Cyber Monday deals have conveniently made my job a lot easier by making most of the best games I played this year cheaper than ever and even easier to recommend. This was a particularly rich year for JRPGs, as reflected in my personal GOTY list, so if you're looking for a big, juicy game with fascinating systems and a gripping story to play over the holidays, you're in luck. Several massive games have seen equally deep discounts this sale season, so while I don't fully believe in the hours of fun per dollar argument, there's no denying that Japanese RPGs are among the best buys of this season.
The last JRPG I finished is also the best I've played this year: Metaphor: ReFantazio, the latest 100-hour saga from a team of Persona and Shin Megami Tensei veterans. Amazon has the launch edition of this instant classic for $49.99 – a solid 29% discount, which is a new all-time low for one of the best JRPGs in recent memory and a great discount for any game that's not even two months old.
Metaphor: ReFantazio is available on PS5, Xbox Series This discount is only available for the launch edition of PS5 and Xbox Series All in all, this is the cheapest Metaphor: ReFantazio ever, and this JRPG masterclass was already worth it at full price.
You could pretty much describe Metaphor: ReFantazio as Fantasy Persona. It's more than that, but it's still a useful shorthand because if you don't like Persona: Turn-based combat focused on attacking enemy weaknesses, calendar-based objectives, light dungeon exploration, character building with magic and physical abilities . – You probably don't like this. Metaphor plays a lot like Persona 5 Royal and Persona 3 Reload, especially, with some notable twists. But thematically and musically, it's an exciting new direction for developer Atlus, and arguably their best work yet.
As the underdog contender in a desperate kingdom's latest tournament to choose the next king amid a worsening monster crisis, you gather and meet a group of playable characters and non-playable followers whose personal quests relate to the main story and influence directly. combat, exploration and more. When you're not dungeon crawling, whether finishing the next story objective before the deadline or seeking a side quest reward for additional resources, you'll spend a lot of time in conversations and cutscenes with some of the best English voices. acting to once adorn a game.
The metaphor is partly about doing as much as you can as quickly as possible, but it's not hectic or uncomfortable. There is a sense of urgency, but there is also time (and good reason) to stop and seize the moment. I was able to finish absolutely everything (every side quest, every character's story, and more) with plenty of time to spare and without obsessive planning, so don't stress about the calendar system. Accept it and prioritize.
The biggest departure from Persona would be the Metaphor Archetypes, which frame a more typical JRPG job system that replaces the collectible Persona and demons that Atlus is known for. If that was your sticking point with Persona, this may win you over. Archetypes can be magicians, thieves, warriors or healers, not to mention stranger branches and specialized evolutions that I will not reveal. There are over 40 archetypes in total, they're closer to Shin Megami Tensei: Digital Devil Saga than anything else, and feature one of the best job systems in the entire JRPG genre, with clever progression and powerful skill combinations that give you they maintain thought.
There's nothing big about Metaphor: ReFantazio and there isn't a single weak link among its many sprawling systems. In a lighter year, he would be a safe bet for global GOTY. There will never be a bad time to buy or play it, and based on this Cyber Monday deal, there's never been a better time to jump in.
Metaphor: ReFantazio is easily one of the best Cyber Monday deals for gamersand there are many more hanging around. Here are our picks for the best. PS5 Cyber Monday Deals and Xbox Cyber Monday Deals.