For fantasy JRPG Metaphor: ReFantazio, Persona director gave himself a crash course featuring classics like The Lord of the Rings, but "if we tried to copy that it would just be a copy"

GamesJRPGMetaphor: ReFantazioFor fantasy JRPG Metaphor: ReFantazio, Persona director gave himself a crash course featuring classics like The Lord of the Rings, but “if we tried to copy that it would just be a copy"When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works. GamesJRPGMetaphor: ReFantazioFor fantasy JRPG Metaphor: ReFantazio, Persona director gave himself a crash course featuring classics like The Lord of the Rings, but “if we tried to copy that it would just be a copy"When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works. (Image credit: Atlus / Sega) Metaphor: ReFantazio’s fantasy world was created after director Katsura Hashino immersed himself in fantasy classics before designing it, although ultimately it sounds like this crash course had little impact on the final product. In case you’ve missed the rave reviews, Atlus’s new JRPG Metaphor: ReFantazio is one of the year’s highest rated games on Metacritic currently, matching PlayStation’s hit platformerAstro Botfor the top spot. If we’re counting expansions,Elden Ring’sShadow of the ErdtreeDLC is the third game this year to reach that 94 Metascore. “I realized that if we tried to imitate this in any way, in the characters or setting or world, it wouldn’t really reach the originals,” Hashino said. “If we tried to copy that it would just be a copy. So I thought: let’s try to make a fantasy game that only we can make.” Ultimately, of course, everything Hashino and the team at Studio Zero did culminated in a new dark horse contender for Game of the Year. GamesRadar+‘sMetaphor: ReFantazio reviewslapped a tremendous 4.5 out of 5 stars on the game and called it “a triumphant evolution of Atlus’ best.” Persona director and JRPG veteran says the amazing menus in Metaphor: ReFantazio were “really annoying” to make, just as Persona 5’s were “impossible to read at first”. 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steals the show” 1 Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show” 2Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie” 2Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie” 2 Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie” 3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action” 3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action” 3 Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action” 4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien” 4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien” 4 The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien” 5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite” 5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite” 5 Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite” 1Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat” 1Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat” 1 Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat” 2Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses” 2Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses” 2 Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses” 3Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist” 3Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist” 3 Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist” 4Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands” 4Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands” 4 Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands” 5Cobra Kai season 6, part 2 review: “Returns to the sort of hard-hitting form that made it such a fan favorite in the first place” 5Cobra Kai season 6, part 2 review: “Returns to 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