Fantasian: Neo Dimension Review - Home At Last
If there was a single theme that could capture so much of the narrative surrounding the launch Fantasian: Neo Dimension, it would be focussed around a feeling of “going home.” For starters, its original form, simply titled Fantasian, was an Apple Arcade release. Now I don’t want to be disparaging to mobile games (this time), but while the Apple Arcade is the closest that mobile gamers are going to get to playing traditional controller-based games on their phone, it’s simply not the same. Of course the theme runs deeper than just this one game. Fantasian: Neo Dimension also marks an important moment in the history of both Square-Enix and developer Mistwalker. Mistwalker was born in 2004 by Hironobu Sakaguchi, one of the most pivotal figures in the rise of Squaresoft (eventually Square-Enix) through the 1980s and 1990s, and the collaboration on Neo Dimension marks the first time that Sakaguchi and Square-Enix have formally worked together in 20 years. So having been something of a smash hit on mobile, how does Fantasian translate to more mature platforms? Fortunately, good storytelling, and games with big heart, and interesting mechanics shine no matter the platform, and so Fantasian is another Sakaguchi and Square-Enix gem.
Parallels between Fantasian and Final Fantasy, especially the famed Final Fantasy VI, will be drawn endlessly as players jump into the Fantasian experience, however, despite this, the game still has a narrative identity of its own. Fantasian follows the story of Leo, a young chap who finds himself caught up in an alternate reality with the unfortunate double-whammy of also losing his memories. Leo is however, the perfect vessel for the player to consume mountains of historical facts and personal anecdotes from the locals across many different realities that you traverse. As Mechteria comes into play Leo will soon focus his priorities upon why it has been taking own many different worlds, including his own. While the elevator pitch might feel all-too-familiar to many players, it’s the way that Mistwalker has coloured between the lines that makes the Fantasian storyline pop.
As the game plays out, not only will players feel increasingly more connected to Leo, but also the colourful cast that he encounters in his travels. The broader world needs saving, and as new faces cross your path, some for fleeting moments, and others who will be more prominent features, the plight that the worlds of Fantasian are in becomes further crystalised and for the player, there becomes more and more of a drive to see the adventure out. Through a combination of the main plot, and some largely well designed side quests, Fantasian: Neo Dimension feels alive and well worth exploring further to see what else it may have in store for its players.
JRPGs require more than just a great story though to shine in 2024. Portions of the playing audience are especially looking for more than traditional turn-based combat as well, and this is another area where Fantasian: Neo Dimension excels. Being first designed for the touch interface of the iphone, Fantasian implements some ideas not seen in the console realm to this degree before. Using your analog stick, the player can attack down a line that they’ve chosen, and any in the line of fire take the blow, and although this is presented like it applies only to ranged weapons, the rule applies for all. As the game progresses more character abilities can be learned and you can then plot your progression pathways, furthering the depth of the gameplay which certainly presents as being overly simplistic at first blush. On a difficulty front, Neo Dimension adds a default Normal mode to make the game a bit more accessible than the initial mobile release where bosses were capable of wiping you out within moments. For players looking for more gruelling challenge, you can also opt into the Void Realm. Within the Void Realm’s three layers, players will endure increasingly difficult encounters, pushing your outer limits, so for most players it would not be advised to explore this element of the game out until at least you’re into a New Game+ run.
The Dimengeon feature returns from the initial release as well, a tool that allows players to capture and store enemies from random world battles in the Dimengeon so that you can return and fight them later on. Caution is required however because there’s a limit to the capacity of the Dimengeon and if that is reached, players will be forced to battle their way through the enemies stored within. If you’re not keeping track of this and managing your party well, you might find yourself soon wiped out by encounters that you’re now forced into.
Narratively and mechanically, Fantasian is a blast to play, and these elements haven’t needed to be reworked for the new platform, however, now that it has come to consoles and PC, its in the games presentation where we see some of the most significant of upgrades. VIsually, the game is not necessarily a stunner in terms of the character design, and no amount of upgrade from mobile to console/PC has fixed that, but the diorama environments that you navigate through absolutely are. Being on more powerful platforms especially the PS5 (and Pro), as well as the Xbox Series and PC the game looks stunning, Switch owners also have it quite good as well, but in 4K the environments of Fantasian look phenomenal. The game’s soundtrack has been composed by yet another Square-Enix legend, Nobuo Uematsu, and while it was already an excellent effort, Neo Dimension specifically includes a range of classic Final Fantasy tracks that Uematsu also composed into the mix to elevate the score even further. The game kicks goals in almost every facet of its presentation.
Fantasian: Neo Dimension is the definitive way to play an acclaimed 2021 mobile game. While games in the mobile realm continue to improve, and the line is getting blurrier than ever, when you see a game like Fantasian improve like it has by going to a console/PC, the gap becomes a bit more apparent again. Fantasian feels at home on console, Sakaguchi and Uematsu are completely at home with Square-Enix, and players will feel like they’re going on a journey home to their nostalgic 90s era as they delve into the game. Fantasian is an inspired mobile effort that is now better than ever in the form of Neo Dimension.
Fantasian: Neo Dimension was played on Nintendo Switch and PS5 Pro with codes kindly provided by Bandai-Namco Australia on behalf of Square-Enix.
