ReFantazio & Persona Menus: Stylish, Yet Frustrating?

Metaphor: ReFantazio director Katsura Hashino acknowledged that the game's stunning menus, and those of the Persona series generally, presented a significant design challenge. Read on to learn more about the Persona director's comments.

Persona Director Confesses Menus Are ‘Difficult to Develop’Persona and Metaphor: ReFantazio Menus Require 'Considerable Time', Hashino Stated

In a recent interview, acclaimed Persona director Katsura Hashino offered insight into one of the series’ most discussed features: its menus. While Persona enthusiasts have long appreciated the game’s elegant, stylish UI, Hashino conceded that crafting these visually appealing interfaces is far more "irritating" than it appears.

Speaking to The Verge, the Persona director acknowledged that, "Generally, the approach most developers take to UI is very straightforward. That’s what we strive for as well—we aim for simplicity, practicality, and usability. But perhaps the reason we’ve attained both functionality and beauty is that we create unique designs for each and every menu. This is actually quite irritating to do."

This painstaking process often consumes more development time than anticipated. Hashino also recounted how early versions of Persona 5’s iconic, angular menus were "unreadable" initially, necessitating numerous adjustments before achieving the optimal blend of functionality and style.

The appeal of menus, however, has not gone unnoticed. Both Persona 5 and Metaphor: ReFantazio stand out for their visual design that simply exudes personality. In fact, for many players, the elaborate UI has become as much a hallmark of these games as their rich narratives and complex characters. Yet, this visual identity comes at a cost, and Hashino’s team has had to dedicate substantial resources to perfecting it. "It takes a lot of time," Hashino admitted.

Hashino’s frustrations aren’t unwarranted. The recent Persona games are known for their stylish, sometimes excessive aesthetics, with the menus playing a major role in shaping each game’s unique feel. Every piece of the UI, from the in-game shop to party menu, feels as though it is crafted with meticulous attention to detail. While the goal is to create a seamless experience for players, the effort required to make everything flow smoothly behind the scenes is considerable.

"We have separate programs running for each of them as well," Hashino said. "Whether it’s the shop menu or the main menu, when you open them up there’s a whole separate program running and a separate design that goes into making it."

The challenge of harmonizing functionality and aesthetics in UI design appears to have been a central aspect of Persona development since Persona 3, and it has only achieved a new zenith in Persona 5. Hashino’s latest endeavor, Metaphor: ReFantazio, extends these limits even further. Set in a high-fantasy realm, the game’s artistic UI draws upon the same principles but enhances them to suit a grander scope. For Hashino, the menus may be "irritating" to create, but for fans, the outcome is nothing short of spectacular.

Metaphor: ReFantazio is set for release on October 11 for PC, PS4, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S. Moreover, pre-orders are now open! For more details on the game's release date and pre-order options, check out our article below!