The latest issue of Persona Magazine, #2024 Spring, includes several new interviews for Persona 3 Reload. One of them features the director Takuya Yamaguchi, art director Tomohiro Kumagai and character designer Azusa Shimada discussing the visual components of the game.
Previous interviews from Persona Magazine #2024 Spring include:
What was the overall concept behind the art in P3R during the game’s development?
Kumagai: During the design process, I first thought of interviewing the original P3 staff before starting production. So, I asked Soejima (Shigenori Soejima, P3’s art director) about his vision. He mentioned keywords like “blue that evokes death” and “seaside blue,” along with a sophisticated urban representation. Additionally, since I wanted to use “water” as the theme for the UI this time, so we designed it by combining the clean urban lines with the soft expression of water.
Could you also tell us about the concept behind the box art?
Yamaguchi: We went through quite a bit of trial and error with the cover illustration.
Shimada: Early on, we had decided to depict “the protagonist and Thanatos,” but after that, we considered many design ideas and discussed them with the producer, the director, Soejima, Kumagai, and others.
Was depicting the protagonist and Thanatos a result of wanting to stay true to the original game’s cover art?
Shimada: Rather than following the original version, we mainly thought they were indispensable as characters symbolizing P3. However, in the initial draft, he seemed more fragile compared to the current version. When I showed it to Soejima and asked him about what he had in mind for the original P3, I realized many things.
Although P3 does have such (fragile) elements, for the first impression, we wanted to show the coolness of fighting, typical of shounen manga. From there, I did my best to incorporate the “enthusiasm” behind the original art to the fullest while adding new elements and arrangements unique to this project, which resulted in the current box art.
The main visual with all the characters gathered was also a highlight.
Shimada: The Persona series includes many illustrations depicting a group of characters, and since the box art is simple, I thought that it would be good to have an illustration that expresses the kind of characters that exist in that kind of world, and so I started designing.
As a result, I started to design a main visual that had main characters as well as antagonists, with contrast between both daytime and the Dark Hour represented, which made the image complex in terms of composition and lighting. The background is based on actual screenshots from the game. This was made possible due to the detailed modeling of the city in 3D.
Kumagai: In the original P3, the characters had smaller proportions, giving the entire world a diorama-like feel. However, in this game, with the increased proportions of the characters, everything else also needed to be more realistic and convincing. Therefore, we created the city with the intention of making it a world where the more realistic characters could exist naturally.
Shimada: When you zoom in using the developer-exclusive camera function, even the sparrows at the shrine look cute (laughs). It’s a pity that players won’t get to see this level of detail.
Yamaguchi: The dishes you can make during dorm life and the ramen you eat at “Hagakure” are never shown up close, but I think they look delicious. I would say that P3R is a game supported by such enthusiasm and attention to detail from the designers.
Tartarus’ interior has also undergone significant changes in each area, which was surprising.
Yamaguchi: We evolved Tartarus by building on the original version while matching this game’s visuals. I think its feeling has changed considerably, but we’ve tried to retain the original version’s atmosphere.
Kumagai: In the original P3 and in P3P, the camera angle was top-down, but this time you can freely move the camera and even see the ceiling. So we designed the areas to convey an atmosphere of “fear” through the floors themselves. We aimed to include not only straightforward eeriness but also various visuals that people find psychologically scary, like a feeling of uneasiness because a room is too clean and beautiful, or the eeriness of light reflection.
Indeed, the lower levels have a straightforward creepiness, but as you go higher, there are floors that are all white yet still scary.
Kumagai: Since what people find scary varies, we designed Tartarus to evoke fear in different ways while ensuring it remains a place symbolizing “death.”
Kumagai: In P5 menus, the protagonist was stationary, but this time, since the visuals are that of being underwater, the protagonist is constantly moving. Because of that, there often ended up being awkward parts in the motion somewhere, so we paid close attention and made adjustments until the very end. Additionally, we ensured that the visuals remained easy to understand and that the impression didn’t differ from the Japanese version when localized into other languages.
What were the key points you focused on when designing characters for the full remake of P3?
Shimada: The most significant difference in P3R’s design compared to the original game is the change in character proportions. Additionally, from the original version through P3P and other iterations, Soejima’s art style has also evolved. Therefore, we concentrated on “what would it look like if Soejima drew P3 in his latest art style?” and “how do we express it to match the more realistic proportions?” The protagonist, in particular, was challenging.
Kumagai: Depicting the protagonist was especially difficult. We repeatedly made fine adjustments from start to finish, focusing on the delicate facial features, softly moving hair, and each expression.
The challenge of a remake is that fans already have established images of the characters.
Shimada: Especially with P3, the characters’ depictions have been formed over a long time since the original game, with spin-offs, and theatrical anime adaptations. Simply making the faces more attractive without individuality would disappoint fans. So, while incorporating Soejima’s style and nuances, we aimed to design each character so that many people would say, for example, “Junpei looks just like himself! That’s great!”
Overall, the characters’ eyes seem smaller, giving a more realistic impression.
Shimada: They have indeed become smaller. More precisely, the ratio of the eye size to the face has changed. This is a result of adjusting the balance to be more realistic in line with the new proportions.
Yamaguchi: The 3D models back then were more deformed, so the illustrations were also slightly deformed to match.
In this title, the modeling has become more realistic, making it enjoyable to see event scenes unfold with both the expressions in the portrait illustrations and the 3D character animations. Were the faces of the 3D characters adjusted to ensure there was no difference compared to the portrait illustrations?
Shimada: The process began with the creation of the portrait illustrations. The modelers then created the 3D characters based on the nuances of these illustrations. So, if you feel that the illustrations and models closely resemble each other, it’s thanks to the modelers (laughs).
So, the character-related art started with the portrait illustrations?
Shimada: Yes. Since there was the original version, we could skip the character setting illustrations typical of new titles and start with the portrait illustrations early on.
The portrait illustrations are quite extensive, aren’t they?
Yamaguchi: We drew a significant number of illustrations, not only for the main characters but also for the sub-characters. The postures also change depending on the expression, so it’s not just the face that changes. This gave the staff creating the event scenes a rich variety of expressions to choose from, which I think proved helpful.
Shimada: In the original P3, the illustrations went down to the waist, with the hands clearly shown. This was probably because the lower proportions of the 3D models meant that character performances needed to be conveyed through the portrait illustrations.
Yamaguchi: However, in this game, the 3D models handle the character movements while the portrait illustrations convey the emotions. We’d love to showcase a compilation of these portrait illustrations at some point.
Another character change is the new battle costumes. How did you come to add these?
Shimada: We began thinking about adding new battle costumes to enhance the sense of immersion in battle and increase the unity of the Special Extracurricular Execution Squad from a visual standpoint. Initially, we tried black jackets reminiscent of the Kirijo Group, but they gave a “cosplay” feeling… After consulting with Soejima, we decided to go with military-like protective gear suitable for battle, which would support their missions.
It’s also impressive that these new costumes are revealed during the events related to Theurgy, a new element in the game.
Yamaguchi: Originally, the new battle costumes and Theurgy were not connected. But when both ideas came up, we thought, “Wouldn’t it be interesting to link these?” So we packed in ideas like “what if the armbands of the new battle costumes actually have a vital sign measurement function…” and that led to the current design.
Shimada: It was helpful for us as well since designing without a setting sometimes makes it hard to give the design convincing details. By proposing a connection to the mechanics, we could suggest improvements like, “Wouldn’t it be better to do it this way?”
In terms of battle, the All-Out Attack finisher illustrations were stylish and wonderful.
Shimada: We started with the main character first, but since this also ties in with the battle presentation, we designed it while discussing with the staff on how to best approach it.
Was there any difficulty in smoothly transitioning from battle to still images?
Kumagai: Since we already had the experience from P5, it wasn’t that difficult. Instead, we focused on creating each character’s stance for the poses. In P5, the decisive cuts were victory poses, but the goal of the Special Extracurricular Execution Squad this time is exploration. So, their focus would be on preparing for the next exploration rather than celebrating victory. Well, Junpei can’t hide his joy in winning, but through these aspects, we aimed to depict the emotions each character feels while diving into Tartarus.
Yamaguchi: By the way, regarding Koromaru’s All-Out Attack finisher, I requested that he have a face that says “Pet me!” When the video was released, some people commented, “This looks like he’s waiting to be petted,” which made me feel like I found kindred spirits (laughs).
Shimada: For the other characters, we gathered with the animation designers in the office and decided on the poses by actually sitting in the same poses and holding long sticks. From an outsider’s perspective, it probably looked like a “gathering of weirdos” (laughs).
Following that, Shimada, are there any non-main characters that left an impression on you?
Shimada: The Social Link characters were diverse, spanning all ages and featuring many distinctive personalities, which made them fun to draw. Especially characters like Gourmet King (Nozomi Suemitsu). I also tried my best to make the elderly couple from the bookstore as realistic as possible, since I was able to draw them in more detail in P3R.
One of the Social Link characters, Maya (Y-Ko in Japanese), has changed quite a bit from the original version.
Yamaguchi: We combined Toriumi-sensei’s distinctive hairstyle with a game avatar-like appearance.
Shimada: By the way, the in-game screen for Maya’s Social Link was drawn by Kumagai. When I was asked for a full-body illustration of Maya, I wondered what it was for, and it turned out to be for the protagonist’s computer game screen (laughs).
Kumagai: I designed it based on my take of the original text, imagining what an online game screen from that era would look like. The title screen logo was also created as an homage to the original Soul Hackers, and we got that confirmation from the “Shin Megami Tensei” team (laughs).
Finally, do you have a message for fans of the Persona series?
Shimada: For me, P3R’s development was full of new experiences and challenges. Looking back on the development process, it was a mix of struggles and fun. Many of you have already played the game, but the design elements reflect the development staff’s dedication, so I hope you enjoy discovering them.
Kumagai: Thank you to everyone who is playing the game. P3R is a title crafted with great attention to detail by staff who have been involved since the original P3, as well as those like me whose lives have been deeply influenced by P3. I hope you enjoy the design of this new installment in the P3 series!
Yamaguchi: As the others have said, P3R is a game filled with the dedication of each staff member. And it’s also a game where Koromaru is very cute!
Shimada: That’s unfair; I wanted to say that too!
Yamaguchi: For those who haven’t played P3R yet and love dogs, please give it a try! You can pet Koromaru, so take this opportunity to check it out (laughs).