The bizarre monsters in Metaphor: ReFantazio are called "humans", but they look nothing like us. If you're wondering where Atlus got the idea: Hieronymus Bosch.
Atlus is known for having some of the most horrifying enemies in JRPGs. And in their new IP, Metaphor: ReFantazio, they've smashed it out of the park once again with the absurd and terrifying.
As fans worked out months ago, these so-called "humans" were inspired by the Dutch renaissance artist Hieronymus Bosch.
Metaphor: ReFantazio draws inspiration from Hieronymus Bosch
If you've played the game or even just the demo, you'll probably remember the boss from the Northern Border Fort. Not only because you can activate your Archetype powers there, but also because the boss looks insane.
Homo Gorleo, as he's called, is a giant flapping creature that attacks the party with its legs and wings, while healing itself with apples.
If you're wondering how they came up with the idea, take a look at Hieronymus Bosch's painting The Garden of Earthly Delights.
Look at the bottom right in the middle panel. A creature with the upper body of an owl, four legs and four arms is standing in the meadow, with branches of apples sticking out. Clearly, the inspiration for Homo Gorleo.
And if you're a bit further into the game, the large creature with the egg-like torso on the right will certainly remind you of something:
Here it is! The boss of the first dungeon looks almost exactly the same, doesn't it? Sure, he's got two creepy arms sticking out, and his face isn't as friendly, but there's inspiration here too.
But who is Hieronymus Bosch?
Hieronymus Bosch was a Dutch painter from the late 15th and early 16th centuries, known for his surreal and often nightmarish depictions of sin, morality, and the human condition.
His most famous work, shown above, is a triptych that vividly illustrates the tension between paradise, temptation, and damnation. The left panel shows a serene Eden, while the central panel is a chaotic, bizarre scene of human indulgence and fantastical creatures. The right panel depicts Hell, where Bosch’s most grotesque and absurd figures punish sinners.
These strange beings—half-human, half-monster—are visual metaphors for humanity's moral failings. They act as a warning about the consequences of vice and earthly pleasures, suggesting that humans, caught in the middle of divine order and chaos, are easily corrupted. Metaphor: ReFantazio adopts Bosch’s monstrous creatures to represent this same moral conflict.
We're loving Metaphor: ReFantazio (hell, it might even dethrone Persona), and we wanted to share this interesting tidbit with you. Have you discovered any other interesting inspirations in ReFantazio yet?