Metaphor: ReFantaziohas a Followers and Bonds system, equivalent to the Confidants andSocial Links in thePersonaseries starting from the third title.
However, unlike the high-school setting ofPersona, thefollowers inMetaphor: ReFantaziohave some deeper issues, touching on heavy themes like racism, prejudice, and inequality.
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Although all the Bond storylines are good, some stand out for presenting a plot that feels more intimate and disturbingly reflective of the real world or for the sheer development of the character involved.
Interactions with the Followers are a great tool to enhanceMetaphor: ReFantazio’s worldbuilding. Plus, they also help tounlock powerful Archetypesalong the way.
Cold Feet In The New Job
Bardonis a competent captain of the Guard Corps with a good heart and an unparalleled desire to protect everyone in Martira. So, when a governor’s seat opens up in the town, he is quickly chosen to fill it.
However, being a great worker doesn’t immediately make him good leadership material, and Bardon faces many trials in his new role. His eagerness to please amplifies this, putting him in tough spots.
What should be protection turns into oppression, and the support of his fellow townspeople begins to fade.
In the end, things work out, but it seems Bardon leaned too heavily on the protagonist, who constantly solved the most critical issues for the ex-captain but now-governor.
Steeling Her Resolve
Gallicamight be the best mascot Atlus has ever created. She accompanies the protagonist from the beginning of the adventure and evolves alongside him.
Each of these evolutions is reflected in her Bond storyline. While it’s endearing to see how Gallica grows, recognizing her own strengths and constantly steeling her resolve, her Bond feels the most convenient among them all.
Not only does Gallica’s Bond evolve automatically, but it’s also the briefest and least expressive. This is mainly because much of her journey’s revelations are tied to the main story, leaving her Bond less detailed than others.
The Power of Singing
Junah’s storyline begins endearingly, showing a humble side to the songstress who, despite being globally famous, still shares her talents free of charge with the citizenry.
However, her stardom casts a shadow over another singer, who feels unworthy and resorts to backhanded tactics to interfere with the presentation. From this moment, Junah’s storyline ramps up significantly.
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What begins as a simple rivalry at a small festival transforms into a revelation of Junah’s traumatic past and the unusual anatomy of the nidias.
These interactions are great for learning , though some critical revelations about her felt a bit shoehorned in.
Technology For All
The group’s wacky engineer and best Gauntlet Runner pilot asks the protagonist to search for relics in various dungeons to uncover their uses and satisfy Neuras’s curiosity.
With each relic, a new development unfolds in Neuras’s storyline, whether learning how his love for engineering came from an elderly friend or the unexpected discovery that Neuras was once engaged.
As Neuras identifies and analyzes more relics, he finds they form a weapon of mass destruction—something critical and far too dangerous to simply exist.
Since Neuras took up engineering to democratize technology rather than build weapons of warfare, he and the protagonist ultimately decide to destroy all the relics, which, well, invalidates the whole relic hunt in the first place.
More Is Less
More’s storyline resembles Gallica’s in that much of his character development is tied to the main story, with his Bond’s interactions mainly adding flavor to the character.
Every new rank with More focuses on explaining the Archetypes inMetaphor: ReFantaziowhile trying to understand his role within the dream-visited library.
Although every interaction implies he will regain his memories, this doesn’t happen. That outcome is saved for the main story, which is good as it’s a mandatory development, but it takes away from More’s personal storyline weight.
Ultimately, his Bond explains how the Archetypes work and why he wrote the novel, which reflects a journey much akin to the protagonist’s.
9Hulkenberg
A Real Royal Knight
Hulkenberghas a typical royal knight archetype, and I don’t mean her in-game power. She is honorable, duty-bound, and lawful. When she crosses paths with a former comrade abusing his authority as a knight, she has no choice but to intervene.
Truth be told, Hulkenberg’s storyline is one of the most predictable inMetaphor: ReFantazio, which isn’t necessarily bad, but it doesn’t stand out much compared to the others.
In the conclusion of her Bond, Hulkenberg proves that it’s not a title that defines her knighthood but her attitude and belief in her ability to protect the prince.
We also can’t forget Hulkenberg’s training, which shows how she, the protagonist, and Strohl share one of the group’s most intimate and companionable relationships.
The Noble Thing To Do
Initially, Strohl’s storyline seemed more precious than it was, though maybe that was a bias since he’s the first stranger in Grand Trad to extend a helping hand to the elda’s protagonist amid so many slurs.
Strohlis a noble from Halia, a city destroyed by a human. Upon reuniting with many former residents, now homeless, he feels compelled to help them. This involves pleading with a greedy noble for affordable housing, revisiting his destroyed town, and a crusade for his inheritance.
Along the journey, Strohl learns his parents were even more selfless than he thought, leading him to doubt he’ll ever live up to them.
In the end, Strohl secures his inheritance and builds housing in Grand Trad for Halia’s former residents, realizing that his true heritage isn’t wealth but the people.
7Catherina
Taking Matters Into Her Own Hands
Catherinais a feisty paripus brawler, one of the few in her tribe who achieved some success and managed to get by without relying on scraps every day.
She joins the royal race carrying her entire tribe’s responsibility on her shoulders, hoping to bring a dignified life to the paripus. However, her Robin Hood-esque approaches are a bit extreme and lead to more violence than expected.
To fix this, Catherina proposes a system that usually bears fruit in the real world. She intends to create a facility to educate paripus, qualifying them for jobs and hoping they can live dignified lives.
Her storyline’s evolution from wanting a quicker, practical way to combat years of injustice had its merit, but in the long run, it showed that it wasn’t the ideal solution. Catherina discovered that education is the most powerful weapon for changing the world.
Half-Breed With A Whole Heart
Metaphor: ReFantaziowas too audacious by adding a storyline where one of the sweetest and most innocent children in the gaming world gets pushed around.
However, this reflects how the game’s world is rotten to its core. Maria is a half-breed, daughter of an Ishkia and a Rhoag, and has faced prejudice since birth. It’s even worse to see how other children, encouraged by their parents, mistreat her without even knowing why.
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But Maria doesn’t give in to violence; instead, she treats her peers with kindness, slowly breaking down their barriers and showing them her perspective on the world.
With support from her stepmother Fabienne and the protagonist’s presence, Maria maintains her integrity, unlike another half-breed, Zorba, who succumbed to the world’s provocations and went down a villainous path.
Leap Of Faith
Upon leaving Virga Island,Euphabrings with her a naive worldview and the teachings of her polytheistic region. She’s eager to learn about other cultures, including Sanctism.
At first, when she meets a Sanctor, he’s somewhat pushy in his approach, but understands that Eupha is simply curious about the religion. However, when she begins questioning Sanctism’s methods of treating diseases, discrimination ensues.
Eupha’s storyline ramps up quickly, shifting from a simple religious disagreement to the sacrifices of believers in God’s name.
The depiction of religious intolerance and fanatism mirrors our world. Eupha’s interactions with Sanctism show that having faith in the divine can be beneficial.
However, it shouldn’t be a crutch for the religious to rely solely on godly salvation while discarding self-preservation and shutting down any other helpful measures.
