Persona Menus: A Balancing Act of Beauty and Frustration
Katsura Hashino, the renowned director of the Persona series, recently revealed the surprisingly challenging process behind creating the series' iconic menus. While players admire their stylish and sleek design, Hashino confessed to The Verge that crafting these visually stunning interfaces is far more laborious than it appears.
Hashino explained that unlike the simpler UI approaches common in game development, the Persona series prioritizes unique, bespoke designs for each menu. This dedication to both functionality and aesthetic excellence, while resulting in the series' signature look, significantly increases development time and complexity. He cited the development of Persona 5's angular menus as an example, recalling initial iterations that proved difficult to read, requiring extensive revisions.
The impact of this meticulous approach is undeniable. The visually distinct menus of Persona 5 and Metaphor: ReFantazio have become integral to the games' identities, adding to their immersive experience. However, this visual richness comes at a cost: Hashino emphasized the significant time investment, noting that each menu often requires its own separate program and design process.
This commitment to visual detail, a hallmark of the series since Persona 3, has reached new heights in Persona 5 and continues in Metaphor: ReFantazio. While Hashino acknowledges the frustration inherent in this painstaking process, the results undoubtedly contribute to the series' enduring appeal and visual distinctiveness. Metaphor: ReFantazio launches October 11th on PC, PS4, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S. Pre-orders are now available.
