How long is Metaphor ReFantazio? Fans of Atlus JRPGs, such as Persona 5 Royal and Persona 3 Reload, know better than to think they can finish a game like this in just one weekend. Leading up to its release, director Katsura Hashino hinted that we should expect their new fantasy adventure to have a runtime similar to the notoriously lengthy Persona 5. But is that accurate?
The brief answer is yes, potentially. However, the time you spend playing will depend greatly on how much side content you choose to explore in Metaphor: ReFantazio and what difficulty setting you select. We estimate that an average playthrough, where JRPG enthusiasts fill their in-game schedules with activities like side quests and conversations when they’re not tackling the main dungeons, will take around 80 to 90 hours to finish.
For context, my personal playthrough took 87 hours on ‘Normal’ difficulty, during which I completed every side quest, bounty request, and bond conversation necessary for my Metaphor: ReFantazio review. It’s important to remember that individual experiences may vary; there are numerous Metaphor ReFantazio Archetypes, for instance, that can keep you engaged as you interact with your Metaphor ReFantazio Followers.
Could you finish it more quickly? Absolutely! By spending in-game days engaging in shorter, casual activities that improve your stats and Royal Virtues, you can speed up progress between major missions, unlike those who are focused on completing optional dungeons. Conversely, players tackling Metaphor ReFantazio on higher difficulty settings and still aiming to cover all side content might see their playtime lengthen to nearly 100 hours, like in Persona 5 Royal.
Once you complete the game, there’s also a New Game+ mode that unlocks the most challenging difficulty setting, Regicide. This could entice players to dive back in for another round after their initial experience.
In summary, Metaphor ReFantazio is indeed a lengthy game, as expected, but we suggest players take their time to truly enjoy the journey.
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