Metaphor: ReFantazio breaks away from the romance-heavy traditions of its spiritual predecessor, Persona, offering a world where bonds are forged through political alliances and shared struggles rather than love interests. While the game hints at subtle romantic feelings in a few character interactions, it deliberately avoids a romance system, focusing instead on the protagonist’s quest to save a kingdom and build camaraderie with allies. Is there romance in Metaphor: ReFantazio? The answer is a nuanced no-where relationships deepen without the complications of romance, creating a mature narrative centered on leadership and loyalty rather than love.
Can you romance Followers in Metaphor: ReFantazio?
Metaphor: ReFantazio does not feature romance options with its Followers or other characters. While the game includes a Bonds system inspired by Persona’s Social Links, these relationships focus on political alliances and deepening friendships rather than romantic connections. Some followers, like Eupha, express feelings toward the protagonist, but these moments are subtle and not part of a formal romance mechanic. The game emphasizes the protagonist’s role as a ruler and the political nature of relationships, leaving romance largely absent from the gameplay experience.
Can your protagonist, the hopeful king, choose a king-consort or queen-consort for himself in Metaphor: Refantazio? The short answer is no, there is no romance system with Followers or other NPCs in Metaphor.
The protagonist is a little busy trying to defeat Count Louis, resurrect the prince, and bring peace to the nation. Instead, many of the companions in this game take on more of a friend or mentor role in Metaphor, which gets rid of the occasionally extremely awkward or inappropriate sexual undertones with your very underage characters in the Persona series (looking at you Kawakami, Joker’s high school teacher).
However, the answer is a little complex. Beware of spoilers for some late-game character interactions below.
Does Metaphor: ReFantazio have a forced romance?
Metaphor: ReFantazio does not have a traditional romance system where players can actively pursue romantic relationships with followers or NPCs. The game focuses more on political alliances and the protagonist’s mission to save the kingdom, leaving little room for romance mechanics. However, there are subtle romantic undertones, particularly involving the mustari priestess Eupha, who expresses feelings towards the protagonist. This relationship feels somewhat one-sided and is implied rather than fully developed, with some players feeling the romance is somewhat forced, especially in scenes involving Eupha’s protective brother hinting at a romantic connection despite the player’s choices. Overall, romance in Metaphor: ReFantazio is minimal and not a player-driven feature, making any romantic elements feel incidental rather than central to the story.
Kind of.
While some Followers (namely Junah) will flirt a bit with your protagonist, Eupha – your penultimate companion – is the only one to outright profess her love for you.
While she hints at her feelings for you in previous scenes, the confession happens as you finish Eupha’s Follower bond, when she asks to speak with you on the Gauntlet Runner. You can play dumb and buck her affections, but even if you say yes, it’s only implied. You basically stand on the deck of the Gauntlet Runner, hold hands, and talk about how meaningful your relationship is.
While not much, this is the only relationship in the game that pushes the romance angle between your protagonist and another character. And it goes just far enough that it’ll mess with your head canon if you’d prefer your character end up with someone else after the story (or nobody at all).
Could there still be subtle romantic hints hidden in Metaphor ReFantazio’s storylines
Yes, there are subtle romantic hints in Metaphor: ReFantazio’s storylines despite the absence of a formal romance system. While the game does not offer romance via the follower system or allow players to pursue traditional romantic relationships, certain characters display nuanced feelings toward the protagonist. Notably, the mustari priestess Eupha expresses clear romantic feelings, culminating in an intimate handshake that is culturally significant and a brother’s teasing remarks hinting at a deeper bond. Another character, Junah, exhibits playful and flirtatious interactions, though these are lighter and less defined as romance. These moments suggest that while romance is not a core gameplay feature, the narrative includes faint romantic undertones that some players interpret as a canon romance or at least a meaningful emotional connection.
Could the playful and flirtatious moments hint at deeper romantic themes in the story
Yes, the playful and flirtatious moments in Metaphor: ReFantazio could indeed hint at deeper romantic themes within the story. Such interactions often serve as subtle building blocks of romantic tension, which goes beyond mere sexual attraction to include chemistry, emotional connection, trust, and vulnerability between characters. Playful banter, teasing, and flirtation are classic narrative tools to create this kind of tension and intimacy, suggesting an underlying emotional bond that may not be overtly labeled as romance but still enriches character relationships and story depth. These moments can signal a slow, nuanced development of feelings, inviting players to interpret the characters’ connections as potentially romantic or emotionally significant, even if the game does not formalize romance as a gameplay element.
