How to Use Party Formations in Metaphor: ReFantazio

How to Use Party Formations in Metaphor: ReFantazio

As a seasoned RPG veteran who’s spent countless hours honing my tactical skills in games like Persona and Final Fantasy Tactics, I can confidently say that Metaphor: ReFantazio’s battle system is a breath of fresh air. The strategic depth offered by the Formation system adds an exciting layer to the turn-based combat, making each encounter feel unique and challenging.


In the strategy battles of Metaphor: ReFantazio, you’ll notice many familiar elements reminiscent of past Atlus titles such as Persona. However, there are notable adjustments to maintain an engaging experience by introducing novel twists.

In this Metaphor, combatants engage in battles with their teammates’ assistance. These teammates can either be manually controlled or set to autonomous battle mode. A character’s position on the battlefield significantly impacts both the damage they inflict and their susceptibility to enemy assaults. The layout of characters can be tailored according to your preference using Formations, here’s a brief explanation of how they function:

How Do Battle Rows Work in Metaphor: ReFantazio

How to Use Party Formations in Metaphor: ReFantazio

In any fight, there are two distinct positions: the front line and the rear line. At their turn, players can guide their character to advance either to the front line or the rear line. The appropriate buttons for this action will be shown in the lower right corner of the screen.

When it’s a character’s turn, they can navigate between rows at no cost or action consumption. You are free to make them move to the front or back as often as desired. However, once they engage in any action such as a melee attack, using an ability, or even utilizing a synthesis skill, that will consume actions or resources.

The actions taken by other team members don’t influence how Synthesis skills are utilized. What truly matters is the location of the character employing the Synthesis skill.

The advantage of shifting game characters between rows is straightforward: Characters placed at the front receive the highest damage output from melee attacks and abilities, while simultaneously taking the full brunt of incoming damage when attacked by adversaries. In contrast, characters situated in the back row will dish out less damage with their melee attacks and abilities but will also sustain reduced damage from enemy assaults.

How to Change Formations in Metaphor: ReFantazio

How to Use Party Formations in Metaphor: ReFantazio

Before a battle commences, players can arrange their team’s positions on the battlefield through formations. To do this effortlessly, navigate to the pause menu and click on Party. In this section, you can individually select each team member and position them in either the front or back row using the formation hotkeys shown in the screen’s lower right corner.

Xbox ControllerLB/RB
Keyboard/Mouse1/3

Additionally, you can swiftly identify your current party arrangement simply by glancing at the character icons positioned on the right side of the screen. Characters standing up front are marked with a red Front symbol, while those in the back row carry a blue Back label, as shown in the screenshot provided above.

By default, all party members are stationed on the front row.

How to Use Formations Correctly in Metaphor: ReFantazio

How to Use Party Formations in Metaphor: ReFantazio

Characters such as Gunner, Healer, and Mage, who primarily use ranged attacks for dealing damage, should generally position themselves at the back of the team to minimize the damage they take. Conversely, melee fighters like Brawler and Warrior prefer the front row to inflict the maximum possible damage during their turns. However, circumstances may sometimes require flexibility. For instance, if a Knight is low on health and uses his Knight’s Proclamation skill to attract all attacks upon himself, it would be wise for him to move to the back row beforehand because he won’t be dealing any damage this turn, only drawing aggro. In doing so, he effectively reduces the damage he will receive in the next turn without any disadvantages.

Furthermore, certain formidable enemies can launch attacks that strike entire rows rather than just one character, as demonstrated during the battle against Homo Fulquilo. Typically, these abilities are signaled beforehand, allowing you to move all characters to a different row and thereby evade the attack altogether.

Understanding when to switch positions among characters is essential for maximizing your party’s potential, especially at increased difficulties. The effectiveness of a formation stems from serving as a foundation for the party’s actions. However, keep in mind that once a character performs an action, they remain stationary until it’s their turn to move again.

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2024-10-12 18:43