Persona 6 Needs to Steal This Skill From Metaphor: ReFantazio

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In essence, although Metaphor: ReFantazio isn’t officially related to the Persona series, it shares a striking resemblance, particularly in its concept of Archetypes and Personas. Archetypes in Metaphor: ReFantazio are like the mythical figures summoned by the characters in Persona, but with a unique twist. Instead of being fixed after fusion, as is the case with the protagonists in Persona, Archetypes provide a vast playground for players to experiment and modify skills frequently. Furthermore, Archetypes are inspired by traditional JRPG roles, encompassing familiar characters like Warriors and Mages, as well as more unconventional ones such as the Merchant. This freedom and flexibility is where Metaphor: ReFantazio distinguishes itself from the Persona franchise.

In the fictional world of “Metaphor: ReFantazio”, the Merchant character shares many traits with merchants from job-based JRPGs like “Octopath Traveler” and “Bravely Default”. Unlike other characters who excel in combat, the Merchant is skilled at finding useful items and making the best use of them. Additionally, this character can spend money to inflict damage on enemies. This unconventional approach to RPG gameplay makes the Merchant a unique character, as they provide resources that simplify the rest of the game or offer an alternative means of attack that consumes a secondary resource. It’s possible that Atlus hasn’t emphasized merchant-style abilities in the “Persona” franchise because of its distinct magic system and RPG mechanics. However, with “Metaphor” demonstrating how these skills can fit into Atlus’ signature game style, it seems likely that “Persona 6” will incorporate this idea too.

How Metaphor: ReFantazio’s Merchant Skills Can Translate to Persona 6

Why Merchant-Style Skills Could Be Useful in Persona 6

In many role-playing games similar to Persona, players often find themselves with a surplus of money towards the end of the game. They might splurge on numerous consumable items or use it for fusion of personas, but either way, a large sum of yen is likely to be wasted by the time credits are shown. Considering this, Persona 6 could offer players an effective new method to optimize their money, particularly as an alternative to standard skills that drain SP. If these abilities are found on collectible Skill Cards or skill accessories akin to Persona 5 Royal, the entire party can help the player make their money beneficial throughout the game.

In some instances, a Persona game allows you to transfer your accumulated wealth into a New Game Plus session. This makes merchant-like abilities even more beneficial due to the player’s initial hoard of resources at the start.

Adapting Merchant Skills for the Persona Formula

In simpler terms, the character traits of Persona 6 might not directly mirror the Merchant Archetype, but it can definitely adapt some of its abilities for Metaphor’s sister series. Technically, the Gold Attack and merchant-related passive items such as Trader’s Summit and Lucky Find could seamlessly blend into Persona, given that the Almighty damage and item system in Metaphor are nearly identical to Persona. The Gold Attack could even be introduced as a new skill for rare Shadows in Persona 6, which would be fitting if it reintroduces Wealth Hand Shadows from Persona 4 Golden and Persona 3 Reload.

In simpler terms, translating the Synthesis Skills for Persona might pose a challenge due to their intricacies. The Merchant character possesses remarkable Synthesis abilities, inflicting Almighty damage, removing enemy buffs, and boosting allies’ strength. However, these skills are counterbalanced by their dependency on Metaphor‘s Turn Icons, requiring a significant portion of the party’s time and resources (both time and money). If this balance factor is removed in Persona 6, the game might need to either raise the cost or adjust the effects of skills like All Reset and Money Power. An alternative approach could be for the new game to draw inspiration from these Synthesis skills, introducing weaker buff, debuff, and utility abilities that require payment in money instead of SP.

Why Money-Based Skills Would Fit Right Into Persona 6

In a somewhat unexpected twist for the Persona series, incorporating merchant-style abilities could find a fitting home. Contrary to first impressions, the Persona franchise has already delved into alternate skill costs, as physical skills often consume HP rather than SP, and in Persona 3 Reload, Shinjiro Aragaki and select Personas utilized Bloody Charge, a self-enhancing ability that exchanges HP for substantial physical damage. While P3R tentatively experimented with alternate costs for status skills, taking cues from Metaphor: ReFantazio, Persona 6 might aim to fully embrace this concept. To push the boundaries of the beloved combat system in Persona, incorporating merchant skills from Metaphor could serve as a solid foundation for innovation.

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2025-01-22 01:04