September 6, 2024 – SEGA has revealed new information about Metaphor: ReFantazio, the latest RPG from ATLUS’s Studio Zero, which will launch on October 11, 2024 for Xbox Series X|S, Windows, PlayStation®4, PlayStation®5, and Steam.
World
・A World in Which Feelings of Anxiety Are Visible to the Eye
A Link with The Real World:
This story takes place in the Kingdom of Euchronia, formed by an alliance of three nations. Eight different tribes reside within its borders.
To the player, this is a world of fantasy; however, the people living in this fantasy world naturally have a fantasy of their own: In this world, there is only one tribe. All people accept each other, and no soul is born into discrimination. In such a world, there is no need for sorcery. A megapolis is built through learning and labour. Towers of glass that reach the heavens. Safe nights with no dark shadows. Busy streets well travelled. And in the laws of these emotionally satisfied people, it reads: All lives are equal.
This is the fantasy dreamt of by denizens of this fantastical world, and to the player, it sounds much like the reality they know. Each side considers the other’s world to be fiction, something that could not possibly exist. But is it truly impossible? Rather, have we not merely been convinced that there are things beyond our power to change? The key to this is our anxiety. This simple yet fundamental theme is explored throughout Metaphor: ReFantazio.
A Power That Only Awakens in Those Who Face Their Anxiety:
The term “magic” refers to the ability to bring about unnatural phenomena through the use of magla. However, the Kingdom of Euchronia’s people are unable to use magic with their own power alone. A special tool called a magic igniter is required, and usage and ownership of these require explicit permission. The protagonist and his allies will awaken to a power that goes against the common sense of the land, mastering it over the course of their journey.
This is the long-lost power Archetype, awakened when one faces their own fear and anxiety. In other words, the heroic traits dormant within them surge forth.
The Kingdom of Euchronia
The ” Kingdom of Euchronia “ is a federation consisting of three nations. Euchronia serves as the de facto suzerain state, with the King of Euchronia also holding the title of King of the United Kingdom of Euchronia. Due to the fast-flowing ocean currents surrounding the continent, the federation has rarely faced invasions from across the sea. As a result, all three nations have reserved their long histories and cultures.
・The Eight Tribes
The people of the Kingdom of Euchronia are separated into tribes that do not exist in reality. While they do have varying physical features, what is considered important among the tribes is their differing temperaments and perspectives.
The barriers that stand between these tribes prove to stem less from differences in physical appearance and more from their independent ideals and beliefs. While we would consider such things susceptible to change, to the people of this kingdom, their world in which a person’s life is greatly influenced by their birth is reality.
As you, the player, progress through the story and learn more about each tribe, you may find that you share similarities with one or more of them.
The Clemar:
This tribe boasts the largest population within the kingdom.
The horns growing on both sides of their heads serve as their defining physical feature. With average builds and physical ability, there’s no particularly superior aspect to them, but they also have few shortcomings.
They are often considered to be at the heart of the kingdom due to their occupancy of many influential government positions, the most prominent example being the Euchronian royal family. And for their part, they have unconsciously internalized this to hold a certain amount of truth.
They value freedom and despise unreasonable restrictions. Their desire to optimize anything and everything through debate and their failure to reconsider this approach under any circumstances have brought about undesired conflict on no few occasions.
The Roussainte:
This tribe has the second largest population behind the Clemar.
Their long, pointed ears serve as their defining physical feature. They have impressive builds and physical ability, meaning a Roussainte woman will often have greater might than men of other tribes. As such, many of them are in the military, with many of its top seats held by people of this tribe. This is part of the reason they are viewed to be about as influential as the Clemar, with these two sometimes referred to as the primary tribes of the kingdom.
Many Roussaintes find pride in holding strength superior to others. This could be considered a commendable trait in that they simply wish to engage in mutual competition, but on the other hand, there are a number of Roussaintes with a thirst for conflict and a desire to define all things in terms of winning and losing.
The Rhoag:
A tribe known for its long life.
Their lifespans are of incredible length, with some living over twice the average of other tribes. At the same time, they have a unique aging process: they reach adulthood in about the same amount of time as other tribes, meaning their middle-aged and elderly days span the great majority of their lifetime. For this reason, an elderly appearance is what typically comes to mind when speaking of them.
As a matter of course, they hold many high positions in organizations based around tradition. Their culture highly values the propagation of knowledge and ideals, and it’s even said that Rhoags won’t forget a debt for three generations.
Many Rhoags have unique patterns visible on their faces, but this is done with a traditional kind of makeup and does not occur naturally.
The Ishkia:
A tribe graced with beautiful wings.
Their faces are also striking, with almond eyes and long eyelashes. Their population is the smallest of the eight tribes, but they are said to have heightened intelligence and actually have a strong sense of presence in the cities.
In fact, many make use of their intelligence in important positions as sanctors or scholars, and a number of them are quite wealthy. With this and their looks, they are often the target of admiration, but because many of them are accustomed to treating others as inferior, they also receive an equal amount of hatred.
The Nidia:
A tribe with large eyes of a distinctive hue.
Their pupils take up an increased proportion of their eyes, and their pupils and irises are colored with a prismatic rainbow shine.
While they do not have any especially superior aspects to them, they are quite social, and it is said that many of them are adept at winning the hearts of others. However, that disposition is often construed negatively, leading them to be labeled as untrustworthy sweet-talkers or simply eccentric.
The Paripus:
A tribe with ears and tails reminiscent of beasts.
Their fur and the color of their skin varies greatly among them, with some having somewhat cool colors that are unseen in other tribes.
They have considerable physical ability and are quite physical people, many of them holding hedonist values along with all the virtues and vices that come with them. They enjoy revelry and have the strength of not getting hung up on details, but this often presents itself as thoughtlessness.
As such, they have been unable to gain any political advantage despite being a major tribe similar in number to the Clemar and Roussainte, and they are somewhat looked down upon by the other tribes. This is especially true in the cities.
The Eugief:
A tribe of small stature, with wings and ears similar to those of a bat.
On top of their unique appearance and small population, many of them are nocturnal and can see well at night, and their sense of hearing is well-developed, all of this leading to no small amount of revulsion and discrimination. As a result, most of them are forced to lead less than comfortable lives, and they have a low status among the tribes.
The majority of them have a gentle demeanor and value harmony. However, the other side to this is that they struggle to make big decisions and often get stuck in their tracks out of too much consideration of others. This is another factor contributing to their lower status.
The Mustari:
A tribe with a third eye on their foreheads.
Their unique masks and way of dress make them quite eerie to others. While they are not a minority tribe as such, most of them live on the islands out in the sea, so they are not commonly encountered. Because they follow their own religion separate from Sanctism, they often face persecution on the mainland and are referred to as pagans. They have an air of mystery.
A Mysterious Tribe Not Counted Among the Eight Tribes.
The Elda:
They lack distinctive features such as horns or long ears and are significantly fewer in number compared to other tribes. In places other than major cities, their existence is sometimes not even believed. As a result, just showing their face can cause unease, leading to discrimination and prejudice.
The Monsters Known as “Humans”
In the setting of Metaphor, people’s feelings of anxiety give birth to particles known as “magla.” With anxiety everywhere, magla fills the atmosphere of this world, serving as the root of its magic and altering its landscape.
It is such a key part of society to the point that it is harvested on the streets through special machines, bringing in funds for the kingdom’s coffers. However, in recent years, monsters have arisen as a natural response to the heightened amounts of magla brought about by the negative emotions pervading the kingdom’s population. The most notable of these are known as “humans”—monsters that resemble the fantastical creatures for which the medieval artist Hieronymus Bosch is famed for depicting.
Throughout your journey, these menaces will terrorize the kingdom’s citizens and cause you no
shortage of hardships.
What is a Human?
These are enigmatic monsters known as humans, of unsettling shapes unseen among any type of animal. Each one has a huge amount of magla running rampant within its body, and indiscriminately attacks everything around it.
There are many mysteries surrounding their true nature, such as their ability to utilize difficult spells despite their apparent madness and lack of intelligence. Their bodies are tough as well, and large ones have been known to make short work of squads of soldiers.
Homo Gorleo
This human attacked the army fort positioned in the wilderness north of Royal Capital Grand Trad. All on its own, the terrible monster completely wiped out the squad stationed at the fort.
Homo Avades
A human with a body like an eggshell, truly difficult to describe. It is gigantic even compared to other large humans and poses such extreme danger that it could potentially destroy an entire city. If one were to point out a common factor among the irregular appearances of the humans, it would be that they all have certain features that look like the body parts of people.
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About Metaphor: ReFantazio
Metaphor: ReFantazio, which initially went by the title PROJECT: Re FANTASY, is the latest game from ATLUS’s Studio Zero and the creative minds behind Persona 3, Persona 4, and Persona 5! Don’t miss it when the game launches October 11, 2024 (Fri) for the Xbox Series X|S, Windows, PlayStation®4, PlayStation®5, and Steam! Pre orders are currently open for the Physical Standard Edition and the Atlus Brand 35th Anniversary Edition.S
STAFF
- Director: Katsura Hashino (Shin Megami Tensei III Nocturne, Persona 3, 4, 5)
- Character Designer: Shigenori Soejima (Persona 3, 4, 5)
- Composer: Shoji Meguro (Shin Megami Tensei III Nocturne, Persona 3, 4, 5)
- Concept artist Kazuma Koda (NieR:Automata)
- Gauntlet runner designer Ikuto Yamashita (Neon Genesis Evangelion)
*All screenshots and footage shown during the broadcast are from the Japanese edition of the game, which is still under development. English support will be available at release.
| Title | Metaphor: ReFantazio |
| Release Date | Coming October 11, 2024 (Fri) |
| Platform | Xbox Series X|S / Windows / PlayStation®4 / PlayStation®5 / Steam |
| Website | https://asia.sega.com/metaphor/en/ |
| Copyright | ©ATLUS. ©SEGA. |
