this solid prologue, the plot goes to its main line, and the player is released from the capital, handing a personal runner – a mixture of walking castle Haul and Eve.

Mostly the player’s plot is waiting for many events, intrigues, characters and turns. The balance of power and understanding of what is happening will change more than once. History may slowly harness, but hooking does not let go to its end.

There are moments of losses and sadness, almost a thriller Sassensa, enthusiasm and bright hope, epic confrontations and large-scale events. A couple of moments brought me dangerously close to a stingy male tear, and the couple naturally caused goosebumps. Even naturally horror episodes flashed, capable of causing horror.

What I really liked – the plot of the game is a real journey with comrades, almost Road Muy. Despite the Personian structure of the plot, when each chapter is a separate adventure in a unique dungeon, on the passage of which a certain number of game days is issued, we no longer sit in the same city, but constantly move around the world.

Heroes visit various cities and attractions, meet new acquaintances and get into different stories along the way. This very cool sets the pace and mood, adding the dynamics of what is happening and diversity of the environment.

However, I cannot say that the plot was fully successful. Events often lack scale, confrontation with villains always be of very local duels, albeit sometimes in incredibly large -scale decorations. And the whole world and all the characters outside the combat party act at best observers. Oddly enough, the local epic history does not reach the fifth person in its epic to the final battles, or to the final battle in some Dragon Age Origins.

All the main plot twists and turns practically do not have influences except “wow” the effect of surprise. They do not turn our perception of the events that have occurred, do not change our further goals and they have no obvious and logical prerequisites to realize these turns the player slapped himself on the forehead with the words “but really! How I didn’t notice it!"And looked at everything that happened from a new angle.

In addition, the majority of the plot of the plot are very predictable. Everything except just two, I foresaw very in advance. And the answers to the most mysterious questions in history are more likely to disappoint with their banality. But, perhaps, the fact is that I went through the previous games of the studio and already learned the style of their scriptwriters well, easily predicting where and in what direction they will throw the fins.

Most of the "this is what" turn "exactly by the fact that the first comes to mind if you try to predict events.

The characters lack disclosure and development, interaction with the world, hero and among themselves. The same antagonist has an undeniable charisma and, as if a serious story, but it reveals so poorly that it would be better if his past and then remained a mystery.

And in this game very (and more than ever in persons) there is a lack of a well -registered and charismatic protagonist. When, in the plot, the character participates in the competition for the throne and popular popularity, and should, in good, be a powerful charismatian who leads the whole country in the final, the character is very out of place. And in dialogues with satellites there would be much more chemistry. Still, it would be much easier for mirror neurons to empathize with the relations of two living heroes, and not interactive monologues.

The fact that the hero does not just pronounce remarks, we just don’t hear it (as in RPG with an unanimated protagonist), namely, friends are silent and everyone speaks to him, makes the situation even more stupid. Why aren’t they participating in the race for the throne instead of the Silent?

And this, I note, in a Japanese game near the anime, the camp of which certainly cannot complain about the lack of charismatic heroes – remember the series Devil May Cry, Metal Gear, Final Fantasy, etc. And this is Persona 3-5 scriptwriters, in which millions of hearts won around the world. I am sure these guys can write a good hero-prostagonist and he really needed this game.

The dialogs and texts themselves in the magazine turned out to be interesting and alive, it is easy, pleasant and does not tire them to read them. I saw many jokes about almost identical options for replicas in dialogs and the absence of even an illusion of choice. But in JRPG, in general, a person, in particular, never, consider non -linearity. So to wait for some influence of solutions at all, all events in the game are absolutely linear, and the elections of replicas are more likely to dilute the reading of dialogs and increase the immersion and involvement of the player in what is happening.

Problems

The topics and problems of the game on the one hand pleased. Despite the fact that we can confidently say that the game has a “agenda” and beaten inequality and xenophobia are one of the central ideas, the game turns them very interestingly.

For example, the main declared antagonist is not at all some kind of security conservative just the light-fob, but a charismatic populist skillfully playing the problems of society and using the promotion of the ideas of equality and justice as a cover for personal purposes and ambitions.

And one of the central topics is the conflict of equality and justice at all. People are different, nothing can be done with this, and they can be completely equal with the most severe external terror, a scroll bed, forcibly forced and limiting all.

But free meritocracy, which gives everyone only by personal merits, leads to a world where the strongest is always right, the world of endless chaos and troubles, because any stronger is always stronger. And the search for a balance between fair retribution and equality of possibilities is both one of the main tasks of the state and an interesting topic for the plot.

The game is not at all shy about serious topics and situations. Deaths often occur, not a game of throne, of course, but well emphasizes the cruel morals and laws of the world. Many heroes have lost or even lose loved ones before our eyes. One of them we even help to survive the death of the child and choose a place for the burial of the urn with his ashes.

But on the other hand, the circle of topics and the affecting public and personal problems in the game is already a lot than in the same last persons. Yes, and at the end everything comes to the idea of ​​“people exceed their fears and anxieties to someone, for example, the king, instead of fighting them themselves”, which almost directly repeats the criticism of society and religion from the fifth person, only makes it much easier and more straightforward.

It is sad to realize that the utopian, but seemingly quite real things for us, such as free elections, the change of power and freedom of speech, people cannot fully achieve in our seemingly very fading game, the world and society.

And although in my opinion the plot did not turn out to be really outstanding and catchy (after passing the game, I did not even feel a characteristic void inside, as after the end of the same person, which is generally sad), the problems and characters came out not too deep, but a subtle metaphorical and symbolism characteristic of the studio work were lost, the story turned out to be good. In general, despite all my criticism, the plot is interesting, holds well and causes a lot of emotions. And this is perhaps the main thing.

Visual component

The playing of the game turned out, in my opinion, ambiguous. On the one hand, artists did a very serious job. The cities look impressive, each of them has unique and attracting attractions. What is only a makhine-saber in the middle of the capital, or a view from the city at the top of the mountain.

Interiors worked out with attention and love. Some backgrounds cause associations with the work of the legendary GHIBLI studio. The characters have vivid and memorable images, which are only the eared reddish of Hulkenberg or a local villain with his gold curls, a thoughtful look, a knightly military uniform and horns similar to Caesar’s laurel wreath.

Pleasing to a change in scenery. The deserted, dry and dead city after completing the plot task is washed with refreshing rain, becomes more crowded, noisy and alive. The musical theme is also changing, turning from threatening into lyrical and thoughtful.

And at the time of the rebellion of the city, the streets of the city are filled with guards and bandits, the walls are covered with inscriptions, the streets of the rubbish, a devoted dog sits next to the dead master, the one who was forever dangled to the executioner lies the friends of his recent victims. Amazing attention to the details, thanks to which the world seems alive, and this is very cool.

Clothing, technology and armor look very original. Of the interesting, I want to note mechanical runners, combining both mechanical and anatomical elements. Associations with Evangelion are born for good reason, because Ikuto Yamasita worked on the design of the mechanisms, which attacked the remake of the legendary series. Like the concept of the artist of Kazuma Code, who worked on Nier: Automata, clearly brought with him familiar adventures 2B to the art style as a whole, and the design of locations in particular.

But on the other hand … firstly, technically, the game looks frankly archaic. An old engine that got a metaphor from the fifth person (in which some miracles also did not show) noticeably aged and quarreled. A person who does not know the game can easily accept her screenshots and feet for the project of the second half of the zero and the PS3 era.

Blurry textures, mediocre lighting and effects that have never known the emotions and hands of the animator of the character of the characters. Of course, I exaggerate a little, but it is very difficult to recognize facial expressions in vain attempts at plastic dolls. And here is one of the worst water incarnations in games that I have seen in the last 15-20 years, more like a frozen jelly. It seems that even in Vice-City the sea looked more natural and more pleasant.

Against the backdrop of the cousin of Persona 3 Reload, who moved to the fourth Unreal Engine, Metaphor looks frankly scary. And the fact that it burns much more to realism, compared to a stylized person, makes the situation even worse, because the shortcomings of realistic graphics are much more noticeable.

From the same ailments, the production. Most even the most emotional moments are represented by just a couple of idols opposite each other with an extremely mean set of oak animations, the front among which is not at all. Most of the dialogues also are still not voiced.

There is no talk about some serious operator work. Even a really terrible and impressive episode is served through the stop of the heroes, a sign of question above their head and a simple turn of the camera. The few castes with extremely rare exceptions are completely not impressive and also came from the distant past. The same applies to the anime of the inserts with a low frame rate and very cheap 3D elements.

I understand, Oldskul, traditions, small budget, all things. But by golly, a million copies sold on the first day. Far from the poorer. And very toothy competitors who, even for a penny, make an impressive production, animation and complete voice acting of very verbose projects.

From this scene, I almost dumped bricks even despite all the technical weakness of the game. She would still have a normal production.

It’s time, gentlemen, publishers Casinoactiononline.co.uk from Atlus, it’s time to catch up with time and make a game according to the standards of at least tenths, if not the twenties. Highlight the normal budget to the guys, hire the staff of developers, technical artists, animators and symptoms of artists, change the engine and write down the complete voice acting! Help the average player not to shy away from the game, as if from a leper, but to become interested in one of its appearance.

Secondly, the picture turned out to be very overloaded and as if screaming. All the colors of the rainbow in the interface, constantly flickering UI elements, sparkling magic particles in the air – you get used to it over time and cease to experience discomfort, but all this looks, perhaps, too hacking and rather interferes than really immerses and gives aesthetic pleasure.

In addition, the game uses far from the best color fabric – all the colors are muffled and faded, often a greenish cold filter is often used, which was so loved in the middle of the zero, which is why even sunny days look cloudy and dark.

The ill -fated Piss Filter, it would seem, was buried in the early 2010s, rebelled from the grave and found a new victim.

Became the victim of this overload and the interface, the impressive style of which has become the expected feature of the studio. He is beautiful, the artists tried very much, drawing him. But it literally has everything super detailed and screaming. And how we were taught at an art school: “When everything stands out, nothing stands out”.

The interface came out not as stylish and sustained as in the fifth person, and far from as comfortable and pleasant as in the three Reload. Although, against the backdrop of the absolute majority of other games, undoubtedly, very impressive.

Thirdly, I think, the artists still could not create a truly unique and memorable world. In addition to Eva-Bugunov and the main cathedral in the capital, which affects the structure and geometry of the structure, there are almost no memorable images in the game.

All cities, except near the Hawaiian village, look to the extreme, it seems architecturally, as if it were all one city, and quite a mundane. The races, despite the fact that everyone was as if original, came out some default and boring. Unless bats – Aijif stands out.

Call the population of the ukhronia and its life will not turn original. But at least they painted a beer. Terribly flat and lazily, of course, but for the representation of the Skufs immediately like.

Among the game landscapes there are very few really unusual, except that the soaring balls of water over the sea in Brilhaven. The rest is completely ordinary forests, fields, deserts.

The game surprisingly boring showed gigantic balls of water hanging over the ocean. The picture also makes you worry about the safety of the video card.

Only special stops when traveling stand out – there is a gigantic red tree in the desert, and a mystical cavity without water in the middle of the sea, which goes to the bottom, and the glass desert with a colossal skeleton on the horizon – here the creators’s fantasy was well walked. But all this is just jpeg backgrounds! Why such cool things are just 2d pictures, and in the game itself we run through typical forests, fields and deserts?

Combat locations are represented by fairly conventional scraps-muffins, catacombs, locks, forests, caves. Nothing really unusual. Of the unique locations, only the stomach of a giant sandworm with an interesting output comes to mind. Although it was already in GEARS of War 2 and there I liked the way of evacuation more. In general, it is sad, especially if you recall the elaborate and contrasting with reality metars from the person.

Hostile living creatures, for the most part, completely default. Goblins, cyclops, hefty angry flies and roosters, underground worms, skeletons. Among the indie games on the RPG maker, I met much more interesting bestiarians. Here, only “people” are clinging to the eye – the rarest and dangerous enemies made in a person who is familiar to the bosses of the grotesque style, balancing between crypto and absurdity. Well, the Yaitsbord snake impressed, something, and I did not expect an ommazha to “people in black”.)

Music

But what about music, which has always been one of the strongest aspects of the studio games? She is good. No, even so – it is great. Among the tracks there are a number of very cool ones, making their way to goosebumps with one sound, even if you listen to them separately from the game. Epic orchestral compositions, powerful female vocal parties, impressing the memories of Nier Automata and the third witcher, and a very colorful male vocal in a number of compositions – all this is very cool.

But at the same time, almost all tracks sound in the game as good as without it. Not better. They do not synergies with what is happening on the screen, do not become an integral part of the game space and experience. The music is good, it clings, but even having finished passing, I have to make efforts to remember how it sounds at all, what melodies at what moments. Obviously the wrong flashbacks and goosebumps from two notes, which in previous projects.

Unless the musical theme of traveling on the runner, as if setting the rhythm of his powerful steps with powerful shock, replacing at a certain moment to a light and air synthesizer, fell into the apple itself, fit perfectly. Moreover, the musical theme of the Academy and one of the combat topics sounded in my head sometimes even after leaving the game, but there is no such perfect connection with the location and action on the screen.

How Gallika sits on the hero’s shoulder, if you stop, just touches. In the game, in general, there are many such small details.

And at the same time there is not enough variety in the gaming process itself. Almost all of it is pathos, sublime, calling for action. Every ordinary battle with a flock of wild dogs sounds like we are fighting in the last battle for the fate of the Universe a second before the apocalypse.

There are practically no calm and relaxing tracks. And those called to be personal, sad and lyrical compositions often do not cope with their goal. The first 20 hours in the capital, crowded with an endless pathos choir, designed to emphasize the scope and greatness of the city, almost physically exhaust and tire, preventing them from resting and leaving for reflection of what is happening. Music generally crushes pathos, almost giving no respite.

My relations with music metaphors are similar to the relationship of Stroll and Hulkenberg on this scree. It seems to be nice, but still somehow crushes.)

So it turns out that despite the great and worthy work of artists and composers, the game looks and sounds archaic and, the most sad, somehow default and fresh. She did not have a confident unique catchy image and atmosphere. Again, comparing with the persons – to replace the unique city fantasy and magical realism with the Unghenian images, a much more typical and faceless epic fantasy.

Peaceful gameplay

Gameplay is also very conservative. The gameplay is divided into days, in each of which we can perform two actions – one day, one in the evening. This can be a study of plot or additional dungeons (visiting which takes two actions per day at once), performing small additional tasks, meetings with satellites and friends outside the group for the development of relations, and various classes for pumping characteristics of a character like jumping jumps, speaking with speech or conversations with NPC.

The hero has five characteristics – courage, wisdom, generosity (in the original tolerance), eloquence and imagination. All their influence is limited to the discovery of new levels of development of relations with friends. And they are pumped for the performance of quests or various classes in cities and on the runner.

The runner, by the way, acts as a hub for our combat detachment, like Normandy from Mass Effect. And God, how good he is. A huge walking car in which there is a command center, kitchen, rest room and machine compartment. Decks that you can reach and observe how the landscape floats by, the view of which depends on the area in which we are located. The landscape, of course, is terrible, but even even with me it took a breath.

Here you can directly communicate with friends, cook, read books and engage in other things, among which even battles, if enemies attack during the path or overnight. And with long travels, the group also stops for the night. Sorry, Normandy, but it seems the runner may well squeeze you in the top of the best hubs in my heart.

They also put a barbecue on a walking castle. And I thought that this hub could no longer be more perfect.)

Pumping relationships with characters is a dialogue scenes in which their personal stories develop, and we simply observe, read and from time to time we choose a replica-response. The real influence here is zero – the maximum will change, the next replica of the interlocutor. And a successful choice gives only a little magical currency necessary for pumping, but completely not scarce. Each level of development of relationships gives useful abilities, passives, or opens up new archetypes classes.

Peaceful locations are various cities consisting of several small areas, each of which is represented by a pair of streets, several houses and a lot of different institutions like shops and taverns. They do not look too diverse, but pretty, and some kind of Brillhaven looks like Venice in the evening very beautiful and comfortable shots.

Although, of course, an old engine puts a bandwagon of impressions – constant loading between small areas and into every tiny store look very archaic and ridiculous. And in terms of entertainment, some kind of altissia from the 15th ending, which came out 8 years ago, covers it like a bull-sheep.

By the way, you can move by locations not only on foot, but also on the top on the mosque-hoverboard. Convenient and spectacular, the chip is steep, I used it constantly and with pleasure. And given the bangs of the protagonist and graphics, he almost felt in his native 2007om. In short, give a skate in Persona 6.)

And what is there to say in terms of the peaceful gameplay layer? This is a person. In principle, that’s it. Differences at the level of the fact that supporters-confidurators of 8 development levels, and not 10. Filler do not increase the level of meeting for the sake of pharma of approval points disappeared. As well as the need to perfectly choose all the answers in the dialogs, so as not to get an extra filler meeting.

The qualities of the hero are now swinging much faster – in just a few sessions of their targeted increase, and not for a couple of dozen. And the balance she shifted from the non-passively burning, forcing him to play strict subgal guides, if the player wanted to see all the content at a time, to a rather soft one and allowing him to close everything with minimal neat planning.

And all these are great changes. For person. All these changes are not so much innovation as just improving the quality of life. In a good way, it was worth being already in Persona 3 in 2007, I do not see any real obstacles.

There is no really new one in a social gameplay completely, even a few minigras like fishing or baseball disappeared. In general, this is clearly not a development, and if not stagnation, then, at best, trampling on the spot with bringing to the mind of long -existing elements.

Dungeons and fighting

The study of the dungeons is also very old. All of them are close sets of corridors-sly and rooms filled with enemies and chests. Of the interesting except that the hidden secrets and passages, into which you can only bend down. Yes, a convenient structure of locations, when passing which you often open the doors-cuts leading to the beginning of the dungeons, which makes the movement on them much more convenient.

All locations are made and filled manually. Hallelujah! They were able to! Finally, the studio managed to stay and not add to the game the procedural-generated content Balanda-Khryuchev. Farewell to 300 floors of Tartar, the goodbye of the dungeon of TV-world, from one dull appearance and sound of which I wanted to turn off the game and never return. This is a plus, definitely, this is a step, no, this is a somersault for a team.

And the minus is that this achievement was worthy of public boasting 20-30 years ago. Locations are very simple and archaic. All the gameplay on them is built in search of the right pass and battles. Stealth and hook cat from the top five disappeared. Small interesting hymmies are present literally twice in the form of a super simplified stealth and a race on our municipality-coldboard.

We find and clean the dungeons for a reason, but always during simple tasks with some minimum context, such as hunting on a monster whose head is assigned a reward, or NPC help in search of a missing relative. For this moderate plus.

It is pleasant that the quests are not a unicellular reason to just do something for the sake of joke-challenga, like most tasks in the top three, or schizophrenic knocking out three desktop tables from demons in the four. But it is a pity that the game is not even trying to do some emotional stories, like sides in the top five.

Elements of Realtymn battle were added to the combat system. If the enemy is very inferior to the group in the level, it can be killed without entering the step -by -step mode. Several types of weapons are available to the player, each one has one combo, plus you can dodge the rifts.

This is of course not a DMC, but to take a katana and throw the enemy with a blow by arranging it "I am the Storm that is approaching" is quite possible.)

There are practically no difficulties, depth and interest, but allows you to save time greatly, for which thanks. Although, in fact, such an opportunity was in the same fifth person, it only did not open immediately and killed the enemy in a small scene, and not in the simplest bitemap.

Well, if the enemy is not inferior to us in the level, then the Realtymal Combat allows him to damage him even before the start of a step -by -step battle and get the opportunity to conduct one full round of the battle without giving the enemy to answer.

The main combat system will be clear to any acquaintance with the genre player. Fights are held in step -by -step mode. Each side has a certain number of moves, usually equal to the number of its participants. Heroes can attack in their move with auto -apparatus, defend themselves, use the ability or object, and wait, spending a half of the course and moved to the end of the queue.

There are three types of physical damage (pricking-cutting-binding), four basic elements (air-fo-lane) and additional all-free magic. Plus, various effects like increasing damage, poisoning or "forgetfulness" that does not allow using abilities (I also do not understand why it is not "silence" or "nonsense", namely "forgetfulness", cup).

Most enemies have resistance to one type of damage and vulnerability to others. Having struck the vulnerability of the enemy, the character not only inflicts more damage, but also spends only half of his move. That is, in an ideal case, striking only on the vulnerabilities of enemies, the team will be able to make twice as many actions.

At the same time, if the target blocks damage or dodges, the attacking will spend twice as many points. And if the damage is reflected, then he will immediately transmit the move to the enemy. Such a system always pushes at least minimally to think through its actions and harshly punishes for rash attempts to stupidly inflate auto -butats or just the most powerful tricks.

Even Autoba has now stopped spinning auto -films because they are equal to death here. Very early and very stupid.

A set of equipment accessible to the character, abilities, characteristics and stability-vibrants determines the equipment archetype. These are local classes that are very similar in their mechanics with persons, with the only difference being that they do not need to be caught or crafted and all the heroes in the detachment can use any archetype (except for the final, unique to each hero).

Among archetypes there are as familiar Magi-Palatians, so more interesting options like a merchant who greatly increases the luck of the character and the number of money falling from enemies and Luta. You can switch archetypes at any time outside the battle.

Archetypes gradually open during the game and pumping of social ties, and all that is needed to master them is a certain amount of magic currency and compliance with the necessary requirements. For example, in order to learn the archetype of a knight-magician, you need to rock up to the 20th level of an archetype of an ordinary knight, up to 10 level archetype of a magician and raise a relationship with the red-haired Hulkenberg to 3 levels.

Archetypes are called, by the way, extremely brutal. Erasing the heart from your own chest. So in the line of harsh calls of internal power through the firearm of Roskomnadzor and taking the mask, along with the meat, it arrived.

In addition to the usual abilities of archetypes, such as various attacks, buffs and debafs, the heroes also have the ability of synthesis – the most powerful techniques, which are determined by the combination of archetypes present in the combat team.

For example, a knight, if a healer in a batch, can impose a protective barrier on an ally, completely protecting against the next physical attack. At the same time, a larger number of stroke glasses are used – 2 or 3, and both the character involved is spent by Manu. It all looks just great, sometimes turning into a real anime fiberglass.

Archetypes are pumped regardless of the level of the character himself. When pumping, they give more and more bonuses to characteristics when using and open new abilities. With complete pumping, each archetype gives a bonus to characteristics that acts permanent, even if you equip another archetype.

Also, during the game, the opportunity opens the opportunity to study active and passive abilities for archetypes open to any other archetypes, which allows them to configure them quite flexibly.

Another interesting one, each character in battle can stand in the first or second row, switching at least each of its movements. This affects the damage – the characters are inflicted and receive more hand -to -hand damage while in the front row, and less in the second. Some abilities like buff and attacks act only on one row. And some attacks, like shots of archer, work only from the second row. The rest of the construction does not affect too much, although it is very useful to follow it and is very useful.

Also, enemies sometimes set unique conditions. For example, goblins seeing in a detachment of magicians or clerics fall into permanent rage, each of its moves powerful AOE attacks throughout the group.

Together, this creates an interesting and flexible system that pushes the player to plan actions, select a synergizing detachment and constantly monitor enemy characteristics, choosing the necessary types of attacks and changing the construction of the detachment. And I want to pump archetypes, improving the characteristics of the heroes and revealing more and more powerful classes and their abilities to collect their ultimate fighters.

Of course, I will turn that I would like more experiments and changes in the fighting. Deeper realt battles. The more influence of the construction so that the location of the characters greatly changes their abilities and, for example, the paladin in the front row closed the allies from the blows, he treated in the second, and in the third (if he were) strengthened the entire detachment with a buff. And the horns in the front row beat with a dagger and blinded, and in the second shot from a bow. If you like this idea, you can play the desktop Pixel Tactics, there the entire combat system is built on this. But in general, the fighting of the metaphor is fascinating and interesting.

I would generally recommend that designers of combat systems look more often towards board games, there is a whole field of extremely interesting and not noticed ideas.

Unfortunately, there was a place for objective disadvantages. There are very few interesting combat situations and battles with unique conditions. The balance is not always perfect, most of the battles are easy, but some bosses (mainly optional) at the final stages can cause many problems.

Moreover, they are often made by the most boring and banal way – a ton of lives, powerful AOE and the ability to throw each move for 4 or more additional points of action, which, in my opinion, is close to cheating in this combat system. They are not shy about to give them excellent attacks that apply 9999 damage to the entire detachment. Class. Changed the complexity of the light in the last third and I do not regret anything.

I know that everything is not difficult there and you just need to sharpen the whole detachment under one specific enemy, smeared with resistance, buff and gaining consumables, but I do not like this combat system so much that I stubbornly stubborn.

To just go through the plot of grinding practically do not have to. Most of the additional tasks also submit without problems and only some in the second half are better to take a slightly pumping up in excess of simple passage.

But if you want to close all the additional quests and the most powerful additional bosses and, especially, pump all archetypes at least the main character (for which they give a reward and Achivka), you are waiting for the clock of a violent jerk off the same dungeons. One of the options is not to destroy the crystals endlessly spawning enemies and the waves of three mobs. But before the final, I hacked the number of objects that give experience with archetype before the final, and kicked them out just like that. I do not regret anything, to everyone who is not a fan of harsh grind, I recommend.

You know what madness is? Pumping 35 classes up to 20th level without tricks is quite suitable for this word.

Passing the game with all additional tasks took me about 90 hours. If you go through the whole game in medium complexity or higher and respectfully grin on all archetypes, you can safely raise this number to 100 hours or more.

Characters

Well, according to the tradition that has developed in my video on a person, let’s talk about satellites and confidants – supporters, as they are called here.

First we go through specific personalities, then we will summarize the results. The first part, if you want to get acquainted with the characters yourself and do not spoil your surprises, you can skip by moving to safety sign. I recommend this to be done to everyone who has not passed, because the very presence of some characters in the group is a serious spoiler.

Gallika – helping the main character with tips and magic fairy. The closest girlfriend and supporter, kind, devoted and emotional. In many ways, he plays the role of Morgan from the five, being inseparable with the player, helping and prompting everything. Unlike charismatic, completely only, no, no one does not suffer from a go-a-way chosv and a personal crisis due to uncertainty in his nature and origin, except perhaps with a mild uncertainty in his abilities and usefulness.

Stroll is an honest, principled and resourceful guy joining us at the very beginning. Often voices the voice of reason and logic, and in general it takes the role of a “guy-u-cat-there is a plan”. It is very similar to Yusk from the four with its evenness and mind, unless it has such a sense of humor and does not generate Lulses with constant antics and jambs.

Hulkenberg is a former knight and royal guard, who considers the death curse of the prince with his personal failure. A straightforward, fundamental and authoritative girl who is striving to control everything and ready to pile up to anyone.

And also constantly hungry and ready to eat any proposed dishes. Even the most doubtful, which is built on a lot of jokes. Perhaps the main nyashka from the cover. If you look back at the previous games, it is a mixture of Mitzur from the three and Chie from the four.

I feel a dispute, whether Hulkenberg was hot in flashbacks from youth, will be tense. Of course, I adhere to the point of view that the article does not shine for.

Esmer – elderly bat – ninja. Dad knows, Dad lived, put a verse on the music. He has seen different things and was already full of life. The holder of a powerful low voice, everyday wisdom, tragic history and shadow cloning technique. A rather pleasant, interesting and original character, especially for the studio games. Unfortunately, it is poorly revealed and does not act, for example, as a mentor for the hero, although the makings were powerful for this.

Aijifam very well added animals of habits like turns of the head, movements of the ears, squinting, etc.

June – the famous singer for the whole kingdom. The owner of a beautiful voice, explosive temperament, powerful charisma and eloquence, capable of choosing a key to any interlocutor, being soft and concessive, and when you need formidable and harsh. An interesting character, similar to a combination of ries from the four and Makoto from the five.

Afa is a priestess of the island tribe of Mustar, oppressed in the kingdom for following his religion, and not the General Corolian sanctianism. The most kind, merciful, naive and soft soul in our company. Similar to Fuuku, Yukiko, Haru – choose yourself, the archetype is one of the most common.

I would like to get to get off that Mustari’s third eye looks like glued, without affecting the shape of the skull. Although, if he also had an oversonal arc, Afa, probably, would have not been such a sympathy.)

Basilio – Furi Kot with that name is already Hokhma, which itself is the creation of such a hero. Hot -tempered, emotional, and possibly not the smartest, but correct, fair and devoted comrade. Similar to Kanzhi under sedative and without problems with their own masculinity and orientation.

I must say, I was surprised when I realized that the last slot in the detachment would take the quadrobrier Basilio. I put on another character.

The end of the spoilers

Here is such a motley team gathering in our game. The characters turned out to be diverse and charismatic. It’s pleasant to spend time with them, you are attached to them. But at the same time, they lack development, some bright features and weaknesses.

And I really did not have enough interaction between themselves and with the player, there were not enough episodes in which the heroes would simply spend time together, rest, engage in something routine or vice versa, unusual.

And, perhaps, you also noticed this according to my descriptions – almost all heroes are not only the repetitions of something past, which, in fact, is not a problem at all, all the scriptwriters and studios sin this, but are more calm and even versions of their predecessors. Morgana, but without hollows and personal crisis. Yusk, but without funny exits. Chee, but without problems with femininity.

As if a detachment of Normes has gathered without serious frozen. And although this, of course, is more boring from some side, but it can be, partly, explain the fact that we have gathered a detachment of adults, not teenage schoolchildren (although, of course, I would not sell alcohol without a passport) and could easily be compensated by interesting stories.

And with stories everything is also ambiguous. Inclinations and starting conditions for all heroes are very interesting. But their development during the game itself is simply … no. At first, each of them talks about his life, then one turn happens, the character does not despair and finds a way to solve the problem, closes his gestalt from the past and lives on. None of them passes through real changes in character, well, except for literally 1-2 supporters outside the group.

They do not reveal some new features of their personality, are not forced to fight their weaknesses, they remain, approximately the same as they begin, just calm down and gain more inner balance and confidence. Yes, and the hero in their stories is the most passive observer, doing nothing and not pushing anything, maximum speaking a vest in which everyone can cry and speak out. It seems that most of the heroes would go exactly the same way and without it.

The supporters who are not in the combat group also turned out well. They are a variety of layers of society and often well -known images – an orphaned girl, a cunning crook -canor, a mysterious and powerful mentor who helps with advice and in pumping.

For my personal taste, there are no really outstanding and catchy personalities among them, but also frankly boring. From the favorite I can distinguish a harsh lady who escaped from mud and poverty into successful entrepreneurs, and a noble robin-guide of a swindle. But only the harsh guard did not go very much, tying others in his attempt to protect.

Neuros is one of the brightest characters in the game. I especially love the story of how scared he was and he was looking for what would be seized for support, and only a bottle was nearby. So grandfather drove all night. 0% condemnation. 100% understanding.

Romanov, by the way, about grief to all lovers of dating simulators! – No. Funny situations and hints happen, but it doesn’t go anywhere further. And I can’t say that it somehow spoils the impression. Even in comparison with previous studio games. They were so minimalistic before and so poorly influenced at least something that I practically did not notice the difference.

Although, in general, I love novels in games, they can add the depths of history and additional emotions to a common piggy bank of impressions. And I am surprised that they decided not to make them in this game, although they would hardly look less appropriate here than among high school students.

Results

And perhaps all this leads us to the conclusions. Is Metaphor good game: Refantazio? Hell Yeah! Definitely yes. This is a great game, which is holding a story in tension, these are charismatic characters, it is a bright journey full of adventure and fierce battles. And even archaic graphs and game design, in my opinion, are not able to seriously ruin the impressions.

And this is the best point of entering the Persona-Like Jrpg genre. Oddly enough, trying not to make a person, according to all the statements of the authors who promised new experience, they created the most average person. Averaged not in the sense of bad, but precisely taking the average values ​​of all parameters.

Not a single metaphor element is bad as the worst elements of the person were bad, such as the procedurally generated dungeons. Not one, even the most boring character is not bored as the most boring previously seen. Nowhere is the narrative sags as it was subsided earlier, for example, in the three, where the first six months of the plot was given once a month on a teaspoon.

But nowhere is the metaphor reaches the bar of the best moments of previous games. Yes, all locations are made manually, but even the most impressive of them cannot compete with the best palaces of persons 5. Yes, the characters are well written and frankly bad are not, but one of them does not pull on those complexity, inconsistency and development that were, for example, in the four. Yes, the plot is interesting and well written, but even its most climax and important moments do not touch, do not impress and do not bring to tears as the best moments of a person.

This game will definitely appeal to all fans of the series, but I doubt that many will call her beloved. The studio games have always been balanced between Crownge and Rofle, between Halt and genius. And the metaphor seemed to find a balance between them and lost part of this charm.

She changed the unique city fantasy style to a rather typical epic fantasy, abandoned the entire Yungian and Tarot of Symbolism, which gave her aura and illusion of greater depth. She herself was as a person-normes, more standard and calm, no longer that charismatic, eccentric and bewitching eccentric not from this world.

The Persona series has always been archaic and not without a mass of jambs, and it was always saved by uniqueness. She gave experience that no other game could offer. In a world where there was no person 3-5, the metaphor would be a revelation.

But in our reality, abandoning part of his heritage and not giving anything equal in return, the game came out in the field of the rest of the genre. And it turned out to be excellent but, in many ways of archaic and not too impressive game from the past, which is not able to fully compete in the genre of the later parts of the Persona, Final Fantasy, Xenoblade Chronicles, Tales of … and many other beautiful games.

So I do not agree with critics and put the game not 93 out of 100 points, but

This is definitely one of the best and most spiritual games of this year, recommended by everyone who is not allergic to the anime and JRPG players, and mandatory for acquaintance fans of the genre and the Persona series. However, I think the latest questions “play or not to play” and did not stand.)

Despite all my criticism, most of the passage I spent about such a satisfied and dreamy face.

If you believe the rumors, soon we are waiting for the announcement of Persona 6, which the team is making that the Royal reprint of the fifth part is responsible. Who knows, maybe the new team will make more changes and experiments within the series itself than the old team outside of it.

Well, I will wait for new Studio Zero projects. The guys in any case are very talented and make great games. Yes, perhaps they shot with a person, put all of themselves in her, and will never be able to make the same hit in the apple itself, never will be so perfect again, and they will remain the authors of one real breakthrough. But what.

In any case, it is too early to draw conclusions, let’s look at their next projects. Especially if ATLUS stops greedy and give out a more solid budget. We’ll wait, see.

And how do you like the new creation of Japanese dreamers? Tell us in the comments.

And on this I have everything. Remember that there are no simple answers to complex questions, and utopia is not built in one day.