Mimics hail from 1977’sAdvanced Dungeons & Dragons Monster Manualand FromSoftware’sDark Soulsseries arguably has the creepiest take on them ever due to their alarming height on tall legs and the bone-chilling sound they make. Mimics are classic fantasy monsters whose gimmick has been seen in several high and dark fantasy or RPG franchises since, such asDragon Quest,Final Fantasy, and evenSuper Mariowith theRPG’s mimics. Now that Studio Zero and Atlus have taken the plunge into a fully-fledged fantasy-inspired JRPG withMetaphor: ReFantazio, it is only natural that it, too, would adapt mimics.
Metaphor: ReFantazio’s takes on ‘mimics’ are called Imitecs and essentially play into the same function: disguised as unassuming treasure chests players would otherwise happily interact with, they are actually monsters attacking anyone who opens them. Players can easily tell when a chest is a mimic, though they can’t exploit this knowledge in the same way they can exploit an ordinary overworld enemy, and that’s a letdown sinceDark Souls’ approach to mimics could’ve been exceptional inMetaphor: ReFantazio’s countless dungeons.
Dark Souls’ Mimics are Harrowing Foes But Can Be Ambushed
Dark Souls’ chests and mimicsare explicitly identified by the chain dangling from them. A real chest that players can loot will have a chain curved inward, while a mimic will have a chain that is straightened outward. Of course, anyone patient enough may also notice mimic chests literally and subtly breathe.
Dark Souls’ Lloyd’s Talisman can be thrown at mimicsto have them open their mouths to yield loot and fall asleep if players don’t wish to engage with them in combat, but being able to recognize a mimic apart from a chest gives players the advantage of securing a few uncontested hits on them before they’re capable of retaliating.
Mimics are not to be trifled with idly as they dish out a ton of damage and are hyper-aggressive once active, and yet depending on players’ own damage outputs it’s possible to fell mimics before they’re able to scramble to their feet. This momentary opportunity is precious, and it would’ve been incredible ifMetaphorhad tackled Imitecs similarly.
Metaphor: ReFantazio’s Imitecs Can Be Detected, But Not Preemptively Struck
LikeDark Souls’ mimics,Metaphor: ReFantazio’s Imitecsare intimidating. It doesn’t help, then, that players are unable to get a couple of whacks in before turn-based combat begins. Even if players discern that a chest is an Imitec by scanning it with Gallica’s Fae Sight, they unfortunately still can’t attack it to gain an advantage or even deal damage to it before opening the Imitec and instigating a squad battle.
This is unfortunate because overworld enemies can typically be flanked and hit from behind, let alone hit from a distance, to land critical hits early and leave enemies in a stunned state on the first turn of a squad battle. Stunning enemies before turn-based combat starts is essential in many encounters, especially if players want to earn bonuses from defeating enemies while unscathed, and yet Imitecs don’t give players this opportunity.
Metaphor’s Merchant Archetypepossesses a Gold Attack skill that hurls players’ own in-game cash at an enemy, which is IP since this particular ability causes Imitecs to skip all but one action on their turn.
It would’ve been a terrific incentive to scan the environment when near chests if players could stun an Imitec and have the fight begin with that ambush state, rewarding players for their attentiveness and spatial awareness with a stunned state on a disguised enemy. Rather, players are left to consider whether they’d be better off leaving mimics where they lie or risk wasting a bunch of MP for whatever sellable item they might retrieve from them.
