ReFantazio's Louis Guiabern is inducted into the JRPG Villain Hall of Fame

The groundbreaking success of Metaphor: ReFantazio is almost to be expected, considering how cleverly the game combines the classic high fantasy setting of early JRPGs with Atlus' social systems and addictive combat persona Series. But the title's gameplay capabilities are only half the battle Metaphor: ReFantazio It also offers an excellent story full of timely and relevant themes and strong character development. Of course, this story would fail if the game didn't have a great villain to drive the player and their allies forward, and for that reason, Louis Guiabern shines as one of the great modern JRPG villains.

Especially after the multiple villain approach Persona 5the return of a unique main antagonist in Metaphor: ReFantazio It feels like a return to form for both compared to what the players have seen Persona 3 And 4 and a return to the classics of the genre. Louis Guiabern is clearly evil, but the extent to which the player can empathize with the villain, despite perhaps loathing him, speaks to his dimensionality as a character. Along with legendary foes like Kefka, Sephiroth, and Luca Blight, Louis Guiabern is a JRPG villain for the ages.

Close-up of the eyes of the protagonist of Metaphor ReFantazio

Like Metaphor: ReFantazio incorporates themes of fear into its gameplay

One of Metaphor: ReFantazio's overarching themes is fear, and the game incorporates this theme into its gameplay through a variety of features.

Like the greatest hero and villain dynamics in fiction, Louis Guiabern and Metaphor: ReFantazioThe protagonists are two sides of the same coin. Both characters want the land of Euchronia to change for the better and that their own tribe and social status are not the driving force behind prosperity. But the way each character wants to achieve this goal couldn't be more contradictory. While the protagonist and his allies attempt to create a world where equality reigns and people are judged by their merits rather than their social status or birth, Louis sees power as the great equalizer. metaphorHis heroes would see Euchronia transformed by an olive branch, while Louis would prefer to use a fist.

This disagreement over a common goal is what makes Louis such a likeable villain, but it's also what cements him in conversation with major JRPG antagonists. It's hard not to draw parallels to Cloud and Sephiroth's dynamic Final Fantasy 7in which both characters want to save the planet, but approach this goal from different perspectives. In less experienced hands, Louis' characterization and the plot of Metaphor: ReFantazio Could have come across as cheap, but the strength of the writing and unwillingness to give players easy answers to the game's moral dilemmas make Louis a fascinating character who, despite his sociopathy, often makes a shocking amount of sense.

Most of the time, the best video game villains make an appearance, and Metaphor: ReFantazio has a strong opening that gets straight to the heart of Louis Guiabern's evilness. The opening film alone leaves no doubt as to the lengths Louis will go to in order to achieve his goals, and he remains an imposing figure throughout, thanks to excellent character design and an ice-cold demeanor that only serves to emphasize his singular focus. No matter how powerful the protagonist and his allies become, Louis always feels like a real threat who can and will crush any resistance.

In fact, Louis' eye-catching design is probably just as important to his establishment as metaphorHis characterization and dialogues are the main villain of JRPG, as almost all the greatest JRPG villains have an undeniable “coolness” factor that makes them favorites among players. After all, there's a reason Sephiroth became one of the most iconic and well-known characters in gaming, even though he actually appeared in Final Fantasy 7 only for a fraction of its duration. Metaphor: ReFantazio draws on its classic JRPG influences to provide a bit of genre comfort food, and a large part of the game's appeal in this regard comes through in its intriguing main villain.