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

Metaphor: ReFantanzio It’s one of the best games of 2024, winning numerous game awards including Best RPG, Best Art Direction, and Best Narrative. But one category where Metaphor particularly stood out was music. Soundtrack produced by long-time music director Shoji Meguro persona The series is one of the standout achievements in video game music this year, with its battle theme in particular becoming a viral hit. In an interview with The VergeMeguro talked about his work. metaphor The soundtrack to perhaps the greatest piece of video game combat music ever created.

Meguro is famous for works that create a pop and jazz atmosphere. persona soundtrack, recognition metaphorHeavy orchestra/chorus sound is something. persona Fans will expect things from him, and certainly outside of his wheelhouse. They said it was to effectively change gears. persona to metaphorHe had to relearn classical music theory.

“But that’s what makes creating this score so exciting,” he said. “When I first heard about it Metaphor: ReFantazioI heard it was going to be an epic and fantastic RPG. And immediately I heard a great orchestra playing and it occurred to me that this might be an opportunity to write something I had never written before. So I was very excited.”

developing music metaphorMeguro said he wanted to evoke a classic, fantastical experience, but also feature the unique twists fans expect from Atlus games. That twist became what Meguro calls a “spiritual music style” that defines the soundtrack, especially the battle music.

As nominated for Game of the Year, metaphor‘s music was featured at this year’s Game Awards.

If you’ve spent much time playing the social media game this year, you’ve probably seen countless posts discussing things like: metaphorThis is the battle music. When it comes to combat themes, it goes to extremes. stiff, One version begins with a choir, backed by an orchestra, singing with the passion you’d expect from an encounter with Sephiroth, and it’s not something that’s played during every minor encounter in the game. Then the song became more powerful with the addition of a Japanese monk who sang at a speed that rivaled Eminem’s. To further elevate the singing, the chants were written in the original language, inspired by Esperanto, which was invented in 1887 and intended to be used as a universal second language internationally.

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

His search led him to YouTube, where, while scrolling through performances, he discovered a monk named Keisuke Honryo performing in the Nam Jazz Experiment, a musical group that combines jazz with recitations of traditional Buddhist scriptures. “I liked it so much that I made it right away. [Honryo] I got an offer and luckily he accepted and was happy to be a part of the game.”

But there’s a reason for that metaphorThe battle music in is very impressive, and not just because of the musical style of Japanese monks singing in a language inspired by other invented languages. Meguro had to reorganize his thinking while developing the soundtrack, creating something truly unique that changed the way players perceived the game.

“I’ve always thought of game scores as similar to UI elements, components that exist to serve the player,” Meguro said. “While the score should capture the mood of the story for the user, it’s worth reminding that this music doesn’t actually play directly within the world the characters are in.”

Meguro explained that in a conversation with game director Katsura Hashino, the two discussed how to connect what the player hears with what the character hears.

He said the thought experiment allowed him to “approach music composition through a different lens.” The idea was implemented in the game itself. in metaphor’During business hours, the player’s assistant will cast the following spells: allows them to listen to music As they travel around the world, they inevitably end up fighting.

That moment dramatically changes the context of any situation. metaphor’Music, especially the battle theme. Taking this song from a fun atmosphere that only the players can enjoy and turning it into something that the characters also experience explains why the song is so difficult. For us, every fight is just another event to earn credits. For the character Is it life or death? And it makes sense that the music they listen to as they fight for their lives reflects that gravity.

Use with Meguro metaphor‘s music makes the player more immersed in the game and he is delighted with how well-received his work has been. Two battle songs called “armed warriors” and “courageous warriors“The words immediately resonated with the players, inspirational memes and Even animated shorts.

“It gives me great joy to know that fans are responding so enthusiastically to ‘s music. metaphor“I’m honored to get this kind of response,” Meguro said.