The famous game designer, Eric “ConcernedApe” Barone, has been devoting most of his time toStardew Valleyupdates in recent years, but he has also quietly been working on his next game,Haunted Chocolatier. Announced in October 2021,Haunted Chocolatieris an unconventional cross between an action RPG and a chocolate shop management sim, and it features aStardew Valley-like art style. The game has been in development for quite some time, but is still years away from being released, and will probably launch as a PC exclusive when it eventually does come out.
Judging by the fewsnippets ofHaunted Chocolatiergameplaythat have been shown so far, it appears the game is going to feature a lot of characters that players can interact and converse with, much likeStardew Valley. In the trailers for the game, the player character can be seen discussing topics with NPCs and choosing between multiple dialogue options during conversations. ConcernedApe hasn’t revealed who most of these characters are and also hasn’t commented on whetherHaunted Chocolatierwill allow players to form bonds with them. However, if such a system is in the game, then maybe ConcernedApe should opt for a moreMetaphor: ReFantazio-style approach to friendship gameplay mechanics rather than aPersona-inspired one.
The Social Links in the Persona Series Use a Point-Based System
ThePersonagames don’t have a lot in common with ConcernedApe’s titles, but they do give players the option to befriend NPCs, just like inStardew Valley. In thePersonaseries, players can completewhat are known as Social Linksby bonding with other party members and allies that they come across. These Social Links are typically divided into 10 ranks, with each of them featuring a unique event or dialogue sequence of some kind. Once players go through all 10 ranks in a character’s Social Link, they will be rewarded with a unique, ultimate Persona that can come in handy during combat.
The Social Links in thePersonaseries work using a point-based system. In order to gain enough points to level up one’s relationships, players must hang out with characters and complete certain actions, such asgiving NPCs giftsor responding to correct dialogue options during conversations. Because spending free time with a character does not necessarily guarantee that players will earn enough points to move up a rank, completing all available Social Links in a mainlinePersonagame is often a long and arduous task, even in the series' recent installments.
The Follower Bonds in Metaphor: ReFantazio Level Up Automatically
Metaphor: ReFantazio, on the other hand, has a different take on the friendship gameplay mechanics from thePersonaseries. Instead of having Social Links,Metaphorhas something known as Follower Bonds. This feature is, in practice, very similar to the Social Links in thePersonagames, but the one thing that makes it stand out is that it doesn’t use a point-based system. InMetaphor, every time players hang out with one of their allies, or Followers, their relationship levels up automatically. Players don’t have to revisit an NPC multiple times, like in thePersonaseries, in order to gain extra points to unlock the next relationship rank.
ConcernedApe Should Avoid Adding a Point-Based Relationship System to Haunted Chocolatier
IfHaunted Chocolatierdoes allow players to befriend NPCs, like inStardew Valley, ConcernedApe should strive to model the game’s bonding mechanics afterMetaphor: ReFantazio’s Follower Bondsinstead ofPersona’s Social Links. The point-based relationship system found in bothStardew Valleyand thePersonaseries can be beneficial in some instances, but it can artificially pad out a game’s length. Instead of forcing players to repeat certain actions over and over again to befriend NPCs, ConcernedApe could add a lot more character interactions and dialogue sequences toHaunted Chocolatierby allowing them to automatically level up relationships, like inMetaphor: ReFantazio.
