Metaphor: Refantanzio One of the best games of 2024, winning multiple game awards including Best RPG, Best Art Direction, and Best Narrative. But one category in which Metaphor stood out was its music. Soundtrack, composed by Shoji Meguro – longtime music director Persona The series is one of the outstanding achievements in video game music this year, especially its war theme Which became a viral hit. in an interview with The VergeMeguro talks about his work metaphor The soundtrack which contains what is probably the best video game battle music of all time.
Meguro, known for his work Producing pop-y, jazzy vibes Persona Soundtracksaccepted it metaphorHeavy orchestral/choral sounds are not a thing Persona Fans will expect more from him, and certainly outside his own wheelhouse. He asked to change gears effectively Persona To metaphorHe had to learn classical music theory again.
“But that’s what makes this score so exciting,” he said. “When I was first told about it Metaphor: RefantazioI was told it would be an epic, high-fantasy RPG. And immediately I heard the sound of great orchestra playing and thought that this could be an opportunity to write songs that I have never written before, which excited me very much.
in developing music for metaphorMeguro said he wanted to create a classical, fantasy experience, but offer a unique twist that fans have come to expect from Atlus games. That turn became what Meguro called the “spiritual music style” that defined the soundtrack, especially the battle music.
Since it was nominated for Game of the Year, metaphorThe music was featured during this year’s Game Awards.
If you’ve spent even a little time on gaming social media this year, you’ve probably seen a lot of posts talking about metaphorWar music of. This is very important for the war theme difficult, One version begins with an orchestra-backed choir singing with the enthusiasm you’d expect from a meeting with Sephiroth, not something that plays during every minor encounter in the game. Then, somehow, it becomes even more difficult to sing along with the chants in the fast-paced rhythm of a Japanese monk that can compete with Eminem. To further enhance the lyrics, the chants were written in a native language inspired by Esperanto, a language invented in 1887 and designed to be used as a universal secondary language internationally. Was.
But finding the right voice for the job was not easy. Meguro said, “I was looking for a particular type of voice that could maintain a fast rhythm when reading Esperanto-inspired texts.”
His search led him to YouTube, where scrolling through the exhibits he found a monk named Keisuke Honryū performing in Nam Jazz Experiment, a musical group that combines jazz with the recitation of traditional Buddhist sutras. . “It was awesome, I immediately made (Honario) an offer and luckily he accepted and was happy to be part of the game.”
but there’s a reason metaphorThe battle music of is very catchy and it’s not just because of the musical style of a Japanese monk chanting in an invented language inspired by some other invented language. Meguro had to reframe his thinking in developing the soundtrack, creating something truly unique that changes the way players view the game.
Meguro said, “I’ve always considered game scores to be similar to UI elements, existing solely to serve the player.” “Although the score must capture the atmosphere of the story for the user, it is worth reminding ourselves that this music is not actually playing directly within the world in which the characters are.”
Meguro explained that in conversations with game director Katsura Hashino, the two discussed ways to connect what the players were hearing to what the characters were hearing.
He said the thought experiment allowed him to “look at musical composition through a different lens.” This idea was implemented in the game itself. In metaphor’In the early hours, the player’s sidekick casts a spell allows them to listen to music As they travel around the world and, inevitably, get into fights.
That moment dramatically changes the context of everything metaphor’The music of, especially its war themes. Taking those songs from a fun environment just for the players and changing them to fit the characters’ experience explains why the songs are so impactful. For us, each fight is another event leading up to the credit, for our characters. life or death And it makes sense that the music they listen to while fighting for their lives reflects that seriousness.
Meguro used metaphor‘s music brings players into the game and he is happy with how well his work has been received. Two war songs, called “”armed warrior” And “warrior in valor“Immediately resonated with players, inspiring memories And Even animated shorts,
“It makes me very happy that fans are responding so enthusiastically to the music metaphorMeguro said. “It’s an honor to get this kind of response.”
