Much like the game itself, the Metaphor: ReFantazio Orchestra Concert at Peacock Theater Oct. 13 taught attendees that in a world that often seems bleak, there’s always room for fantasy.
The show was the latest of many successes for “Metaphor: ReFantazio,” Japanese developer ALTUS’ 2024 video game from the same development team behind “Persona 5,” which sold over 10 million copies worldwide and whose soundtrack became so popular that it received its own tour earlier this year.
“The message I got from this concert is that music is magic and it puts a spell on you,” said David Golgado, a fan who showed up in a full cosplay of the game’s protagonist “Will” — down to his signature heterochromic eyes.
The development team behind “Metaphor: ReFantazio” had big shoes to fill, and the team delivered — putting a medieval spin on the slice-of-life and dungeon crawling blend that made “Persona” so popul:r.
The story, one that argues fanatical dreams can change the world, delivered an experience that in some ways, usurped the title before it. It became ATLUS’ fastest-selling game ever, releasing to mass critical success and receiving a “Game of the Year” nomination in 2024, an orchestra launched an eight-stop world tour across three continents, six countries and eight cities in 2026 to celebrate the game’s soundtrack.
At the Los Angeles stop, over a thousand people piled into Peacock Theater, many dressed in elaborate cosplays of their favorite characters. “Metaphor: ReFantazio” had large shoes to fill, coming directly after “Persona 5,” ATLUS’ most successful project ever. For the dedicated fans at the orchestra, the team delivered, creating a world, message and soundtrack that gripped them long after the credits rolled.
“The game really never left,” said Stephanie Wang, who spent two months preparing her cosplay as the game’s antagonist, Louis Guiabern, for the show. “Immediately when I heard a song that I really liked, I would just add it to my playlist. Even after the game was over and I had to just sit with those thoughts, I’m like, all right, let’s run it back.”
The concert, which featured nearly two hours of consecutive orchestral performances, was designed to give listeners a nostalgic experience. Unlike the concert tour for high-octane, jazzy music in “Persona,” the focus on Shoji Meguro’s more operatic, liturgical soundtrack was on intimacy — any noise outside applause at the ends of shows was discouraged.
“‘Persona’ felt more like a party. Everyone was getting loud, everyone was singing in, everyone was jumping in with the rap, whatever lyrics they had. Here we’re just taking it in,” Golgado said.
The setlist sequentially played through the games’ narrative. Conductor Brian Eads, who has concert credits at symphonies for Undertale, Stardew Valley and Death Stranding, began Act I with “Prelude to a Heroic Tale,” the very first song the player hears upon embarking on their journey.
From there, the developers took viewers on a sonic journey alongside the cast of “Metaphor: Re-fantazio.”Act I evoked the first half of the “Metaphor : ReFantazio” experience, cycling through early-game town themes such as the “Royal Capital Grand Trad” and “Martira, Old Castle Town,” as well as “Warriors in Valour” — the game’s battle theme, which live singer Sam Kredienweis contributed chanting vocals to.
Backgrounding all of these performances were elaborate lighting effects and theatrical screens that displayed iconic locals, cinematic shots and cutscenes in the game — adding to the immersion for fans.
“I liked how the lights were when they were playing with the orchestra. It was red whenever there was a fight or when it was calm — like in ‘Akademia’ — it was blue,” said Diego Espitia, a fan at the show. “The vibe was cool.”
After a brief intermission, viewers were taken to Act II, where they were treated to the grandiose tracks of the final stretch “Metaphor ReFantazio.” Maiko Katagiri, the actual singer for “Wings of Freedom” in-game, joined the orchestra for a performance onstage, and then he cycled through other late-game classics, such as “Altabury Heights,” “You Face Louis Guillabern” and “Melancholy Star.”
The concert ended with a performance of “Traversing Wastes,” which served as both the theme for a section in the game’s prologue, as well as for one of its most important final bosses. Espitia said the theme was his favorite moment of the show due to the significance it has within Metaphor’s story.
“In the beginning, I didn’t really pay that much attention to the song, but once the big reveal happened near the end of the game, it just stuck with me,” Espitia said. “Like, oh my God, this is getting me tear-eyed. It gave me goosebumps.”
As fans began to peter out of the show after curtain call, the festivities continued. Fans took pictures with their favorite cosplays, traded character cards with each other and talked about their favorite experiences with a game that’s become integral to them.
“The characters, the art direction, music, everything is so well done,” Wang said. “Metaphor is really an amazing game, and it’s become an integral part of my life too.”
To Wang, the success of this concert speaks to the value of hard work in game development.
“This concert really shows that if you put your heart and soul into a passion project of a game, there will be people who recognize that effort and will come and show up for it,” Wang said. “Metaphor isn’t ATLUS’ biggest title; that definitely goes to ‘Persona.’ But I think if you ask a lot of the hardcore fans here which game they want to show up for, that they want to really support and see succeed, it would probably be this one.”
Edited by Justin Ha