As a seasoned gamer with years of adventure under my belt, I must say that Metaphor: ReFantazio has left quite an impression on me. Coming from the esteemed house of Atlus, this game is a breath of fresh air, especially for those of us who are more accustomed to their Studio Zero’s works like Persona.
As a dedicated fan, when Atlus unveiled Project Re Fantasy as Metaphor: ReFantazio, I pondered where I’d mostly immerse myself in this new adventure. With my history of replaying Shin Megami Tensei V (with Vengeance) and Persona 5 across various platforms and editions, I questioned if Atlus’ latest fantasy RPG would become my ultimate time investment, either at home on my console or on-the-go with the Steam Deck. With Valve’s portable device, I got to experience both worlds, and now I’ve clocked in over 120 hours exclusively into Metaphor: ReFantazio on both of my Steam Decks. While I’ve played about 30 hours on the console versions, this piece will concentrate on the current build of the game on Steam Deck and the settings I recommend for an optimal experience.
Before going further, the PC review build of Metaphor: ReFantazio has gotten a few patches already with performance improving on Steam Deck with every patch. Valve has currently marked Metaphor: ReFantazio as Steam Deck Playable and not Verified. This is because Valve says some text is small and may be difficult to read while the game’s graphics settings require manual tweaking to have it perform well on Steam Deck. After playing it, I agree with both of those caveats for the rating, and I’ll get to them below.
Initially, it’s apparent that the PC version of ReFantazio hasn’t received an optimal port in terms of performance and graphics customization. Compared to Persona 5 Royal, it seems like a regression in some aspects, and the visual quality could benefit from better anti-aliasing. By default, there’s a rendering scale option set at 125% for me, which enhances the image on the Steam Deck’s screen. However, I advise against playing with rendering scales above 100% at this moment.
In Metaphor: ReFantazio, similar to the demo, you’ll find distinct menus for graphics and display customization. You can tweak the graphics by selecting presets (custom, low, medium, high) or manually adjusting the settings. For optimal performance on Steam Deck, I advise making individual changes.
Metaphor: ReFantazio Steam Deck Recommended Settings and Graphics Options
Initially, when playing Metaphor: ReFantazio on Steam Deck, I noticed some areas where the performance dipped significantly below 30fps, before any updates. These included the opening desert area, the initial city hub, a mid to late game location, and the final dungeon, which had the poorest performance among all, often dropping below 20fps prior to the update. However, after the latest patch, the same locations now consistently run at over 30fps, even reaching up to 45 and 50fps.
Regarding the problematic spots I referred to earlier, they hardly fell below 30 frames per second (fps) and I didn’t notice any frame rates dropping below 28 fps when I rechecked them using old saved games and New Game Plus.
If I had written my review of the Metaphor: Steam Deck performance before the latest update, there would have been numerous conditions attached to my recommendation. However, after the updates, the situation has significantly improved. My experience with the game has noticeably enhanced since pre-release patches, and the Metaphor on Steam Deck is almost flawless now.
For the best performance on your ReFantazio Steam Deck, set the rendering scale at 100%, texture quality to normal, run it full screen, turn off ambient occlusion, and cap the frame rate at 30 fps. If you want a smoother gameplay, you can leave the frame rate uncapped, allowing the game to run around 40-50 fps in most areas, while maintaining low 30s in large cities and towns.
ReFantazio for Steam Deck right now. Even if you lower the resolution to 720p and reduce the rendering scale to 75%, it still drops below 40fps, especially in areas like the final dungeon. Although a 40fps or 45fps at 90hz would be great, it comes at the cost of significantly reducing image quality, which isn’t worth it. The most stable gaming experience on Steam Deck is achieved by playing at the native resolution and targeting a consistent 30fps.
If you’re like me and prefer playing games on your Steam Deck connected to a TV or monitor, there are some additional factors to consider. Generally, t ReFantazio. You may notice frequent drops below 30fps in areas where it usually ran around the mid 30s.
Personally speaking as a fan, when it comes to screen settings for Metaphor: ReFantazio, it’s important to note that the game strictly adheres to a 16:9 aspect ratio, regardless of your chosen in-game resolution. I’ve enjoyed playing it both at fullscreen and 800p resolution.
In Metaphor: ReFantazio, you have the flexibility to either customize the button prompts for your controller or let the game automatically detect them based on your device. Since I was using my new PS5 controller while playing docked, I opted to display PS5 button prompts (Type 2) even when in handheld mode. This dash option is handy because I don’t enjoy holding a button to run in RPGs; instead, I prefer having it as a toggle. At this point, the toggle dash feature appears to be exclusive to the PC version. Another delightful aspect of playing on Steam Deck is the ability to advance dialogue by simply tapping the touchscreen, similar to many visual novels and adventure games.
With the options available on PC and the recommended settings out of the way, I want to also note that I did run into an issue where I couldn’t launch the game offline before going online and having it check (probably for DRM reasons). I tethered my Steam Deck to my phone over hotspot to fix this the first time, and then just started leaving the game in sleep mode before heading out. This isn’t unexpected given the many recent SEGA-published titles that had similar issues, but I wanted to note this since I ran into it twice across the many hours I put into Metaphor: ReFantazio on both my Steam Decks.
In terms of appearance and style, ReFantazio deviates significantly from what we typically associate with Atlus, particularly from Studio Zero’s work. It bears a stronger resemblance to Catherine than Persona, yet it possesses an unusual feel that sets it apart from any previous Atlus release in its overall structure. However, it does adopt certain structural elements from the more recent Persona games.
Reflecting on my gaming journey, I find myself yearning for another round with Metaphor: ReFantazio rather than Persona 5. The game’s combat system and the way its gameplay unfolds have left a lasting impression on me. The diverse locations I explored during the over hundred hours I invested in a single save are still vivid in my memory, and I can’t get enough of them.
From my experience with the demo, it appears that the initial release of Metaphor: ReFantazio was quite similar to the first version I tried on Steam. Initially, it had trouble maintaining a steady 30fps and caused some concern. However, after updates, Metaphor: ReFantazio runs smoothly and looks great on Steam Deck overall.
In terms of aesthetics, Metaphor: ReFantazio boasts appealing menus, captivating character designs, and superb music. However, the technical aspect that somewhat detracts from my gaming experience is the absence of anti-aliasing. Rendering at a higher scale as a remedy seems impractical due to the game’s heavy system requirements, even on contemporary hardware such as consoles. Here’s hoping that future updates include the option for basic anti-aliasing to enhance visual clarity.
In contrast to other Atlus games that have previously launched simultaneously on PC and consoles, this one stands out as the most substantial debut due to it being developed by Studio Zero. My experience with Metaphor: ReFantazio has been enjoyable, and I’m pleased to note that its performance has significantly enhanced since I began playing, making it a compelling choice for Steam Deck users seeking an immersive RPG experience on the move. I hope future updates will bring further enhancements and features to the PC version, addressing the minor issues I’ve encountered.
The game “Metaphor: ReFantazio” is fantastic for playing on the Steam Deck, and I’m excited to progress my New Game Plus save in the upcoming weeks. Many people own a Steam Deck alongside a console, and if you’re eager to have an excellent portable gaming experience with “Metaphor: ReFantazio” from day one, consider purchasing it on PC for play on Steam Deck.
Make sure to read our lengthy review of the full game as well here.
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2024-10-07 17:26