Following Metaphor: ReFantazio to the Ending: A Let's Play Record of Becoming King by Throwing Money

Note that this article covers content up to the ending.

The story begins with the protagonists traveling to the royal capital aboard a gauntlet runner. Their conversation along the way reveals that the king has died, that he is said to have no heir, and that the succession is likely to be contested. With the army's soldiers tied up preparing for the funeral, public order has broken down, and strange monsters are appearing all over the land.

Partway through, an armed gang declares that "neither the royal family nor the church can save us anymore" and tries to rob the gauntlet runner's passengers. They point out that the protagonist has neither horns nor long ears and scorn him as a member of a "filthy race." From the very start, the game shows that racial discrimination runs deep in this world.

In a flashback, the protagonist talks with the prince. Holding a novel that depicts an ideal world, the prince says his dream is for the kingdom to one day become like the country described in that book. He wants to end a world in which some races are deemed superior or filthy and one's birth decides one's entire life. The Eldas of the village that sheltered him are also oppressed despite having done nothing wrong. That is what the prince says. His father taught him that whoever becomes king must be a hero, and that a hero is someone who stands at the front in hard times and strikes down adversity.

The prince says he wants to build an ideal country where people of any birth can believe in their own future, and that he was able to overcome hard times because the protagonist was always there. The protagonist replies, "You can do it," and vows that he won't give up either.

According to the narrator's commentary, after being pushed off a cliff at the beginning, the protagonist somehow made it to the royal capital. Acting on secret orders from the village sheltering the prince, he has successfully infiltrated the national army. The protagonists' plan is to contact an ally who has infiltrated the army, defeat the sorcerer who placed the curse on the prince, and then make the prince the next king. The narrator mutters, "Like that's gonna go so smoothly."

While assigned to defend a fort, the protagonist is confronted by a monster called a "Human." In his moment of crisis, a mysterious voice forces him to choose: "Will you go forth to your trial, or fall here?" and the protagonist awakens to a power. According to the narrator's explanation, this is the power of "Archetypes," a magic said to lie dormant within every person. The one that manifests in the protagonist is the Seeker, which specializes in wind magic.

This boss's legs and wings are weak to wind, so the protagonist attacks with his newly learned wind magic. The narrator explains that exploiting weaknesses not only increases damage but also grants extra actions. During the battle, the enemy heals by eating part of its own body. Its source of healing is something like an apple, and the presentation practically begs you to knock it down. However, according to the narrator, the fairy Gallica will deal with it afterward, so it's fine to keep attacking the main body. The narrator describes this mechanic as "a setup to make Gallica look good." The enemy's attacks don't hurt much, and the fight ends after about two rounds of attacks. Why it is called a "Human" is unclear, but the narrator's verdict is that it was a good tutorial boss that teaches the basics of the world and the battle system.

The destruction of the fort had been staged to plant the impression in the populace that it was "destroyed by Humans." Since survivors would be inconvenient, the protagonist is hunted by the army. On the way back to the capital, he is ambushed by the national army and fights his way out alongside the surviving soldier Strohl and his ally. According to the narrator, perhaps thanks to bonding with the protagonist, his companions also manifest Archetype powers, so here you can win just by spamming those skills. Even after defeating the squad leader, they encounter another "Human." For this enemy, the narrator exploited its weakness with elemental magic from a new Archetype, the Mage. The narrator adds that magic attacks don't lose power even from the back row.

Having made it through their predicament, the group acknowledges one another as companions and shares information about the attack on the prince and the plan to kill the sorcerer.

On the day of the late king's funeral, the group disguises themselves as soldiers to slip in and attempts to carry out the assassination plan. The narrator introduces this as "an important scene that shapes the story."

A man named Louis brings a "Human" into the funeral. Louis declares that the foolish king, disillusioned with the nobility and the clergy and crushed by his own weakness, died. He also argues that even the border fort has fallen to the Humans, and that eventually the whole land will follow. Meanwhile, a certain general proclaims himself king, saying, "Only those with power are fit to be the new king." At that moment, the late king's magic activates.

The voice of the late king proclaims that it has heard the wish for a new king to be born. Whoever gathers the most trust from the people by the appointed day will earn the right to become the next king. The king's soul will gather the voices of everyone's hearts from the heavens, and no one can disguise their true feelings. The faces of those gathering support are displayed above the people's heads, and the one with the most support at that moment is Louis.

Louis tells the crowd that birth and race do not matter, and that he will protect those who follow him from the threat of the Humans. At the same time, he openly declares that he will mercilessly kill anyone who does not obey, even royalty. Among the people, voices for and against are mixed: "Even slaves will be protected if we support him," "Don't be fooled." In this scene, their ally Grius falls. The late king's magic announces that all people of every race and station have the right to challenge for the throne, and the battle for the throne begins.

When the group heads to the cathedral in pursuit of a sorcerer serving Louis, controlled enemies stand in their way. Here, a knight joins the party. According to the narrator, the Knight Archetype that manifests in her excels at defense and has the ability to draw enemy attacks. However, the narrator had her join the attack, saying it's "easier to just take them down quickly." The enemy is weak to light, so the other two attack with the Healer's light magic.

The next battle introduces Synthesis skills for the first time. These are techniques usable by combining specific Archetypes, and some can add weaknesses while attacking. The narrator used this on a boss with no weaknesses to create one and gain extra actions.

Next, a giant "Human" controlled by Louis's right-hand man Zorba appears. Following their companion's analysis, the group first strikes the torso to break its stance, making it vulnerable to normal attacks, and then targets what seems to be its heart with a three-person Synthesis skill. After this battle, the protagonist decides to enter the battle for the throne and sets off on a journey aboard the gauntlet runner.

Boss fights continue at each stop on the journey. In a battle that ends once you whittle down about 80% of the boss's HP, the narrator spams elemental Synthesis skills. In the fight against a "Human" that had been absorbing missing people with a curse, the narrator made use of a Synthesis skill that forcibly makes pierce damage a weakness. The narrator introduces this skill as "a handy Synthesis skill." This section also includes a scene where a mother trying to save her child pours magic into a monster that has taken the child's form. Once its HP is reduced to a certain point, the enemy heals, so the narrator inflicts status ailments to regain control. As the party grows and the number of actions increases, the narrator remarks that battles have become "lively."

In the water city of Brilhaven, the group sneaks aboard the gauntlet runner of a certain influential figure and steals the blueprint for the magic placed on the prince. From here, the narrator begins using the power of a new Archetype, the Dealer. Its slot-machine-style skills attack by spending money, and when they hit, they score critical hits.

This strategy becomes the keynote of the second half of the video. Even when a troublesome opponent that reflects all physical attacks appears, the narrator says, "Money doesn't get reflected, so no problem," and pushes right through. The slot skills seem to have accuracy issues, but even when spotted by guards, the narrator silences them by throwing money. The narrator also says of a companion with low strength that this will probably be the last time they are brought into battle.

There is also a scene where a giant "Human" attacks the group as they try to cross the sea. This boss is weak to lightning, but the narrator says critical hits provide an equivalent effect even without exploiting weaknesses, and declares, "The era of worrying about elemental affinities is over."

The group stopped at the island to borrow the Dragon God's Spear. According to the narrator, this spear apparently has the special power to kill a target without being bound by the Royal Magic. On the island, they rescue a companion who was to be offered as a sacrifice. The island's dragon god had been possessed by a "Human." After defeating the "Human" by throwing money at it, they target the dragon god itself. The narrator says that because they had allocated the protagonist's stats to specialize in strength, they dealt good damage.

The "Human" they thought they had defeated was hiding elsewhere, and they end up fighting it again. This boss changes its weakness at set intervals and nullifies attacks of all other elements. However, the narrator says this doesn't matter for money attacks and keeps scattering money without worrying about it.

Arriving at Altabury, the holy city of Sanctism, the group finally moves to assassinate Louis. The protagonist sneaks into the space above the hall's ceiling and, seizing a brief opening that arises during a performance by the kingdom's songstress Junah, aims at Louis with the Dragon God's Spear. However, the assassination fails, and Louis himself appears. In the end, the protagonists challenge him to a duel head-on.

The narrator notes that Louis surprisingly accepts the duel without hesitation. The narrator sees this as a scene that reveals a side of this man who preaches rule by force. As for the battle itself, the narrator declares, "In this world, money is power," and throws money with everything they've got.

Even after Louis is defeated, the prince's curse does not disappear. Louis leaves them with the words, "So it was you who were snooping around that blueprint. But it was all in vain." Here, the true culprit behind the curse appears. The culprit presses the protagonists, saying, "A country where weakness and foolishness are not vices—show me you have the resolve and power to make it," and, clad in the power of a dragon, challenges them to battle. According to the narrator, this person also seemed to have circumstances involving their younger sister, but there's no helping it, so they defeat them anyway.

This boss deploys a barrier that nullifies elemental attacks. The narrator says it doesn't matter since they'll just bash it with money as usual. Against elemental attacks, they defend with the Knight's Synthesis skill Magic Guard.

After the battle, the sorcerer reveals that their life has been eaten away by the curse and they have little time left. They then entrust Junah and this country to the protagonists. When the sorcerer departs with the words, "Never leaving your life in someone else's hands for even a second—I wish I could have lived like that too," the prince's curse is lifted.

Meanwhile, Louis, who was supposedly dead, is easily revived by Zorba's power. A new duel is arranged, but when Louis stimulates the protagonist with magic, the protagonist transforms into a "Human." In front of the crowd, Louis reveals that "Humans" are another form of the Eldas, and that this is the true identity of the one revered as the prince. The people flee in panic, shouting, "He's a monster!" His companions try to deny it as an illusion conjured by Louis, but others say the feel of the magic is the same as a real "Human."

Back in his original form, the protagonist heads to the village where the prince sleeps. There, the protagonist's true identity is revealed. The protagonist was born from the prince's body as the embodiment of the prince's will to change the world. He traveled the world in the prince's place and supported the prince's heart. He was the very ideal the prince had wanted to become. It is also revealed that everything began with the novel the prince owned.

The protagonist regains his true form and awakens to the Prince Archetype. Immediately after, he clashes with a "Human" that Zorba unleashed on the village. The narrator remarks that fighting this opponent again right after awakening to a new power is "a bit like fate," and quickly defeats this "old acquaintance."

Boarding the gauntlet runner, which for some reason can now fly, the group heads for the royal capital. Zorba, who champions a world built on sacrifice, stands in their way in a powered-up form, but the group repels him. Next comes the final battle with Louis. Louis challenges them to "a contest staking the worlds we each seek." The group defeats Louis, who has become "Demon King Caladrius."

However, Louis pours in even more magic and transforms the protagonist once again. As his companions call out to him, the protagonist is summoned to another world by an avatar of the late king. The late king says that the world depicted in the novel written by his son, the prince, is in fact reality, and that the world they believed to be real is the fantasy. Here, there is no dangerous magic and no twisted discrimination. Since ideals cannot be built in that world, the late king urges him to accept everything until now as fantasy and live here instead.

The protagonist refuses and fights the late king. The late king says it was because of the novel he himself wrote that the protagonist came to hold such naive ideals, and that as a father he will stop this recklessness. The narrator explains that until the protagonist awakens to the Prince, they'll attack with other means. The protagonist wins this battle as well.

When they return to the real world, Louis's magic has gone out of control. Louis himself has become a "Human," crying that the world must be ended and remade. A companion says that in the end, even Louis couldn't escape his own anxieties.

According to the narrator, the final boss battle is split into a first and second half, and in the first half you must defeat three faces. The narrator uses a Synthesis skill that scatters money to hit all enemies and keeps attacking relentlessly. In the second half, the companions combine their last strength against the ideal of Louis, who believes in nothing and relies on no one. They then defeat "Ruinous King Caladrius."

After the battle, the people's support shown by the Royal Magic finally surpasses Louis's. A companion tells the protagonist that everyone is close to giving in to fear and anxiety and doesn't know what is right, but even so, the people are saying you are the king, and that upholding your ideals is the duty of a king. The protagonist responds that fantasy is not just an empty dream, but a power that will one day change this reality.

At the coronation, the new king is asked what kind of country he will lead. The protagonist answers that he is still inexperienced and doesn't know what he can accomplish, but he believes the world can change, and he will face any challenge. He is also asked how he will respond to the voices of those who did not support him. To this, he answers that there will surely be times he disappoints them, and that all he can do is build up results. He then says he wants to make a country where even people who can't come to like the king can still believe in their own future. These words echo the ideal the prince spoke of at the beginning.

The epilogue takes place one year later. Petitions are piled high before the king. His companions reflect that they thought the succession would throw the country into turmoil, but there was surprisingly little confusion. They also say the reason there are so many petitions is that a culture of not crushing disputes has been taking root. The king himself has disappeared, and when his companions go looking for him, he is about to set off on another journey. Greenery has returned to lands that were once desolate, and unknown landscapes stretch out before them. Finally, there is narration from the author who wrote the ideal country into a novel. The story closes with the message that the kingdom was revived by the people who believed in a fantastical story, that the power to believe in the unknown is what changes everything, and to walk fearlessly into the unknown world.

After finishing the game, the narrator praises how carefully emotion is woven into the world's setting. They also point out that while the game has a certain darkness to it, it portrays an underlying celebration of humanity, and say they enjoyed it as a classic fantasy. The narrator's closing words are that the battle and character-building systems are quite deep, and that the story will likely turn out differently depending on the player's choices.