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

Metaphor: ReFantanzio is one of the best games of 2024 that collects a stack of Game Awards including the best RPG, the best art direction and the best narrative. But one category in which Metaphor particularly stood out was its music. The soundtrack, produced by Shoji Meguro – the long-time music director Person series, is one of the outstanding achievements in video game music this year, especially its battle theme which became a viral hit. In an interview with The VirginMeguro talked about his work on the Metaphor soundtrack that includes what went into what is perhaps the finest piece of video game battle music ever made.

Meguro, known for his work producing the jazzy pop-y atmosphere of the Person soundtrackshe recognized that MetaphorThe heavy orchestral/choral sound of isn’t something Person fans expected from him and definitely out of his own wheelhouse. He said to effectively change gears from Person to Metaphorhe had to recover the theory of classical music.

“But that’s what makes creating this score so exciting,” he said. “When he first told me Metaphor: ReFantasiaI was told it would be an epic, high fantasy RPG. And immediately I heard the sound of big orchestras playing and I thought this could be an opportunity to write songs that I’ve never really written before, which excited me a lot.”

In the development of music for MetaphorMeguro said he wanted to evoke a classic, fantasy experience, but present a unique twist that he said fans have come to expect from Atlus games. This twist became what Meguro called a “spiritual musical style” that defined the soundtrack, especially the battle music.

As it was nominated for game of the year, Metaphor‘s music made an appearance during this year’s Game Awards.

If you’ve spent any time on gaming social media this year, you’ve probably seen tons of posts talking about it Metaphorthe battle music. For a battle theme it goes extremely well hard, with a version that begins with an orchestra-backed choir singing with the kind of gusto you’d expect for a meeting with Sephiroth, not something that plays during every minor encounter in the game. Then somehow the song goes even harder with the addition of a Japanese monk singing in a rapid fire cadence that could go toe to toe with Eminem. To further elevate the songs, the songs were written in an original language inspired by Esperanto, a language that was invented in 1887 and designed to be used as a universal secondary language internationally.

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

His search led him to YouTube, where scrolling through performances was how he found a monk named Keisuke Honryo performing in Nam Jazz Experiment, a musical group that combines jazz with the recitation of traditional Buddhist sutras. “It was so great, I did it immediately [Honryo] an offer and luckily he accepted and was happy to be a part of this game.”

But there is a reason why MetaphorBattle music is so catchy and it’s not just because of the musical stylings of a Japanese monk singing in a made up language inspired by another made up language. Meguro had to reframe his thinking in the development of the soundtrack, leading to the creation of something truly unique that changes the way players perceive the game.

“I’ve always considered game scores to be similar to UI elements, constructs that exist only to serve the player,” said Meguro. “Although the score should capture the atmosphere of the story for the user, it is worth remembering that this music is not actually played directly in the world in which the characters find themselves.”

Meguro explained that in conversations with game director Katsura Hashino, the two discussed ways to connect what the players are feeling to what the characters are also feeling.

He said the thought experiment allowed him to “approach musical composition through a different lens.” The idea was implemented in the game itself. In ‘metaphor’The opening hours, the player’s sidekick casts a spell that allows him to listen to music as they roamed the world and inevitably got into fights.

That moment dramatically changes everyone’s context ‘metaphor’the music, especially his battle themes. By taking those songs from fun bits of player-only environments and turning them into something the characters experience as well, it explains why the songs are as hard as they are to make. Every fight for us is an event more in the way of the credits, for the characters that is life or death and it makes sense that the music they hear as they fight for their lives reflects that gravity.

Better used MetaphorThe music of the game to bring the players more into the game and he is happy with how his work has been received. The two battle songs, called “Warriors in arms” and “Valor warriors“Instantly it resonated with the players, inspirational memes and even short-lived.

“It brings me so much joy that the fans respond with enthusiasm to the music of Metaphor” Meguro said. “It’s an honor to get this kind of reaction.”