Atlus, the renowned developers behind the Persona series, has released a playable demo for its upcoming RPG, Metaphor: ReFantazio. This game is being developed by Studio Zero, Atlus’ third internal team, and marks the offshoots first original project since the studio’s formation in 2016.
Last time we discussed Atlus’ upcoming original RPG Metaphor: ReFantazio, the focus was on the sudden recasting of legendary Japanese voice actor Toru Furuya. A veteran in the industry, Furuya had enjoyed a long and distinguished career.
However, his reputation took a nosedive when he confirmed disturbing allegations involving an affair with a fan, during which he physically assaulted her and pressured her into having an abortion. In Japan’s industrious and reputation-sensitive culture, such scandals are met with unparalleled disgust. As a result, Furuya was dropped from his upcoming roles, effectively ending his once-celebrated career, now marred by controversy.
While Metaphor: ReFantazio clearly draws inspiration from the Persona series, it sets itself apart with a new setting and premise. Instead of focusing on high school life, the game is set in the medieval fantasy world of the United Kingdom of Euchronia.
Following the assassination of Euchronia’s king, a global tournament is established to determine the next ruler. The story centers on a young protagonist from the Elda tribe, a group exiled for practicing forbidden magic.
His mission is to break a curse afflicting his childhood friend, who is revealed to be the crown prince of Euchronia, long presumed dead after being lost over a decade ago.
The Prologue Demo for Metaphor: ReFantazio is now available, offering roughly four hours of gameplay that includes the game’s first full chapter, four dungeons, six party members, and access to seven of the game’s 40 Archetypes.
However, fans of Atlus and its JRPG expertise may want to approach cautiously, as SEGA, the game’s publisher in foreign markets, has implemented Denuvo anti-tamper DRM.
This controversial encryption software is notorious for degrading game performance and stability, a problem that coincidentally plagues the PC version of the demo. Additionally, concerns have been raised about the English localization, with many claiming it has been severely mishandled.
The debate surrounding poor localizations has persisted for years, and with global access to media through the internet, consumers are increasingly aware of the alterations made to foreign content.
Localization teams have been criticized for introducing changes that stray from the original work, inserting foreign slang, buzzwords, or even personal interpretations into translations.
This practice blatantly disrespects the original source material, especially with Japanese anime and video games, by twisting the creators’ intent to fit outside cultural preferences.
Atlus has also been scrutinized as a company under SEGA’s ownership. SEGA, along with other large Japanese corporations, has been criticized for aligning with Western ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) and DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) initiatives.
SEGA’s recent cancellation of HYENAS, a PvPvE heist shooter featuring drag queens in space, further fueled concerns about these influences. Similarly, recent Persona releases have sparked debates over Western cultural imprints on the franchise.
For example, the release of Persona 3 Reload, a remake of the 2006 classic, introduced several changes not present in the original. These included revised dialogue and the introduction of Black NPCs that weren’t present in the original.
One notable change involved the removal of a scene at the beach that had been criticized as “transphobic”; it was rewritten to portray the character in question as a conspiracy theorist, affecting both the Japanese and English versions.
Additionally, Persona 3 Reload featured a pride flag pin in one of its animated trailers, and removed the protagonist Makoto’s ability to wield weapons other than a sword, an option previously available in Persona 3 FES.
The LGBT pin fueled debates, especially as a vocal minority of the Persona “fanbase” on social media, particularly LGBTQ+ players, have pushed for more queer representation and changes within the series if not outright disregarding the source material to push delusional head canons regarding the sexuality of Persona characters.
For some, the appeal of Persona lies in its depiction of a sociable high school life, an experience they never had growing up in reality, hence why the largest demand made by these people is a Persona game with the backdrop setting of college life, probably so they can invoke Western degeneracy and sexuality into the mix.
Meanwhile, Metaphor: ReFantazio is facing criticism in the West. Gamers who value authenticity without cultural modifications have scrutinized the demo, comparing the English version to the original Japanese. Numerous discrepancies have been found, suggesting deliberate changes that go beyond acceptable localization, sparking frustration among those who prefer a faithful translation.
For example, the dialogue with Gallica, a key character in the game, has undergone significant changes from the Japanese version to the English localization during the games opening sequence.
In the original Japanese text, Gallica is portrayed as sincere, kind, and helpful, asking if you know where you’re going and offering her assistance if needed. However, in the English version, her character takes on a more passive-aggressive tone. Gallica calls you “dopey.”
Do note that the initial translation of the first line is incorrect. In the context of the story, the protagonist is actually an Elda, and the focus is on avoiding attention in general, not specifically avoiding “the Elda tribe.”
Translating the line as “be careful not to get involved with the Elda tribe” is entirely inaccurate. The original intent is for the protagonist to be cautious about standing out in the city due to their rare heritage, not to avoid interacting with others of their kind. While this could be cited as an argument against using AI-driven translations in video games, if AI were involved, there would likely still be someone responsible for reviewing and verifying the machine translations for companies like Atlus.
Additionally, a line where she kindly offers advice in the Japanese version has been altered to sound more condescending in English, with Gallica stating “feel free to admit you’re lost” and specifically to ask her for advice.
These changes not only misrepresent the original tone and meaning but also significantly alter the character’s personality, undermining the authentic experience that the developers intended to convey.
Another comparison noted by wary fans highlights a common issue in modern localization of Japanese media: the addition of exaggerated, infantile insults that stray from the original tone. In this case, the protagonist secretly overhears a conversation between an arrogant, overweight guard captain and a young nobleman eager to enlist.
In a raw translation of the original Japanese dialogue, the captain, though still arrogant, delivers a more grounded warning, stating that the young aristocrat would be forced to face the harsh realities of war, and that he would likely die defending his country.
However, in the English version, this line has been embellished to something far more dramatic: “War will turn your arrogance to piss. When your corpse is plucked from the mud, do try to look patriotic.”
This shift not only alters the tone, but also detracts from the original material by injecting unnecessary harshness, changing the dynamic between the characters and affecting the overall narrative style.
This is a common issue in the localization of Japanese media, where failed writers impose their own perspectives and reinterpret lines, using the original work as a platform for their own creative input.
Their role should be to translate the material from one language to another in a way that makes sense and is understandable to the specific region, not to leave their own mark or add personal spins to the content. Ultimately, this is not their story to tell.
These changes often stray from the intent of the creators, altering the meaning and tone of the dialogue, essentially turning the material into their own version of fanfiction, something that would be snubbed if presented on its own merit but because they have the power to flex their failed writing skills upon foreign media you’re forced to witness it and endure it.
We’ve seen similar issues in Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes, where over-the-top insults and various rewrites drastically alter character personalities between the Japanese and English versions. Fans have expressed frustration at these unnecessary changes, which detract from the original tone and intent by Atlus.
In the case of Metaphor: ReFantazio, keen-eyed fans have noted that the English localization involved Katrina Leonoudakis, which explains much of the dissatisfaction.
Leonoudakis, a much hated figure amongst anime enthusiasts, has earned a negative reputation for inserting modern Western slang, buzzwords, and potentially political ideologies into her translations during her time working with companies like Funimation and Crunchyroll.
Like many localizers who struggle to do their simple job of translating, Katrina Leonoudakis is vocally opposed to the rise of artificial intelligence and machine learning algorithms that will eventually render her job obsolete.
She often attempts to gaslight anime fans, insisting that translators like herself are professionals who “love” the source material, while simultaneously defending her choices to inject over-the-top insults, rewrite female characters to be more aggressive towards men, and incorporate modern Western slang like “sus,” “yeet,” and “eye bleach” into translations.
She justifies these changes, claiming that fans don’t truly understand the complexities of her profession, despite the backlash over her alterations.
Sometimes, a direct one-to-one translation from one language to another is impossible. However, individuals like Katrina seem to find gratification in undermining the creations of others, intentionally altering the material to the detriment of genuine fans who respect the source content.
Despite claims that we are “not the target audience” for localized products, whether video games or anime, this is the same person who has publicly advocated for the Japanese to ban the phrase “Now I can’t be a bride anymore” from their collective consciousness.
In the case of Metaphor: ReFantazio, concerns about Katrina’s involvement are especially pronounced, as she serves as the “senior engineer” for the English translation alongside having worked on Persona 3 Reload, Persona 5 Tactica and P4G.
Fans have observed that characters in the English demo display completely different personalities from their Japanese counterparts. However, since the goal of localization often seems to be less about authentic translation and more about imposing Western values onto the product, it’s suggested by Katrina those who prefer the original intent are not considered the target audience.
Interestingly, she will be overseeing the localization for the upcoming release of Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii, set to launch on February 28, 2025.
These are the types of individuals SEGA seems to favor when managing international translations for their titles, radical feminists who act superior and gaslight the core audience, insisting their heavy-handed localizations, which often stray far from the original script, are authentic. In the worst cases, they may even censor content.
The demo only scratches the surface of the game’s opening chapter, and many more changes are likely to emerge once the full game releases on October 11, 2024. Personally, I won’t be purchasing it.
