Metaphor: ReFantazio and Bosch post-game thoughts

Bosch: What an Amazing Discovery

Some spoilers ahead.

July 20, 2025

I already wrote a post containing my unabashed praise of Metaphor: ReFantazio. After playing for about 60 hours, I expressed sentiments like “it has restored my faith in video games.” I still believe that, but after finishing the game, I have notes.

Part of this is my fault. While nearing the end of Metaphor: ReFantazio, both Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 and the Oblivion remake came out. This meant my gaming backlog increased significantly. What’s a girl to do? With only 15 days left in Metaphor: ReFantazio, I decided to rush through and beat the final boss quickly. I wanted to see how the story concludes.

Spoiler alert: Metaphor: ReFantazio will not let you “hurry it up.”

This led me to rush through all the side quests and companion storylines in the few days remaining. Surely, the developers would allow me to finish everything before the game ended, right? Wrong.

I discovered that Metaphor: ReFantazio is a game that many fans play with a walkthrough. They do this to experience every last drop of content within the limited time the game allows. Otherwise, players may end up like me, reaching the end without unlocking all the companion quests and side quests.

My question is, if you need a walkthrough to play the game, why bother playing at all? Wouldn’t it spoil the sense of adventure? People continue to mystify me.

The fact that some players feel the need to do this says something about the game. While I appreciate the deadlines and the non-battle social achievements called the “Royal Virtues,” I do think the game could have been a bit easier regarding deadlines. I played on Normal mode, and I get enough stress from deadlines at work. Do I really need that in my virtual reality as well?

One of the things I love about open-world games is the ability to explore at my leisure. I understand that Metaphor: ReFantazio is not an open-world game, but it offers a sense of journey that brings wonderful exploration excitement. Did the developers really need to enforce the game's non-open-world nature in such a stressful manner? Why not give players ample time to explore the story, locations, leveling mechanisms, and archetypes? They could still preserve difficulty with just the MP-scarcity mechanic.

In other words, why structure the game so that a walkthrough is necessary to enjoy it? A walkthrough destroys any sense of adventure. I cannot believe the developers intended this. Unless they want to sell walkthroughs? This seems like a shallow reason to hobble such a wonderful piece of art.

It was utterly frustrating that I could not complete all the companion storylines and side quests in time for the end-game. I was too busy leveling up in the dungeons! The first dragon in the “Trial” took me two trips to the tower to beat. A lady can’t be everywhere at once! Now, I will never know what reward awaited me behind the final trial. I refuse to pick up a walkthrough now and never will.

Well, almost refuse. Faced with the prospect of booting up Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, I got distracted trying to complete all the side and companion quests. I lost track of time and realized with only three days left that the game was telling me I had to prepare for the last, hardest dungeon. I assumed I would be conveniently teleported for a final battle with my arch-rival, Louis. Fool! After years of playing JRPGs, I should have known better.

With only three days left, I had to dash through the last dungeon, dodging enemies to save my MP for the main bosses. The MP-scarcity mechanic became hair-pullingly stressful in the last 10 hours. I played straight through 11 hours on a Saturday, zombie-existing through meals and calls from visitors.

Again, I respect the developers. The time constraint forced me to scour the archetype details to manage or earn back MP. This makes one appreciate how cleverly designed the battle and character mechanics are. However, the stress level during the finale became no longer fun. At one point, I shamefully attempted to lower the difficulty to “Storyteller” mode just to see how the game ended. Guess what? Storyteller mode only resurrects your party mid-battle, so you still suffer through the final boss punishment.

I put down the controller and forced myself to go to bed. I woke up four hours later, restarted a save point, and powered through the dungeon for the next seven hours. I barely beat the game. The conclusion is beautiful and well worth the effort. Now, I can hang my hat with the smug achievement of having gotten there, but it will always haunt me that I almost gave up.

If you are looking for a grand adventure and thrive under deadline-related stress, you will find everything you seek in this game. If I were that type of person, I would enjoy it, even knowing what I was getting into. However, if you are like me, generally looking for a grand adventure at your own pace, maybe just pick up The Legend of Zelda.

Oh, last super cool thing to share about this game.

I was on holiday in Madrid a few weeks ago. My husband dragged the family to El Prado to inject some culture into me. I allowed it, not for myself but for the kids. I want them to know the names of Italian artists and understand concepts like "post-modernism." Every parent should strive to ensure their children become improved versions of themselves.

Grudgingly, I followed my husband into Prado, prepared to learn. Early on, we entered my favorite exhibit—the Hieronymus Bosch works. I had seen them before, and they always appealed to me for reasons I can't articulate. Perhaps it's because they are not Catholic-themed like most of the art in Prado.

Bosch's works look like they were painted by a truly messed-up genius visited by unearthly visions. I have always loved the Bosch triptych called "The Garden of Earthly Delights." It depicts Paradise, Heaven, and Hell with fantastical beasts, grotesque animals, and twisted humanity. It is an incredible work of Fantasy.

At the time we were there, this particular triptych was swarmed with tourists. I couldn't come within ten feet of it. I wandered around his other paintings but got tired of waiting. Just as we were about to leave the exhibit room, the crowd suddenly dissipated. My kids pulled me to have a look at "The Garden of Earthly Delights." I spent a few minutes explaining to them the beautifully painted chaos of paradise and hell we were looking at when something caught my eye.

From a news article here: https://news.artnet.com/art-world/madrid-museums-old-master-feud-294688

Do you see it? Here’s a zoom-in of the "hell" side of the painting from a copy for sale in the Prado gift shop:

I got so excited I nearly started jumping up and down. It’s the human-monster egg containing an army of toads with a heart trumpet from Metaphor Re:Fantazio! This is the first major human monster you have to beat after crawling through the first castle-dungeon in the game!

Up there on the left corner is the hopping ear-human-monster you first see in one of the later dungeons! The one you have to avoid by hopping along with it!

I had been to Prado twice before and spent time at this triptych every time, so there is no excuse! I should have recognized the game's inspiration immediately when I played it. Amazing!

I can imagine some Japanese people visiting Prado and thinking, "What if we made a Fantasy world where humans are the monsters, not the heroes? Where human parts become gigantic and twisted, becoming the world's bogeymen?"

I knew I liked this painting for a reason. Clearly, some kindred fantasy-loving creators saw the appeal and were blessed with the power to create a game from this unique inspiration.

This makes me wonder what other games have taken inspiration from various art sources. I hope to recognize them in the future. It reminded me that video games are, largely, an art form. They are Fantasy condensed into an interactive experience. When you play, you are experiencing art. When I played Metaphor: ReFantazio, I had the privilege of interacting within a Bosch painting.

I left Prado gleeful and a bit more cultured, but in the only way I will ever be—as a lover of Fantasy.

To the creators of Metaphor: ReFantazio—amazing work bringing a bit of Bosch's fantasy to a wider audience than the usual Prado-going crowd. You are bridging the gap between different art forms and allowing people to cross over to each side.

metaphor refantazio bosch, metaphor bosch