Summary
The main quest ofMetaphor: ReFantaziois incredibly engaging, with us following our protagonist on his journey around Euchronia as he discovers more about the nation’s history, and its various tribes. However, the game does nothing to discourage getting sidetracked, with plenty of time to fill between main event deadlines.
While there are plenty of different ways to fill this time, most of these free periods will be spent completing side quests. There are plenty of these side quests to complete, and that naturally means that some stick out a lot more than other.
7Relic Search
Bond Quest Line
Neuras is one of the most interesting characters in Metaphor: ReFantazio. Straddling the linebetween party member and standard follower, you’ll be seeing a lot of him as you travel around Euchronia, and one of the most engaging ways to interact with him is through his quest line; Relic Search.
Neuras will task the protagonist with finding different obscure relics around the map of Metaphor: ReFantazio, and most of these are found in mini-dungeons you’ll be visiting to complete other side quests. This makes the quest line incredibly efficient, since it’s almost always multitasked with another one, and getting to show off your latest Relic to your eccentric pilot is always entertaining too.
6Peak Curiosity
Virga Islands Quest
Getting to learn about the mysterious mustari Tribe as you spend time on the Virga Islands is one of the most interesting arcs in Metaphor: ReFantazio, and the side quests you complete for the villagers are worth appreciating too.
One of the most enjoyable is when you help out an anxious villager who has all but given up hope that his adventurous sister has perished while on a journey to the dangerous tower hosted on a nearby island. Upon arriving at the tower, you’ll find that the stubborn sister survives, only staying since she lost her journal at the top of the tower.
Of course our party will retrieve it for her, as it’s the only way to convince her to return to her grieving brother.
5A Dagger, A Ring, And A Rake
Bond Quest
Alonzo is definitely one of themore stand-offish charactersyou’ll get to know throughout Metaphor: ReFantazio, and part of the reason why is your unconventional introduction to the nidia man. After a memento of your former party member Grius (RIP) is stolen by a thief in Martira, Alonzo will exploit your desperation by manipulating you into retrieving a ring for him in exchange for helping you find the thief of the memento.
Of course, this ring is in a dangerous mini-dungeon, but if you tough it out, Alonzo being a man of his word (on occasion), will help you find Grius' dagger, and in helping him out, you’ll begin one of the most interesting bonds in the game.
4The Queen Of Cuisine
Quest Line
Cooking is one of the more underappreciated mechanics in Metaphor: ReFantazio, and it’s easy to dismiss this method of obtaining powerful healing items when you discover it takes up precious time when you’re traveling in the Gauntlet Runner. However, if you level up your bond with Maria, you’ll quickly be able to cook without taking up any time at all, something you’ll want to do to help you complete The Queen of Cuisine quest line.
To help inspire this enigmatic chef, you’ll need to fulfill her recipe briefs to make a dish that will sate her specific appetite. You’ll get a couple of chances to impress her, and the better your recipe fits her specifications, the better your reward will be.
3The Right To Rule
You’ll be introduced to Bardon during the Martira arc of the main story, and in spite of all the layers of conspiracy he’s wrapped up in, it’s easy to see that the Roussainte has a good heart. Luckily, he exits the tumultuous arc of the main quest unscathed, and ends up being a bond you can work through during the story.
Nearthe end of his bond line, the commander will selflessly jump to save the people of his town (in spite of how much they’ve been harrassing him throughout his story line) to stop a rampaging human sandworm outside the town walls.
The protagonist and the party will need to help him out (in fact he’ll just give you one buff at the beginning of the fight), but it ends up being a highlight of his storyline, displaying the true nature of Bardon while also proving he has what it takes to lead the town with good intentions.
2More’s Task
More is one of the most mysterious characters you’ll get to know throughout Metaphor: ReFantazio, being introduced at the beginning of the story, with details only sprinkled throughout the length of the campaign.
The best way to learn more about him quicker is to complete the More’s Task quest line. Instead of being a more active goal like the other side quests, this quest line will require mastery of the archetype mechanic. It’s a great way to encourage trying out archetypes you might otherwise ignore, with the best example being the early request to try out the slightly awkward Merchant archetype.
1Trial Of The Dragon
A stand-out quest line in Metaphor: ReFantazio for how it balances challenge and reward are the various Trials of the Dragon. The quest is given in the final arc of the game by mustari chief Edeni, who tasks the protagonist with finding various mustari around the map to inform him about the trials hidden in each of three towers that you’ll have likely already visited for previous side quests.
However, when you return to each, you’ll find buffed up enemies littering every floor, as well as a challenging dragon boss at the top of each. It’s not over after completing all three, since you’ll unlock a secret boss to complete the final stage of the quest who’s arguably the toughest enemy in the game, so make sure you’re prepared.
