Director Katsura Hashino’s interest in theMetaphor: ReFantazioIP becoming a flagship series has been made known, and given the title’s overwhelming success for Atlus, it seems a question of if, not when, it will expand to other avenues. WhereMetaphorcould lead nexthas already been a point of contention among fans, however, as with the divisive nature of the re-release formula, it could be that the title sets its sights elsewhere. Following modernPersona’s approach, the possibility of a spin-off isn’t completely off the table, though such a decision would need to contend with more than its story; the darker tone ofMetaphoris tantamount to its world, and thus, a spin-off would need to consider whether it follows suit.
The setting ofMetaphor: ReFantaziochannels the influences of its dark, medieval theming, using Euchronia as a backdrop to express the tribal tension of its people. Death and poverty are rampant, anxiety is at a fever pitch, and the struggles of the Kingdom’s world are not lost on any of its constituents, a feat seen in each of its party member’s backstories. WhileMetaphor’s narrative leaves room for downtime during its race for the throne, the overall tone of its story lends itself to its serious subject matter, accentuating the tribal persecution and imbalance in its world. A successor toMetaphorwould likely deal with similar conflicts, though whether the same holds true for the original’s tone remains worthy of speculation.
A Metaphor: ReFantazio Spin-off Would Need to Consider its Tone as Much as its Story, Genre
Staying or Straying From its Darker Tone
ModernPersonais not without its own dark themes. Death and injustice are emphasized inPersona 3’s Memento Mori andPersona 5’s taking of hearts respectively, though it can be argued thatMetaphor: ReFantazio’s worldleans more closely into the disparities that are afforded by its medieval fantasy setting. It is for this reason why aMetaphor: ReFantaziospin-off might feel a bit jarring if it followed more strictly inPersona’s shadow. For example, whilePersona’s dancing games work to the liveliness of their music and casts, seeingMetaphor’s own characters on the dance floor would run the risk of being tonally dissonant compared to what its IP has established.
Finding Balance in a Potential Spin-off
Subverting the original IP’s tone wouldn’t necessarily be a bad thing, but going a more light-hearted route could wind up undermining the tone set by Euchronia’s world.Metaphordoes end on a hopeful note, and so it wouldn’t be completely out of the question to consider this approach, though how it would contend with this, and through what genre, would need to be carefully considered. Generally speaking,modernPersona’s spin-offsoften pave the way for fan-service moments, and thus can lean more into the comedic side of their offerings, even with the subject matter seen in titles likeStrikersandTacticathat deal with trauma and loss. Still, it’s about finding the right balance.
Keeping the Efforts of Metaphor’s Party Intact
A completely serious plot without any sense of levity would be exhausting.Metaphordoes a good job at balancing this, though if it leans more heavily into the light-heartedness that a spin-off could afford, then it would need to consider how far it would go. AMetaphorspin-off that considers the merriment ofa new Euchronia working past its darker rootscould be interesting, but would still need to keep in mind the Kingdom’s history if it wants to honor the original. Both the genre and context of the story would tie into this, of course, and could circumvent issues that have come up in titles likeTactica, where Toshiro’s comedic treatment feels reductive in the context of the game’s larger plot as his backstory is furthered.
Ultimately,Metaphor: ReFantazio’s future remains uncertain in terms of where it will go. Whether a spin-off will be considered at all has yet to be answered, but if theMetaphorIP does indeed become a flagship series for Atlus, then it’s likely to capitalize as much as it can on its success. This wouldn’t necessarily infringe on quality, but it does raise questions about how many contextsits party will be placed in. IfMetaphor’s cast becomes just as popularas the Phantom Thieves, for example, then it could run similar risks of the IP becoming saturated to the degree of becoming tiresome. For now, however, this remains speculation, and with the high point thatMetaphorhas cemented, it only seems fair to consider that similar strengths are set to follow.
