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Persona Menus: A Labor of Love (and Frustration)

Persona series director Katsura Hashino recently revealed the surprisingly arduous process behind the series' iconic, visually stunning menus. While players praise their stylish design, Hashino confessed to The Verge that creating them is far more challenging than it appears.

Unlike the simpler UI approaches common in game development, Hashino explained that the Persona team designs each menu individually, striving for both functionality and aesthetic excellence. This meticulous approach, while resulting in the series' signature look, significantly increases development time and complexity. He cited the initial iterations of Persona 5's menus as an example, initially deemed "impossible to read" due to their angular design, necessitating extensive revisions.

The impact of this dedication is undeniable. The menus in Persona 5 and Metaphor: ReFantazio are integral to the games' overall identity, contributing as much to their appeal as the narratives and characters. However, this visual richness comes at a cost, with Hashino highlighting the extensive time investment. He emphasized that each menu, from the in-game shop to the main menu, runs on a separate program, demanding individual design and development.

This commitment to visual design, a hallmark of the series since Persona 3, has reached new heights in Persona 5 and continues in Metaphor: ReFantazio, whose high-fantasy setting demands an even more elaborate UI. While Hashino acknowledges the "annoying" nature of the process, the breathtaking results speak for themselves.

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