Fantasian: Neo Dimension Review

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As a seasoned gamer with a soft spot for classic RPGs and an even softer spot for challenges that push my skills to the limit, I found myself utterly captivated by Fantasian: Neo Dimension. This game, born from the mind of Final Fantasy’s father himself, is a testament to innovation in combat and boss fights, leaving me gripped in an adventure through Vibra that I won’t soon forget.

Note from the Editor: This critique was initially posted on August 28th, 2021, regarding the Apple Arcade debut of Fantasian. While the original evaluation remains intact, we have updated our review to align with the version of Fantasian that the majority of players are likely to encounter in 2024 and beyond.

Among the games I’ve played this year, Fantasian stands out as one of my favorites. However, I must clarify that it is ideal for only a particular group of role-playing game enthusiasts.

As a dedicated admirer, I have to confess that expressing my thoughts on what could potentially be industry icon Hironobu Sakaguchi’s swan song is no easy feat. This game, Fantasian, presents a unique challenge when it comes to reviewing, as certain aspects of its core design may not resonate with a broader audience, despite the decisions themselves not being inherently flawed – in fact, they might even be attractive to a specific group of players.

The circumstances surrounding Fantasian are quite peculiar, especially given its release platforms. This game is exclusively available on Apple Arcade, meaning it can only be played on devices made by Apple – primarily smartphones like the iPhone and tablets such as the iPad. It might seem logical to expect a less challenging difficulty level for a game primarily designed for mobile platforms. However, I found that even when playing on an Apple TV, the game’s difficulty was not particularly lenient.

Straightforwardly speaking, Fantasian is an exceptionally challenging Role-Playing Game (RPG). The initial section of the game follows a linear path and shouldn’t pose much of a problem for reaching the World of Ruin-inspired latter half. Here, players are presented with the freedom to handle challenges at their own pace. In this second part, the game offers a vast world for exploration, allowing players to choose the order of various quests.

In Fantasian’s game, each boss has distinctive tricks, often relying on timing, positioning, and the path of your strikes. A fundamental aspect of its battle system is that melee attacks travel in a straight line, but magic can be curved, enabling you to bypass clusters of foes. Some melee attacks can penetrate, yet other enemy types can block penetrating attacks from going through them. Certain bosses also use tactics that will block attacks unless accurately aimed and timed. One noteworthy side boss necessitates players to exploit a specific character’s ability to gather enemies into a designated area on the battlefield, allowing you to attack the boss without triggering his explosive companions. Attacking them could deal heavy damage to your entire team. Another requires you to coordinate your elemental attacks with the color of the knights standing behind him to prevent the ensuing damage from being overwhelming.

In each boss fight, there’s a unique twist to keep things interesting, and once a mechanic is introduced, it doesn’t overstay its welcome. Even when similar elements recur in later battles, they are tailored differently for freshness. When you encounter a boss again in subsequent side missions, the battle is redesigned to maintain novelty. Essentially, each fight presents a challenge that requires strategic thinking about which team and gear would work best. Initially, this isn’t too demanding, but as you progress through the game, the challenges become increasingly tough, requiring a finely-tuned strategy. By the time your party reaches levels in the mid to late 40s, the difficulty spikes significantly and maintains its intensity throughout the remainder of the game.

In simpler terms, some players might find the game’s difficulty challenging, especially given that it seems less accessible in the early stages compared to other aspects like its captivating world, engaging story, and unique features. For instance, Fantasian’s 3D-scanned dioramas and Memory segments (short visual novel sections) make it stand out from games of the PS1-era Final Fantasy series. However, despite the game’s darker moments, its core identity revolves around connections and relationships, offering a more heartwarming narrative than one might anticipate based on the combat difficulty. This contrast can be surprising, as you wouldn’t typically associate a classic RPG from the creator of Final Fantasy with such tough gameplay.

I thoroughly enjoyed Fantasian, despite some hiccups in its narrative. The game’s innovative combat and boss battles captivated me, while the characters and themes left a lasting impression. My journey through Vibra was an unforgettable one, and I can’t imagine enjoying it as much if it weren’t for the challenge it presented. It seems many players struggled with the game’s progressively difficult boss fights, which overshadowed aspects they enjoyed. While the game itself isn’t to blame, it’s evident that the level of difficulty wasn’t clearly communicated beforehand. I was taken aback by the challenges ahead, but I embraced them wholeheartedly. It’s understandable if others felt differently.

What did put a hamper on my enjoyment were some technical issues. I didn’t keep a running count, but the game froze and crashed on me many more times than I would’ve expected, especially for a product published by Apple of all companies. While I might’ve assumed that could’ve been an isolated issue with the Apple TV 4K, others on the game’s subreddit have noted similar issues on iOS proper. Ultimately I never lost much progress thanks to the game’s generous checkpoints and autosave, but it still took me out of the experience whenever it did happen. Hopefully these technical issues will be sorted out in due time, though I would’ve preferred if they hadn’t reared their head in the first place.

While I believe Fantasian could potentially be a top pick for Game of the Year, given some technical issues and content still being added, I’d advise holding off on a definitive recommendation at this time. However, once these kinks are ironed out with updates, it’s definitely worth considering giving Fantasian a try, especially if you’re up for the challenges the game presents.

Fantasian: Neo Dimension

3 years have passed since Fantasian graced Apple Arcade, but now, it has made its grand return on consoles and PC as Fantasian: Neo Dimension. The challenges that once marred the Apple Arcade version are long gone, giving a smoother experience to gamers like me. A fresh “Normal” mode has been introduced to balance out the gameplay, making it more approachable for newcomers. While the original difficulty still exists as the Hard Mode in Neo Dimension, this revamp makes it a breeze to recommend Fantasian: Neo Dimension to players who might have shied away from its steep difficulty curve earlier on.

Beyond my personal playthroughs, I can affirm that the PC version of this game, being its latest release, is significantly more stable and efficient compared to when we first played it on Apple TV 4K (2021). Incidentally, there were no crashes encountered in any of our PC systems, and the performance was robust enough for us to believe that even a moderate PC setup will encounter zero problems while playing. Moreover, enhancements like the new voice acting have noticeably boosted the game’s impact during crucial scenes, especially memories. To summarize, Fantasian, which we had already deemed worthy of our RPG of the Year 2021, has been expertly polished by Neo Dimension, earning it our highest rating: a perfect 10 out of 10.

10

Versions tested: Apple TV 4K (Apple Arcade), PC

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2024-12-04 14:27