Metaphor: ReFantazio gets a lot of bad press for their music, but it’s not that bad. Suffice it to say, Persona fans have high expectations for Metaphor’s score. The score was composed by Shoji Meguro, the prolific Atlas composer responsible for the soundtracks for all mainline Persona games and many Shin Megami Tensei games. Meguro is known for drawing inspiration from various genres of contemporary music, often setting his music apart from the more typical orchestral soundtracks of other fantasy RPGs. Masu. More recently, Meguro has extensively incorporated jazz and soul in composing the iconic Persona 5 OST.
Mr. Meguro is also in charge of the music for Atlas’ latest work, Metaphor: Refantasio. This work is an RPG that incorporates elements of “Shin Megami Tensei” and “Persona,” but is set in a completely new world. Metaphor’s music has already come under heavy criticism, with players and critics calling it everything from unmemorable to downright awful. But there’s real artistic merit to that score, and very little that’s objectively bad. However, it’s different than what Persona fans are used to.
compose with intention
Fans expecting something more Persona-like from Metaphor’s soundtrack will always be disappointed. The funky pop score just doesn’t fit Metaphor’s setting. It takes place in a world of pure fantasy, where technology and culture have barely progressed past early industrialization. It has nothing to do with the modern, international setting of Persona 3 and 5 (or the still modern but rural setting of 4). In fact, something resembling a modern city is clearly depicted as a fantasy setting within the game. This book is as distant to us as, say, Middle-earth is to its characters.
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Of course, RPG music doesn’t have to be diabolical. Metaphor: ReFantazio isn’t the first RPG to use electric guitars and drum machines to musicalize pseudo-historical fantasy. But in metaphor, it really is. An early scene reveals that the protagonists actually hear the battle theme pounding in their ears every time they begin an encounter. The magic of Garika, the fairy companion, takes the form of music and changes depending on the situation. Hearing a fun, pop soundtrack while he’s fighting for his life and kingdom makes absolutely no sense to him.
Metaphor: It’s clear there was artistic intent behind making ReFantazio’s OST sound the way it does. It has a clear vision. Much of the game is played by trumpets that evoke epic battle scenes, reflecting the civil war that forms the basis of the game’s story. And, much like Persona, Metaphor makes heavy use of vocal tracks, especially chorus tracks that represent the voices of the oppressed people the protagonist is trying to save. And the lyrics also have a unique twist that ties into the game’s main themes.
Metaphor: ReFantazio’s in-world language is neither English nor Japanese, but a fictional language inspired by Esperanto. It is an artificial language developed in 1887 by Polish ophthalmologist LL Zamenhof. His goal in creating Esperanto was to create a universal second language, simplify international communication, and ultimately unite the world’s diverse populations through a common language.
The game’s title, “fantazio,” also comes from Esperanto, and predictably translates to “fantasy.”
Compare that concept to the world of Metaphor: ReFantazio, which is set within the world of nine different tribes. Each discriminates against the others, but before the game begins, all are held in check by one powerful king. His assassination created a power vacuum, with representatives of each tribe vying for leadership. The hero’s goal is to succeed his king and create a world of harmony where tribes work together for mutual benefit. His vision of the world is similar to Zamenhof’s. It’s just that his people already have a common language.
And when Metaphor’s music is good, it’s really good. Not all the songs are perfect, but the main battle theme is epic enough. There are some great songs that highlight moments of exploration, whether in the city or outdoors. The metaphor has it where it counts.
Persona’s OST isn’t as good as I remember.
There are many unforgettable songs in Persona 3-5.
And frankly, anyone who unfavorably compares Metaphor’s soundtrack to a Persona game’s soundtrack is misremembering just how good the average Persona track is. Of course, there are some really great pieces as well. “Last Surprise” has received high praise. “Your love” is a bug in your ears. “Burn My Dread” is an all-time classic. But not every track is going to be “Beneath the Mask.” For every hit, there will be several flops. In every game, there’s always a song that says “This scene is funny,” a song that says “An NPC shares a sob story,” and a song that says “Something sinister is happening.” It is repeated a hundred times.
There is nothing inherently wrong with this. Persona games are long and long, and they represent a lot of different moods. Your soundtrack should be diverse enough to include many different types of scenes, but generic enough to be reused infinitely. They need to fit on a game disc and be within the capabilities of one (very talented) person to create them. However, these less memorable moments tend to get forgotten in discussions about Persona OSTs.
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That’s because each Persona game has some good standout tracks, and those tend to stick in people’s memories. These typically arise from similar contexts in each game. Combat themes are always iconic, exploration themes are always fun, dungeon themes, Velvet Room music, or anything used to emphasize how strange and otherworldly the place is. is always shining.
Metaphor’s music is good (bad) in the same places, albeit in different ways. The combat theme is exciting, the exploration theme is moving, and the otherworldly Academia theme is great. There’s a lot of generic incidental music playing during the dialogue scenes, but it’s inevitably forgotten in the broader conversation about how great Metaphor’s music is.
No, Metaphor’s music doesn’t sound like Persona’s music, but that’s a good thing. It accomplishes the same goal, uniquely fitting into the game’s setting and story, setting the tone for the action, and thoughtfully exploring the themes.
The creative team behind Persona 3, 4, and 5 presents Metaphor: ReFantazio, a new fantasy action-adventure RPG game. The game’s development team includes the original director, character designer, and composer of the Persona series, making it a complete fantasy setting with modern elements.
Platform PS4, PS5, PC, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S
Released on October 11, 2024
Developer Studio Zero
Publisher Atlas
engine gfd
ESRBt
OpenCritic’s rating is “Strong”
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