Atlus’ Metaphor: ReFantazio was initially inspired by classic fantasy like Lords of the Rings, but the developer “threw out” this research to focus on a more original world.
Speaking on the Official Xbox Podcast, director Katsura Hashino discussed the influence of traditional fantasy and how that ultimately hindered the creativity of the development team.
“At the very beginning of the development of Metaphor: ReFantazio, we looked into traditional fantasy culture,” said Hashino, such as Tolkien and Lords of the Rings. “We researched not just what traditional fantasy was, but why it was written the way it was, what inspired it to be written in the way it was.
“While we were trying to bring this aspect into our game, we threw out all of our ideas of it and we realised we couldn’t really make a game that was in the traditional fantasy mode
“It wouldn’t really feel original to us. It would lack that originality that defines us. We’re also finding that it would be hard for us to bring out the creativity that we wanted to in this more traditional fantasy world.”
He continued: “Partway through we decided to just abandon all of the inspirations that we had and just kind of create something new. Then we took things that we personally like and we tried to find ways to bring it into the game. There was a stopping of research and a starting of this original creative endeavour.”
Further, in an interview with IGN, Hashino discussed the importance of human stories in the games he’s worked on – from Metaphor: ReFantazio to Persona.
“I want something – even if it’s not complete, even if it’s really rough, even if it’s something really unfinished – to give me a glimpse of the humanity behind it. [I want to know] who created it and for it to give me a glimpse of the emotion that inspired it,” he said.
Speaking specifically on Persona, he explained: “I think the gap between the kind of realism of the characters themselves and the anime aesthetic is a really interesting and important part of the game. You might first look and see these very anime-style characters and this anime-style world, but then might be surprised and interested to see there’s a very real [world] underpinning to them. Looking beyond the anime and seeing the realism is really a wonderful part of our games.”
Metaphor: ReFantazio certainly follows suit – while it’s set in a high fantasy anime world, its characters are all dealing with particularly human issues, in a world rife with prejudice.
Atlus’ latest RPG launched last week and hit a million sales in its first day to become the company’s fastest-selling game.
“Taken as a straightforward fantasy RPG Metaphor: ReFantazio is hard to beat, as Atlus expertly merges nostalgia and modernity. If its lofty thematic goals of ending prejudice and overcoming society’s collective melancholia are too idealistic, perhaps that’s actually the sort of positivity and hope we need right now,” reads Eurogamer’s Metaphor: ReFantazio review.