Despite some gameplay and setting differences, Metaphor: ReFantazio is not that different from the latest entries in the Persona series. Among the features the two series share is the trademark time limit to complete every side activity in the game, including raising all of the Kingly Virtues to level 5 and maxing out Followers, the latest evolution of the Social Links system introduced in the original Persona 3.
As ranking up the relationship with the 14 Followers available in Metaphor: ReFantazio unlocks powerful new Archetypes as well as some rather useful abilities, you will want to rank them up to rank 8 in a single playthrough. Maxing out relationships with other characters has proven to be quite difficult to do in Persona games without careful planning, and, at a glance, it looks just as difficult in Metaphor: ReFantazio, also considering the game seems to grant fewer available days compared to the latest entries in the Persona series.
Thankfully, maxing out each Follower in Metaphor: ReFantazio is not as difficult as in the Persona games, thanks to a few tweaks. For example, every time you interact with any of your Followers, the relationship rank will increase, regardless of the answers you have picked during any previous interaction. The Followers are also decently split between afternoons and nights, which grants you plenty of time to max them out during a single playthrough. The only progression blocker in some cases will be a Kingly Virtue not on the required level, but by paying attention to them and keeping them evenly leveled, you should have no trouble maxing things out on a single playthrough with plenty of time to spare for other activities, such as the battling at the Varmareno Coliseum. In other cases, you may have to interact with them on the Gauntlet Runner as you travel from one location to another, but, given how much traveling you have to do in Metaphor: ReFantazio, it shouldn’t make you waste so much time as to become unable to max out every relationship out in a single playthrough.
