Metaphor: ReFantazio – Dungeon Dos and Don’ts

About half of the experience in Metaphor ReFantazio is delving into dungeons. Some of them are hard, some are repetitive, and some are very easy or cohesive. Especially when it comes to the ones from the main stories. When adventuring in these dungeons, there are only a few handfuls of things you need to keep in mind. Here are 3 things you should keep in mind, and some that you should not do, similar to our guide for Archetypes in the game.

What to Do in Dungeons in Metaphor ReFantazio

Dungeons in Metaphor ReFantazio have a mix of things you need to keep in mind. While each dungeon will look similar at times, the layouts and enemies are different for the most part. But there are secrets and little tricks to get the most out of just a single visit and finish that dungeon in one go.

So here is what you should do:

• Keep an eye out for shortcuts and holes in the walls.
• Conserve your MP by using low-cost abilities.
• Scan every room when you enter it.

To Clarify:

• The dungeons are not fully linear. They will have metroidvania styled shortcuts. So, if you see a lever, pull it and see if it unblocks your way. Also, little holes in the wall like you see above will allow you to enter areas you do not see a direct path to, often leading you to treasure chests.
• Dungeons can be very long, so if you are fighting constant enemies, try and conserve MP costs whenever possible to go all out on the boss at the end. If you use Archetypes like the Brawler and its variants, you can use HP instead of MP. As well as the Merchant with its money spending abilities that are offset by the amount of money you get from killing enemies in overworld combat.
• Finally, read the room, literally. Do not rush over to a foe and attack them, because sometimes they will either be above your level and you cannot initiate an ambush immediately, often leading you to getting attacked and losing most of your health in the first turn. Be very careful, as you should try and farm blue and yellow foes as much as possible.

What Not to Do in Dungeons

When it comes to the dungeons in Metaphor ReFantazio, they have some difficulty curves, and some exploits you need to be aware of. You cannot go in with a “one size fits all” mentality. As well as avoiding not using items or leaving before you have truly gained everything you can from that dungeon.

With that in mind, do not:

• Don’t be stubborn with your Archetype choices.
• Don’t use healing abilities outside of combat.
• Don’t leave the dungeon until everything is below your level.

To clarify:

• The very first optional dungeon you can run is from initiating Brigittas character bond. This dungeon is filled with goblins, and if you run a healer archetype, they will go berserk on their first turn, making them very hard to manage. If you encounter any difficulties, whether that is from the archetype causing a problem for the enemies or lacking a specific set of skills. You should go outside to the starting area and make necessary changes before you get too deep.
• In combat, you will take damage every now and then, that’s a given. But if you are in need of healing after an encounter, I highly recommend using healing items, and not an MP costing spell. You will accrue a lot of healing items that you do need to get rid of after a while. It saves on MP for the remainder of the dungeon run and will help in the long run. It’s a good, and simple habit.
• Finally, and this is important, farm that dungeon until you run out of MP completely. You should only spend one day at a dungeon, and as such, after you clear it out, choose the option to go back to the entrance. Then, go back in and fight until you cannot anymore. A lot of enemies will start being below level to one shot in overworld combat, so you can get XP without fighting in turn-based battles. You will need to level as much as possible, so take the opportunity to reset the dungeon by going back to the entrance and running through it again as much as possible.

But as far as do’s and don’ts go for dungeons in Metaphor ReFantazio, these are crucial, and you should exercise these lessons where applicable. We also have a list of beginner tips that cover a whole range of topics to help you if you are just starting!