ReFantazio’s combat is better than Persona

Although Metaphor: Refantazios combat system strongly resembles that of PersonaOne change makes it much more compelling. The newest RPG developed by Atlus, Metaphor: RefantazioTakes and combines Many familiar elements of the Persona And Shin Megami Tensei SeriesPlacing them in a medieval fantasy world that serves as a departure from the modern-day settings of each franchise. However, while many of metaphorIts mechanics will be familiar to fans of Atlus’ other RPGs, some changes make the game’s combat an improvement on its predecessors.

While most players will probably be more familiar with Persona, metaphors combat system actually takes a significant amount of Shin Megami Tensei as well as – in particular, metaphors “press turn” system is more closely resembled SmtS like Personas, punish missed or nullified attacks with lost turns in addition to the usual extra turns rewarded for hitting weaknesses or critical hits. Where the game does resemble Persona More closely, however, is in its archetype system, where party members can learn and equip different archetypes that determine their abilities in battle.

Not changing archetypes mid-battle makes combat more interesting

Metaphor’s archetype mechanics make his combat better than Persona’s

However, unlike in the US, Persona Games where only the protagonist can switch between personas mid-battle, metaphor Instead allows any character to switch between any archetype, but only outside of combat – which makes teambuilding and preparing for tough encounters much more interesting. In a game like Persona 5The ability to have Joker switch between a variety of personas mid-battle, along with the more strictly defined abilities of other party members, make it possible to be prepared for any encounter without needing to adjust anything outside of combat.

in contrast, The inability to swap archetypes mid-battle in metaphor Places a heavy emphasis on preparationForcing players to more carefully consider how their team is built and whether it can handle the upcoming fights. Instead of swapping mid-combat to figure out enemy weaknesses, or other needs like healing or buffing teammates, players instead choose the right archetype ahead of time—for example, making sure there’s a Knight or Gunner in the party. Enemies weak to pierce damage.

finally, This makes for a combat system that is more punishing than Persona – Bringing the wrong archetypes can, in the absolute worst-case scenario, leave players in an unwinnable battle – But that also makes it more rewardingLet players feel smart for building a team that effectively counters an upcoming boss fight. By making it harder to build a single character or team composition that can handle every possible scenario (at least until later in the game), metaphorAnd its archetypes, encourages players to think more carefully about combat.

Various mechanics mitigate Metaphor’s most frustrating moments

While being stuck with the “wrong” archetypes for any given battle can be frustrating, many of metaphorIts other systems do a good job of supporting the game’s approach to combat. Most notably, the informants that can be found in major cities provide vital intel for many (but not all) of the game’s bosses, giving players the chance to figure out which archetypes to bring to which fight before actually engaging in combat. Additionally, if luck does not turn in the player’s favor, even with the right archetype lineup, metaphor Also allows players to restart any battle from the beginning.

metaphors synthesis system, which allows certain combinations of archetypes to use powerful abilities, also encourages players to think more carefully about how they build their teams. Even if a team can exploit a certain enemy’s weaknesses, missing the right synth combos can deprive the player of a strong edge in combat, and It can often be worth fitting into certain archetypes just for the synthesis combinations they can provide.

Unfortunately, there are many reasons metaphorChanges in the combat system may not fit in a prospective Persona 6 – For one, after three games in the series that allow the protagonist to switch personas, taking that ability away in a direct sequel may not feel good to longtime fans. in Metaphor: RefantazioHowever, the change to allow all party members to swap archetypes, but only outside of combat, makes strategizing, preparing and team-building for specific fights a much more interesting and involved prospect than in PersonaAnd the game systems are well-built to support its combat as well.