Metaphor ReFantazio rivals Elden Ring DLC and Astro Bot as 2024’s top new game

When you’re the custodian of one of the best and most popular JRPG series of all time, deciding to spool up a new series in the same genre may not seem like the wisest of choices. Well, Atlus threw caution to the wind and it’ll be happy it did so, because the Persona developer’s new behemoth, Metaphor ReFantazio, is looking like a Game of the Year frontrunner. With review scores now in from critics, it is now right up there with Astro Bot and Elden Ring’s Shadow of the Erdtree expansion as 2024’s best new games.

From early trailers and previews, Metaphor ReFantazio was already shaping up to be a bit of a banger – but I certainly wasn’t prepared for Atlus’ new RPG to be joint-highest-rated game of the year so far, according to review score aggregator Metacritic. Combining scores across all platforms, it has achieved a staggering average score of 94 – the same as the PS5-exclusive Astro Bot and Shadow of the Erdtree, and I’m not sure if I’d even include an expansion (no matter how large) as a contender in this particular discussion. In our own Metaphor ReFantazio review, our resident JRPG enjoyer Aaron couldn’t quite justify giving it full marks as so many other outlets did, but did give it an incredibly strong 9/10.

With different methods of aggregation, it’s a slightly different story over on OpenCritic, which lists Metaphor ReFantazio as a 92, beaten by only Astro Bot with 95 and Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth with 93.

With Astro Bot and FF7 Rebirth being (at present) isolated on just Sony’s console, that means that Metaphor is the best PC game of 2024 so far when looking at critic review scores. Brushing past some amazing titles like Balatro, Animal Well, Tekken 8, and Satisfactory, it’s not like it’s been up against weak opposition either.

For me, two questions now remain – will it be just as big a hit with players, and can it go from being a Game of the Year contender to an actual winner when awards season kicks off? The answer to the first question is almost certainly ‘yes’ – there really doesn’t seem to be much about Metaphor that’s going to displease fans of Persona, JRPGs, or even RPGs of any ilk. The answer to the second question is trickier, as I think the broader charm of Astro Bot will see it win out. The timing of the Metaphor ReFantazio release date may also see it miss the cut for a few ceremonies, but I’d love to see it walk away with at least one GOTY trophy over the next couple of months.

Once you’re done playing Metaphor ReFantazio, be sure to take a look at some of the other best anime games and best single player games on PC right now.

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