Metaphor: ReFantazio Codes (New)

So I finally got my hands on that Metaphor: ReFantazio preview build last weekend. Three energy drinks and about seven hours later, I’m still trying to wrap my head around what Atlus is doing here. Is it good? Hell yeah. Is it what I expected? Not even close.

First Impressions

Look, I’ve been covering Atlus games since the PS2 days. Remember Nocturne? That beautiful nightmare of a game that made you question your life choices every time you died to Matador? Well, ReFantazio has that same energy, but with this weird, trippy fantasy coat of paint that I wasn’t prepared for.

The demo dropped me into this sprawling city called Vismund (I think that’s how it’s spelled), and right away I noticed something – no goddamn tutorials bombarding you every two seconds. Just a character waking up, some cryptic dialogue about a dead king, and boom – you’re in. Old school. Respect.

I bumped into this guy at PAX who works QA for some indie studio, and he swore Atlus pulled in some ex-Ghibli artists for the environmental work. Can’t confirm, but man, those forest scenes look straight out of Princess Mononoke if it did acid with Persona 5.

The Story: Not Your Generic Fantasy Crap

Here’s what I can piece together without spoiling too much: the king’s dead, succession is a mess, and there’s this magical plague turning people into these crystal statue things. Your character gets wrapped up in it because… of course they do.

What’s refreshing is how the writing doesn’t treat you like an idiot. The politics feel messy and complicated because, guess what, politics IS messy and complicated. There’s this faction called the “Ash Born” that everyone hates for some reason, and the game doesn’t immediately tell you if they’re good or bad. It’s just… gray. Like real life.

I’ve had it with these black and white morality tales. Give me the murky stuff where I have to actually think about my choices.

Gameplay That Doesn’t Suck

Combat: Turn-Based But Make It Spicy

Yeah, it’s turn-based. No, it’s not boring. Atlus has this thing where they take something that should be outdated and somehow make it feel fresh.

The “Archetype” system is basically jobs-meet-personas. I started with this knight-looking dude but then found this weird shrine where I could switch to this creepy jester thing called “The Fool” (classic Atlus). Each one has completely different abilities, weaknesses, the works.

The best part? Mid-battle switching. Got a boss that’s immune to physical? Swap to your mage archetype and blast ’em. Running low on MP? Switch to a support type and focus on buffing until you recover. It’s dynamic in a way turn-based usually isn’t.

I died. A lot. Like, embarrassingly often. That first proper boss – some four-armed knight thing – wiped the floor with me five times before I figured out the gimmick. If you’re looking for an easy ride, look elsewhere.

Exploration That Rewards Curiosity

The world isn’t fully open – it’s more like interconnected large areas. But man, the level design. There’s this early dungeon in the sewers that loops back on itself in the most satisfying ways, with shortcuts you unlock as you progress deeper.

I spent an hour exploring an optional cave because I spotted a weird glowing mushroom off the main path. Found this terrifying optional boss that one-shot me, but I’m coming back for that bastard when I’m stronger. The treasure chest behind him better have something good.

Visuals and Sound

Art Direction That Doesn’t Look Like Everything Else

The art style is what happens when you let your designers actually create instead of following market research. There’s this scene where you emerge from an underground passage into this massive crystal valley, and the way the light refracts through everything… chef’s kiss.

Character designs are weird in the best way. Your companions aren’t just “generic knight guy” or “sexy mage lady.” My favorite so far is this merchant character who’s basically a talking fox wearing what looks like Victorian-era clothing. Why? No explanation given. It just works.

The Music Slaps

Composer Toshiki Konishi is flexing hard here. The battle themes switch dynamically based on how you’re doing – start losing badly and the music gets more intense, like it’s stressing me out even more than I already am. Thanks for that, Atlus.

The main city theme has this medieval vibe but with these subtle electronic undertones. I found myself just standing in the town square for like 10 minutes just soaking it in. Already pre-ordered the soundtrack vinyl.

Those ReFantazio Codes Everyone’s Talking About

Stumbled across these codes on some obscure Discord server where this guy who supposedly has a cousin at Atlus Japan dropped them:

• DREAMSCAPE2024
• FANTASYFUSIONX
• MYTHICALJOURNEY
• EPICADVENTURE77
• REVERIECODE88
• LEGENDARYQUEST9
• MYSTICENIGMA44
• OTHERWORLDS2024
• CHALLENGEACCEPTED

No idea if they’re legit or what they do, but I’m inputting all of them the second I get my hands on the full game. If history repeats itself, probably some exclusive gear or bonus archetypes.

I’ve got a spreadsheet tracking all the Atlus pre-order bonuses since Persona 4 Golden (yes, I’m that guy), and they typically give out early-game stuff that gets outclassed by the 10-hour mark anyway. But collector’s instinct is a hell of a drug.

When and How to Use These Codes

From my experience with Persona 5 Royal, don’t redeem everything at once unless you want to break the early game difficulty. These games are balanced around progression, and suddenly having end-game gear makes those first 5-10 hours mind-numbingly easy.

My strategy? Save them for when I hit those notorious Atlus difficulty spikes. Every game they make has that ONE boss that feels like running into a brick wall. That’s when I’ll cash in.

The Road Ahead

Let’s be real – ReFantazio is launching into a crowded market. Final Fantasy is back in form with FF16, Square’s got Dragon Quest XII coming, and even niche stuff like Granblue Fantasy: Relink is generating buzz.

But Atlus has always thrived in their weird little corner of the industry. They don’t need to sell 10 million copies to be successful. Their whole business model is built around a dedicated player base that will buy anything they put out. Like me, apparently. My shelf of Persona special editions is both my pride and my shame.

What I’m actually worried about is Sega meddling too much. Since they acquired Atlus, they’ve mostly let them do their thing, but with budgets getting bigger, the pressure for mainstream appeal increases. Hope they don’t water down what makes Atlus special.

Closing Thoughts

Three games have ever made me call in sick to work to keep playing: Persona 4, Bloodborne, and Nier: Automata. Based on my time with the preview, ReFantazio might join that list.

It’s weird, it’s challenging, it’s beautiful, and most importantly, it feels like nothing else out there right now. In an industry drowning in sequels, remakes, and safe bets, Atlus is still out here taking big swings.

Will it be game of the year material? Maybe not for everyone. But for those of us who’ve been riding with Atlus since the PS2 era, it feels like coming home to a house where all the furniture has been rearranged – familiar but exciting.