Does Metaphor ReFantazio have new game plus?

Does Metaphor ReFantazio have new game plus? We get it, uniting the kingdom of Euchronia once might not be enough to scratch your regal itch. But is there any point running back if there isn’t any extra content to enjoy the second time around?

Having cleared the main game for our sparkling Metaphor ReFantazio review, we can already tell you not only if new game plus has materialized in this bold new RPG, but everything involved in the Metaphor ReFantazio new game plus experience, as well as how to get into it – provided it exists, of course. *Cough.*

Yes, Metaphor ReFantazio has a new game plus. It should be no surprise that Metaphor ReFantazio comes replete with a post-completion mode. After all, it’s a mainstay in pretty much every Atlus game ever. Metaphor’s approach follows a similar suit to its predecessors, though it does have its idiosyncrasies.

Eager to check out what’s different, we’ve already delved into new game plus. The good news is that you’ll be able to carry over most of your progress from your first run of the RPG, though there are some notable exclusions. What’s more, there’s a monstrous surprise in store for you if you make it far enough into your second playthrough.

Please be aware that we will be loosely discussing major late-game elements. You won’t find story spoilers here, but we do namedrop the optional new game plus super boss.

What carries over in Metaphor ReFantazio new game plus?

While starting over can seem daunting, Metaphor ReFantazio lets you carry over everything you need to breeze through new game plus. While you’ll have to max out your bonds all over again, you at least carry over the following:

• Archetype statuses – All Archetype level progress will carry over. You won’t be able to access all of these immediately, as some will remain story-gated as they were in the initial playthrough.
• Items – Everything except the intel tab (informant notes, etc.) will carry over. You won’t be able to re-equip your top-end gear until after defeating Klinger and awakening Strohl’s Archetype in the Nord Mines.
• MAG – You can continue unlocking Archetypes thanks to the MAG carry-over.
• Memorandum – Every piece of lore you’ve acquired is retained and ready to be added if you missed anything from your first playthrough.
• Money – Every single Reeve you’ve accumulated in your primary playthrough carries over.
• Royal Virtues – Your five social skills (Courage, Eloquence, Imagination, Tolerance, and Wisdom) won’t need to be leveled up again as all progress carries over.
• Scanned enemies – You won’t have to relearn the weaknesses and resistances of enemies.
• Total playtime – New game plus effectively continues where you left off. So if you defeat the final boss and clear the game for the first time 80 hours in, it will pick up from there.

Alongside all of these existing goodies, Metaphor ReFantazio adds a whole new difficulty – Regicide – for you to tackle. This mode is described as “A high-risk, high-reward mode for only battle-hardened players.” The retry battle feature is disabled in this mode, and you can’t change the difficulty – good luck.

On top of this, regardless of which difficulty you opt for, there’s a brand new super boss for you to tackle – the Redscale Apocalypse Dragon. This big ol’ beastie can be fought in The Book of Apocalypse (that’s the big red book that was chained up in the back right corner of Akademiya during the first playthrough).

The book can now be accessed from a small side table near the blue chairs in Akademiya at any time. However, we’d recommend avoiding it until you’ve neared the end of the game due to its ferocious strength. Bring friends… lots of them. Taking down the dragon will reward you with the ‘Closing the Book’ achievement.

How to start Metaphor ReFantazio new game plus

After defeating the final boss and clearing Metaphor ReFantazio for the first time, you’ll be prompted to save your completion data – we’d recommend allocating a new save slot for this if you have one spare. You will then be taken to the main menu. From there, load the gold-starred completion data and it will trigger the start of a new game plus run.

While this is an identical process to starting your first playthrough, you’ll be able to select the aforementioned Regicide difficulty this time around – provided you’re ready for the toughest challenge the game has to offer.

If you’re hoping to minimize your grind time in new game plus, we’d recommend you take some extra time to max out all of your characters’ Archetypes in the final area of the game before you defeat the final boss. It is categorically the best farming spot in the game, so take full advantage of it.

And that’s all you need to know about Metaphor ReFantazio new game plus. While you’re here be sure to check out the full Metaphor ReFantazio Archetypes list, as well as the other best Metaphor ReFantazio farming spots you can juice yourself up with before you reach the endgame.