Metaphor: ReFantaziotakes its strategic elements and incorporates them into traveling, offering a fresh take on the hero’s journey while honing in on its themes of diversity, both in its lands and people. Blending modernPersona’s social sim gameplay with a tumultuous political quest, the ways in whichMetaphorencourages exploration help to benefit it from both a combat and world-building perspective. Bridging the gap between these locations is only made possible throughMetaphor’s gauntlet runner, which could serve as inspiration forPersonain turn.
Metaphor: ReFantaziodirector Katsura Hashino has stated in the past thatPersona 5was originally intended to be a traveling story, built on themes of self-discovery. As its early development progressed, however, the decision was made to centerPersona 5’s story in Tokyo, using the bustling city as a backdrop for its themes of rebellion.Persona 5 Strikerswound up utilizing a similar conceit toP5’s original creative direction, opting for a road trip across Japan that worked to the advantage of the country’s historical landmarks. Though Hashino will not be directingPersona 6, it bears considering how Atlus' past will work to inspire its future, and whether the title might imbue some traveling elements into its own gameplay, mirroringMetaphor’s success.
How Metaphor: ReFantazio’s Gauntlet Runner Could Encourage More Traveling Mechanics in Persona 6
Traveling Outside a Primary Setting
When it comes to thePersonaseries, there is clear merit to how its locations work in favor of its themes and identity. The small-town charm of Inaba clashing with its grisly murders, or the grim, green skies of the Dark Hour enveloping the blue waters of Tatsumi Port Island are testament to this. Seeing how a location and its people evolve through these obstacles is quite effective when being situated in one place, though there are advantages to the traveling formula that, with the growing scope ofsemi-open world RPGs, remain worthy of consideration. The use of the occasional field trip works on a smaller scale to this conceit, and asPersona 6will almost assuredly continue to be school-driven, having the opportunity to travel outside the confines of its primary setting could be key to making its environment more substantial.
The Merits of Metaphor: ReFantazio’s Gauntlet Runner
In the case ofMetaphor: ReFantazio’s medieval fantasy setting, there are clear delineations between it andPersona’s more realistic approach. Its gauntlet runner is, both literally and metaphorically, a vehicle for its journeying premise. Its design has Ikuto Yamashita written all over it, whose past work onNeon Genesis Evangelionemanates through the runner’s mechanically armored legs and other intricate detailing. Obviously, the gauntlet runner’s mechanical stylings wouldn’t be so easily replicated in a modern, practical setting, though the way it is utilized as a means for getting from A to Z while still offering gameplay importance lends weight to its effectiveness as a mechanic. Even the case of hopping on a bullet train could mirror what the gauntlet runner has to offer, providing more substantial exploration thanPersona 5’s metro system while upping the ante on stat-raising activities by involving the party.
Working to the Benefit of Persona’s Scheduling Autonomy
ShouldPersona 6remain largely in one setting, then the ability to journey out from time to time on the party’s own accord could be a great way to hone in on their bonds while diversifying the game’s terrain. While the amount that there is to do in its setting remains largely up to the location from which it takes inspiration, there is merit to having exploration be accessible on a more substantial scale that actually ties into the player’s autonomy. Giventhe importance of scheduling in the scheme ofMetaphor’s calendarand the modernPersonagames, allowing players to travel with party members on the occasional weekend trip to other semi-explorable areas could create the illusion of a larger world, and having these moments take place outside the purview of school or mission-mandated trips could replicate the strategic elements of the game’s calendar system.
It is worth noting thatMetaphorhas the advantage of its magic teleportation system on its side, which isn’t exactly feasible for the realism of modernPersona’s social sim gameplay. This is a large part of howMetaphoris able to make its follower system work, allowing access to previous areas, and, subsequently, bonds for the protagonist to continue establishing. IfPersona 6has access to some type of vehicle, however, it could be all the more interesting to have bonds available only in certain areas that require a closer hand in scheduling. Ultimately, the question comes down to just how involved the game’s main setting will be, should it stay largely in one area, though having the opportunity for even small-scale traveling could work forPersona 6’s world-building while encouraging more freedom on the player’s behalf.
