Metaphor: ReFantazio – 8 Beginner Tips

Metaphor ReFantazio is a very deep and strategic RPG, something you would expect nothing less of from the makers of the Persona and Shin Megami Tensei series. As such, with it being a new IP, a lot of people are going to be picking it up and trying it without realizing just how deep the rabbit hole goes. But do not fret, as this list of tips will help guide you towards victory!

Vary Your Archetypes

While Metaphor ReFantazio has passives for each Archetype that allows you to stack bonuses. You will need a variety of skills at your disposal very early on. So do not go for multiple warriors or mages. Keep the standard loadouts for a while, until you are able to replace the Seeker with the Healer for the main character. Being able to heal multiple people as opposed to one is very crucial. Until you can inherit skills that is.

Don’t Sit on Your MAG, Spend it on Inheriting Skills

While you do want to keep certain Archetypes in your party, you should also ensure you spend your MAG getting skills inherited from others. A Seeker that has the multi-heal and a fire or ice spell can work well with a warrior that has abilities from the Brawler to cover two different types of physical damage output. There are endless possibilities, so spend your MAG when you see something you can take advantage of!

Don’t Waste a Day in Metaphor ReFantazio

When you get back to Grand Trad after the opening dungeons, you will be given some days to spend as you see fit. But it is in this time that you should look into ensuring you are accepting side quests and finding ways to increase your Royal Virtues. Each side quest or Royal Virtue progression will eat up a time block, so choose what to do wisely.

Focus on Royal Virtues

On days you do not have any side quests or character side stories to do. You should be looking into progressing your Royal Virtues. These stats unlock very useful game mechanics, and even more characters to earn Archetypes from. For instance, if you level up your Wisdom just once, you can unlock a side quest from Brigitta, the dark-skinned elf outside of the royal Igniter shop. This side quest not only sends you on a very dangerous yet rewarding dungeon, but it also unlocks the Merchant Archetype. Leveling up your Wisdom can also unlock Purification at the churches.

Purify and Appraise

You will come across a lot of unique equipment in Metaphor ReFantazio, and a lot of it needs to be appraised at the shops or purified at a church. These services will unlock the full potential of these items. For instance, if you fought the Dragon at the Mines, you would get a unique great sword with already great stats for the beginning of the game. But, purifying it will not only boost its stats further, it will also add a flat +3 strength, and add fire to the basic attack. Keep these services in mind at all times!

Always Scan Your Foes

When roaming around in dungeons, you should not take your chances. You have the ability to scan your foes, and you can see what level they are and if you either have to hit them to initiate squad battles, or instantly kill them. While you will feel confident in your abilities in the beginning, scanning every time you see foes will ensure you know what to expect!

When in Dungeons, Leave When You’re out of MP

In every dungeon after the first you will encounter these rest areas that will act as checkpoints. If you have played Persona 5, you will recognize them immediately and know what to do. You can either use them to fast travel, save, or leave to the dungeons entrance. These are especially useful if you run out MP. Considering some dungeons can be very long, make sure you do not really on MP recovery items and instead leave the dungeons via these rest areas to come back the next ready to take on the rest of it!

Make Sure to Turn Back the Clock Often

One element of the combat in Metaphor ReFantazio is the ability to rewind the whole encounter as many times as you wish. This mechanic is not available right away, but when it does, you can abuse it to change the outcome of the fight over simple mistakes. In an early game challenge dungeon against a minotaur boss, I ended using this mechanic so many times due to a specific strategy I had learned about being thwarted. I do not recommend using this in encounters when you were ambushed, however. Its best to retreat and try again in that case!