Each Archetype has unique weaknesses and resistances

If you’ve played the demo of Metaphor, you’ll know its battle system is one part Persona and two parts Shin Megami Tensei. It uses the “Press Turn” mechanic from the latter series, in which both your party and your enemies can exploit the weaknesses of the other to earn extra moves during a turn. Hitting elemental weaknesses is standard procedure for RPGs, but if an enemy can exploit your weaknesses and chain attacks, the tide of battle will quickly change.

Your characters’ weaknesses and resistances are determined by their equipped Archetype. And no matter how leveled up a certain Archetype may be, you’re often better off switching to another low-level Archetype if it means gaining a resistance to an enemy’s attacks. Some bosses will even lull you into a false sense of security by having a weakness to an element that one Archetype specializes in, only to use attacks that specifically target that Archetype’s weakness. In cases like these, stubbornly sticking to your established party composition is often more trouble than it’s worth. This is especially true because…