Metaphor ReFantazio and Why Fantasy Matters

[@fluke7506]

Metaphor feels like a culmination of atlus as a whole. Its like the best parts of all thier games were picked out and put into it. And i sitll think theres plenty of room for improvment. Cant wait to see their future works

[@TheJaredPunch]

@@fluke7506 weird as this may be, this game to me is Atlus making a Xenoblade game. Every Xenoblade game has been about having the courage to shape your destiny, to have hope, and face the unknown. Metaphor does all of the messages in a way that reminds me Xenoblade.

[@Kaisona2017]

@@TheJaredPunchThey even got Adam Howden to voice one of the candidates, and used many different accents for the characters.

[@AlanRR121]

Yes a 2024 game that doesn’t have AA 😂😂

[@kennethhernandez9243]

⁠@@TheJaredPunch A lot of jrpgs are about shaping your destiny, xenoblade isn’t the first or even the most popular… I love xenoblade, but let’s not fall into the trap of saying every rpg now is trying to be xenoblade. Protagonists in jrpgs have been killing gods and defying destiny since the 80s. Metaphor reminds me of persona. Wonder why that is?

[@TheJaredPunch]

@ I mean, you’re not wrong. It’s still hard to not make the comparison.

[@PixelPikmin]

Beat Metaphor Refantazio on Saturday and absolutely loved it. Not only is it my favorite non remake game this year, but it’s in my top 5 favorite games of all time.

[@ToadtheGreat1]

Let me guess, your GOTY is either rebirth or silent hill 2 haha

[@vladik87]

@@ToadtheGreat1both games were good, but had their faults - which in both cases is bloat.

[@PixelPikmin]

@@ToadtheGreat1No actually, I meant Persona 3 Reload. Persona 3 was already one of my favorite games ever, so remaking it made it into my favorite game of this year and my favorite game of all time

[@ToadtheGreat1]

@ pfp should have clued me in

[@kaijuultimax9407]

I think a big part of Metaphor's emphasis on fantasy and utopia comes back to an old quote that I forget where it comes from, "The first step to making a better world is to imagine it." which seems to be the theme of Metaphor as a whole.

[@zerikane]

"Art is meant to disturb the comfortable and comfort the disturbed" - another YT comment Since fantasy as a whole is based on European myths and fables. JRPGs make many references with Eastern religions. Which I approve. Its more noticable with Monster Hunter series and MH Rise. Even with the DLC of Rise Sunbreak. The inverse transition of Eastern themes into Western. Then exists Coffee Talk which is a great merger of the fantasy and contemporary (urban) life. It is certainly lighter on the fantasy aspect minus the one major sequence with the wolf. Sequel also to an extent. Its a good retrospect with Atlus being among the early pioneers of urban combat RPGs like Earthbound. Also, funny people forget the major themes of FF7's mental health themes and balance of tech and nature. Even FF6 starts the term "Magictek". The themes of Final Fantasy XV and XVI tries but their executions are likely to be forgotten.

[@ello3800]

That part when you said people like to romanticize the past really put the truth of the M:R world (as in our world was their past) into perspective. It's so obvious why didn't i think of that dang. The times I've seen the "I was born in the wrong era" comment were too numerous to count

[@magickmynd1296]

People tend to romanticize just about anything that isn't their own life and experience. Just about everyone dreams of something different and better than their current life, regardless of how advantaged they are or any benefits they may have that others don't. People in general just want different than they have most of the time and very few are content with their current setup. Whether it's the past, the potential future, or just something they know exists in their current time period but is just not what they currently have.

[@ToastieMcMuffin]

my fantasy is hulkenberg

[@TheJaredPunch]

Mine is Eupha.

[@ArshadZahid_nohandleideas]

TOASTIE. IT'S YOU AGAIN.

[@darkmagicianfan3423]

I’m definitely buying her plush doll 😍

[@fenixchief7]

Honeyberg

[@pattyofurniture694]

Mine is Basilio. We can all have our own❤

[@ArshadZahid_nohandleideas]

FANTASY NEVER DIES 🔥🔥🔥💥💥💥

[@TheJaredPunch]

Will’s character arc was learning what Fantasy is and how to counteract the King’s despair and turning to “fantasy” as fiction. And Louis who is too steep into the harsh realities of the world. 0:52 The one possible reason why people don’t write about the real world is because of their lack of knowledge of it. A Fantasy World has the potential to be anything you set your mind to. 2:30 and the point of Will rejecting More’s offer to stay in the “real world” is that they know it’s not a “Utopia.” There’s no such thing as a perfect world. But the “Fantasy” that Will is a part of had good and bad experiences that are all irreplaceable to his soul. 4:08 The way I see it, because you are the “True Seeker” in the eyes of More and Will, that’s the reason why Will gets the Seeker Archetype first. The game makes it clear at the end that we are the ones guiding his actions in his campaign to become King. 13:15 Outside of Merchant, Seeker and Mage, I found the most use with Gunner on the field because of their long range properties. This is especially when dealing with the pesky Roots. 14:18 The final Archetype exclusive to the Protagonist acts as the extra requirement for any Archetypes. So with the right items and skills, Synthesis Skills become a lot more usable than even regular skills. 16:25 One of the Follower skills gives a 100% escape chance at max power. Very useful, especially during one of the sections in the semi final dungeon. 24:38 As a Christian myself, I don’t reject people who have different faiths. But people take Christianity the wrong way, and just need to read and unsubscribe the Bible more to know what God wants out of us. 24:54 It’s that type of mentality that drove Eupha to Martyrdom after all. 26:34 and if Eupha (Mustari Priestess) marries Will, two of the most hated Tribes become the rulers of Euchronia.

[@fenixchief7]

Who the fuck is Will?

[@babaduk7679]

It's really simple what god wants from us and that is to treat each other equally and help thy neighbor, something that unfortunately I don't see happen often, and yes that includes the so called holy men of the church masquerading as saviours, while having their own hidden agendas and using the holy book to their advantages, hats off to those that are actually true and pure in their intentions Regarding this game, I personally loved it, and been replaying it, alongside another game called ys viii Lacrimosa of Dana, this game is also really amazing in my opinion Thank you very much for your post and also thank you to the topic creator, I hope you and everyone here has a good day/evening

[@peaceribbon8322]

In respect to what’s said in the video, it’s really more revealing about the writers of the story and the players think of religion as a whole: that being a vague cultural construct to organize the community around rather than a genuine quest for spiritual truth. A good Christian urges conversion of someone of another faith not out of hatred of other religions but because they are trying to bring them truth and improve their lives, the same way a scholar might try to convince a skeptic about this or that scientific principle. And in fact since the early Church one of the major principles of evangelization was acknowledging the partial truths found in the other cultures and working with them to show how God fixes and completes their understanding. I’m not denying that some hatred was expressed by individual Christians or groups therein, but it’s highly uncharitable to characterize all Christians in that way, especially after Protestantism opened the way for such a tragic amount of variation between believers. Fun fact in regards to the topic of racism itself: not only did Catholicism condemn the slavery of the colonial era, but their presence in the French and Spanish colonies helped to get slaves more humane treatment in spite of the colonial elites’ insistence on using the practice (see Bearing False Witness by Rodney Stark for more on this).

[@secondaegis9190]

​@@fenixchief7Will is the default name of the protagonist in English. It changes with languages

[@mythriljojo]

Metaphor is even deeper if you look into the archetypes that you can study. The Masked Dancer and Faker manifests from your Nidia followers. Nidia are a tribe that is described as liars who hide their true forms. That is reflected in the archetypes that wear masks and have names in their lineage that indicate veiling the truth. Kinda like how the Nidia actually have disguised themselves out of fear for how people would treat them. Some more similarities in the archetypes that I've heard from others in Crystaaaahl's comment section involves the Roussainte followers. Hulkenberg and Bardon are Roussainte and they are characterized as physically superior to other tribes so they typically join the military in some way. Hulkenberg as a knight serving the kingdom and Bardon as the Town Captain, a commander of the town guard. There's more to talk about and you can also look at the Archetype requirements to reach Elite or Royal level Archetypes in relation to the characters' journeys.

[@riotintheair]

"They tried to destroy something invisible and destroyed only themselves."

[@TheJaredPunch]

Me: What is “Fantasy” to you? Will: It’s a dream that we share together, to change the world. Strohl: It’s the power to overcome in injustice! Hulkenburg: To see and overcome weakness! Heismay: To learn to grieve… Junah: To give hope and inspiration! Eupha: To see beyond the surface. Basilio: the desire to change yourself. Gallica: To express joy and love for the world. Grius: And to wish to be more than what you are now. Will: That is our Fantasy. Me: Then it shall be your last, as I crush you.

[@Noctfrej]

D:

[@secondaegis9190]

Get off reddit Louis

[@raincloud6586]

He thinks he's Louis 😭

[@TheJaredPunch]

@ this is just a joke. Because I actually do plan on writing a Metaphor X Persona fanfic. Maybe. It definitely would work considering the point of the Royal Magic.

[@jozefmazef]

Clive: The only fantasy here is yours, and we shall be its final witness!

[@RaspyCh]

Too early to make a good comment Fantasy is goated

[@eliseopaulsantos3725]

As a Christian, I don't think it is the religion per se, but fundamentalism. I was raised in a Christian household that didn't deny questioning my beliefs. It ultimately boasted my faith. In fact, historically Christianity has advanced the world in good ways, but today most modern Christians(not all) have cling to toxic fundamentalism that isn't even Christianity anymore. You are correct that there are people who are christians who deny this endeavor of questioning and it is ashame. It just raises anti- intellectualism and tribalism. Anyways, loved the video. Hope to see more video essays from you bubbletea.

[@xiiir838]

You're writing to a prog - resive. He's not going to listen to you nor he cares

[@bubbletea_]

i agree. not all religions or religious people behave like the ones i've encountered. there are countless sects of christianity that are kinder than others. i don't really have a problem with most religions. i've never really interacted with buddhism or hinduism, for example. so i couldn't possibly have anything against them. i only condemn bad actions that are common within the religions i'm familiar with, not religion itself.

[@chuckchan4127]

​@bubbletea_ As usual, it's almost always the believers who corrupt the religion and not the other way around. I believe Christianity has a line about false believers. Forden is your typical Jrpg religious leader that is out for power. This game gives tons of Final Fantasy Tactics vibes due to that.

[@devixero]

@@bubbletea_In all honesty, I think the Santicism is more a nod to monotheism as whole than just Christianity. Not arguing that Christians aren’t guilty of acting like the Sanctist shown throughout the game, but monotheistic religions like Judaism and Islam are just as bad if not worse. Santictism condemns other religions like Judaism, and disapproves of mixing races and teachings like Islam. Santicitism to me is like Gnosticism/Abrahamic religion as a whole than just one. But as you said in your video, that fact the game takes place in a fantasy world instead of one rooted in reality helps broaden the narrative and its relevance and appeal to the player. So for another person it could be even whole different entity in general in relation to the role of Sanctisim. I always think it’s okay to criticize the people who use religion as a weapon against others but never when others use it as crutch to get them through life or to be a person with good morals and virtues.

[@HadasB1]

​@@devixero I think you're mixing Judaism up with the religions that came after it. Judaism doesn't condemn other religions, at least not to the extent of Christianity and Islam. Not being Jewish doesn't mean you'll be sent to hell after death, and being Jewish doesn't guarantee a free pass to heaven: in fact, there isn't really a concrete view of the afterlife in Jewish teaching, and the concept of heaven and hell as Christianity views them don't exist in Judaism. The whole "Chosen People" thing is often misinterpreted: it doesn't mean Jews are superior, it means Jews made an agreement with their God to follow his rules and believe in him. Judaism doesn't actively preach for people to convert because becoming a Jew doesn't make you better than non-Jews, it means you'll have to take those rules upon yourself and follow them. Adhering to these rules aren't what makes you a good person, ultimately it's your actions that do. I wrote all of this because I'm Jewish (very secular, but still Jewish) and it always annoys me when people group my religion with the two other religions that appropriated our most holy scripture, created their own interpretations of it, and tried for hundreds of years to eradicate us because they viewed their version as the correct one. I feel like people don't view Judaism as its own unique faith that existed for more than a thousand years before Christianity and Islam, and instead diminish it to "exactly like Christianity and Islam but without Jesus or Mohammed". I'm sure you had no ill intent when writing your comment, and if you took the time to read all the way here, I thank you.

[@zupasha]

Don't assume your dreams are just fantasy. If you can imagine a world, believe in it...and dive in.

[@darkmagicianfan3423]

Excited to watch this when I finish the game! I’m about 45 hours in right now. This game is definitely peak JRPG!

[@Emotional_Sledgehammer]

17:03 There actually is a "change equipment & retry" option, but only during bossfights and only if you actually get a Game Over. Could've been more easily accessible, for sure, but it's there. Found out about it after starting the Gideaux fight with my MC as Merchant and getting hard-countered. Edit: Pretty sure you also have to pick the generic "retry" option first before it asks if you want to change equipment, so that's also not great.

[@bubbletea_]

the game over screen just took me to the title. so my choices in boss fights were either retry mid-battle with the same setup or restart from the title screen. might be because i chose hard mode.

[@Emotional_Sledgehammer]

@@bubbletea_ I was actually playing on hard too, so I don't think that's it. Getting dropped to the title screen also seems weird, since there's a menu that shows up if you game over during bossfights. You might've skipped through that menu too quickly by accident?

[@ojisankusai]

I've seriously never understood the whole "keep politics out" mantra of so many gamers. Literally everything is political, you can't just "keep it out" out _anything._ Politics is all about power dynamics, and a game without any kind of power dynamics isn't even a game in the first place.

[@Urekyu]

FREAKING FINALLY I'm so glad I'm not alone in how I feel towards this games dungeons. While I get the complaints of reused designs the side dungeons actually do have a fair bit of depth and unique stuff going on with them especially with the side quests they are connected to. And the main dungeons actually have a through line of gimmicks that stick. The Grand Cathedral starts simple with trance crystals and locked doors. But then there is Gargoyles, secret paths to secret keys to hidden items. The mausoleum a separate hidden area for later side quests. Really good enemy placement that works so well with the enemy placement. This isn't even my fav dungeon! Those would be the Dragon temple and the palace. The sheer complexity and intriguing nature of the challenges there are stuck in my head over a month later. Also the dungeon music may not be as "catchy" as Persona but it is soooo good for the atmosphere and adventuring vibes. Including the side dungeon music. Edit: bro I feel like we share the same brain because literally everything I think and feel on the story is reflected here, great work

[@Lukja08]

she meta on my phor till I refantazio

[@jeezycreezy4220]

People who claim "X isn't political" despite the obvious political messages tend to hold political beliefs that run counter to the thing they're claiming isn't political and they don't want to admit that in their favorite stories they'd be the baddies.

[@xiiir838]

People who claim "X is political" despite the themes handled in the story are very general clearly have a bias and want to claim that story as their own to further their agenda.

[@griffindault]

​@@xiiir838 could you give some examples of works that you believe dealt with themes that are specific? Pretty sure a theme by its very nature will be broad. Also it's not like most things come with a statement from the creator saying these are the exact themes of my work and no deviation from these in the slightest is valid. So what a person believes a stories theme was is a subjective opinion to a large extent. Also it's kinda funny that the guy you are responding to said nothing about theme but rather what somethings overall message is. The theme is just one of several narrative elements that make up a story and what message it conveys.

[@xiiir838]

@griffindault Shin Megami Tensei 1. The game tackles American I'm peria L ism, Japanese fachs chi's sm, reiIigious extrême IS sm, amongst other things. Games like The Legend of Zelda, Silent Hill 1 or 2, Super Mario and many, many more, adding any other kind of media, talks about very broad things that aren't tied to any specific side, but can be, have been and are present in every single side, for example, the guys shown in my profile picture. Yes, English is my third language and I'm still studying. I'll correct that mistake in the future. Edit: Weird spelling of words trying to avoid getting my comment deleted again.

[@griffindault]

@xiiir838 the 1st two things you said aren't even themes dude. A theme is something persistent throughout the story. US imperialism is used more as a plot device in SMT 1 if anything. Like how is US imperialism tackled in the game after the 30 year time skip that happens in the 1st act so after the US nukes Japan? Now ya know what story does tackle US imperialism? Godzilla

[@xiiir838]

@@griffindault And it is used as a way to say "look, everything is poIi†ehcall", it being just a plot device or not

[@sammd71192]

19:05 Not me being called out as I’m literally washing the dishes while playing this video in the background

[@1000tlt]

I was just about to type this

[@joshuasilva8168]

finally beat the game after 130+ hours (will be doing NG+) so I can finally watch youtube vids on it and I absolutely adore this game and is probably top 3 games I’ve ever played. Easily my favourite since the Witcher 3, this game rocks man

[@ashtonv418]

Not "christianity, per se", but "roman catholocism"... and yes... I spelt that wrong on purpose... f those ppl : - ) and all other "abrahamic" based religions.

[@phillemon7664]

As a Rosicrucian I agree 100% Abrahamic faith has ultimately done more harm than good even if it was started to honor genuinely great yet flawed people and concepts of the past it became gratuitous veneration that inspired great violence, fear and hatred that still affects us to this day.

[@mmpsp693]

Finished Metaphor today, it's probably my favorite game of all time. If you know what you are doing, you can break the game without grinding.

[@metaltornado3457]

I came here from you're Persona timeline video and I gotta say, this video surprised me with how good it was. I feel like people are too quick to dismiss fantasy, especially historical fantasy as "mindless escapism" just because it takes place in a world that doesn't resemble our own. The things a fantasy world chooses to include or leave out can tell us a lot about our own societies.

[@Blackrose7_-]

Yeah. Fantasy is very connected to reality for a good reason. Fantasy is like a mirror of reality, and that mirror, when used properly, can teach people a lot about the world through a different perspective.

[@Jade.Palace]

retry button saved me countless times when my fingers slipped and i guarded/passed turn, completely ruining a battle if not for good ol L3

[@goldench1ld.j4]

i love this game so much i've played 300 hours of it, the narrative, characters, gameplay and the lore are just so good

[@magickmynd1296]

The thing about the battle reset option for bosses does have a use case in my opinion. In the game there isn't really a good way to determine boss weaknesses because they aren't revealed unless a character says something, you've previously purchased information from a vendor, or you just know the bosses' type of creature weakness. Other than that you just have to try a bunch of different things until you find out what they are weak against, which uses up a bunch of resources and turns if you aren't lucky. So spending some time to find the best way to fight the boss, and then resetting, to me is a good feature to have, rather than having to go in, do all that testing, then having to die to load your previous save and go back in. To me it saves a few steps and a bit of time which is always a good thing.

[@ahmedfalahy9337]

I am suddenly reminded by *SCP: Here were Dragons* Summary, a magical box that contained a fantasy world filled with magic, dragons, wizards and ethereal flora and fauna and the SCP main flair were paper origami dragons flying outside the box....but this world's existence was tied to humanity subconscious or to be precise, their imagination and powers of fantasy. In modern times, fantasy is lacking and this made the SCP box turn bleak and gray and the paper origami dragons stopped moving and faded away... *I am afraid that the day Mankind's fantasy is completely wiped...would be a day of no return*

[@excellent_potato]

Ey, was waiting for you to talk about Metaphor!

[@vdvu]

Thanks for the vid, I'm starting to feel like giving the game a try now

[@dafire9634]

Since the game came out, people have been calling this game "the culmination of 20yrs of Atlus", or "Atlus's Elden Ring" 7:40 esperanto is made up of different languages structures and words so that its understandable even without knowing esperanto, as long as you know at least 2 of the languages it references, Even just knowing lets say english and italian, you're able to understand 80% of an esperanto conversation without ever interacting with the language before, it is creepily uncanny if i have to be honest If the devs were able to find VAs for it, i think they would have also done a dub in that language 8:09 a few extra details, when you every party member in this screen, they are posed like the Vitruvian man(same as akademia loading) As well as seeing their hands when looking at party 17:50 my A team for the entire game was Mage, Commander, Knight, Masked Dancer, (and their upgrades), 25:07 Eupha is my headcanon romance option Btw How did you get the metaphor font in the video?

[@BlondeWick]

Even though they're also very different, I got major FF12 vibes from this game, specifically the setting and it's elements. Which was great imo, because I don't think anyone has come close to matching the "classic fantasy" setting since that game. I loved FF13 and FF15, but they're distinctly futuristic fantasies.

[@Mooinator3000]

For me I don't think that Metaphor necessarily reinvented the genre, but it was the culmination and nearest it's ever come to perfection for me

[@KyngD469]

Not remembering a giant bank vault with money flying everywhere is a lie. Cmon bro

[@kamadeva5121]

I'm with him all I remember was the piggytron.

[@KeterHirameki]

There's a HUGE difference between "the politics" in M:R and the modern western games, there were many moments during the game where I almost felt like they were calling out the western BS politics. M:R is amazing because every part of the story is extremely immersive, every message resonates with the player while never straying from the game lore, and that's VERY difficult to do in a high fantasy. I also find it ironic how it got released alongside DA:Veilguard, it's actually impressive how two games with the same genre and very similar settings have writings that feel dimensions apart from each other.

[@lulu_TheWitchBoy]

Western bs politics? Why say that? Is it because western games show discrimination from actual races, and real world issues? media can have subtle, not subtle stories. Metaphor is not calling out anything- just telling a story their own way.

[@Erikthedood]

It’s interesting that you point out that this “difference,” exists, but you don’t actually specify what the “difference,” is. I wonder why that is. Hmm. I also would like to know how it “critiques western politics?” It doesn’t. If anything, it’s just saying the same things in a different way. I’m detecting your bias seeping in here. Although, I’m sure you could give specific examples?

[@KeterHirameki]

@@Erikthedood I didn't "point it out" because it's a comment, not a blog. But since you insist, here we go: Let's use Veilguard as a reference, difference is that DA:V inserts modern politic "problems" in a terribly blatant way, as you can see in the entirety of Taash's interactions which is filled with trans and gender roles talk, while at same time erasing the gray ethics of the world, such as how the Antivan Crows are now just a group of "cool sneaky people" and worst of all how there's barely any content related to the long standing conflict between mages and templars, which was a staple for DA to illustrate prejudice between two groups. In M:R the treatment of different tribes reflect realistically the real historical reference and there's a steady progression towards understanding and accepting those differences by the MC, who actually has a good reason to do so, it's not because you have some sort of moral obligation. The game doesn't tone down how EVERY tribe is somehow racist towards each other and most importantly doesn't imply any of those people are EVIL by default, it's an astounding representation of the gray area in social politics. You might say that it's "saying the same things in a different way", and while it may be true in a very superficial way I'd say the differences are more than enough. M:R obviously doesn't “critique western politics” directly, but if there's one part where it makes you feel the fundamental difference between their approach is during the Heismay questline, when you show him your novel, which fantasizes OUR reality as a perfect utopia where inequality doesn't exist, he says: "You cannot pretend at diversity without acknowledging individual diferences. Some will be judged as strong, while others marked as weak. Equal competition doesn't mean equal footing. Their very aims of freedom and balance could spell doom for the striving weak." The general western message is "Everyone is same", while in M:R it's "Everyone is different". And if you just reflect on it for a second you'll understand how it leads to a fundamental difference in the concept of justice, morality and ethics.

[@KhangNguyen-ij4xh]

@@Erikthedoodthat push up scene is enough to speak for the entire game. The game is condescending and hypocrite, it grates the player so it is rightfully called out

[@renatothorne1163]

@@Erikthedood Dude the old world in methapor literally ended through a war that only seeked to prove one's moral superiority. They mention how a world without real chaotic / natural problems leads to the creation of problems out of thin air and feeling morrally superior to give solutions to those and demoralize people who are not aligned with yourself. Ex: western race division agenda, lbgt "rights" problems, leading to labelling people as amoral for not following your view. It feels like we are regressing in time and making everything a problem thus the war for moral supperiority happened in metaphor - leaving everything f*cked and making it clear that it just leads to pitting people agains each other. Mb if misspelling eng not my first language

[@ruudga1028]

This was a really good video, my bad i forgot about avout watching it after finishing the game.

[@Mikelg333]

Excellent video 🔥

[@Lilfoofoopuffs]

Are you and marsh brothers? You two sound alike

[@jeaneroldi403]

Just finished the game it's great game sad that it didn't win game of the year

[@echorealtz2157]

Etrian oddesey is also a fantasy game, untill the reveal on Eht ria

[@levisnotjeans]

You picked the right song for the credits my bro In a lot of ways I felt like i was playing a 10/10 ps3 game, i thought the story and the social commentary were the best parts, idk if I'd even consider it political aside from oh idk, the whole main quest being about what makes a good ruler :B politics is a real thing and aspect of society? I thought they did it well too, bridgetta's story was really cool and it was nice to see persona style friendships in a variety of darker and heavier contexts. Eupha best girl also thou heisenberg and juna were both in the party 4 warrior slay

[@incompetentc2542]

great video

[@SecretSquaff]

Another youtube I'll hit "Don't Recommend Channel" in the top left of their video to. The church of Yevon has a real purpose, just like the sanctifex church. Both the MC of this game and Yuna from the Final Fantasy 10 games and audio book want their respective churches to keep existing. It's not that games aren't political, it's that your lens of politics is trash.

[@anthonybfernandez]

I like it. It feels different than Persona.

[@danielpratt3794]

Amazing video, This game really had me rhinkjng hard about fiction and its real life impact Also, sorry to hear about your childhood, being dragged to two different places didactically asking you to have belief in what you dont understand is never pleasant, especially when they act superior for having belief in something they dont actually follow. As a Christian myself i loved how the game condemns zealotry and relgious corruption but says belief in God isnt a bad thing but retreating into an idealsied vision of faith and not facing the problem head on will only cause confusion and pain (why i liked Euphas follower story so much)

[@Kirbling0]

it's terrifying being so early

[@kvltovpersonality6290]

#47 let's go baby wooooo

[@MrSquidWhiskers]

...yeah I'm totally playing this game.

[@kazuma5570]

19:00 god dammit xD

[@Mediocrity2291]

Clocked 100 hours on this one. Enjoyed it, but I'm conflicted. Felt like the game lost a lot of momentum in the last third, perhaps last fifth or so. Very much enjoyed the art style, the individual characters, the music, the combat system, the Archetypes / customization, the world itself, and the general flow in the first two acts. Can definitely feel the Persona elements here, which I like. There were some real stretches and plot problems in the overall story I didn't care for, felt weaker than Persona 5, but I'll suspend disbelief on some of that stuff. Felt rough when I reached the late game. The recycled tower locations for the bonus four side boss fights made me think they were running out of time on a deadline. Ditto for the re-use of the ear monster and the re-color/re-use of a ton of bosses in the final dungeon. It seemed like the plot was driving forward very quickly, but at the same time, it is almost as if I was expected to sit and grind in the final dungeon. I played on Hard from the start and did not change it until the 4th bonus boss, due to not wanting to grind to change Archetype setup. Lowered difficulty in the final dungeon as well to finish it up. I think the game is overall good, but not mind-blowingly fantastic. Appreciated the video essay bro.

[@robertzgtz889]

peak

[@TheLostSheep578]

Why did bro have to call me out on the toilet😢.

[@AamitRudberg]

So if sanctism is christianity what are the equivalents of the mustari and elda in our world?

[@felman87]

I haven't played this yet but it's on my list. So, I'll just comment, thumbs up and mute it to help your channel with the algorithm.

[@feelingveryattackedrn5750]

The game isn't described as "heavy handed" because it should be less political, its described as heavy handed because its politics are unnuanced, confused, and immature. The writers were not confident enough to show us a world plagued by racism and discrimination, they had to tell us it was one as we walk around with the lowest caste of character virtually unaffected, still easily forming social bonds with characters of all races. The power of friendship and the strength to overcome anxiety are not the things required to solve systemic issues: if they were there wouldnt have been people getting executed in the streets or dying alone in the slum alleyways. A more nuanced and deep story in this game would necessarily be more "political", as it would have to address the reality of changing what is essentially an apartheid state into one that the protagonists idealize, a utopia. This would be bloody, it would not be possible for it not to be bloody, which would totally remove the protagonists sense of inherent righteousness over other characters who recognize some level of bloodiness is required for change. Clearly the writers understand this weakness in their story which is why the villains are all unequivocally evil and why the story settles into a saturday morning cartoon version of itself where whats actually needed is kindness and for us all to correct our own personal moral failings. To accept that this story is an apt "metaphor" for our world is tantamount to saying the liberation of South Africa was unjust. There is no god that came down and nominated Nelson Mandela ruler according to his good deeds, nor would that have been preferrable to what actually happened since ordained kings are historically not good for progressive societies.

[@averyaustin1]

18:58 Actually.... i'm playing P3 Reload..... Ok, shut up!

[@jeaneroldi403]

19:04 yeah I'm doing the dishes and ?

[@selenium9479]

Politics in the game: the system that has dominated my country for 70 years is presented as “let's rob the rich because they're rich” and the game says “robbing people is not good!”. So deep....

[@Heroshand]

No shit, even now as a fully functioning adult with very real responsibilities, if I was offered the chance to live in the Pokemon World, I'd do it. Calling me out for playing Persona 3 while im listening to the video, rude!

[@Zora-jr2lk]

I really like all the general Metaphor plot and the message behind it, but my biggest criticism of the game its how wasted almost every character feels. I didn't feel attached to anyone, and their follower's story are really bland, without any change or new information in their personality or anything I also think it's a wasted opportunity to not give the protagonist a unique personality, lot of moments could have been better if Will just... talk and says something relevant

[@Merp9]

I face racism often. I always have to keep my head down cause some people assume I'm a terrorist or killer because I'm Iranian. Even still, I find racism stories extremely boring and forced. This game is one of the HUGE exceptions, and boils down to the fantasy setting and different context as you explained The 7 year wait we went through for ReFantasy was worth it, absolute banger of a video too

[@YoRHaCake]

I want to like this game so bad but i just dont. Ive been a fan of atlus since i played raido kuzanoha back in highschool(2016) and this is one of the few times ive struggled to play an atlus game. The game is just so boring, im 28 hours in and the cast has no depth at all, they all have dumb quirks that get forced down your throat every time they talk. Their development is so slow too. Thee story is very boring too. It doesn't really do anything for me. Its kinda weird that i hate the dungeons in this game too because i loved them in smt games. I think the simple combat really puts it down for me too. Thee Social links also have such slow and boring build ups that i lose interest. Like I said I want to like it but I think im gonna drop it. This video didnt really change my mind as good as it was.

[@zairedann2498]

I'm already on my third playthrough I'm going to try the dragon trials the only thing I know is that one of them absorbs fire so I kind of don't know what to expect

[@ShadowOfMassDestruction]

How the fu-

[@shutup1037]

Then dont use fire

[@chuckchan4127]

Wanton Destruction There's only one boss this doesn't work on.

[@kira516]

Why did fantasy doesn't matter in the first place?

[@luigi7781]

Metaphor is not a fantasy. it's a metaphor for real life. Lol

[@zebre676]

Really? Thats what you got from the game? I learned racism is bad... Wooh 😴

[@madaraman27]

Come on bro dishes are boring danmit and I didn't want to see the final boss lol

[@Hugh_Jannis]

Louise is Griffith from Beserk and they didnt even try to hide it. They literally copied and pasted his look, his demeanor, his motivations, literally everything.

[@KhangNguyen-ij4xh]

Different motivation. Both are selfish, but Griffith wants a kingdom for himself at all cost, while Louis wants to tear the world down for revenge

[@Hugh_Jannis]

@KhangNguyen-ij4xh You're splitting hairs. It's literally the same thing

[@KhangNguyen-ij4xh]

@@Hugh_Jannis you have reading comprehension issue?

[@Hugh_Jannis]

@@KhangNguyen-ij4xh Did you not play the game? The whole damn story revolves around Louise trying to take over the Kingdom, which by your own words is the same damn thing Griffith was trying to accomplish. You're getting caught on unnecessary semantics and missing the point.

[@kamadeva5121]

@@Hugh_Jannis he wanted to press restart becoming king was just a means to that end. He could care less about the kingdom did you not finish the game?

[@36inc]

yo what chud boring and tedious people did ya ask when ya said "some people say this game isnt X" I have not heard such nonsense, everybody who likes jrpgs thinks this is game of the year, everybody else doesnt matter cause they arent fans of jrpgs.

[@kicker3186]

When people say they don’t want politics in their media, they mean real world politics ie MAGA, BLM, Pride, national flags, etc. The reason Metaphor works is because it takes about political topics like racism but doesn’t force in real life examples. If you want an example of the opposite, watch The Boys season 5.

[@jackkidd7350]

People still complain about gay people in fantasy games you can’t be this dense

[@The_Pikaboi]

My guy its still targeting real world politics. ITS A **METAPHOR**

[@lulu_TheWitchBoy]

You think BLM and pride is political because you don’t agree with it, that’s a you problem. Of course you’re okay with politics in this game- because they don’t use real races, and religion. You been taught to hate these people from your group, and you’re just an insecure lil bitc afraid being alone, and gets uncomfortable when the media doesn’t have your viewpoint.

[@phillemon7664]

Louis supporters are literally fantasy MAGA though and Catherina was fantasy BLM.

[@kicker3186]

@@jackkidd7350absolutely not the point I made but go off lil bro

[@nunothedude2]

Let's be honest, Louis Giabern and Mote were rigth

[@KhangNguyen-ij4xh]

Yes and no. They represents the pessimistic looks on the current state of the country while Will represents the optimistic looks. The end message is that utopia is mere fantasy but it’s still worth working towards it as much as you can to change the world

[@SegaRobotnik]

I wonder why japanese games bring up theocratical politics gear mongering their People so often...

[@xiiir838]

Because they don't have that. Most of them don't even consider themselves religions even though they perform religious practices.

[@MrShadownetwork]

What I say is I don’t want biases politics as in for example failguard when a character call her self non binary and am not allowed to say that stupid in game because the dev have A CLEAR BIASES. Politics is fine until you remove the nuance and just put in your ideas without any counterpoint and make anyone that disagrees with you a Saturday morning cartoon villain, but it funny how you don’t bring any of that up and unironically do the exact same thing these people are doing today

[@Zeik56]

It sounds like you are looking to reinforce your own biases instead. It's not like Metaphor allows you any choice in its politics either. It very much has a specific message that the main characters adhere to and you get no say in the matter. But that isn't inherently a bad thing. Fiction is written from the perspective of the writer, and that perspective will resonate with some people and not with others. If you are trying to write something for literally everyone you will probably write something that resonates with no one.

[@shutup1037]

^^

[@Erikthedood]

You don’t like dragon age because a character is trans? Sounds like you’re focusing on your own biases and hate for the other and not engaging with what the game is actually about. The political ideology of a game like Metaphor discourages this type of hateful, discriminatory, and tribalistic thinking.

[@Soko-d4b]

The hypocrisy from you is wild lol

[@dailynonsense9360]

@@MrShadownetwork at the end of the day, how someone writes their game is up to them. So long as they aren’t advocating for pedophilia or something crazy, it’s within their rights, even if you don’t necessarily agree

[@aldutroix3944]

I know it’s incredible to play, but frankly, I just couldn’t stand Gallica. I really hate mascot or support characters like her. Another reason why I dislike P4/5 too because of Morgana and teddie.

[@imveryangryitsnotbutter]

How dare you drag Gallica down to the level of that damned cat.

[@xiiir838]

So, this video is your rant because your side lost the elections? 😂

[@toooydoeur]

@@xiiir838 you need help

[@kicker3186]

And yes, I left a dislike cuz this point is stupid.

[@shutup1037]

Which one

[@xiiir838]

​@@shutup1037 his rant titled "fantasy is Catharsis". It's basically his way to vent because of the elections 😂

[@shutup1037]

@@xiiir838 what 😅

[@xiiir838]

@@shutup1037 there's literally a section of the video titled "Fantasy is Catharsis"

[@ello3800]

​@shutup1037 these two cvnts ^ have been whining in the comments of this video and I have no idea what they're yapping about lmao i bet they're mad cuz they're the sort of "keep politics out of my video games" ppl that the video called out

[@nicolasvenezuelaverde1184]

Who cares, the game is cringe.