Metaphor: ReFantazio's lead UI designer Koji Ise thinks success and failure were a vital part of the game's development, so – if given the chance – they wouldn't give any game-related tips to a hypothetical past self.
Since Persona 5's gameplay was revealed back in 2015, one of the things synonymous with Atlus has been the absolutely sick UI and menu design. Amazing UI has been a core part of spinoffs like Persona 5 Strikers and Persona 5 Tactica, and then Persona 3 got a total menu overhaul for its remake, Persona 3 Reload. Super Smash Bros. creator Masahiro Sakurai even said it is what captivates him most about the Persona series when he was interviewed ahead of Joker joining Super Smash Bros. Ultimate (with its influence on Ultimate's menus being pretty clear).
So unsurprisingly, the new RPG from the minds behind Persona 5 – 2024's Metaphor: ReFantazio – continues the trend by leaking style out of every single one of its pores, with fantastic UI. But shockingly, these menus were not made by an industry vet, or even the designer of Persona 5. lead UI designer Koji Ise's first game was Metaphor: ReFantazio.
"I used to work in the advertising industry creating websites. At the same time, I always felt a sense of longing for the gaming industry – an industry that requires far more experience and creativity." Ise told GamesRadar+ at GDC 2025, adding, "I was drawn to game development because I wanted to further explore and express these creative ideas that I had through a medium that made doing so possible."
Naturally, as a first-time designer, Ise had some growing pains with game development, saying, "Finding ways to stir emotion—things that elicited joy, excitement, accomplishment, and even tension in the player—this was something I struggled with greatly at the start. It was thanks to the constant feedback of my peers that I was able to identify what I lacked and, in turn, grow as a result."
But even with the struggles of development, Ise wouldn't change how things went if given the chance, saying, "I think the various successes and failures themselves were a vital part of the development process, so I wouldn’t send a letter to my past self to change the process." Although, he did say if he had to send back one tip to himself at the beginning of Metaphor's development, it would be "Your PC is going to break in 2021. Do something about it!"
