Metaphor: ReFantazio invites players into a rich fictional world crafted by prolific game studio Atlus. At first glance, its fantasy kingdom of Euchronia seems like a standard sword and sorcery setting, but appearances can be deceiving. As I ventured through this realm, I encountered challenging themes that felt strikingly relevant—inequality, racism, corruption of power.

Yet Euchronia isn’t just a reflection of real issues. Its narrative experiments with distorting reality, casting our own world as the mystical realm yearned for within the game. You take control of a player character who owns a forbidden book portraying an idealized version of modern society, free from prejudice. But only you, the real player behind the screen, recognize this “utopia” as our current reality.

This twist sparked my curiosity around Metaphor’s further experiments in metafiction. How might it continue blurring boundaries between fantasy and truth? And what deeper insights could emerge from such unconventional storytelling?...