Metaphor: ReFantazio’s Support Skills Puts Ball in Persona 6’s Court

Metaphor: ReFantazio's Support Skills Puts Ball in Persona 6's Court

As a gamer who has spent countless hours delving into the rich and complex worlds of Atlus games, I must say that the latest addition to their roster, Metaphor: ReFantazio, has left me utterly spellbound. The new support skills it introduced have shaken up the traditional dynamics between SMT and Persona in a way that leaves me eagerly anticipating what’s next for Atlus.


In its debut as Atlus’ newest intellectual property, the game “Metaphor: ReFantazio” is making a daring leap to reshape the conventions set by long-standing franchises like Shin Megami Tensei (SMT) and Persona. Although some speculate links to the broader history covered under the Megami Tensei brand, this game introduces an entirely fresh collection of abilities, each with its unique name. As we eagerly await the release of “Persona 6”, there’s growing curiosity about whether the skills from “Metaphor: ReFantazio” might play a role in shaping Atlus’ most prominent series in the future.

As a gamer, I’ve noticed a pattern in the challenge levels between the main SMT games and their spin-off, Persona. Historically, the Press Turn system in SMT has been tougher than the One More system in Persona, encouraging creative uses of shared skills. With Metaphor shaking things up with its innovations, it seems like these Atlus titles might need to adjust to stay relevant.

Metaphor ReFantazio’s Expanded Array of Support Skills Defies Atlus’ Existing Conventions

Buffing and Debuffing Multiple Stats at Once

In most cases, the character Persona retains abilities from Shin Megami Tensei that modify one of three key attributes over the course of three turns. For instance, there are individual target skills such as Tarukaja that boost Attack, and group-focused options like Matarukaja for the same effect. However, Metaphor has introduced abilities that simultaneously impact multiple attributes in a single use. These include Vitalja, which enhances both Attack and Defense, and more complex skills such as Dynast Formation, which significantly boosts four party-wide stats.

Stat Effect Ranks Contrast Persona’s Binary System

As a gamer, I find that the abilities in Metaphor: ReFantazio can increase or decrease up to three tiers based on the levels of specific stats they affect. Unlike Persona where skills tend to overwrite each other, the stacking nature of these abilities offers more versatility when it comes to utilizing boosts instead of just focusing on offense. While this style may align with Persona’s straightforward approach, continuing with this method as I progress beyond Metaphor might feel like a step backward in terms of growth and development.

Persona 6 May Feel like a Step Back if It Doesn’t Innovate on Support Skills

Leveraging the Disparity in Challenge Between Atlus’ Franchises

In a game like Metaphor, the ability to influence multiple stats simultaneously with support skills seems well-balanced because the difficulty level is similar to SMT rather than Persona. This means these abilities are used as essential tools instead of being excessive. However, if this feature is introduced in P6 without adjusting its challenge appropriately, it could potentially simplify the current systems, which might be too forgiving due to the One More system of turns in Persona. Now, exploiting weaknesses to knock enemies down and perform All-Out-Attacks is an optimal strategy for many battles at present. If support skills are not managed carefully, they could either disrupt or enhance this focus, depending on their implementation. Despite these concerns, the maturing age of the spin-off series might make it more capable of handling the increased strategic depth that comes from refining both offensive and defensive aspects.

Evolving While Maintaining the Accessibility of Persona

There’s a possibility that the intended essence of the “Persona 6” franchise might be compromised if it adopts the intricacy of its mainline games like “Metaphor: ReFantazio,” specifically through its support skills. However, this could also serve as a stepping stone for players to grasp the subtler aspects of buffs in RPGs. If these non-combat skills are given more emphasis in the upcoming game, they might solidify themselves as crucial elements in Atlus’ future RPG endeavors.

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2024-11-15 16:35