During an interview published in Famitsu, Metaphor: ReFantazio Director Katsura Hashino talked with GPTRACK50 Studio president Hiroyuki Kobayashi about the new RPG game published by Atlus. When asked about whether he wanted to turn the game into a series, Hashino replied that although he didn’t have a concrete plan, he hoped that this would come true. “This project started with the idea of creating a third JRPG series following Shin Megami Tensei and Persona,” Director Katsura Hashino said, “so I would like to develop it into a flagship title representing Atlus.”
The interview also touched on the topic of animation in Metaphor: ReFantazio. Initially, there was a proposal to compose all the scenes with CG cutscenes. However, Hashino felt that for the type of JRPG that his team was making, using 2D animation alongside CG was the best move. The man also ensured that the characters moved properly, even during close-up scenes, so the animation could show the characters’ emotions better.
Hashino mentioned that when writing the story of Metaphor: ReFantazio, he tried to figure out the beginning and ending first. He believed that understanding the personalities and goals of each character should come first. Once that was done, then they could figure out the ending. After they knew those two plot points they could simply connect them together.
Hashino also said that Metaphor: ReFantazio was set in a fantasy world due to a staff request. Since the man was more focused on “what kind of approach should be taken to advance the current JRPG to the next level,” he didn’t mind fulfilling the request and only saw it as a challenge.
Hashino said he was happy many people enjoyed playing Metaphor: ReFantazio. He mentioned that while he wasn’t overly surprised, it was still rewarding to receive positive feedback. The team has also received plenty of constructive criticisms, which they hope to use to improve their future projects.
