As games have grown larger in respect to players' freedoms, the open world design philosophy has become a standard across many AA and AAA titles. Most modern RPGs have transcended linear exploration to accommodate sprawling terrains, opting for either the semi-open or fully open world approach to its environments. This sentiment rings true forMetaphor: ReFantazio’s United Kingdom of Euchronia, which is set to utilize its traveling format as a way for the protagonist and his party to explore different locales and dungeons at their leisure. Withrumors suggesting thatPersona 6will adopt a semi-open world as well, questions arise about what its environments could entail.
RecentPersona 6rumors by Twitter user @p0wyful have stated that the title is considered internally as “semi-open world.” The exact definition of a semi-open world game can be interpreted differently by some, though this would denote that the game will have far-reaching explorable environments that are still somewhat contained, either by plot circumstances, difficulty, or otherwise, a feat ofMetaphor: ReFantazio’s own premise. HowPersona 6chooses to divvy up its map will depend largely on its backdrop; placing its protagonist in a high school setting is likely, though whether it is situated in a small town like Inaba or a sprawling city like Tokyo remains to be seen.
Persona 6 Could Simulate the Feeling of Metaphor: ReFantazio’s Semi-Open World
The concept of a “semi-open world” forPersona 6feels a bit hard to define, especially if its location ends up being stationary. With atraveling format likePersona 5 Strikersor the aforementionedMetaphor: ReFantazio, there’s a case to be made for their accommodation of new locations, constrained but varied by virtue of the protagonist moving from place to place.
WhetherPersona 5itself could be considered semi-open world remains up to interpretation; technically, Joker can roam throughout Tokyo to hang out with confidants and engage in activities, though its exploration was pretty tight in terms of its zones, and thus could be considered more limiting than one might expect from the definition.
How Metaphor: ReFantazio’s Semi-Open World Design Will Correspond With its Traveling Format
WithMetaphor: ReFantazio,the game looks like it will follow a somewhat linear storyline with regard to its election premise, though the freedom to diverge in routes makes it so that the player can branch out to areas beyond those serving the plot. This is due in part to its traveling format and the gauntlet runner, a ship-like vehicle that can move across land, acting as a hub for the protagonist and the party to journey in. Not unlike the freedom granted inPersona 3through5’s approach to stats-raising activitiesand social links,Metaphoremphasizes a type of strategy to its social sim gameplay that encourages players to experiment with what they do in the time they are given, setting up its environmental variation as a boon.
How Persona 6’s Rumored Semi-Open World Could Operate
Provided thatPersona 6remains situated in one setting, it could still simulate the breadth of locations set to be available inMetaphorby virtue of its map. Giving the player the freedom to engage in a city or town with more free rein, perhaps with more minigames and non-combat oriented side quests, could give the same impression ofMetaphor’s own environmental interactions, bringing NPCs beyond the party/confidants to life through requests and unique social encounters. Of course, that’s only half of whatPersona 6will have to contend with, as the combat side of things will need to address whetherdungeons will be individualized, likePersona 5’s palaces, or one sprawling location separated into zones, likePersona 3’s Tartarus. Constraints placed on player level and plot progression will undoubtedly leave areas left for a later date, though at least in its social sim gameplay, giving players more agency off the bat could be advantageous.
There could always be the case thatPersona 6experiments with a traveling format of its own, though it would be difficult to offer the same scale asMetaphor: ReFantazio’s journeyif the quintessential high school setting returns. School trips have been a recurring trend inPersona 3through5, so the opportunity to branch out to a different regional map could offer a sense of exploration, provided that there is less linearity. If its setting remains more fixed, then focusing on the sheer amount of activities and locations to explore within its social sim gameplay could evoke the feeling of a much more sprawling area, even if it is contained in one geographic location.
