ReFantazio and Persona Debut Sleek Menus with Enhanced Accessibility

ReFantazio and Persona's Stunning, Yet Tedious, Menus

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

In an interview with The Verge, Hashino explained that unlike the typical streamlined UI development approach, the Persona team crafts unique designs for every single menu. This meticulous attention to detail, while resulting in beautiful functionality, is, in Hashino's words, "really annoying to do."

The time commitment is substantial. Hashino recounted the difficulties encountered during Persona 5's development, where initial menu designs proved "impossible to read," necessitating extensive revisions to achieve the perfect balance of aesthetics and usability.

The visually striking menus are a key element of the Persona and ReFantazio identities, contributing significantly to the overall player experience. However, this commitment to visual excellence demands significant resources and time. Hashino emphasized the extensive effort involved, stating that "It takes a lot of time." Each menu, from the in-game shop to the main menu, requires its own dedicated program and design, adding to the complexity.

This dedication to blending functionality and aesthetics, a hallmark of Persona since Persona 3, has reached new heights in Persona 5 and continues in Metaphor: ReFantazio. The game's high-fantasy setting demands an equally grand UI, further emphasizing the design team's commitment. While Hashino finds the process "annoying," the results are undeniably spectacular, showcasing the team's artistic vision and dedication to detail.

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