Common Mistakes to Avoid in Metaphor: ReFantazio

Important takeaways

• Metaphor: ReFantazio
  is not a 1:1
  Persona
  recreation, which introduces unique plot twists early on.
• Focus on raising wisdom, tolerance and imagination first to unlock key abilities for success.
• Use strategies such as exploiting enemy weaknesses and the market to gain advantages in the game.

Metaphor: ReFantazio resembles Persona series, but it's not a 1-to-1 recreation that just takes place in a fantasy world. It can be the first mistake players make. The game begins with Will, the main character, on his way to the capital city known as Grand Trad. He was sent there to infiltrate the soldier's guard to hopefully find a way to break the spell placed on the prince of the land.

Once he arrives, Will learns that the king has been murdered. But before a man named Louis can usurp the throne, the king is revived via a giant moon-like rock that has entered the atmosphere and declares that a tournament for the throne has begun. It's a lot to take in for an RPG plot this early, though Metaphor: ReFantazio is definitely different in this respect compared to Persona series, or any other Atlus property. So with everything thrown at players right out of the gate, they can fall prey to these common mistakes in Metaphor: ReFantazio.

6 Not raising wisdom, tolerance and imagination

Of the five royal virtues, there are three important ones

As Persona 5 with its social statistics, Metaphor: ReFantazio have Royal virtues. There are five in total: Courage, Wisdom, Tolerance, Eloquence and Imagination. Players can get Royal Virtue bonuses for completing side quests or completing tasks around the cities they visit Metaphor: ReFantazio. For example, there is a bench that players can sit on in Grand Trad to raise their wisdom.

Now, of these five royal virtues, players will want to level up three of them faster than the others: Wisdom, Tolerance, and Imagination. If players are looking for things to do and are torn on what Royal Virtues to raise, these are the ones they should get to level two on the double. Don't make the mistake of ignoring these three, especially wisdom.

5 Leave these bonds for last

These followers will open up a lot of content

Royal Virtues are mostly used to unlock new mechanics or to further bond with followers. Followers are like Metaphor: ReFantazio's version of Persona 5s Confident. Spending time with these NPCs can unlock some game-changing abilities. For example, the alien entity called More will task players with raising the Healer Archetype to level ten.

Completing this side quest will deepen the follower bond and unlock a way for players to switch archetypes on the fly Metaphor: ReFantazio without having to visit More. Level four of this bond will unlock the Ability Forecast, allowing players to see what EACH Follower bond will unlock, which will be useful as the game progresses. Another awesome level four upgrade can be unlocked via Maria. Getting to this stage will allow players to cook without wasting time and post-battle EXP will increase. Every follower is important, but players should know that these abilities are out there just waiting.

4 Ignore enemy weaknesses

Exploit the game's enemies by rewinding time

As Persona series, players can get extra turns if they exploit enemy weaknesses during combat. It's an obvious tip, but learning what enemies are weak to is a process. The default spell will make players use all kinds of elemental spells Metaphor: ReFantazio to check out enemy weaknesses. It's a solid enough strategy, but wasting MP feels like a sin since MP recovery resources are so scarce.

Here's a trick many probably haven't thought of. When you meet an enemy for the first time, including bosses, go hard. Use the strongest spells until their weakness is revealed. Then once detected, use the Retry option in battle to reset the clock. With new knowledge at hand, MP will no longer need to be wasted on experiments.

3 Keeping Reeve and MAG separate

Learn how to play the market

Reeve is the term used for money i Metaphor: ReFantazio. There are actually two currencies, the other being MAG or Magla, which is the very embodiment of magical energy. Players can use Reeve to purchase items and equipment, while MAG will be used to unlock skills and new archetypes. Players will probably find that it is much easier to get MAG than Reeve in the game, which is probably why Atlus set up MAG Brokers.

MAG Brokers is a stock market where players can convert MAG to Reeve. The standard exchange rate is 1000 MAG for 2000 Reeve, as an example. Brokers explain that bad weather will increase the exchange rate, usually up to three times. However, it can go as high as six times, but that is rare. The first big day in the calendar will be the night of 6/20. Don't be afraid to exploit the market and as an extra tip, Idlesday usually gives players good discounts on items, so don't buy anything unless absolutely necessary before Idlesday. The calendar holds many secrets if players actually take the time to look at it in the menu.

2 Leaves weapons unupgraded

Learn how to clean weapons

A good way to stay ahead of the competition is to get good armor and weapons Metaphor: ReFantazio. Many of the rarer gear can be refined through the church in Grand Trad. Upgrading weapons takes special items like Blessed Water and Graced Water.

They are a rare item, but they can be stolen from the mimic-like treasure chest monsters known as Imitecs. Players can steal from an Imitec using the Thief Archetype and then run away only to repeat the process everywhere. Don't kill them. The first time players see an Imitec will be in the abandoned tomb dungeon around the Martira area. From an equipment perspective, it's also probably wise to buy blue-marked weapons and armor from shops, as they are the rare items that are often used for upgrading.

1 Destroy trance crystals quickly

Create endless enemies and snipe from a distance to farm currency

In some dungeons, players will encounter trance crystals that create endless waves of enemies. Destroying these crystals stops the waves and usually unlocks something like a door to move forward. Don't be too quick to destroy them though, as players can gain a lot of Reeve, EXP and MAG Metaphor: ReFantazio from them. One of the best places to do this is in the underground dungeon of Martira.

About halfway there will be two trance crystals near each other that will spawn Hellhound Diabundo monsters. Equip the Gunner Archetype on the hero character and then snipe those Hellhound Diabundo monsters endlessly. Be careful not to hit the crystals though. Eventually, the trance crystals' health will drop, so when they get about halfway down, players should go back to the nearest safe room, save, and then come back to find the crystals fully healed. They can do this until they have all the currency they could possibly need and then destroy the crystals to move on.