Summary
Persona 6hasn’t been outright confirmed, but there is little reason to suspect it isn’t in development and nearing release. After all, Atlus likely knows it would be leaving money on the table after themassive success ofPersona 5. As such, assuming it is currently in development,Persona 6could stand to take some notes from Atlus' most recent title,Metaphor: ReFantazio, and the quality-of-life improvements its Follower system made toPersona’s Social Links and Confidants.
Persona’s Social Link and Confidant system has been fine until now, asMetaphor: ReFantaziointroduced some quality-of-life improvements in its Follower system thatPersona 6shouldn’t think twice about implementing. These improvements specifically makeMetaphor’s Follower system a more streamlined and accessible experience — a characteristicPersona 6may need to attract newcomers.
Persona 6 Should Keep Tabs on Metaphor: ReFantazio’s Follower System
Metaphor: ReFantazio’s Follower System Streamlines Persona’s Social Link Experience
One ofMetaphor: ReFantazio’s most significant quality-of-life features thatPersona 6should take note of is the Followers' Echoes ability, which players acquire from Gallica not long into the game’s main story. With the Followers' Echoes ability, players can hear the voices of their Followers when they wish to speak with the protagonist, thereby triggeringMetaphor’s version of aPersonaSocial Linkor Confidant event. Once players are notified that a Follower wishes to speak with them, they can simply access the Follower menu, select the Follower in question, and instantly travel to their location to speak with them and trigger the event.
To make the experience even more streamlined, players don’t necessarily need to hear from their Followers first before they can travel to them, asMetaphormakes it possible to travel to any Follower at any time via the Follower menu.
Moreover, in thePersonaseries, players have been required to first speak with their Social Links and Confidants to discover which Social Stats need improvement before players can increase their bond with that Social Link or Confidant.Metaphor: ReFantazio, on the other hand, allows players to see which Royal Virtue (Metaphor’s equivalent ofPersona’s Social Stats) is required to increase their bond with a Follower without speaking with them first. If players attempt to visit a Follower via the Follower menu before they’ve heard that Follower’s Echo,Metaphor: ReFantaziowill simply inform them that the Follower might not have much to say given the current state of the Royal Virtue required to advance their relationship with said Follower.Persona 6should consider implementing a similar feature to cut down on players' travel time in the game.
More’s Quests in Metaphor: ReFantazio Reduce the Grinding Often Required by Persona’s Attendant Links
InPersona’s Velvet Room, things can get a bit grindy when it comes to Attendant Requests. While Velvet Room Requests generally begin as simple fetch quests, they eventually become more complex and require players to create certain Personas by fusing others. Unfortunately, without a guide, attempting to create one of these requested Personas is where the grind truly begins, as it typically requires a lot of experimentation. This, as well as the often mundane tasks of acquiring specific items for Velvet Room Attendants, can make for a lackluster and time-consuming experience compared to howMetaphor: ReFantaziohandles its version ofPersona’s Velvet Room Requests.
In Akademeia,Metaphor: ReFantazio’s equivalent of the Velvet Room, players will find More, an enigmatic young man with a profound expertise in Archetypes. Not only can playersstudy new Archetypes with More, but they can also complete quests for him that are both materialistically and narratively rewarding. Where More’s quests ultimately improvePersona’s Velvet Room Requests is that they are usually integrated into regular gameplay, so players don’t have to focus on completing specific objectives but simply playing the game and enjoying all that it has to offer. This is especially preferable to the experimentation often required by the Personas that some Velvet Room Requests call for.
In addition to being integrated into regular gameplay, More’s quests also help to flesh out his character as they are completed.
There are many quality-of-life improvementsMetaphor: ReFantaziomakes toPersona’s formula, but those changes its Follower system makes toPersona’s Social Link and Confidant system should be study notes forPersona 6. It would be nice to seePersona 6be themost accessiblePersonagameto date, andMetaphor: ReFantazio’s Follower system holds at least a portion of the solution for that.
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.
