ReFantazio and Persona's Stunning, Yet Tedious, Menus

Persona series director, Katsura Hashino, recently revealed the surprisingly challenging process behind creating the series' iconic, visually striking menus. While players admire the sleek UI, Hashino confessed to The Verge that the design process is far more laborious than it appears.

The Persona director explained that while most developers opt for simpler, functional UI designs, the Persona team strives for both functionality and aesthetic excellence. This commitment leads to unique, meticulously crafted designs for every single menu. Hashino stated that this approach, while resulting in the beautiful interfaces fans adore, is undeniably "annoying" due to its complexity.

This dedication to detail significantly impacts development time. Hashino recalled the challenges faced during Persona 5's development, where initial menu designs proved "impossible to read," necessitating extensive revisions to achieve the perfect balance of style and usability.

The payoff, however, is undeniable. Both Persona 5 and Metaphor: ReFantazio boast visually distinct menus that enhance the overall gaming experience. These elaborate UIs have become synonymous with the series, adding to the rich narrative and memorable characters. However, this visual identity comes at a significant cost in development time and resources, as Hashino acknowledged, stating that the process "takes a lot of time."

Hashino highlighted the intricate nature of the development process, explaining that each menu—from the in-game shop to the main menu—requires its own separate program and design. This level of detail ensures a cohesive and polished user experience, but the behind-the-scenes effort is substantial.

This dedication to balancing functionality and aesthetics has been a hallmark of the Persona series since Persona 3, culminating in the highly stylized menus of Persona 5. Metaphor: ReFantazio elevates this commitment even further, adapting the design principles to its high-fantasy setting. While Hashino finds the menu creation "annoying," the stunning results are undeniable.

Metaphor: ReFantazio launches October 11th for PC, PS4, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S. Pre-orders are now open.