Metaphor: ReFantazio combat lead has crushing news for JRPG theorycrafters: lots of people think "I found a way to win that even the developers didn't anticipate!"' but "most of those methods are actually ones that we knew about"

Count Louis in Metaphor: ReFantazio in an anime cutscene. With his cloak on, he's looking to the side somewhat annoyed
(Image credit: Atlus, Sega)

One of the funnest things about RPGs (or most games, for that matter) is finding that one tactic or build that absolutely destroys everything in its path. Skyrim has the beloved stealth archer build which, carries you through almost every combat encounter in the game, Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door has a few badge combos that can absolutely melt bosses' health; and there's all manner of synergies in The Binding of Isaac that are basically the instant win button.

However, even though you will feel like you're breaking the game, there's a pretty solid chance that the developers knew about it ahead of time, that is, according to the devs of 2024's highest-rated RPG, Metaphor: ReFantazio. When speaking to Gamesradar+, Kenichi Goto, lead battle planner on Metaphor: ReFantazio, said, "During development for battle systems, there are times when people excitedly claim, 'I found a way to win that even the developers didn't anticipate!'" But Goto unfortunately has to crush those theories, revealing, "However, from my experience, most of those methods are actually ones that we knew about but intentionally left in the game."

Scott McCrae
Contributor

Scott has been freelancing for over three years across a number of different gaming publications, first appearing on GamesRadar+ in 2024. He has also written for the likes of PC Gamer, Eurogamer, VG247, Play, TechRadar, and others. He's typically rambling about Metal Gear Solid, God Hand, or any other PS2-era titles that rarely (if ever) get sequels.

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