Games that 'look like they were designed by a bunch of people in a CEO boardroom' aren't exciting or interesting to Metaphor: ReFantazio's director

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.

(Image credit: Sega)

Metaphor Refantazio

Metaphor: ReFantazio’s done rather well for itself, hasn’t it? It’s one of thefastest-selling gamesin Atlus' (who also made the vaunted Persona games) history. I’m about 37 hours in myself at the moment, and as I correctly predicted it’s gotten me, someone who hasn’t even touched a Persona game, all-in onan Atlus RPG.

I’m having a ball, as are a few members on our team and our reviewer, Lewis Parker, who scoredMetaphor: ReFantazioa staggering 95—that’s just two points lower thanBaldur’s Gate 3, that other RPG we won’t shut up about.

Speaking on his successes toIGN, director Katsura Hashino says the secret sauce—the chemical X to pulling off successful RPGs consistently—is the human touch: “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.”

While talking about Persona, and the inspiration behind making those games' casts have realistic and relatable thoughts, feelings, and fears, Hashino says that Metaphor’s characters are much the same: “They’re facing anxiety and all these other big things that affect everybody, no matter who they are, where they are, or how old they are.”

I think this is really interesting, considering the spot that the Final Fantasy series, ostensibly the other big competitor in Atlus' space, is in at the moment—Square Enix keeps putting its whole budget behind into highly-polished JRPGs thatfall short of lofty sales expectations, games that have all the graphics, that have all the realisms, that let you see the pores on Cloud Strife’s admittedly very pretty face, yet fail to pull in proportionate numbers as far as papa Square is concerned.

Yet Metaphor: ReFantazio, a game that isn’t stupendously concerned with graphical fidelity, has met with tremendous critical acclaim and some great financial success. I mean, don’t get me wrong. It looks good, and that’s down to art direction that just doesn’t miss. Industry-redefining menus, gorgeous hand-drawn artwork, an incredible soundtrack, imaginative monster designs and a painterly, vivid visual style means that nothing’s offensive on the eye.

The biggest gaming news, reviews and hardware deals

But I’ve also admired how functional a lot of it is. Go onto the deck of the gauntlet runner and you’ll see some very bare-bones flat textures and trees cobbled with a few scant assets. Play on anything other than the highest settings, and you’ll see blurry paintings abound. Most cutscenes are delivered via static in-game poses and portrait lip flaps. Calling these ‘cut corners’ is inaccurate, they’re just not where Atlus pumps money, and it works perfectly fine.

For Hashino, games that let the developers go hog wild in the ways that matter are what keeps him going: “It really fills me with the motivation to keep developing,” he says, “That these artists, these creatives, had something they really wanted to say is where I get all of my inspiration from, and the drive to continue to be creative myself.”

More about rpg

A Path of Exile 2 sorceress casting flaming skulls in a hellish landscape

Path of Exile 2 numberlord spends 16 straight days killing rare monsters to prove that a stat that makes loot better makes better loot

Double headed wizard man holding arms up looking sad

LatestAssassin’s Creed Shadows takes a run at improving parkour, as Ubisoft strives to make the system less ‘like a gas pedal’See more latest►

Latest

Assassin’s Creed Shadows takes a run at improving parkour, as Ubisoft strives to make the system less ‘like a gas pedal’

Image for Assassin’s Creed Shadows takes a run at improving parkour, as Ubisoft strives to make the system less ‘like a gas pedal’

Assassin’s Creed Shadows takes a run at improving parkour, as Ubisoft strives to make the system less ‘like a gas pedal’

See more latest►

Most PopularPalestinian developer raises more than $200,000 to make Dreams on a Pillow, a game about the horrors of the 1948 NakbaPiranha Games will lay off employees after Mechwarrior 5: Clans ‘performed below projections’Marvel Rivals’ latest update quietly killed the game’s burgeoning mod sceneSorry everyone, Minecraft 2 is cancelled, and it might be our faultTeam Fortress 2 just had the single biggest trade in its history, with ‘the absolute best hat you can get’ going for around $40KIs the new RTX 5070 really as fast as Nvidia’s previous flagship RTX 4090 GPU? Turns out the answer is yes. Kinda.Elden Ring: Nightreign is getting a closed network test, and I’m totally not fuming because PC players aren’t invited to the party, or anythingIf you’re a content creator and gamer looking for a CPU upgrade, this Ryzen 9 9900X deal will get you $90 offAMD is now reportedly making all-American Ryzen 9000 CPU dies at TSMC’s Arizona fabI tried a sim racing rig that generates ‘wind’ at CES 2025 and it’s claimed to help keep VR nausea at bayFinal Fantasy 14 communities panic as it turns out change to blacklisting, meant to help reduce stalking, also lets players use mods to track their alts

Most Popular

Palestinian developer raises more than $200,000 to make Dreams on a Pillow, a game about the horrors of the 1948 Nakba

Piranha Games will lay off employees after Mechwarrior 5: Clans ‘performed below projections’

Marvel Rivals’ latest update quietly killed the game’s burgeoning mod scene

Sorry everyone, Minecraft 2 is cancelled, and it might be our fault

Team Fortress 2 just had the single biggest trade in its history, with ‘the absolute best hat you can get’ going for around $40K

Is the new RTX 5070 really as fast as Nvidia’s previous flagship RTX 4090 GPU? Turns out the answer is yes. Kinda.

Elden Ring: Nightreign is getting a closed network test, and I’m totally not fuming because PC players aren’t invited to the party, or anything

If you’re a content creator and gamer looking for a CPU upgrade, this Ryzen 9 9900X deal will get you $90 off

AMD is now reportedly making all-American Ryzen 9000 CPU dies at TSMC’s Arizona fab

I tried a sim racing rig that generates ‘wind’ at CES 2025 and it’s claimed to help keep VR nausea at bay

Final Fantasy 14 communities panic as it turns out change to blacklisting, meant to help reduce stalking, also lets players use mods to track their alts

HARDWARE BUYING GUIDESLATEST GAME REVIEWS1Best Steam Deck accessories in Australia for 2025: Our favorite docks, powerbanks and gamepads2Best graphics card for laptops: the mobile GPUs I’d want in my next gaming laptop3Best mini PCs in 2025: The compact computers I love the most4Best 14-inch gaming laptop: The top compact gaming laptops I’ve held in these hands5Best Mini-ITX motherboards in 2025: My pick from all the mini mobo marvels I’ve tested1Thank Goodness You’re Here! review: An anarchic treasure trove of jokes and skits2Shiren the Wanderer: The Mystery Dungeon of Serpentcoil Island review—like juggling chainsaws on horseback3WD Black SN850X 8 TB NVMe SSD review4Ikea Utespelare desk review5Asus ROG Harpe Ace Mini wireless mouse review

HARDWARE BUYING GUIDESLATEST GAME REVIEWS

1Best Steam Deck accessories in Australia for 2025: Our favorite docks, powerbanks and gamepads

A bunch of the best Steam Deck accessories on a blue background.

1Best Steam Deck accessories in Australia for 2025: Our favorite docks, powerbanks and gamepads

Best Steam Deck accessories in Australia for 2025: Our favorite docks, powerbanks and gamepads

2Best graphics card for laptops: the mobile GPUs I’d want in my next gaming laptop

Best graphics card for laptops: the mobile GPUs I’d want in my next gaming laptop

3Best mini PCs in 2025: The compact computers I love the most

Best mini PCs in 2025: The compact computers I love the most

4Best 14-inch gaming laptop: The top compact gaming laptops I’ve held in these hands

Best 14-inch gaming laptop: The top compact gaming laptops I’ve held in these hands

5Best Mini-ITX motherboards in 2025: My pick from all the mini mobo marvels I’ve tested

Best Mini-ITX motherboards in 2025: My pick from all the mini mobo marvels I’ve tested

1Thank Goodness You’re Here! review: An anarchic treasure trove of jokes and skits

Thank Goodness You’re Here review

1Thank Goodness You’re Here! review: An anarchic treasure trove of jokes and skits

Thank Goodness You’re Here! review: An anarchic treasure trove of jokes and skits

2Shiren the Wanderer: The Mystery Dungeon of Serpentcoil Island review—like juggling chainsaws on horseback

Shiren the Wanderer: The Mystery Dungeon of Serpentcoil Island review—like juggling chainsaws on horseback

3WD Black SN850X 8 TB NVMe SSD review

WD Black SN850X 8 TB NVMe SSD review

4Ikea Utespelare desk review

Ikea Utespelare desk review

5Asus ROG Harpe Ace Mini wireless mouse review

Asus ROG Harpe Ace Mini wireless mouse review

The biggest gaming news, reviews and hardware deals#

The biggest gaming news, reviews and hardware deals