There’s a reason Metaphor: ReFantanzio’s battle music sounds as cool as it does

Metaphor: Levantanzio is one of the best games of 2024, winning multiple gaming awards, including Best Role-Playing Game, Best Art Direction, and Best Narrative. But one category in which Metaphor stands out in particular is its music. The soundtrack was produced by Shoji Meguro, the show’s long-time music director. Persona series, one of this year’s outstanding achievements in video game music, Especially its combat theme This caused a viral sensation. during an interview edgeMeguro talked about his metaphor The soundtrack includes possibly the coolest video game battle music ever.

Meguro, famous for his works Produce a pop and jazz atmosphere Persona soundtrack,admit metaphorHeavy orchestral/choral sounds are nothing Persona Fans will have expectations from him that are definitely outside of his own wheelhouse. He said that in order to effectively Persona arrive metaphorhe had to relearn classical music theory.

“But that’s what makes creating this score so exciting,” he said. “When I was first told Metaphor: ReFantasiaI was told it would be an epic fantasy RPG. I immediately heard the sound of a great orchestra and thought this might be an opportunity to write a song that I’d never really written before, which really excited me.

When developing music metaphorMeguro said he wanted to evoke a classic fantasy experience but with a unique twist that he said fans have come to expect from Atlus games. This shift became what Meguro calls a “spiritual music style” that defines the soundtrack, especially the battle music.

Since it was nominated for Game of the Year, metaphorwhose music was featured at this year’s Game Awards.

If you’ve spent any amount of time on gaming social media this year, you’ve probably seen a ton of comments about metaphorbattle music. For a battle theme it’s perfect Difficult One version begins with an orchestra-backed choir singing with the enthusiasm you’d expect when meeting Sephiroth, rather than something that plays during every little encounter in the game. Then, somehow, the song becomes even more difficult with the addition of a Japanese monk chanting at a fast pace that could go head-to-head with Eminem. To further enhance the quality of the songs, the hymns were written in the original language inspired by Esperanto, a language invented in 1887 and intended to serve as an international second language.

But finding the right voice for the job wasn’t easy. “I was looking for a specific type of voice that could keep the pace fast while reading the Esperanto-inspired scriptures,” Meguro said.

He searched on YouTube, and while browsing for performances, he discovered that a monk named Keisuke Honryo was performing at the Nam Jazz Experiment, a musical group that combines jazz with the recitation of traditional Buddhist scriptures. “Great, I did it right away [Honryo] Fortunately, he accepted the invitation and is happy to be a part of this game.

but there is a reason metaphorBattle music is so compelling not just because the musical style chanted by Japanese monks in one invented language was inspired by another. Meguro had to reframe his thinking when developing the soundtrack to create something truly unique that would change how players viewed the game.

“I’ve always thought that game scores are similar to UI elements, structures that exist to serve players,” Meguro said. “While the soundtrack must capture the mood of the story for the user, it’s worth reminding yourself that this music isn’t actually playing directly in the world the characters inhabit.”

Meguro explained that in a conversation with game director Katsura Hashino, the two discussed ways to connect the sounds heard by the player to the sounds heard by the character.

The thought experiment allowed them to “make music through a different lens,” he said. This idea eventually came to fruition in the game itself. exist ‘metaphor’During opening hours, the player’s assistant casts a spell let them hear music As they roam the world, they inevitably get into battle.

That moment drastically changed everyone’s background ‘metaphor’Music, especially war themes. Taking these songs from a fun vibe just for the player and turning it into something the characters can experience as well explains why these songs are so tough. For us, every battle is another event leading up to the credits, for the characters life or death It makes sense that the music they hear as they fight for their lives reflects this gravity.

Meguro uses metaphor‘s music further immerses players into the game, and he’s delighted that his work has been so well received. Two war songs, titled “armed warrior” and”brave warrior“It instantly resonated with players, inspirational memes and Even animated shorts.

“It brings me a lot of joy and the fans have responded so enthusiastically to the music metaphor,” Meguro said. “It’s an honor to get such a reaction.”