SEGA has had an incredible year with huge releases such as Like A Dragon: Infinite Wealth, Persona 3 Reload, and Super Monkey Ball Banana Rumble.
However, it seems the best is yet to come as fans eagerly await the launch of Metaphor: ReFantazio, the next game from the developers behind the modern Persona series and Catherine.
Metaphor: ReFantazio has a nostalgic ’60s aesthetic[/caption]
Costume designs were plucked straight from Swinging London[/caption]
Sega and Atlus have been releasing numerous trailers for the upcoming game, and the look and name of one of the chara3cters has led fans to question if a crossover will happen.
Metaphor’s character Catherina bears a striking resemblance to Catherine’s character Rin, with her bobbed pink hair.
Not only do they have similar names and styles, but the two share the same character artist, Shigenori Soejima.
We sat down to talk to Soejima-san but the artist claims that any similarity is coincidental.
He tells me: “I thought pink hair would stand out in a fantasy setting, and look cool.
“I understand that the hairstyle is similar as well, but there’s no relation between Catherina and Rin. I didn’t intend there to be.”
However, a Catherine crossover isn’t the only thing fans have been begging the long-time Persona developers for.
The modern Persona series follows life in Japanese high schools with a dollop of dungeon crawling thrown in for good measure.
As Persona gained popularity in the West, the fans have been desperately asking for a game in the series based in Europe or North America.
This always seemed an unlikely scenario given that the studio behind Persona is Japanese and uses their life experiences to shape the stories.
However, Metaphor: ReFantazio might be giving fans a taste of what they’ve asked for, with inspiration drawn directly from London.
More specifically, Swinging London and the fashion scene that emerged out of that time period.
Soejima-san says: “I definitely wanted to mix modern and classical designs with how they developed in fashion.
“The major influence was Swinging London fashion, which was something that was popular in the sixties and seventies in England.
“In the eighties things got very into t-shirts and jeans. But during the sixties and seventies, designs were really over-designed, very vivid and lively.”
This inspiration can be seen all throughout Metaphor’s fashion design with bright and vibrant colours, strong contrasts, and vivid designs.
You can see some characters mimicking popular models at the time like Jean Shrimpton and Twiggy, with mini skirts, cascading hair and shift dresses.
As for the men, it’s turtlenecks and neck ties galore, bobbed hair reminiscent of The Beatles, and patterned suits.
While Metaphor: ReFantazio is set in a fantasy world full of cathedrals, castles, and dragons, there’s something grounded in its fashion design.
The Swinging London fashion scene was all about rebellion, and it feels fitting that its styles would be at home in a story about political tensions and a plot to overthrow the government.
We may not have a Persona game set in the West yet, but Metaphor: ReFantazio’s mediaeval take on Swinging London is the closest we’ve ever been.
If you want to read more about the game, check out our Metaphor: ReFantazio preview, or you can try the Metaphor: ReFantazio demo for yourself.
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