How did Persona 5, Persona 3, and now Metaphor: ReFantazio achieve some of the best UI in JRPG history? Its veteran Atlus director stresses "unity" and support for dev teams

GamesRPGHow did Persona 5, Persona 3, and now Metaphor: ReFantazio achieve some of the best UI in JRPG history? Its veteran Atlus director stresses “unity” and support for dev teamsWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works. GamesRPGHow did Persona 5, Persona 3, and now Metaphor: ReFantazio achieve some of the best UI in JRPG history? Its veteran Atlus director stresses “unity” and support for dev teamsWhen 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) As part of our hugeMetaphor: ReFantazio previewfromSummer Game Fest2024, GamesRadar+ has spoken to Katsura Hashino and Shigenori Soejima about their new JRPG. A veteran duo of developer Atlus, Hashino has headed up countless Persona games in a directing role, while Soejima has provided the art style and direction for numerous beloved characters over the years. Metaphor: ReFantazio has been grabbing headlines for weeks now for another good reason: its UI, withdevelopers and fans alike have been lavishing praise upon its menu designsfor months now since April. “We, the entire team, have been really focused on making really good UI since Persona 3, so we’re really honored to hear this,” Hashino tells GamesRadar+ when asked how Atlus had perfected a refined approach with UI. “When you’re talking about what a game is built around - for example, you have an action game which focuses heavily on the characters and their actions and the animations. When you’re working on those, you want to make sure that all those look as beautiful and amazing as possible. That’s the experience you want people to enjoy,” Hashino continues. “But with an RPG, RPGs are focused so heavily on equipment and party setup and skills and using all these menus, so because you spend so much time in an RPG focusing on these aspects of the game, you want to make sure that they’re as polished and as pretty as possible. It’s so much of a core element. That’s one thing that inspired us to put so much effort into the UI.” ‘Good UI’ is sometimes minimal, which is an approachMetaphor: ReFantazioobviously doesn’t ascribe to, with its colorful and explosive menus and interfaces. Hashino admits that “a lot of times, UI is such a basic part of the game,” adding that it’s not “exciting” or “flashy.” But when you pick up a controller, you’re interacting with a game’s UI - it’s your vehicle for the interaction, and if the vehicle feels good, it “adds so much more to the experience,” Hashino explains. Sign up to the GamesRadar+ Newsletter Weekly digests, tales from the communities you love, and more Soejima, for his part, adds that it’s not just that Atlus' UI systems look amazing, but it’s that they “work well” and “feel amazing.” The veteran Atlus designer is aiming for a “seamless experience” with UI, and Hashino adds that making games is obviously a team effort, and so the more people on the “same wavelength” there are on a team, the better the final product will be. “We as a studio really want to keep encouraging that sense of unity,” Hashino adds. The veteran Persona designer also believes a lot of people, even if they don’t analyze a game, can understand that a game had a singular effort behind it. “A lot of users don’t put that much thought into analysis because they’re just looking at the final product,” Hashino says, and he hopes that Metaphor: ReFantazio can be the kind of game that imparts this “singular effort” vision for players. Metaphor: ReFantazio launches later this year on October 11, simultaneously across PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S, a huge change for the Persona developer. Is JRPG a good word? Persona 5 director and character designer weigh in ahead of their new game Metaphor ReFantazio: “You can call this a JRPG if you want.” TOPICSSummer Game Fest TOPICS CATEGORIESPC GamingPS5Xbox Series XPlatformsPlayStationXbox CATEGORIES PRODUCTSMetaphor: ReFantazioPersona 5 RoyalPersona 3 Reload PRODUCTS More about rpgThe Witcher 4 devs say romance will “absolutely” be a part of the RPG, it just has to be “super compelling and very meaningful"When making Kingdom Hearts, the “one thing” RPG icon Tetsuya Nomura “wasn’t willing to budge on” was a non-Disney protagonistLatestNosferatu should “feel like a love triangle” according to star Lily-Rose Depp, albeit a twisted oneSee more latest► More about rpgThe Witcher 4 devs say romance will “absolutely” be a part of the RPG, it just has to be “super compelling and very meaningful"When making Kingdom Hearts, the “one thing” RPG icon Tetsuya Nomura “wasn’t willing to budge on” was a non-Disney protagonistLatestNosferatu should “feel like a love triangle” according to star Lily-Rose Depp, albeit a twisted oneSee more latest► More about rpgThe Witcher 4 devs say romance will “absolutely” be a part of the RPG, it just has to be “super compelling and very meaningful"When making Kingdom Hearts, the “one thing” RPG icon Tetsuya Nomura “wasn’t willing to budge on” was a non-Disney protagonist More about rpg The Witcher 4 devs say romance will “absolutely” be a part of the RPG, it just has to be “super compelling and very meaningful"When making Kingdom Hearts, the “one thing” RPG icon Tetsuya Nomura “wasn’t willing to budge on” was a non-Disney protagonist The Witcher 4 devs say romance will “absolutely” be a part of the RPG, it just has to be “super compelling and very meaningful” The Witcher 4 devs say romance will “absolutely” be a part of the RPG, it just has to be “super compelling and very meaningful” When making Kingdom Hearts, the “one thing” RPG icon Tetsuya Nomura “wasn’t willing to budge on” was a non-Disney protagonist When making Kingdom Hearts, the “one thing” RPG icon Tetsuya Nomura “wasn’t willing to budge on” was a non-Disney protagonist LatestNosferatu should “feel like a love triangle” according to star Lily-Rose Depp, albeit a twisted oneSee more latest► Latest Nosferatu should “feel like a love triangle” according to star Lily-Rose Depp, albeit a twisted one Nosferatu should “feel like a love triangle” according to star Lily-Rose Depp, albeit a twisted one Nosferatu should “feel like a love triangle” according to star Lily-Rose Depp, albeit a twisted one See more latest► Most PopularPalworld drops a massive update that further distances the survival game from Pokemon following the Nintendo lawsuit, and fans couldn’t be more proud: “Justice for Palworld"The Silent Hill 2 Remake director has pitched a Lord of the Rings horror game, and suddenly I’m hunched over growling ‘my precious’ at the thought of itCreature Commandos gets a season 2 as James Gunn bestows us all with a monstrous holiday giftSonic 3 writers have their say on whether Robotnik is really dead and begin the Jim Carrey Oscar campaign: “The fact that the Oscars almost exclusively only focus on drama is a little silly"Wallace and Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl’s directors reveal the surprising influences behind their new “gnome noir” movie – including a Hitchcock classicAfter being labeled a Dark Souls copy, Black Myth: Wukong is now getting its own imitators on the Nintendo storeBill Skarsgård ended up staying “isolated” from his castmates when filming horror movie Nosferatu – but he recalls co-star Nicholas Hoult’s kindnessThe Witcher 4 devs say romance will “absolutely” be a part of the RPG, it just has to be “super compelling and very meaningful"One of the best Yu-Gi-Oh anime series is getting a 2025 remaster for its milestone 20th anniversaryUnhinged outtakes from live-action Balatro trailer reveal we could have seen Final Fantasy 16’s Ben Starr gobble down a banana too many waysSonic 3 writers admit that they did consider killing James Marsden’s lovable Tom: “It came up… but would have been maybe a bridge too far” Most PopularPalworld drops a massive update that further distances the survival game from Pokemon following the Nintendo lawsuit, and fans couldn’t be more proud: “Justice for Palworld"The Silent Hill 2 Remake director has pitched a Lord of the Rings horror game, and suddenly I’m hunched over growling ‘my precious’ at the thought of itCreature Commandos gets a season 2 as James Gunn bestows us all with a monstrous holiday giftSonic 3 writers have their say on whether Robotnik is really dead and begin the Jim Carrey Oscar campaign: “The fact that the Oscars almost exclusively only focus on drama is a little silly"Wallace and Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl’s directors reveal the surprising influences behind their new “gnome noir” movie – including a Hitchcock classicAfter being labeled a Dark Souls copy, Black Myth: Wukong is now getting its own imitators on the Nintendo storeBill Skarsgård ended up staying “isolated” from his castmates when filming horror movie Nosferatu – but he recalls co-star Nicholas Hoult’s kindnessThe Witcher 4 devs say romance will “absolutely” be a part of the RPG, it just has to be “super compelling and very meaningful"One of the best Yu-Gi-Oh anime series is getting a 2025 remaster for its milestone 20th anniversaryUnhinged outtakes from live-action Balatro trailer reveal we could have seen Final Fantasy 16’s Ben Starr gobble down a banana too many waysSonic 3 writers admit that they did consider killing James Marsden’s lovable Tom: “It came up… but would have been maybe a bridge too far” Most PopularPalworld drops a massive update that further distances the survival game from Pokemon following the Nintendo lawsuit, and fans couldn’t be more proud: “Justice for Palworld"The Silent Hill 2 Remake director has pitched a Lord of the Rings horror game, and suddenly I’m hunched over growling ‘my precious’ at the thought of itCreature Commandos gets a season 2 as James Gunn bestows us all with a monstrous holiday giftSonic 3 writers have their say on whether Robotnik is really dead and begin the Jim Carrey Oscar campaign: “The fact that the Oscars almost exclusively only focus on drama is a little silly"Wallace and Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl’s directors reveal the surprising influences behind their new “gnome noir” movie – including a Hitchcock classicAfter being labeled a Dark Souls copy, Black Myth: Wukong is now getting its own imitators on the Nintendo storeBill Skarsgård ended up staying “isolated” from his castmates when filming horror movie Nosferatu – but he recalls co-star Nicholas Hoult’s kindnessThe Witcher 4 devs say romance will “absolutely” be a part of the RPG, it just has to be “super compelling and very meaningful"One of the best Yu-Gi-Oh anime series is getting a 2025 remaster for its milestone 20th anniversaryUnhinged outtakes from live-action Balatro trailer reveal we could have seen Final Fantasy 16’s Ben Starr gobble down a banana too many waysSonic 3 writers admit that they did consider killing James Marsden’s lovable Tom: “It came up… but would have been maybe a bridge too far” Most Popular Palworld drops a massive update that further distances the survival game from Pokemon following the Nintendo lawsuit, and fans couldn’t be more proud: “Justice for Palworld” The Silent Hill 2 Remake director has pitched a Lord of the Rings horror game, and suddenly I’m hunched over growling ‘my precious’ at the thought of it Creature Commandos gets a season 2 as James Gunn bestows us all with a monstrous holiday gift Sonic 3 writers have their say on whether Robotnik is really dead and begin the Jim Carrey Oscar campaign: “The fact that the Oscars almost exclusively only focus on drama is a little silly” Wallace and Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl’s directors reveal the surprising influences behind their new “gnome noir” movie – including a Hitchcock classic After being labeled a Dark Souls copy, Black Myth: Wukong is now getting its own imitators on the Nintendo store Bill Skarsgård ended up staying “isolated” from his castmates when filming horror movie Nosferatu – but he recalls co-star Nicholas Hoult’s kindness The Witcher 4 devs say romance will “absolutely” be a part of the RPG, it just has to be “super compelling and very meaningful” One of the best Yu-Gi-Oh anime series is getting a 2025 remaster for its milestone 20th anniversary Unhinged outtakes from live-action Balatro trailer reveal we could have seen Final Fantasy 16’s Ben Starr gobble down a banana too many ways Sonic 3 writers admit that they did consider killing James Marsden’s lovable Tom: “It came up… but would have been maybe a bridge too far” GAME REVIEWSMOVIE REVIEWSTV REVIEWS1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension"2Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package"3Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure"4Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years"5Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths"1Sonic 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"3Kraven 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"5Nightbitch 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"2Secret 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"4Creature 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” GAME REVIEWSMOVIE REVIEWSTV REVIEWS1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension"2Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package"3Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure"4Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years"5Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths"1Sonic 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"3Kraven 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"5Nightbitch 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"2Secret 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"4Creature 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” GAME REVIEWSMOVIE REVIEWSTV REVIEWS1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension"2Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package"3Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure"4Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years"5Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths"1Sonic 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"3Kraven 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"5Nightbitch 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"2Secret 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"4Creature 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” GAME REVIEWSMOVIE REVIEWSTV REVIEWS1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension"2Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package"3Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure"4Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years"5Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths"1Sonic 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"3Kraven 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"5Nightbitch 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"2Secret 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"4Creature 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” GAME REVIEWSMOVIE REVIEWSTV REVIEWS 1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension” 1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension” 1 Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension” 2Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package” 2Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package” 2 Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package” 3Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure” 3Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure” 3 Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure” 4Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years” 4Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years” 4 Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years” 5Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths” 5Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths” 5 Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths” 1Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show” 1Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey 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 the sort of hard-hitting form that made it such a fan favorite in the first place” 5 Cobra 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”