Metaphor: ReFantazio director avoids fan feedback to protect his mental health

Metaphor: ReFantazio and Persona director Katsura Hashino has said he avoids reading fan feedback to protect his mental health.

Hashino discussed the topic of fan feedback with Silent Hill creator Keiichiro Toyama in Famitsu (via Automaton), but the two creators had opposing views on the matter.

Hashino said he "tries not to be that conscious of" fan feedback and aims to keep some distance.

"Of course, I do check things out at certain times, such as right after launch," he said. "But it's not like I can adjust [the game] based on what I see. When I need to look something up, I do it quickly in one go, because constantly looking at reactions isn't good for your mental health."

He added that he doesn't look up his own name online, or use social media.

Toyama, who is busy developing the forthcoming Slitterhead, said his attitude towards user feedback is changing over time. Though he was dismissive in the past, he is now keen on actively listening to fans online and adopting opinions he finds useful - that's despite Slitterhead not being a live-service game that needs to be tuned in response to player demands.

Metaphor: ReFantazio has certainly received praise from fans and critics alike. The game sold 1m copies on launch day to become the fastest-selling Atlus game.

Hashino has also spoken about the influence of traditional fantasy on the game and how this was thrown out in favour of focusing on the originality that "defines" Atlus' games.

Slitterhead, from Bokeh Studio, is set for release next month and lets players inhabit the bodies of various people - and even a dog.