By love-89.com In this week’s newsletter, we delve into the intriguing realm of Japanese role-playing games (JRPGs)—a genre that often takes an acquired taste but one that I personally find irresistible. Additionally, we shine a light on a variety of options for horror aficionados.
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**Keza MacDonald: October 9, 2024**
One aspect of Japanese role-playing games that captivates me is their unabashed grandiosity. Games like Final Fantasy, Persona, and Shin Megami Tensei transcend the typical good versus evil tale, weaving in elements from science fiction, mythology, comic books, psychology, and classical art to create incredibly ambitious worlds and narratives. These titles present themes on a monumental scale, complete with marathon playtimes. You could think of them as the operas of the gaming world—a vibrant amalgamation of storytelling, stagecraft, music, and movement, crafted for those with a flair for the theatrical.
This week, I had the opportunity to experience Metaphor: ReFantazio, which stands out as one of the most lavish entries in the genre I’ve encountered in years. The extravagance is truly breathtaking. In the game’s opening hours, players navigate a world dominated by a repressive monarchy and a strict social hierarchy, where characters with cat ears and tails serve those flaunting horns or elongated elven ears. Your ultimate mission is to dismantle this oppressive order and usher in a new era of equality.
The combat is just as surreal, allowing characters to extract their metal hearts, inscribe them, and morph into robotic embodiments of their innermost power. Your enemies are monstrous chimeras—a grotesque fusion of body parts, ironically labeled “humans,” who are depicted as infinitely stronger and more cruel than the races within the game. Subtlety is not in the cards here.
As the narrative progresses, a kingdom-wide contest is set in motion to choose a new king following the assassination of royal candidates, all orchestrated by a malevolent figure named Louis, who possesses enviable hair. While the intricate plot may seem daunting, the stylish presentation guides you through it. I found myself mesmerized as my transformed heroes danced across the battlefield, showcasing exquisite swordplay and flamboyant magic. The battles in Metaphor: ReFantazio are both richly layered and engaging, set to the ambiance of high-speed chanting and choral music. Players can manipulate the combat mechanics to inflict extra damage and gain additional turns, significantly amplifying the excitement of each encounter while ensuring that everything has a spectacular flair.
Simultaneously, the blue-haired protagonist, who comes from the societal lower echelons, seeks solace in a fantasy novel that closely resembles contemporary Japan. Even in the early hours of gameplay, the game tackles profound themes of using fantasy as a means for social liberation. Its overarching messages are conveyed with such finesse that they evade criticism for being overly on-the-nose. Much like the Persona series, the game juxtaposes philosophical musings on friendship, power, and the struggle against societal corruption with surreal moments of intensity and flamboyant style. Simply put, it is far from mundane.
While it may take around 80 hours to fully complete Metaphor: ReFantazio, even with just a few evenings of play under my belt, I have plenty to reflect on and appreciate. The game is a bold creation; developer Atlus has consistently set high standards for visual design and music over the years, and it’s remarkable how ReFantazio holds up. I value that this world grapples with themes of danger, discrimination, and violence—it’s far from a simple cartoon. Even when its themes may feel heavy-handed, they resonate deeply and are delivered with conviction. This authenticity enriches the grandiosity, infusing the genre with its emotional core.
As Halloween draws near, it’s an exciting time for horror gamers. The much-anticipated remake of Silent Hill 2 launched this week, receiving a warm reception despite early concerns from fans regarding previews. (On a personal note, my partner contributed to the game.) Meanwhile, Until Dawn, a choice-driven horror experience about a group of friends entangled in murder in the woods, has been re-released on PS5 just ahead of its film adaptation. Additionally, Crow Country, an enticing PS1-style horror adventure that cleverly allows you to disable monsters, is scheduled for release on Switch next week.
Any of these titles are perfect for the spooky season. Plus, look out for upcoming games like A Quiet Place: The Road Ahead on October 17, and Fear the Spotlight—a retro-style horror game about two teens and a troublesome ouija board—set to arrive on October 22.
For those interested, these titles are available across multiple platforms: PS5 (all), PC (Silent Hill 2, Until Dawn), and Nintendo Switch (Crow Country). Estimated playtimes are approximately 15 hours for Silent Hill 2, 8 hours for Until Dawn, and 5 hours for Crow Country.
This week also marks the 10th anniversary of the celebrated horror game Alien Isolation, and to commemorate the occasion, developer Creative Assembly surprised fans with news of a sequel in early development.
In other industry updates, 343 Industries, known for their recent Halo games, has rebranded to Halo Studios and is working on several new titles while transitioning to the cutting-edge Unreal Engine 5, moving away from their previous engine. Meanwhile, following recent challenges, Ubisoft’s founder, Yves Guillemot, in collaboration with Chinese investor Tencent, is considering taking the company private.
Lastly, I found historian Holly Nielsen’s feature on Age of Empires II and its influence on the millennial generation of history buffs particularly engaging—though I still can’t overlook the cringe-worthy Scottish accents in the William Wallace Campaign (thankfully rectified in the 2019 remaster).
Before I wrap up, I want to address a question from Dale this week: “Some games are so richly detailed that they feel like real, living places. Are there any games you think have raised the bar for architectural design within virtual worlds?”
Alongside Metaphor: ReFantazio, which I’ve already mentioned, I think Final Fantasy VII—especially the first part of its remake set in Midgar—deserves recognition. Dragon Age is another strong contestant. I find that fantasy RPGs shine in architectural design because their artists can blend science fiction and fantasy with a mix of architectural styles, from classic to modern, allowing for creative freedom that sidesteps real-world limitations. Dishonored stands out for its immersive side-streets, showcasing the stark contrast between Dunwall’s slums and its affluent areas. Although I’m not a fan of the BioShock series, the original game’s art deco underwater city is undeniably impressive. Bloodborne features some of the most stunning gothic architecture I’ve ever seen, particularly in that memorable lecture hall—a delight for someone raised in Edinburgh. The castles and cities in Elden Ring also exhibit intricate designs well worth mentioning.
If you have any questions for Question Block or thoughts about the newsletter, feel free to contact me at [email protected].