Initially, Metaphor: ReFantazio featured a far more punishing combat system inspired by the famously difficult 2003 JRPG Shin Megami Tensei 3: Nocturne. Fortunately for players, Atlus chose to soften this approach.
During a recent session at the Game Developers Conference, Kenichi Goto, the lead battle planner for Metaphor: ReFantazio and a veteran of Atlus’s combat design dating back to Shin Megami Tensei 3, revealed that the original design intended to implement that game’s mechanism of sometimes unpredictably determining which side attacks first in a battle, independent of who initiated the encounter.
Typically, when a player begins a confrontation in a JRPG, they expect to strike first. However, Shin Megami Tensei 3 introduced a randomization factor where this assumption could be overturned. Metaphor: ReFantazio aimed to do something similar, with Goto estimating a 30% chance that enemies would gain the advantage, even if they did not initiate the fight. Conversely, if foes started the battle, players had a comparable chance of being granted the upper hand.
“If the player kicks off a fight but the enemy gets the first turn, it’s easy to see why players would find that illogical. Interestingly, they felt similarly when they were granted the first turn, even if they were ambushed; it’s the player who gains the advantage, yet something still felt amiss,” Goto explained.
As someone who has enjoyed many of Atlus’s recent titles, starting with 2011’s Catherine, I must admit I have not experienced Shin Megami Tensei 3. Just hearing about this unconventional combat mechanic feels incredibly frustrating. Thankfully, Atlus reconsidered and opted for a more coherent system for Metaphor: ReFantazio.
Metaphor: ReFantazio aimed to address the grinding issue prevalent in JRPGs, but at one point, Atlus strayed too far and inadvertently disrupted the entire combat framework.