First of all, Atlus is well-known for its famous "special editions." Persona 4 had Golden, Persona 5 had Royal, SMT V had Vengeance, and unlike other games with enhanced versions, these versions include added content that practically changes the entire gameplay experience for the better, in so many ways that the game loop or the story is often completely altered. Therefore, my current assessment is positive, but if a "Royale" edition of Metaphor is released, or even if it's just rumored to exist, this review will turn negative, as I would blindly consider buying that version. If it doesn't happen yet, or if it's confirmed that it won't:
Metaphor takes the classic SMT combat system and combines it with Persona's calendar and social Link system, creating an epic medieval story about a young man participating in "games" for the throne to prevent a dictatorship, while meeting friends who will help him defeat the villains. This results in some truly incredible elements. The mere act of observing and undertaking multi-day expeditions to complete the typical missions an adventure party encounters is incredibly well thought out. The combat, while restrictive, forces you to actively plan your actions and manage your resources to the fullest for 90% of the game. And the archetype system, very much in the style of Fire Emblem: Three Houses, allows for extensive customization of the main character's build, which then permeates the party. This alone makes for a massive game that promises countless hours of gameplay and generally delivers on its promises
However, I think the best way to describe it is this: Metaphor is a great game, but at the same time, it's rather timid
Despite all of the above, it undeniably has serious design flaws (which, sadly, are fixable in a premium edition). One of these issues is the expeditions themselves. While the idea is presented in a very cool way, the concept is underdeveloped, and except for one instance very early in the story, you're not required to complete different types of longer expeditions to be rewarded for it; it ends up being a huge menu with a Map UI. Furthermore, although challenging, the combat system undeniably feels somewhat outdated compared to the extreme speed of Persona, making final battles 40-turn duels where you hope that in one of them you don't get debuffed for all the stats you've leveled up to land a good attack. Besides, the archetype system is also cumbersome, forcing you to level up certain very specific archetypes with certain characters to reach their full potential. This means that most of the time you have to field your party with classes that are clearly not the best for them (like using Heimsay as a knight for a while, or other random examples). In addition, and without giving away any spoilers: the protagonist is rather underwhelming in his attempt to be a morally ambiguous character, allowing the player to project themselves onto him, which significantly diminishes the impact of his character arc. All of this makes me think it would have been a much better game if it had been linear. But oh well, that's something that can't be changed
Despite this, I loved the game and wholeheartedly recommend it, as there are some genuinely great moments during your first playthrough
