10 Games To Play After Metaphor ReFantazio

6 days ago 8

A woman with blonde hair is in focus in front of a building, her eyes are closed and her hand is raised towards her neck.

Screenshot: Atlus / Kotaku

Metaphor: ReFantazio is a stunning RPG that exemplifies almost everything that makes Atlus-developed games great. With the social elements of Persona, battle mechanics from Shin Megami Tensei, a mix of real-time and turn-based combat, and a traditional RPG class system, there is an enormous amount to love about Metaphor. Admittedly, if you are the target demographic for this kind of game, you did not need me to explain all this to you. But in the bizarre chance this is your first time ever hearing about Metaphor, please play this spectacular game. Kotaku’s Kenneth Sheppard can explain to you why you should.

Though Metaphor features numerous systems and ideas seen in other games, few mix them all together so elegantly. So if you’ve just finished Metaphor and are hungry for more, it can be tricky to identify what exactly you’re craving. Do you want more of the social simulator elements as seen in the daily life segments of the game? Are you hungry for another RPG with a beefy class system? Or are you jonesing for another game that dabbles in politics?

Regardless of what exactly you liked about Metaphor, here you’ll find ten games that should scratch whatever itch has lingered in your heart since rolling credits on your adventure with your Elda. Not every game here will be like Metaphor, exactly, but I guess you could say they’re at least similes. I’ll see myself out now, please tip the wait staff.

A boy with a bag slung around his shoulder walks down a crowded shopping district.

Screenshot: Atlus

I mean, I don’t need to explain this one, right? Every video game writer on the planet cannot resist the siren call of mentioning Persona when talking about Metaphor, including myself when I name dropped Persona in the second sentence of this article. I mean, the fact that Metaphor was developed by the same people who make modern Persona games was one of the biggest reasons Metaphor had so much hype before it launched! Sure, you’ll trade the fantasy setting for high school shenanigans, and the awesome Archetype system will be replaced by the signature Shin Megami Tensei demon fusion system. But otherwise, Persona is your best bet if you want another RPG like Metaphor.

If you’ve truly never played a Persona game before, Persona 5: Royal remains the overall best way to dip your toes into the series. However, it’s not the only Persona game to deliver the mix of RPG and social simulator elements that Metaphor has. Persona 3 Reload is another great pick, though since that’s a remake of a beloved PS2 game, just keep in mind it retains some artifacts from that era of gaming. Persona 4: Golden is also worth a look if you don’t mind some dated graphics, and Persona 3 Portable remains the only way to play Persona 3 with a female protagonist.

Earlier Persona games are good too, but they’re a fundamentally different style of game than what I’ve mentioned above.

A boy with long flowing blue hair wearing glowing armor stares intently at something off screen. Two girls with brown hair wearing school uniforms stand by his side.

Screenshot: Atlus

Atlus’ Shin Megami Tensei series is the other name that pops up in virtually every conversation about Metaphor, and it’s not just because Persona is technically a Shin Megami Tensei spinoff. Metaphor most obviously inherits the battle mechanics of Shin Megami Tensei, namely the “Press Turn” system that awards extra turns for hitting enemy weaknesses and punishes players for missed attacks. The darker story moments and music in Metaphor are also reminiscent of Shin Megami Tensei. If your main draw to Metaphor was its crunchy RPG gameplay, this is the series you should dig into.

If you’ve never dipped your toes into Shin Megami Tensei before, Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance is easily your best starting point. Not only do you get two massive story paths to experience that each have multiple endings, Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance is also filled to the brim with quality of life enhancements that make it accessible to series newbies. Meanwhile, Shin Megami Tensei 3: Nocturne is a fan favorite entry that is readily available on Steam, Nintendo Switch, and PlayStation 4 via an HD Remaster. Shin Megami Tensei IV and Shin Megami Tensei IV: Apocalypse also offer more Press Turn combat, though keep in mind they’re exclusive to the 3DS as of writing.

The left side of the image depicts a chest stuck in the ground of a forest. The right side of the screen depicts a map alongside a list of small icons. The text “Would you like to open it?” is visible in a text box.

Screenshot: Atlus

As the last Atlus game on this list (spoilers), Etrian Odyssey might seem like an odd recommendation. Sure, it does feature a class system, but otherwise this first-person dungeon crawler doesn’t play much like Metaphor. That said, Metaphor contains some pretty huge references to Etrian Odyssey, which are prominent enough to make this game worth recommending for anyone who has missed this series until this point.

The biggest references in question can be found in the first Etrian Odyssey, which is available on Steam and Nintendo Switch via the HD version of the game. If you really like these games, or you’re just hungry for some dungeon crawling, Etrian Odyssey II and III can be found on the same platforms. Other games in the series are available on the Nintendo 3DS.

A large woman with pale skin floats above a battlefield casting a spell. Five people can be seen underneath her with their hands outstretched.

Screenshot: Square Enix

Outside of Atlus’ wheelhouse of titles, Square Enix’s seminal classic Final Fantasy Tactics: The War Of The Lions is shockingly reminiscent of Metaphor. A high fantasy world? Check. A story seeped in political drama? Check. An involved class system that lets you mix and match abilities to create your own custom power houses? Big check. Admittedly, Final Fantasy Tactics is a strategy RPG, so you’ll focus mostly on tactical battles instead of exploring beautiful cities and deadly dungeons. But if you’re willing to give a different kind of RPG a try, Final Fantasy Tactics is an all-time classic and one of the best Final Fantasy games ever made.

Unfortunately, Final Fantasy Tactics: The War Of The Lions is a bit hard to get your hands on. It’s easiest to purchase on mobile devices, though the port is admittedly a little old nowadays. Otherwise, Final Fantasy Tactics is only available on the PlayStation Portable (where it has some notable slowdown) or the original PlayStation (which lacks the extra features of the War Of The Lions edition). Hopefully those rumors about a Final Fantasy Tactics remake come true sooner than later.

Square Enix’s Tactics Ogre Reborn shares enough similarities to Final Fantasy Tactics that it’s worth a shout here as well. Honestly, it probably deserves a slot on this list, I just never played enough of the game to make a confident recommendation. Use the hashtag #TimNeverFinishedTacticsOgre to protest this list.

A turn-based RPG battle screen is shown, with four pixelated heroes on the right side of the screen looking at a large warrior wearing elaborate armor. A text box reads “I made an error in judgment!” A window displaying the health and magic of “Bartz,” “Galuf,” “Lenna,” and “Faris” is below.

Screenshot: Square Enix

If you’d rather stick with a traditional turn-based RPG, or you don’t necessarily want to play a game on your phone, then you may prefer Final Fantasy V to Final Fantasy Tactics. Final Fantasy V is notable for its iteration of the series’ “Job” system, which functions similarly to the Archetype system in Metaphor. Additionally, the retro simplicity of Final Fantasy V might be a good break from the time management and elaborate dungeon crawling of Atlus RPGs. For reference, Final Fantasy V should take around 30 hours to complete, which is a far cry from the 60-70 hour time frames given for completing Metaphor.

Thanks to the recent release of the Final Fantasy Pixel Remasters, Final Fantasy V is available on PC, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, and mobile devices. Alternatively, Metaphor fans may prefer the world of Final Fantasy XII, which similarly features customizable characters and a high fantasy world.

A man with grean hair and black armor is seen running in a cathedral.

Screenshot: Koei Tecmo

Fire Emblem: Three Houses takes Nintendo’s long-running Fire Emblem series and injects it with a healthy dose of Persona vibes. And just as a reminder, since I know I’ve been subtle about this particular point, Metaphor also has many of those Persona vibes. Fire Emblem: Three Houses is admittedly another strategy RPG, but Metaphor fans should feel right at home as they navigate the in-game calendar and bond with their party members. There’s even a class system too, though it’s not quite the same as the Archetype mechanics.

Since this is a Nintendo property, Fire Emblem: Three Houses is available exclusively on Nintendo Switch. Other Fire Emblem games may not evoke Metaphor or Persona quite as much as this specific entry does, but they are quality games if you’re in the mood for some good Strategy RPGs.

A man with green hair wearing fishing attire swings a giant anchor towards a massive dinosaur leaping into the air. A boy with red hair and a woman with blonde hair can be seen fighting in the image as well.

Screenshot: Nihon Falcom

I promise I am not here to turn Kotaku into a Ys fansite, even though I have a Word document on my desktop called “Roadmap To Turn Kotaku Into An Ys Fansite. Seriously though, for those who wished Metaphor was more about its real-time combat than turn based battles, I legitimately cannot think of a better recommendation than Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of Dana.

The snappy sword strikes and emphasis on dodge rolling in Metaphor largely carry over to Ys VIII, albeit with some satisfying guard mechanics and special attacks to level up. Ys VIII also features a party of six playable characters, each of whom control differently just as Archetypes change your protagonist’s playstyle in Metaphor. Combine this with a large cast of NPCs to recruit and build relationships with, and you get a shockingly Metaphor-y experience despite not looking like one on the surface.

There are other Ys games that might interest you if this sounds appealing. In fact, I wrote an entire article detailing how to best get into this series. Again, I’m not turning Kotaku into an Ys fansite, I’m just planning on it.

A pixelated boy wearing a red shirt and a green bandana is running on a stone street in a city. A golden water fountain depicting an angel holding a pot can be seen, featuring higher definition graphics than the boy.

Screenshot: Konami

Konami’s cult classic Suikoden series hits several notes that Metaphor does, even if they don’t look terribly similar on the surface. Suikoden is steeped in political themes, involves collecting a following of 107 Stars of Destiny, and features classic turn-based combat. It was honestly hard to think of non-Atlus turn-based RPGs that have the same feeling as Metaphor, and the fact that I had to refer back to a franchise that hasn’t had a new mainline game since 2006 is a testament to that fact.

I’d put Suikoden higher up on this list under normal circumstances, but getting any of these PlayStation and PlayStation 2 games nowadays is a bit of a tough sell. A remaster of the first two games is slated to arrive on March 6, 2025 on PC and modern consoles, so keep your eyes peeled for them! Note that these Suikoden remasters have been delayed a shocking amount of times (they were originally slated for 2023!), so let’s hope this release date sticks.

A judge is sitting in a courtroom. Members of the jury are sitting to his left and right. A stained glass window depicting an old man with a large beard shines in the background.

Screenshot: Square Enix

Chrono Trigger isn’t on here because it shares a ton of similarities with Metaphor, even if both games feature special attacks that involve party members working together. Rather, it’s because games like Persona and Metaphor are just so well-designed that even those who normally dislike RPGs can get into them. Maybe you didn’t enjoy Metaphor because you love leveling up your party or you dig stories about politics. Instead, perhaps you liked Metaphor because it’s full of compelling characters, beautiful setpieces, and story beats that keep you engaged at every twist and turn.

If you just want an RPG that’s low on filler and is a blast from start to finish, then please play Chrono Trigger if you haven’t already. It’s an unforgettable, all-time classic game that exemplifies everything great about the Super Nintendo era of role-playing games, and it’s aged so well that even someone who started playing video games with the Nintendo Wii can get sucked into it within minutes. Between the beautiful sprite work, incredible music, memorable boss battles… you know what, I haven’t replayed this game this year, looks like I’m due for another run.

Though Chrono Trigger was originally released on the Super Nintendo, you can get it today on mobile devices and on PC via Steam.

A video game rendition of Tony Hawk is grinding along the edge of a quarter-pipe on a skateboard. He is wearing a black helmet, blue shirt, and black shorts.

Screenshot: Neversoft

Folks, I have bamboozled you. Everyone knows that the best part about Metaphor is skating around cities on your sword, so the only appropriate video game to recommend is Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater. Don’t give me that look. You know that Metaphor would be a better game if you could do a 360 Kickflip into a Manual while collecting the letters S-K-A-T-E as Superman by Goldfinger played in the background.

With a large cast of playable characters, dozens of optional objectives to complete, and a slew of upgradable stats, Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater truly is one of the greatest RPGs of all time. Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 + 2 is available on all modern consoles.

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