Summary
2024 has been a fantastic year for RPG fans so far, and it seems like that trend is going to continue. Early games likePersona 3 ReloadandLike A Dragon: Infinite Wealthare currently set to be followed byMetaphor: ReFantazioandAvowed, with more RPGs stretching into the future. As of the Xbox Games Showcase 2024,Clair Obscur: Expedition 33has joined their number, dated for 2025, alongside other notable RPGs likeFable. While several RPGs were expected to be at that conference, courtesy of Bethesda and Obsidian, it was a pleasant surprise whenExpedition 33revealed itself as a fresh addition to their number.
The main source of this surprise was the particular kind of RPG thatExpedition 33was aiming for, that being the turn-based RPG genre. Its developer, Sandfall Interactive, citedclassic JRPG franchises likeFinal FantasyandPersonaamong its inspirations for the upcoming title, and they shine through in its uniquely modernized approach to turn-based combat.Clair Obscur: Expedition 33will be a welcome addition to the ongoing surge of RPGs, even if it ends up stealing some thunder from another fantasy RPG on the way.
Metaphor: ReFantazio Was Made To Push Turn-Based RPGs Forward
AAA turn-based RPGs never left, but they’ve become a rarer sight as the cost of games has risen, and some old figureheads likeFinal Fantasypivoted towards action instead. That makes Atlus sticking with them stand out, especially as they continue innovating on theirShin Megami TenseiandPersonaseries’. Now, however,Persona’s main development team, Studio Zero, has decided to branch out into the first new IP it has made in a long time, which isMetaphor: ReFantazio. Due out in October 2024, this RPG is primed to make a name for itself even in a stacked year with multiple otherSMTreleases.
Metaphor: ReFantazio’s Fantasy Elements Were Built On The Backs of Giants
Couched inPersona’s colorful anime art style, detailed menus, and stylish transitions,Metaphor: ReFantaziois a fantasy take onPersonathat trades its familiar high school setting for a journey across a magical world. Managing time and investing it in relationships are still important, but now the context involves charting journeys through the countryside and gathering support for the ongoing contest to crown the next king. Even its battles have a mixture of familiar turn-based combat, with Archetypes replacing the traditional Personas, and real-time components preceding field fights.Metaphoralready has a lot of people looking forward to it, though it’s not the only blockbuster game of its type anymore.
Expedition 33 Won’t Let Metaphor Win By Default
From an overhead view,Expedition 33has a surprisingly large number of parallels toMetaphor: ReFantazio. Both are European fantasy-style games that take after prestigious turn-based JRPG traditions, despite being new properties themselves. They also both contain references to classical art, withExpedition 33being based on the late 1800s/early 1900sBelle Epoque France likeLies of P, whileMetaphor’s bizarre “human” monsters recall the world of Hieronymus Bosch. Last but not least are both games mixtures of action and turn-based combat, though it’s here thatExpedition 33throws down the gauntlet.
How Expedition 33 Stands Out From Metaphor: ReFantazio
WhileMetaphor’s battles are an evolution ofPersona’s, much like many of its other elements,Expedition 33instead cherrypicksexperimental action elements from games likeFinal Fantasy 8,Paper Mario, andThe Legend of Dragoonto create an altogether unique experience. Players can do anything from rhythmically timing button inputs for increased damage, actively blocking or dodging enemy attacks, and even aiming their attacks at specific enemy weak points in each battle. WithClair Obscur: Expedition 33andMetaphor: ReFantaziooffering different takes on a familiar formula, it will be interesting to see which one comes out on top.
