TGS24｜Interview with Katsura Hashino, the production director of “Metaphorical Fantasy: ReFantazio”, taking “uneasy” as the main theme of the game | 4Gamers

The release date of ATLUS’s latest game “Metaphorical Fantasy” is getting closer and closer. At this year’s Tokyo Game Show, it became the most popular game at the SEGA booth. A 1:1 “prototype” was also built on site for players to take photos.

Taking this opportunity, 4Gamers and other Taiwanese media also interviewed producer Katsura Hashino and chief interface designer Koji Ise, asking them to talk about this latest masterpiece from the former “Persona” team. The following is the interview

Q: There is an item called “King’s Qualification” in the game. How will this value affect it?

A: The main line of the story is to start the journey with the king as the goal. During this period, many people entrust the protagonist, and the people’s trust in the protagonist will increase. The initial value is relatively low, because the people feel that they cannot trust the protagonist, and the number of entrustments will be relatively small. As the story progresses, there will be more commissions and growth.

Q: Why does Minamoto’s design have such a terrifying image? Minamoto’s pronunciation in Japanese is the same as that of human beings. Is there any special purpose?

A: The design prototype of Minamoto refers to the world’s first painter who painted fantasy monsters. I was moved and inspired by him and used this as the original design to create Minamoto. This work mainly wants to explore the uneasiness of human beings. I am also very uneasy now. I don’t know if I can answer your questions well.

Human beings are often attacked by uneasy emotions. There is also a saying that only humans are actually panicked by uneasiness, so the monster is named “Source Person” with the same pronunciation as humans.

Q: Is it possible to get all the elements in one round of the game this time, such as full five dimensions, liberation of all professional skills, etc.?

A: Players with very strong skills can do it, but we also include some elements of the second game. I hope everyone can enjoy this aspect.

Q: The game seems to give players a certain degree of freedom. For example, the order of several areas can be chosen. Will this order have any different impact on the game?

A: There is a certain order in which big towns you want to go to. The degree of freedom is reflected in the detailed itinerary. The arrangements for these different areas will also be different with the strength of the teams and monsters, so you can try more challenges.

Q: In addition to the date, the screen also displays weather and temperature. Will these two items have any impact on the battle or the protagonist’s travel?

A: It will have a certain impact. The temperature part is mainly to let everyone experience the atmosphere of travel. However, the weather has a greater impact. When the weather is bad, some monsters will become stronger or their attributes will change.

Q “Metaphorical Fantasy: ReFantazio” introduces real-time action combat that is not found in the “Persona” series, but it does not completely abandon turn-based command combat. Can you talk about this design idea in depth?

A: In the beginning, this part still wanted to be a command-centered battle, but if strong enemies suddenly appear in the battle, or fast enemies appear, having this kind of rhythm will make the game more interesting, so we added it. such elements.

Q: The world of another world is the player’s real world. Is this a purely interesting design, or does it have other intentions?

A: Of course it’s not just for fun. We don’t want the fantasy world to be just fantasy. We hope to have some connection with reality. We created such a composition from the beginning to make everyone find it interesting.

Q: How did you decide on the characters of each race in the game this time? For example, the character “Ui Zemei” seems to be quite special compared to the common demihuman races.

A: When it comes to fantasy, everyone has some fixed races, such as dwarves and elves. But this time we want to start from scratch. The Yugifu tribe to which Ui Xie Ming belongs is characterized by having big ears. The reason for this design is that this race is very indecisive and often listens to other people’s opinions, so it was given Their big ears mean they are constantly listening to other people’s ideas.

Q: Will the interactive options affect the direction of the game?

A: Gallika’s comparison will not affect the direction of the plot. She is more like a travel helper and tour guide. If you encounter difficulties, you can press her dedicated button and you will get a lot of game tips from her. Like someone is in trouble somewhere, or there’s a store here with cheap stuff.

Q: So prices will be different in different places?

A: It’s more like each town has different special price days, but the basic price is the same everywhere.

Q: Is the election purely a theme that drives the plot in this game? Or will elements such as voting actually appear in the game?

A: This election is very different from our real elections. As long as trustworthy feelings are calculated, a majority vote will be adopted. Therefore, who the protagonist will become and how he will become everyone’s sustenance is the story this time.

Q: On the one hand, the characters on the scene have a medieval fantasy style, but they are also somewhat modern in appearance or clothing, while the “prototype” has a metal machine, SF feel. How does it fit in with the theme of the “kingly fantasy” of this game? Character design? Are there any parts that you focus on in particular?

A: At that time, I decided to make a medieval fantasy style. My previous approach was to pay attention to the background setting. At the beginning, I was thinking about what is the usage rate of medieval glass? What kind of things are used? Is the paint not blue yet and stuff like that?

But after studying a lot of content and letting the characters wear some medieval armor, the game turned out to be very inconspicuous, so I decided to focus on the emotions of each character and put everyone’s feelings and ideas into the character design to let them becomes more distinct.

There are indeed some more modern elements that would make it a more attractive choice, and this was partly the result of discussions with Mr. Soejima.

Q: The world background of “Metaphorical Fantasy: ReFantazio” feels very huge. Can you talk about the world view of the game in depth? Are there any mythological stories that you get inspiration from?

A: We did not draw materials from a specific mythology. We did not use any mythology as inspiration this time. We mainly adopted the concept of prototypes, added everyone’s impressions of heroes to the prototypes, and let the protagonist use them to fight.

Q: The music style this time is very different from that of the P series. How did you decide on the style? Why are Buddhist scriptures included in the music?

A: We first discussed the theme of fighting against anxiety with Mr. Kiguro, and then discussed the origin of this music. In the process, we looked for what kind of music humans would use when they were anxious. In Japan, they would play drums and sing together. , so music is originally a thing that stabilizes people’s hearts. In addition, many musics have a deep connection with religion. Therefore, Mr. Muhei thought of introducing Buddhist scriptures into this music, so he invited the abbot to sing.

Q: Compared with many ATLUS works with modern backgrounds and fantasy elements, this time it is rare to set the stage in a fantasy world. Why did you suddenly have such an idea, or where did the opportunity for this project come from?

A: The most recent opportunity is to create a new stage of RPG elements. Because many people like fantasy elements, I decided to make such a work.

In addition, at the beginning, the “Megami Tensei” and “Persona” series were mainly based on modern styles. At that time, we felt that such themes were more special than other RPGs. But thanks to everyone’s support, it is no longer so niche now. , I also have many fans now, and I feel very lucky about this. So now we also want to try making a fantasy game and see what fans think.

Q: Is there any theme, concept or policy in the design of the UI of “Metaphorical Fantasy” this time? The game screen can mainly be seen to be composed of white lines and graphics. After entering the menu, the character vision, which takes up almost half of the screen, brings a strong impression. What kind of impression does the UI of “Metaphorical Fantasy” want to give players? Or is it designed to match the theme of the game?

A: What you have seen so far is that the protagonist unfolds the menu from his head. What is meant to express is that the protagonist is thinking about these things. It is not just a simple arrangement, but how people’s emotions come out. The interface will turn red during combat to show that the protagonist is nervous, so it is represented by red.

Q: “Metaphorical Fantasy: ReFantazio” is the first large-scale fantasy work challenged by ATLUS. What are the team’s expectations and goals for this game? What kind of experience does it hope to bring to players?

A: The biggest goal is still to hope that players can enjoy the game to their fullest. I hope that this story can have some influence and touch on players. In addition, there is also a goal to make everyone fight against their own uneasiness with this more resonant theme. , and also hope to attract players who were unfamiliar with ATLUS in the past to play.

Q: In this work, what technical aspects has ATLUS made greater attempts and improvements?

A: In this aspect, it is a fantasy world, so when deciding on the location and story stage, you have to think more. Unlike before, when you just decided to be Shibuya, you only need to be the same as the real Shibuya, so you have the ability to build in this aspect. There is progress.

In addition, regarding the play process, I hope that everyone’s journey will not be the same. I hope that everyone can play their own journey.

In the imported job system, although everyone in the game may switch to the same strongest job, we hope this will not be the case. We hope that everyone can challenge various professions, overcome levels and find ways to fight in your own way. Come and create your own journey, and we have also made great progress in this aspect of game planning.

Q: Although the protagonist of “Metaphorical Fantasy” can still have a name set by the player to represent the player’s avatar in the game world, compared with the “Persona” series, the protagonist of this game not only has more expressive expressions, but also has more characters in the plot. The actual lines, not just options, can be better understood through the voice actors’ dubbing interpretation of the protagonist’s emotional changes. Is there any purpose for this part? What kind of feelings or experiences does the protagonist hope to bring to the player’s positioning?

A: The “Persona” series features high school students as the protagonists. You can think of some imaginable images of high school students. But in this game, you have to fight with the goal of becoming the king of another world, which is more difficult to imagine. It may be difficult for everyone to feel a sense of personal existence if such a person does not speak at all.

Although the protagonist this time is a relatively independent existence, the protagonist will act according to the player’s choice, and the function of being the player’s clone also exists. In addition, after all, we still hope that players can empathize with the protagonist, so there will be no options that greatly differ from the player’s ideas, or plots such as suddenly confessing to others.

Q: Will there be any more funny lines this time?

A: Although I’m not sure whether everyone finds it funny, we will still do it the way we have in the past, so please don’t worry too much.

Q: It has been nearly 8 years since the project was first exposed for “Metaphorical Fantasy: ReFantazio”. Can you share the most impressive things and bottlenecks encountered during the production process?

A: We haven’t just been working on this game for 8 years. We have also slowly recruited members and started working on it slowly. Although it takes a long time, the process is not too difficult.

Q: The main visual of the game involves many people other than companions. Is there anything you want to express?

A: Actually, I discussed it with Mr. Soejima many times and drew a lot of Sakamoto. I even wanted to postpone the discussion a few more times, which led to me getting scolded. The main feeling I want to express is that the protagonist is moving towards the future, with the help of many people behind him. However, after discussing it, Mr. Soejima would have a hard time if every character had to be drawn.

Q: Are there any cover plans that you haven’t used but that you think are good?

A: In fact, there are many that I think are great. Although some pictures are very handsome, it seems that other works have this kind of composition, so I figured out a style that only “Metaphorical Fantasy” can present.

In the end, Mr. Hashino said: “Mainly, we are very happy that the Megami Tensei series or the Persona series have so many fans now. When we created it, we didn’t think about what kind of games would be played in which region. We just made it. Our very interesting work has been so loved by players from Hong Kong, Taiwan, and China. I really appreciate you all. I hope you also like “Metaphorical Fantasy” and I also hope to hear your thoughts on playing it.”

Ise Yukiharu said: “When doing UI design, I always think about how players will find it easy to operate, smooth, interesting or even scary. We hope to convey these to players everywhere, and we also work hard for this. I hope everyone can enjoy the translation.”

“Metaphorical Fantasy: ReFantazio” is expected to be released simultaneously on Xbox Series X | S, Windows, PS5, PS4, and Steam on October 11, 2024.