One Change Makes Metaphor: ReFantazio's Combat Better Than Persona's

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Although 's combat system strongly resembles that of, one change makes it much more compelling. The newest RPG developed by Atlus,, takes and combines many familiar elements from the and series, placing them in a medieval fantasy world that serves as a departure from the modern-day settings of either franchise. However, while many of 's mechanics will be familiar to fans of Atlus's other RPGs, a few changes make the game's combat an improvement on its predecessors'.

While most players will probably be more familiar with, 's combat system actually takes a significant amount from as well — in particular, 's «press turn» system more closely resembles 's than 's, punishing missed or nullified attacks with lost turns in addition to the usual extra turns rewarded for hitting weaknesses or critical hits. Where the game does resemble more closely, though, is in its Archetype system, where party members can study and equip different Archetypes that decide their abilities in battle.

However, unlike in the games, where only the protagonist can switch between Personas mid-battle, instead allows any character to switch between any Archetype, but only outside of combat — which makes teambuilding and preparing for tough encounters much more interesting. In a game like, the ability to have Joker swap between a variety of Personas mid-battle, along with the more strictly defined abilities of other party members, make it possible to be prepared for any encounter without needing to adjust anything outside of combat.

In contrast,the inability to swap Archetypes mid-battle in places a heavier emphasis on preparation, forcing players to more carefully consider how their team is built and whether it can handle the upcoming fights. Instead of being able to swap mid-combat to account for enemy weaknesses, or other needs like healing or buffing teammates, players instead choose the right Archetype ahead of time — for example, making sure that there's a Knight or Gunner in the party when