2024/10/28 19:12
"Metaphorical Fantasy" teaches Mihoyou another lesson
2024/10/28 19:12
Text/Great Entertainer
In the context of the increasing homogenization of the two-dimensional game market, the emergence of Atlus's latest masterpiece "Metaphor Fantasy: ReFantazio" (hereinafter referred to as "Metaphor Fantasy") has undoubtedly brought a boost to the entire industry.
The culmination of Atlus' more than 30 years of experience in game production has not only received an astonishing 94 points on rating platforms such as Metacritic, but also received unanimous praise from players around the world. IGN, a gaming medium, gave it a very high score of 9, praising it for reaching impressive heights in terms of concept, gameplay, art style, music, etc.
Interestingly, the success of Metaphor Fantasy does not come from a subversive innovation of existing game modes, but rather from the continuous improvement and breakthrough of its own strengths
The interface of the Metaphorical Fantasy game
The consistent in-depth plot is maintained, and more realistic issues are discussed at the narrative level.
This kind of development concept, which has both inheritance and innovation, has brought a certain kind of reverse enlightenment to the game manufacturers who are keen on various "innovations", especially miHoYo, which has achieved great success in the field of two-dimensional games.
In the past few years, miHoYo has established itself in the global game market through works such as Genshin Impact, Honkai: Star Railway, and Jeopardy Zero. However, with the continuous release of new works, a question worth pondering gradually emerges: whether miHoYo has lost itself in the process of constantly pursuing innovation.
Honkai: Star Rail gameplay interface
The success of "Metaphorical Fantasy" just provides a good frame of reference for this question. This game shows how a mature game manufacturer can achieve breakthroughs while maintaining its own characteristics, which is not only a persistent pursuit of game production, but also a reflection of the attitude of being responsible to players. In a way, this kind of development is much more difficult than simply being unconventional, but it is also easier to create something that will stand the test of time.
In fact, the current two-dimensional game market does not lack complicated "micro-innovation" and "volume", but what is lacking is the inheritance and deepening of existing excellent game design. Every year, there are tons of games trying to innovate, but there are very few titles that attract new players and surprise old players like Metaphor Fantasy. The emergence of this game just proves the possibility of developing in perseverance.
Behind this is also a question worth thinking about by more domestic game manufacturers: should a good game blindly pursue unconventionality, or seek breakthroughs in inheritance? On this question, "Metaphorical Fantasy" may give an answer worth learning from.
The success code of "Metaphorical Fantasy":
The perfect blend of accumulation and innovation
At a time when the entire game industry is caught in an impetuous atmosphere of pursuing "hits", "Metaphorical Fantasy" stands out with its solid gameplay and narrative expression.
The most convincing thing about this work is not a certain unconventional innovation, but the refinement and integration of more than 30 years of game production experience as a game company Atlus, and finally sublimated into a complete and vibrant work. In a way, it represents Atlus' latest interpretation of the concept of game development: innovation is not an end, but a means to improve the game experience.
For one, from a technical point of view, "Metaphorical Fantasy" shows a rare sense of balance.
The interface of the Metaphorical Fantasy game
The game retains Atlus' signature "Ice, Fire, Wind, Light, Light, Light, Dark" stat restraint system, a classic design that still delivers a solid strategy experience today. What's more, the development team didn't settle for a simple inheritance, but developed a hybrid combat system based on real-time and turn-based combat.
This innovation is not innovation for the sake of innovation, but stems from a deep understanding of the player's pain points: the introduction of traditional turn-based elements solves this problem without compromising the strategic nature of core combat. This precise control of the player experience is the epitome of Atlus's years of development experience.
Second, in terms of system design, "Metaphor Fantasy" shows a high level of design wisdom.
Replacing the traditional summoning and synthesis of demons with the "Aki-state" class system, the change reflects a reflection on the essence of the game. Although the system is classic, it does have the problem of being too difficult to learn in the modern game environment.
The new class system significantly lowers the barrier to entry while retaining the depth of strategy. This kind of reform not only respects the tradition of the series, but also adapts to the needs of the times, which can be called a textbook design example. It is worth mentioning that the transformation of its design concept did not happen overnight, but was the result of Atlus' continuous trial and error in the series "Persona" and "True · Megami Tensei".
Third, the game's social system also shows a high level of design.
"Metaphorical Fantasy" inherits the social development elements that Atlus is good at, but has been optimized more intimately. The five-dimensional attribute and bond system in the game is more transparent, and players can clearly see their cultivation direction and progress. The improvements may seem simple, but they are the result of the team's deep understanding of modern game design trends: keeping the game as deep as possible while keeping the cognitive load on players as low as possible.
Fourth, what is more noteworthy is the narrative expression of the game.
Through a fictional fantasy world, "Metaphorical Fantasy" cleverly maps and discusses issues such as racial discrimination, wealth disparity, and religious extremism in real society, and its approach not only avoids blunt preaching, but also gives the game a deeper cultural value. Each character has their own unique values and logic of action, and through their interactions and conflicts, the themes of the story are naturally revealed.
This level of narrative is rare in the current two-dimensional game market. In particular, the game's handling of political topics not only maintains sufficient depth, but also avoids simplistic judgments of right and wrong, showing a rare narrative maturity.
The interface of the Metaphorical Fantasy game
Fifth, from the perspective of aesthetic expression, "Metaphorical Fantasy" also reflects Atlus's consistent artistic pursuit.
The game blends elements of the Middle Ages, steampunk, and Renaissance to create a unique and unified visual style. It is worth mentioning that the formation of the visual style is not accidental, but the result of Atlus's continuous exploration and accumulation over the years.
From the relative simplicity of the early works to the extreme beauty of today, we can clearly see the growth trajectory of a game company in art design. In terms of soundtrack, Meguro Shoji's composition not only inherits the consistent standard of the series, but also innovates according to the worldview of the new work, and the perfect combination of orchestral music and vocals not only creates a grand sense of epic, but also injects a unique emotional core into the game.
From a broader perspective, the success of Metaphor Fantasy confirms an important point: in game development, "keeping the right thing and surprising" is often easier to achieve excellence than blind innovation.
The interface of the Metaphorical Fantasy game
Atlus's game is not only about technical prowess, but also about a valuable development philosophy - always focusing on what he does best, seeking breakthroughs in inheritance, and innovating in improvement. Although this kind of development idea is not as eye-catching as some unconventional works, it can always maintain the high standard of the work, and achieve a qualitative leap after accumulating to a certain extent.
Back to Basics:
Myths and solutions to current game development
The success of "Metaphor Fantasy" is not only the success of a game, but also a victory of the game development concept.
The core of this concept is that real innovation is not unconventional, but the inheritance, accumulation and breakthrough of existing experience. This is precisely what many modern game developers, including miHoYo, lack.
Looking back at the development trajectory of miHoYo in recent years, it is not difficult to find a significant feature - each new game is trying to create or integrate a new gameplay in the two-dimensional track. "Genshin Impact" pioneered a two-dimensional open-world ARPG, "Honkai: Star Dome Railway" tried to combine box court turn-based and meat pigeon elements, and "Jeopardy Zero" set its sights on urban cyberpunk-style action shooters.
Genshin Impact game interface
This constant attempt to take new directions, on the surface, seems to be aggressive, but in fact it exposes a certain anxiety: in an environment where art and pictures have become unrollable, it seems that only by constantly forcibly "innovating" gameplay can we maintain our position in the highly competitive market.
In the case of Jeopardy Zero, although the new game has achieved some commercial success, especially in overseas markets, the problems it faces reflect the hidden dangers that can be brought about by the excessive pursuit of innovation.
The game pursues novel action shooter gameplay in terms of combat system, but in the end, it was criticized by players as "too simple, lacking depth and challenging"; In terms of gameplay and development mode, the deliberate pursuit of differentiation from the previous work, such as the forced addition of the "lattice" gameplay, excessive innovation directly led to the collapse of the combat rhythm...... The emergence of these problems is largely due to the pursuit of new ways to play more than the thinking about the essence of the game.
Jeopardy Zero's game interface
What is more noteworthy is that frequent changes in direction also mean that it is impossible to form real accumulation and breakthroughs in a certain field. The lack of attraction in the construction of the plot and world view of Jeopardy Zero, as well as the failure of the development system to fully meet the needs of players, all illustrate a truth: without deep accumulation, it is difficult to create a work that truly impresses players, even with more innovative ideas. It's like learning multiple instruments at the same time, and you may end up at an introductory level.
On the other hand, if you look at Atlus's development path, you will find a completely different strategy: always focus on the turn-based JRPG track, and make the most of its advantages through continuous accumulation and improvement. This dedication has not only allowed them to continuously improve the game system, but also cultivated a group of developers who know how to do it. It is this accumulation that can achieve a qualitative leap in "Metaphorical Fantasy".
The interface of the Metaphorical Fantasy game
For a major game company like miHoYo, the takeaway from Metaphor Fantasy is that it may be time to slow down and rethink where its core strengths are. Genshin Impact's open-world exploration and elemental combat system both have great potential for development, and these proven designs can be further developed and refined. Rather than constantly pursuing superficial innovation and moving to new fields, it is better to focus on the deepening and breakthrough of existing excellent designs.
The current gaming market is indeed full of opportunities, but the opportunities are not only in breaking new ground, but also in doing what is already done to the extreme.
As "Metaphor Fantasy" demonstrates, the success of a game company does not lie in how many novel gameplay it can create, but in whether it can continue to break through in the field it is good at, and finally reach a convincing height. This is perhaps the most important topic for modern game developers.
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