Before Persona veterans decided Metaphor: ReFantazio had to be a fantasy JRPG, they had "talks about making a science-fiction universe"
Nov. 13, 2024We could’ve had Metaphor: ReSci-Fitazio
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AlthoughPersonaveteran Katsura Hashino directedMetaphor: ReFantazioas a fantasy JRPG in the end, the developers spent some time envisioning the game as something very different, once considering a sci-fi experience rather than a fantastical one.
Speaking toArchipelabout Metaphor: ReFantazio in a pre-release interview, Hashino, along with artist Shigenori Soejima and composer Shoji Meguro, provides insight into the JRPG’s development. When the team joined Hashino to work on Metaphor after wrapping upPersona 5, the devs “started wondering what to do next.” At this point, “Hashino started saying he wanted to try his hand at something new.”
That “something new” was still undecided. As the devs began to come together, they say they “went on exploring ideas.” Some of these ideas were more sci-fi-aligned than the fantasy game we have now would lead you to believe, according to the Metaphor leads. “Besides fantasy,” there were “talks about making a science-fiction universe.” Ultimately, however, the team “started actual work upon deciding on the fantasy genre.” The project was, after all, initially codenamed Project Re Fantasy.
By the time Meguro joined the crew, he says devs “were set for the fantasy genre,” which led him toward “using an orchestra to create something richer” after years of pop-heavy soundtracks for Persona. “To be honest, I was really happy about it,” Meguro says.
As a fan of both Persona and now Metaphor myself, it’s certainly an interesting possibility to ponder. I imagine that if ReFantazio had ended up being Sci-Fitazio instead, it would’ve been closer to Atlus' other banger JRPG series, Shin Megami Tensei, which spawned Persona to begin with. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t personally pleased with how it turned out in the end, though.
Excited for the game, too? Read ourMetaphor: ReFantazio reviewto learn why it’s “an evolution of Atlus' best RPGs.”
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After spending years with her head in various fantastical realms' clouds, Anna studied English Literature and then Medieval History at the University of Edinburgh, going on to specialize in narrative design and video game journalism as a writer. She has written for various publications since her postgraduate studies, including Dexerto, Fanbyte, GameSpot, IGN, PCGamesN, and more. When she’s not frantically trying to form words into coherent sentences, she’s probably daydreaming about becoming a fairy druid and befriending every animal or she’s spending a thousand (more) hours traversing the Underdark in Baldur’s Gate 3. If you spot her away from her PC, you’ll always find Anna with a fantasy book, a handheld video game console of some sort, and a Tamagotchi or two on hand.
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