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"

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."

That level of attention to detail seems to be prevalent throughout Metaphor, with the lead UI designer on the game, Koji Ise, telling GamesRadar+, "each and every aspect in the UI carries meaning and has been carefully and deliberately selected by the developer. Reflecting on the process and reasoning behind these choices might lead to new discoveries and prove interesting."

However, that isn't to say the creative fanbase doesn't take the team by surprise, with Goto admitting, "That said, on rare occasions, players really do discover methods we hadn't considered, which is one of the fascinating aspects of game development."

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