Metaphor: ReFantazio Leaves the Door Wide Open for One Sequel Direction

Atlus fans have seen an onslaught of great releases over the past year, withMetaphor: ReFantaziobeing the breakout hit of the bunch. As a new IP from the developer,Metaphor: ReFantazioseems to have a bright future ahead of it after earning critical acclaim and snagging several awards at The Game Awards 2024, including Best RPG, Best Narrative, and Best Art Direction. With a sequel seeming more than likely, many fans have been speculating what direction a follow-up to this game could take.

Metaphor: ReFantaziodirector Katsura Hashinohas gone on record saying there are no concrete plans to make the game a series, but that he hopes one day it will become one. While it may be some time before aMetaphor: ReFantaziosequel manifests, the game already has the perfect foundation for a potential sequel to build on. Some theories speculate that a sequel would be more of a spiritual successor than a direct follow-up, but the game’s ending leaves one plot thread hanging that makes a direct sequel more likely.

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Metaphor: ReFantazio’s World Seems Far Larger than Just the Kingdom of Euchronia

Metaphor: ReFantazio’s Sequel Could Explore New Continents

Following thedefeat of Louisand the coronation of the protagonist as the new King of Euchronia, players are treated to an epilogue that sees the cast fitting into their new roles within the kingdom. The majority of the game’s Followers end up with places within the new royal court, such as Strohl becoming the new general of the Royal Army and Hulkenberg becoming the captain of the King’s Royal Guard. However, one Follower in particular may hold larger implications for aMetaphorsequel.

Talking toCatherina duringMetaphor: ReFantazio’s epiloguereveals that she has become an emissary to other kingdoms outside Euchronia. While players travel around the majority of the continent that comprises the Kingdom of Euchronia over the course ofMetaphor: ReFantazio, this dialogue with Catherina suggests that there are other continents that weren’t accessible in the game. With these continents potentially having their own struggles, a sequel toMetaphor: ReFantaziocould follow a new story set in the same world by placing its setting in a kingdom situated on one of the continents that Catherina travels to after the events of the game.

Catherina Could Hold the Key to Connecting Metaphor: ReFantazio and its Sequel

A sequel following this premise could still be a follow-up to the originalMetaphor: ReFantaziowithout necessarily featuring all of the same characters as before.Catherina would be the perfect way to connect the two games, acting as both an in-universe envoy between the Kingdom of Euchronia and the new game’s setting, as well as an envoy to the player to acknowledge the two games' connections. This type of sequel setup would likely offer the best of both worlds, as it could build on the mysteries ofMetaphor’s world left unresolved by the end of the game, such as the history and destruction of the old world, while still feeling like a fresh experience.

Framing a sequel like this would allowMetaphorto follow a similar trend toPersona, where each game takes place separately from each other with Igor and the Velvet Room—along with some small cameos and spin-offs—connecting them.

What also makes Catherina a great character to linkMetaphor: ReFantazioand its potential future sequel is her lack of playability. Many fans wished Catherina would have been a playable party member as the Paripus representative on the team, but thatrole ended up falling to Basilio. The sequel could right this wrong and include Catherina as a playable party member, even if only temporarily like Grius was in the first game, and use her as an envoy of Euchronia sending aid to another nation in need.