Metaphor stands out among JRPGs as a game with a just-right length. While its spiritual predecessor Persona 5 overstays its welcome by around 20 hours, Metaphor concludes within 65-70 hours for the main story. This is long by general game standards but ideal for sprawling JRPGs. However, for those like me, once we start playing, it's hard to stop. My final playtime exceeded 100 hours as I pointlessly ground and optimized. It's a lesson I need to learn to move on.

Unlock the Sweet Spot of JRPGs with Metaphor

JRPGs and the Compulsion to Optimize

What I'm describing is primarily a personal issue. I can't live an unoptimized life when the optimized one is within reach. Sometimes this leads to great discoveries, like finding the best multi-ply Japanese cookware set. But other times, it traps us in gameplay sinkholes, making us unable to do anything until we beat a game completely. JRPGs bring out this behavior more than any other subgenre. They often require a significant time investment, like slowly whittling away a few hours each night after work or devouring them in one go during teenage years. These games are filled with secrets that are often not clearly marked, and missing them can be a nightmare. Older JRPGs, in particular, can instill a sense of paranoia.

For example, in a classic JRPG, there are often one to four extremely difficult super bosses whose difficulty far surpasses the main boss. There are hidden items and ultimate weapons with elaborate quests that may or may not be useful by the end. Modern open-world games try to imitate this mystique but often fail to capture the essence.

The Impact of Persona Games on Me

Playing Persona games has been torture for me since Persona 3. The calendared schooldays with their events and quizzes lead to a specific, optimized route with little room for deviation. I can't help but follow a guide while playing these games. It sucks the joy away and turns the experience into homework. But Metaphor is a radical improvement. The developers have removed the strict structure and made it easy to maximize social links without a guide. This alone shows their recognition of the need for a more flexible approach.

Even so, I still spent 146 hours on Metaphor, grinding well beyond what was necessary. The game makes it simple to grind weak enemies in dungeons, making the entire process feel like playing an emulator with frameskip. It also makes money less of a concern by making the Merchant Archetype a money printer. But it also has a deep job class system that can be a time sink.

Lessons from Past Gaming Experiences

Remember when we used to buy PC games in Trapezoids? I spent a summer playing Final Fantasy VII for the second time on PC. The first time was on PlayStation, and I returned the rental late. The second time, I focused on leveling up each character to level 99. By the end, I had forgotten why I was doing it. The same thing happened with other games like Final Fantasy Tactics. I would power level jobs and save scum to get certain skills, even if they weren't that good.

Games like Chrono Trigger, Live-A-Live, and SaGa Frontier prevent us from falling into this grinding trap. They are shorter games with multiple, selectable characters that can be played in any order. This breaks the linear progression and gives us more freedom.

Growing Up and Letting Go

Metaphor is a more reasonable game than the ones that used to suck me in. As I approached the end, I started to loosen up. I didn't maximize all my Archetypes but spent some time seeing how hard I could hit the last boss by throwing money at him. I'm older now and thinking about having children. I don't have as much time as I used to. I'm learning to take things easy and be a little less optimized. One day, I hope to play these games normally.