Whether the hardcore PC or console gamers want to accept it, mobile devices have become incredibly popular as gaming platforms in recent years. The mobile gaming market is oversaturated with idle time-killers and gacha games, but there are legitimately good games if one knows where to look.Fantasianis one such game. Originally released in 2021, this turn-based RPG developed by Mistwalker has many hallmarks that fans of the genre enjoy. An updated version,Fantasian: Neo Dimension,has been developed for PC and modern platforms.
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Final Fantasian
Fantasiancame to be after Hironobu Sakaguchi, the creator ofFinal Fantasy,replayedFinal Fantasy VI.Feeling inspired by the emotional story, Sakaguchi teamed up with composer and frequent collaborator Nobuo Uematsu. Sakaguchi and Uematsu worked together on several games. They are most well known for the first tenFinal Fantasygames, but have since brought RPG fans several more great games. Their involvement in any game is enough to pique the curiosity of fans of their previous work, and as such there are many who might have missed out onFantasiandue to its platform, but are eagerly anticipatingFantasian: Neo Dimension.
Fantasian: Neo Dimensionbegins with the player’s introduction to Leo. Leo is alone in the Machine Realm, save for two droids that are serving as guides and providing assistance in battle. The time spent here is brief, as Leo soon finds himself back in the Human Realm. Alone and without memory of who he is or what his purpose might be, he seeks guidance from a fortune-teller named Owen, from whom he learns about Vam the Malevolent. Owen encourages Kina to join Leo on his travels, as the two set off to learn more about who they are. The story begins as many JRPGs do, and before long, more characters join in Leo’s adventure, as the mysteries about who they are begun to unravel. On top of this mystery about who Leo was before his amnesia, an odd infection brought on by mechteria is plaguing parts of the world.
Fantasian: Neo Dimensionplays like a traditional turn-based RPG. Leo and his companions gather information, shop for equipment and take on side quests in towns. When they go out into the world, whether it be the wilderness or dungeons, enemies will randomly pop up and force them into turn-based battles. There is a great deal of emphasis on the story, and talking to the major characters that advance the story is where most of the interest comes from.Fantasian: Neo Dimensiondoes provide a good balance between an engaging story and interesting combat, which is always refreshing, as many games are able to excel in one of these areas yet fall short in the other.
New Ideas To A Classic Formula
Random encounters are a staple of the genre, and while there are countless great games that rely on the random encounter battle system, everyone who has played these games has been annoyed at random encounters at one point or another. Sometimes the player just wants to treasure hunt or explore an area and not be bothered. The Dimengeon is an interesting approach to this. This machine can defer random encounters, should the player choose to activate it. As Leo traverses an area with the Dimengeon activated, would-be random encounters send the monsters into the Dimengeon, which seems to work similarly to the trap inGhostbusters.The Dimengeon has limited capacity, however, and when it reaches max capacity, the player will have to fight all the trapped monsters. These battles are naturally much longer than each encounter would be on its own and are naturally more challenging, but personally it was more enjoyable to have a few of these massive battles as opposed to several smaller ones. The Dimengeon starts with a capacity of thirty, but there are ways to increase it.
If someone is a fan of a particular person or studio’s work, it’s difficult not to compare it to what came before.Fantasian: Neo Dimensionwas not exempt from this. Amnesia plays an important role in the part, and as such there are many cutscenes that discuss events from the past. These scenes played out in such a way that it was impossible not to think ofLost Odyssey, another Mistwalker title. Similarity toLost Odysseyaside, this was one of the more enjoyable storytelling elements ofFantasian: Neo Dimension.
In bringingFantasian: Neo Dimensionout of Apple Arcade, a few changes have been made. First and foremost, whileFantasianwas originally released in two parts,Fantasian: Neo Dimensionincludes the complete package. The resolution has been increased to support up to 4K on PC, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X. Voice acting has been added, and the player now has the option to swap out theFantasian: Neo Dimensionbattle music with selections fromFinal Fantasy XIV,Final Fantasy XVI,the twoFinal Fantasy VIIremakes and selections from theFinal Fantasy Pixel Remasters.Lastly, the Apple ArcadeFantasianwas known for its punishing difficulty, particularly in the second half. The original difficulty is Hard and an easier Normal mode has been added toFantasian: Neo Dimension.Normal is significantly easier, but it still provides a decent challenge and the player will still need to properly strategize their way to victory in battle.
In bringingFantasian: Neo Dimensionout of Apple Arcade, a few changes have been made.
Everybody Was Turn Based Fighting
For the most part, navigating the battle system will be straightforward for those familiar with this type of game. The party members and enemies will take turns in battle, and each character will get to choose between doing a regular attack, a special skill or using an item. One aspect that makes this stand out from other turn-based battles is the use of the trajectory system. Certain skills and weapons can hit more than one enemy, which, depending on the individual attack, can follow a straight line or work in a curve. Moving the trajectory of the attack can change which enemies are hit, and in Dimengeon battles can also be used to pick up buffs that randomly appear on the battlefield. Conceptually, it’s a similar idea of area of effect, but the execution plays out differently. It’s a relatively-minor addition, but it does add another element of strategy to battle and it is fun to see how one can maximize the amount of enemies hit.
Each character has their own unique skills that they acquire through gaining levels, but it isn’t until about halfway through the game that the player can truly experiment with their skills. Once Leo reaches a certain point and equips a Divine Artifact, the Growth Maps will be unlocked. These branching paths will give access to a wider variety of skills, though certain ones may require completion of certain quests or having specific items. Sometimes these large skill maps can be intimidating, but the player is encouraged to experiment with the different paths as they are free to reset the growth map if they want to try a different progression.
The Verdict
Fantasian: Neo Dimensionbrings interesting ideas to the classic turn-based formula, such as the Dimengeon and trajectory system. Aside from that, players who have enjoyed other games by Hironobu Sakaguchi will feel a sense of familiarity. The emotionally charged story grows more interesting as the player progresses, and even if a few elements can be predictable, it was engrossing enough that there was a desire to keep playing to see how everything unfolds. This was enhanced by Nobuo’s Uematsu’s soundtrack, proving that these two are still masters of their craft. The battle system isn’t overly complex, but even on Normal difficulty, the player won’t be able to get through boss fights by just attacking and occasionally healing. The difficulty is particularly hard in the second half, but New Game+ can also help even the odds. The familiarity to their previous work is an asset for the most part, but relying on certain personality tropes can get annoying at times for a couple party members.
This was enhanced by Nobuo’s Uematsu’s soundtrack, proving that these two are still masters of their craft.
When it comes to the graphics, this is a game where the art style exceeds the technical quality. Given that this was a game designed for mobile devices a few years ago, on a technical level the graphics look like they’re from the PlayStation 3/Xbox 360 era, but the art style still makes it pleasant to look at. The soundtrack is a highlight, as Uematsu can still compose epic and emotional themes for battle and depressing parts of the story, but there are also more whimsical moments that can be heard in the Cinderella Tri-Stars theme. If Uematsu retires from video game composition after this, he’ll end his scoring career on a high note. One point of criticism was moving Leo around felt strange. Using the thumbstick to guide Leo on the map doesn’t feel as smooth or intuitive as other games. Getting him to go where he needs to be felt more like a chore than it should have, and while it’s a relatively minor complaint, it is worth bringing up. Perhaps this was a result of trying to convert the touchscreen controls to a controller.
TGS 2024: Old Elements, New Approaches Mix Well in Fantasian Neo Dimension
There was an interesting mix of old and new elements in the Fantasian Neo Dimension TGS 2024 demo that JRPG fans will appreciate.
Closing Comments:
Fantasian: Neo Dimensionis a modern take on the RPG formula. In many ways, it’s similar to classicFinal Fantasygames, but elements such as the trajectory aspect of battles and the Dimengeon help distinguish it from other titles the developers have previously worked on. The Dimengeon is an especially welcome addition to slow down the interruption that random encounters provide. The battles are enjoyable as they do require strategic planning, though playing on Hard difficulty can result in especially rough difficulty spikes later on. The rewarding battle system is complemented by the fantastic soundtrack and engaging story, reminiscent of some of the best classic RPGs. A couple characters can be grating and sometimes the controls feel like they could use some refinement, butFantasian: Neo Dimensionis a welcome challenge for anyone who is a fan of classic JRPGs.
FANTASIAN Neo Dimension
Version Reviewed: PlayStation 5
The Father of FINAL FANTASY, Hironobu Sakaguchi, and renowned composer Nobuo Uematsu return to deliver an original RPG story.Mechteria—a deathly mechanical infection that robs humans of their emotions and lives—is slowly engulfing the world. The protagonist Leo awakens with only one memory left to him in a strange land abundant with machines. The human world, threatened by mechteria… a machine world, filled with mysteries… and the unseen dimensions that lie beyond both.Using the Warp Device that was left behind, Leo must now embark on an interdimensional journey to reclaim his lost memories and save the world from the mechteria infection.
