Although this year awards season is just around the corner, I was recently reminded of my favorite game of 2024 and coincidentally, Game of the Year 2024 according to GameSpot: Metaphor: ReFantazio. The fantasy RPG quickly captivated me upon its release late last year for a variety of reasons, but perhaps what impressed me most about Metaphor was Atlus's ability to make this high-stakes fantasy adventure ultimately feel grounded and deeply human.
Perhaps it shouldn't have been as surprising as if we were looking at Atlus' catalog of games, many of which tactfully explore ideas like mortality, oppression and self-realization. But while the Persona games and the studio's unique titles like Catherine remained grounded in real life, Metaphor offered a dramatic departure from our world. Much of this is due, of course, to the game's writing and its overarching plot, but another part of what really makes this game work is the fantastic performance of Metaphor.
So I was delighted when the actor who played Metaphor's protagonist, Caleb Ian, volunteered to answer a few questions about his performance and the time he spent working on the game. Ian spoke to GameSpot about his favorite lines, how to bring humor to a serious character, and the awkwardness that comes with playing a game he plays.
GameSpot: Before Metaphor: ReFantazio, Atlus largely avoided fully voice-acting main characters. What was it like to find out that you were going to implement one of the the main characters of the studio?
Caleb He: To be honest, when I received the booking email I was a little scared:[but] in a positive, screaming way: “Oh my God, I’m so excited about this.” Being able to voice the main character at so many key points in the story and even have some powerful monologues in the second half of the game was such a gift.
What I liked about your performance was how much humor you brought. for the role. How did you manage to balance the image of a person who is very much a very serious and noble character, but can be a little clumsy or stupid at times?
We all have layers, you know? Even when something is serious or crazy things happen, we usually still feel a little humor in it, a little silliness. I think the main character is the same, especially because when we meet him in the story, he's not really a fighter. All this is new to him. He's on this journey for the right reasons: he wants justice for his best friend and the kingdom, but he can also be a stupid little guy sometimes because he doesn't always understand what's going on. But it grows as the story progresses and it was truly amazing to play.
I'd love to hear what you thought when you first read the game's plot. What moments you remember most? What storylines were you most drawn to?
First of all, I just thought this story was incredible. The worldbuilding in Metaphor: ReFantazio is fantastic, featuring all the tribes and their interactions, as well as the history of the world itself. Each character makes the decisions they make based on the world they live in and how society has affected them, and that's just the pinnacle of the writing.
I love how deeply the accompanying stories are written. Any of these guys could be the hero of their own game. Strohl carries enormous responsibility and survivor's guilt, Heismey juggles being an outcast with mourning for her son, and Hulkenberg feels disgraced as a knight, but her duty truly goes beyond her title. And this is just getting into the top three partners! I love my weird family!
Making connections is a huge part of Metaphor: ReFantazio, so I'd like to know what connections you had a lot of fun bringing it to life. Are there certain actors that you think you've had? great chemistry with characters or characters whose stories seem particularly compelling?
They were all so good! For the actors that I had chemistry with, all of my work with Gallica was very fun to play because Alejandra Reynoso and I had worked together before. Our characters had a similar relationship in another title where she acted as my big sister or parental figure, so using her as a magical guide here made sense.
Heismai's story hit me like a truck. Following this old guy on his journey, learning about how he just wanted to help his people by interacting with other tribes but was ostracized for it, and then seeing him mourn the loss of his son and try to find a final resting place… it was so powerful.
How does it feel to come back and play a game in which you voiced the main character? Do you find it a little awkward or difficult?
A little! I can hear myself so well when I play! But it's also really great to be a part of such a fantastic game and I'm so proud of the work that me and the rest of the cast and the crew as a whole did, so I got over it pretty quickly.
What were your favorite lines you delivered in Metaphor: ReFantazio? What lines from your colleagues do you remember most?
Perhaps it's no surprise that I had so much fun with Awakening! line. I'm also a big Persona fan, so I can say, “Persona!” was quite dreamy. At one point I say something like “ghost” and it makes me laugh.
[Yet] nothing stood out to me more than Philip Spall's roar of “Oh, the power of kings!” like Haysmay. This little bat looks like a mascot character, but he exists No– he's so cool.
And then the whole scene where everyone is knocking on each other to summon Heismaya. I love these rotating deliveries – it's so fun! Did I mention I love my weird family?
One of the things that really pushed my love for Metaphor over the edge was unabashed social commentary. What was it like dubbing this game in the middle of a really turbulent period of time, politically?
I think Metaphor: ReFantazio has some really universal themes. Each character faces the expectations that society places on them based on how they were born, who their people are, the status of their family, and a variety of other factors that they have no control over. They need to balance all of this with what they really want in life, who they want to be faithful to, and strive for the ending that matters most to them. This is an amazing game because every character really feels connected to the lore and story that is unique to Metaphor: ReFantazio and I'm so glad to be a part of it.
The above interview has been lightly edited for clarity and brevity.
