Developed by Atlus (the studio behind the Persona games), Metaphor ReFantazio is now available on PS5, Xbox Series X/S and PC. In the meantime, check out our full review of the game by heading over here.

Metaphor ReFantazio is a sprawling JRPG with over 100 hours of content. That’s a long journey, but you have to start somewhere, right? So, to help all the budding kings-to-be out there, here are some tips and tricks to make your adventure go more smoothly:

Don’t Forget Your Royal Virtues, Focus On Them As Early As Possible

Just like the Persona games, Metaphor ReFantazio uses a calendar system with a deadline for story missions. It’s generally up to players how to spend their time, but it’s easy to just spend time in combat and increasing Bonds.

However, one of the most important mechanics is actually the Royal Virtues, the game’s version of Social Stats from Persona. It’s best to start finding ways to increase your Royal Virtues early on as soon as possible so that they’re high enough levels in the late game. This means that in the late game, you can focus on grinding in combat or finishing up your Bonds instead of wasting time still doing stuff like reading to increase your Royal Virtues.

Don’t Waste Your Money On Weapons Or Armour From Shops

In most Atlus JRPGs, the general rule is not to waste your money on the weapons or armour from the shops in the game. This is because of several reasons.

One, you can always find better weapons and armour in dungeons or from quests.

Two, you’ll need to use that money for other more important miscellaneous things, such as completing quests (sometimes they require you to buy items, which cost a lot of money) or paying informants. Keep a lookout for rare items in shops that you can’t find anywhere else instead of buying new weapons and armour.

Speaking of informants…

Buy Everything From Informants

One of the unique mechanics in Metaphor ReFantazio is informants, vendors from whom you buy information. This is essential to making the most of the game, because buying information from informants is how you’ll learn about essential details such as enemy weaknesses or where to find specific items.

Don’t hesitate to buy everything from that, all that info comes in handy.

Best Archetypes To Prioritise

We have a separate article for this, so head on over here.

Always Check The Pantry Whenever You’re In The Gauntlet Runner

Once you unlock the Gauntlet Runner (the game’s main vehicle for your party), there’s a room inside the vehicle called the Pantry. You can enter the Pantry once every day and there’s no penalty for doing so (like passing time).

The Pantry will give you one or two ingredients for free, and while you can ignore cooking entirely if you want to, completionists will want to do this because there’s a trophy/achievement tied to cooking and you’ll need all the ingredients.

Focus On Side Quests With Deadlines

This may seem like an obvious thing but it’s easy to lose track of side quests with deadlines. Some of them have quick deadlines too, so it’s best to prioritize them when you receive them.