Summary
At this point,Persona 6is still a myth, with its existence only backed by hearsay claiming “confirmation” of the game’s development. However, now thatMetaphor: ReFantaziohas had some time to make an impression, all eyes are on a potentialPersona 6to pick up the mantle thatMetaphorhas laid down for it, especially givenMetaphor’s innovative approachto Atlus' well-oiled formula.
ShouldPersona 6turn out to be a reality (and it likely will), one ofMetaphor: ReFantazio’s most notable mechanics deserves to find its way over to thePersonaseries. Specifically, the versatility offered byMetaphor: ReFantazio’s Archetype system, which would inevitably tear down the limiting walls ofPersona’s traditional RPG class system.
Persona 6 Needs Metaphor: ReFantazio’s Versatility
The Persona Series Has Generally Featured Playable Characters With Specific Roles
By and large, thePersonaseries has followed the path of typical RPGs by featuring playable characters with specific roles, rather than allowing players to customize those roles according to their playstyle or needs. InPersona 5, Joker can switch between multiple Personas and therefore fill a wide variety of roles, much likeMetaphor: ReFantazio’s protagonistcan as a Seeker. Aside from that,Persona’s playable characters are fixed to a certain role — whether it be healing, support, defense, or damage — and the only customization power players have over combat comes down to which members they have in their party.
Persona 5did open things up a bit for the series in terms of increasing the versatility of its party members, though not considerably. Joker can, of course, play multiple roles in combat, but other party members have a somewhat versatile selection of skills to choose from as well.Persona 5’s Ann, for instance, primarily focuses on dealing fire damage, but she also has access to a few support skills, like Tarunda, which lowers an enemy’s attack. Haru, on the other hand, specializes in psychic and gun attacks, but she can also use support skills that can buff defense.
As far as healers go, while Morgana is technically the main healer, Makoto also has access to healing spells, in addition to her damage-dealing nuclear skills.
Metaphor: ReFantazio’s Playable Characters Can Be Anything
Despite being an Atlus game with aPersonaskin,Metaphor: ReFantazio’s playable characters can be anything, unlike thePersonagames before it. WithMetaphor: ReFantazio’s Archetype system, each party member can learn any Archetype that has been unlocked through establishing and growing bonds with the game’s key characters. This ultimately means that players can have any arrangement of characters that they want and any combination of classes that they think they need to overcome specific obstacles. It’s much different than anything thePersonaseries has ever done, but it is a welcome change and a system thatPersona 6would be remiss not to consider implementing.
Persona 6 Needs the Same Versatility That Metaphor: ReFantazio’s Archetype System Provides
Arguably,Persona 6needs to go beyond whatPersona 5accomplishedby implementing a system similar toMetaphor: ReFantazio’s Archetype system. This would make it easier for players to experiment with different party setups, and it would also make a case for more demanding combat scenarios, whichMetaphor: ReFantazioalready famously exhibits. After all,Persona 6making its characters more versatile would also increase the need for its combat to be more challenging than previousPersonagames in order to level the playing field.
WhilePersonadoesn’t necessarily need to be more difficult than it has been,Metaphor: ReFantaziois a refreshing change of pace in this area, as players can’t simply overpower their enemies once they get strong enough and instead need to think strategically ahead of almost every battle.
Nothing has been confirmed aboutPersona 6’s combat system, as the game itself has yet to even be confirmed. However, afterMetaphor: ReFantazio’s Archetype system started a whole new ballgame for Atlus, it would feel like a massive leap backwards not to feature the same degree of versatility inPersona 6.
Metaphor: ReFantazio
WHERE TO PLAY
From the creative minds behind Persona 3, 4, and 5 comes Metaphor: ReFantazio, a unique fantasy world, where your protagonist will journey alongside his fairy companion, Gallica, to lift the curse from the kingdom’s lost prince.Control your destiny, face your fears, and awaken magical Archetype powers that lie dormant in your heart. By awakening to an Archetype, you will unlock the power to channel and combine the abilities of unique job classes. Strengthen your bonds and build your party to take down powerful foes and discover the kingdom’s true nature.
