Metaphor: ReFantazio tips to know before you play

Metaphor: ReFantazio is a very long game, and if it’s your first time playing an Atlus RPG there are some tips you’re going to need to know before you play. While they aren’t always difficult, there is a lot to see and do, and you could easily miss things. Also, the way Atlus-style RPGs work, means you can lose track of time and get caught a little bit with sudden story-requirements.

With our Metaphor: ReFantazio tips to know before you play guide, hopefully anyone new to the sub-genre of role playing games won’t get lost, or frustrated. Right then, let’s begin.

Make a safety save

There’s a good reason that Metaphor: ReFantazio has lots of save slots, and it’s so you don’t back yourself into a corner. You will know when a major story part is starting as the game will very clearly tell you that there is a date coming up you need to know about. When this happens make a duplicate “safety” save. Doing this means that if you somehow mess up by spending too much time doing one thing or another, you can always revert back and try again without banging your head against a brick wall, or changing difficulty. It’s a good idea once you’re into the swing of things to even make a mid-event safety save, too. Get into the habit: never get caught out.

Metaphor: ReFantazio tips: Be a balanced protagonist

It’s very easy to get caught up in improving relationships in Metaphor: ReFantazio, but you must not neglect your other capabilities, either. It’s fine to want to advance a bond level, but if you spend all of a calendar month ignoring side-quests and dungeons you’ll end up with no money, rubbish equipment, and characters who feel under-leveled. Make sure you spent your time being a balanced captain, and get the most out of your time.

Appraise and Cleanse items: don’t forget!

Remember that dungeon you just spent hours in, fighting hordes of enemies off? Remember those treasure chests you opened, and that plethora of flashing blue items you picked up but didn’t understand what they were? Chances are, these are items that can be improved, and they could be better equipment that needs appraising first. Every town has vendors who can appraise an unusable item, and these can be powerful armour, or new weapons. Likewise, cleansing an item can enhance or change its properties and become your new best friend. Don’t forget to do both of these things after a dungeon. Visit the church in Grand Trad (the starting city) to cleanse items.

Check with “information brokers” often

Taverns in cities always have an information broker, or informant in them. They restock with new hints, and almost every major side-quest will have a note you can buy at a tavern that will practically tell you what archetypes to use. Doing this will make your life easier, full stop, and the information is rarely expensive enough to worry about buying everything, always.

Metaphor: ReFantazio tips: dungeons can be done early

Aside one very late game dungeon (and even then we’re not 100% sure this is the case), you can attack a story dungeon whenever you want to. If you’re finding the combat easy, then smash through a story dungeon, and you’ll still have all that time left on your calendar to spend socialising, improving, and doing side quests. This is one of those Metaphor: ReFantazio tips you’ll have your head in your hands for if you don’t know it early, because you’re never truly told this can be done, and might be worried about advancing the story and losing precious socialising time.

Inheriting skills is vital, don’t sleep on it

You might not like spending lots of time in menus, but inheriting skills for Archetypes is a huge part of maintaining a balanced party. Even if you’re familiar with the Persona system, in Metaphor: ReFantazio each Archetype is almost a third of a standard Persona. You might have weak wind powers with one, but medium-all wind with another. Use your MAG to inherit skills and build each of the playable heroes into characters you want them to be. For example, a Seeker with Healer skills can be superb, as can a Mage with Healer skills.Build how you want.

Don’t leave a relationship behind

It might be easy to think “I’m not that into you” about anyone in your party, but even the extended characters outside of your active party are vital. Not only do they give varied bonuses for improving your relationship bond level with them, but everyone will unlock new Archetypes as you get further into the bond levels. Even if you end up skipping the text of the relationship events, make sure nobody is left behind so you have access to all the bonuses and Archetypes that they will reward you with.

Check everywhere for free XP and items

There are multiple locations that you can “check” in Metaphor: ReFantazio that don’t cost you in-game time. For example, the Pantry aboard the Runner will get you free ingredients every single day. Likewise, you can use the washroom for 100XP free every day, as well. There are lots of little nooks and crannies that do this type of thing, so don’t forget to explore and grab your free stuff, daily.

Remember your Royal Virtues

Royal Virtues actually take a while to level up in Metaphor: ReFantazio, and on top of that, it may not be immediately obvious why you want to even commit time to this. However, to gain access to the highest bond levels with friends and companions, you will need high level royal virtues as well. Make sure you don’t over-focus on one particular ideal, either. Tolerance; Eloquence; Imagination; Wisdom, and Courage: all are important, so spend time leveling them up by doing the relevant tasks.