FANTASIAN Neo Dimension Steam Charts & Stats

Fantasian Neo Dimension - 2025 Review - Chaos or Order? All that matters is this gem is freed! Sometimes after legends create their legacy, they decide to go off into the sunset. Sometimes they try go build more of their legacy, yet fall into the darkness. Sometimes they prove why they were called legends all over again, and for that reason is why we are talking about Fantasian by Hironobu Sakaguchi. Hironobu Sakaguchi, the godfather of Final Fantasy, had left to create his own studio Mistwalker which developed games such as Lost Odyssey, Blue Dragon, and The Last Story. In 2018, after replaying Final Fantasy VI, Sakaguchi felt the passion burning again to create an emotional role-playing narrative. Bringing in longtime partners, such as Manabu Kusunoki (The Last Story) as the artist and composer Nobuo Uematsu (Final Fantasy), this project began to be developed. Both Sakaguchi and Uematsu had the same mindset that this the game may be their last large-scale project due to health issues at their age. Apple quickly made a deal for the project knowing this could bring business to their apple arcade platform. Outside the game needing to run on Apple operating systems and platforms, Mistwalker was given complete creative freedom. Eventually the game was released on April 2021 (Part 1, then Part 2 released on August 2021). Then comes December 2024 for the release of the high definition port on consoles and PC. This was the first time that Sakaguchi had worked with Square Enix since leaving the company in 2003. Art Style: The environments were created using real-world dioramas, including designs by veterans of the tokusatsu industry. Tokusatsu is known for the use of miniature sets. Miniatures are placed from the camera's perspective to create the illusion that the characters are larger than they are. This game is an absolute work of art. The way these dioramas were created and even just the angles of the pictures taken were clearly carefully considered. The world is vibrant and definitely has a Chrono Cross vibe to it while also at times giving off NieR world. Somehow while not being a prerendered background, this game gives off immense nostalgia for Playstation 1 lovers. It brought me back to the PSX Final Fantasy games while taking it a step further and more detailed. Truly something special that I hope is used again in the future. Cast of Characters: This cast felt very Final Fantasy like, in both pros and cons. Clearly Sakaguchi brought a part of Lost Odyssey into this game with the way of short stories. Each character had their own smaller story, and I felt like they were quite enjoyable. Definitely had my favorites like Zinikr and Valrika, but each one had a special part with some more screen time than others. Leo was your typical amnesiac main character, but I am glad that it wasn't the main focus of the plot. Clearly when this game was getting advertised it seemed that it would be the main plot point, and while for the first half it was, it didn't take over. I felt like this game did a great job highlighted other characters over the main character which is a breath of fresh air. So many games like to prey on the amnesiac who actually is someone more important then they realize. Gameplay: Fantasian is a turn based combat that has random encounters for enemies. The creative thing is after you start you get an item called a Dimengeon, a space capable of holding up to thirty enemies. After it fills up you fight all 30 enemies in a space that spawns special bonuses and attack boosts. It is a very creative addition to battles that makes your standard random encounters a lot less annoying. There is also a growth system based on a grid similar to Final Fantasy X, yet one for each individual character. Now every game is not perfect, and my biggest issue comes here in gameplay. I believe there is a fix in the works but as it stands there is an issue where everytime the camera changes, your joystick does not adjust and your character moves in the direction you were going before the camera angle changed. This can cause some janky movements that you then need to release the joystick and move again. While not a big deal, it did pull you out from the experience which is an issue. The other "issue" which isn't nearly as much of a big deal for me was the difficulty spike. The original game was made in two parts, and its pretty clear as the second half of this game is MUCH much harder than the first. What I did appreciate about this game is the jewel system. These are accessories that have stat bonuses, resistances, and special attributes. I'll be honest, in most games I never, I mean NEVER use resistant equipment.....except for this game. It truly did make a difference and changed the battlefield against some bosses. I will mention that being as this game was originally on mobile, most scenes that were being shown that happened at other times besides the present were done in a storybook type manner. The artistic work was fantastic, but I do know this bothered some as there was a large amount of them and it pulled them from the story. Personally I didn't have a huge issue with this but I do see where they are coming from. It does make sense though as this was a mobile game and it would be quite difficult to make everything active sequences. Story: A short synopsis would say this story "revolves around Leo, a young man who becomes amnesiac after entering an alternate universe known as the Machine Realm. Various characters join him in his quest to recover his memory and discover who he is, while also confronting the mysterious Vam the Malevolent along the way."....and while there needs to be some sort of explanation while staying away from any deeper details, this is not what this games story is really about. This story is about decision making, choices we make for ourselves that could affect loved ones which are then followed by decisions for those same loved ones. Its about what we would do for those we have lost, how do we remember them? Do we hold on tight to all the joy we had with them, or do we carry forever the burden of what we did or didn't do to them. I won't go into spoilers, but this game is such a more in depth story than what the actual plot is. Its utter brilliance, and through each character story and plot point it starts showing itself more and more. Love is not always found where we think it is, and what will we do when that love is lost? There were moments after playing this game that I just wanted to hold my wife and kids close, call my parents and tell them I love them, and think about memories of my grandmother who is no longer on this earth. Clearly I felt something from this game, and I hope this review gives you the desire to play it and feel it too. Soundtrack: Well after all that what else is there to say........except HOLY UEMATSU! If this was going to be his finale, boy did he put an orchestra together! I've seen some reviews saying this OST is "decent but nothing like his older stuff" and I think, that's just cray cray (yes I said cray cray - fancy for saying "that's wackadoo"). Some of these boss battle themes are unbelievable and hit so so hard. Then boom you get the opera chants and vocals, its so intense! The last couple fights were just unbelievable and I'd say you will stay in the end game boss battle longer to hear the music (but I can guarantee you that you won't have to because that battle is no 5 minutes in heaven). In closing, this game was everything I could have asked for. It made me feel like a teenager playing Final Fantasy IX all over again (actually oddly exactly like that even with the settings both quite different). This game was so clearly a passion project, as Sakaguchi put his whole heart and soul into this game. If those janky controls get fixed, this game is an absolute masterpiece. If you liked this review, feel free to check out my others on: https://www.backloggd.com/u/InVincible_Time/

Fantasian blends old-school jrpg conventions(particularly from Final Fantasy considering the pedigree such as Sakaguchi and Uematsu) with some unique features. The game was ported to pc and consoles due to the help of yoshi-p of FF14/FF16 renown. You can definitely tell because half of the guest battle tracks are Soken OSTs. The first thing that'd strike you is that the environments are constructed entirely of dioramas. The game was originally an apple arcade exclusive i.e. a mobile game and it shows in the UI and battle system. In this case, it's neat having to aim attack and spells. Fantasian also allows you to 'store' random encounters in a device known as a dimengeon where you can fight the stored enemies all at once. Finally the elephant in the room, the second act in the game is so tightly tuned in the original difficulty(hard) that it's refreshing having to consider your all your options and manage your party members to this degree that's rarely necessary in other turned-based rpgs. Some issues that can be off-putting is that the game starts off really slow as the first part is a long tutorial. There are systems simply missing until you get until the second part such as party switching (a la FFX) and the growth map. The encounter rate is still a bit high even with the dimengeon. The last positive I mentioned could be a double-edged sword because most of the second act boss battles put pressure on you and you could easily get stuck on one of them. Alas, this could be mitigated by the normal mode added to the port. Finally, the cast of fantasian are all so charming and funny especially with the voice acting that was added in this version. My favorites are kina and prickle. Just fun interactions all around. The game also has these cute vignette sections that added a bit of flavor to the plot which overall gave me a funny smt vibe. Overall, this game was a pleasant surprise for me.

At first i wasn't too impressed with the opening and etc. But slowly it's kinda nostalgic feeling when i played more time. it's kinda like of LOD ( Legend Of Dragon ) in terms of music and graph. The Vibrant city, character remind me of the old era of classic RPG back in 90'.

Very good game. Don't let those reviewers with feeble minds dissuade you from playing an amazing entry that feels very much like it should have been a true final fantasy game. The people claiming that levels takes to long or that boss fights are "to hard" because they actually incorporate strategies into them are probably from the pay 2 win community that is a bane on gaming. For true JRPG lovers, give it a try. It's awesome.

The PS1 Final Fantasy game that never was. Good fucking riddance, I say. Fantasian Neo Dimension has little to offer besides lukewarm nostalgia. The diorama backgrounds are beautiful and some tracks by the great Nobuo Uematsu are stellar, but overall this game is unbearable. It's gimmick boss after gimmick boss; it's a puzzle game in disguise. There is no fun to be had when every fight has only one solution: you get beaten by a bullshit gimmick you could not have foreseen, you figure out what this shitty game wants, and then you calculate how much progress you'll have to lose to go back and buy the items or set the attacks you need to win. The quality-of-life features are worse than those of SNES games. The way this game shamelessly wastes your time may have been okay for 1999, but it isn't okay now. For the mediocre story on offer, it isn't worth sitting through the awful gameplay. It's often floated around the Shenmue fanbase that Yu Suzuki hasn't played a video game in decades. Judging from this, Hironobu Sakaguchi hasn't either. It makes me feel really guilty and upset to write this, because I have so much respect for the two gentlemen who made Final Fantasy great. It breaks my heart that I can't finish this game when it may well be their final project. But my love for Uematsu and Sakaguchi is trumped by my aversion to CBT.

I tried to get into this game when it was on iOS, and couldn’t make it past the opening for some reason. Gave it a chance on PC and I am in love. It’s very reminiscent of playing a PS1 era Final Fantasy, but that’s not a bad thing for me since I have fond memories of them. The battle system is fun, and while I am nowhere near done with the game, the story is good so far as well. If you like old school turn based RPG’s, you can’t go wrong with this one.

The game just isn't fun. And I'm not even talking about the 2nd half. I didn't like the characters, the overall story and the gameplay. It could have been so much better, regarding to Lost Odyssey....

fun game , great sound track with nice visuals and a well built universe and story. the game start out as interesting , it's remind me a lot of the Playstation one era of final fantasy but yet it's missing something , the pacing is bad , leveling up just to keep yourself at the recommended level feel like a chore and the boss fights in the later part of the game are tedious , all work on some gimmick and are unfun. the XP grind is obnoxious, the only way to get a decent amount of XP per fight is to stack monsters in a pocket dimensions so you end up with fights with like 30 monsters in a row , which mean each fights are long, the boss fights rely too much on gimmicks rather then having the players come up with an overall decent strategy , like in one of the fight you have to use taunt or else you just lose the fight because the enemy does a specific attack that slowly push your group away and cause an instant death after a specific amount of hit. once in a while would have been fine but it's happen too much often and it's annoying. at least most Final Fantasy kept the challenging boss fight in the optional segments of the game unlike Neo Dimension that just put them everywhere. so close to hit the spot , yet so far.

A pleasant JRPG which I would call a "Final Fantasy Lite". It shares elements with the classics yet has its own identity. The hand-crafted diorama locations are the most unique aspect of the game and it is fun to look at them, appreciating the craftmanship. The game also has a brilliant workaround about random encounters where you can put enemies into a pocket dimension and fight them in a big group fight when you please. No more frustration having a random encounter an inch away from a treasure chest. All the playable characters are nice with recognizable designs, though the game doesn't go too deep into some after their arc is done. Nobuo Uematsu's soundtrack also didn't disappoint. It is more experimental from what people might be used to, but it's apparent that he had a blast doing the songs. While the game is good, it is also too long and stretched out. I'm aware the game was originally released in two parts, but the pacing slows down during the second part until it kicks up again towards the endgame. One other gripe I have are some of the boss fights, which require you to die once or twice to understand their gimmick, think your strategies and equipments before the fight rather than in the middle of them. I'm aware that's how the fights are designed, but I wasn't a big fan of how some leaned into trial & error. Luckily retrying the fights never was an ordeal itself, and there's always a save point near them with minimal pre-dialogue and story before the fights. In short, good game for those who crave more classical JRPG with some modern quality of life improvements. I'm appreciative it was finally released from the Apple Arcade jail, thanks!! I also never want to hear another "PAPIPAPII! PAPPA PAPPA, PAPIPIPAPIPAPI!!" in my entire life, thanks again!!

[b]Fantasian Neo Dimension[/b], [i]or personally my Final Fantasy XVII[/i] Even after 20 years later, Hironobu Sakaguchi, father of Final Fantasy, was still able to create games that make an impact in player's lives. Innovating concepts in the industry even to this day. Wow. Fantasian is everything you love about PS1-era Final Fantasy with the character-writing of FFVI, the rich world & twisting story of FFVII, the masterclass dialogue of FFIX, and turn-order combat of FFX. Fantasian is undeniably the most "classical" modern Final Fantasy you could get your hands on right now. You won't regret it. Bread-and-butter of Fantasian is its gameplay. [b]God it's fun.[/b] It adds this really well-crafted core mechanic of curving your magic and abilities, lining them up for a more efficient cast that can absolutely change the tide of battle. The loop is so fun and addictive that in each battle I would patiently set up the perfect line for my ability for a satisfying return. Additionally a new gameplay feature called the Dimengeon, another innovative piece from Sakaguchi. The dimengeon basically allows you to collect the monsters from your random encounters into a single entity space, and battle them manually or when the entity reaches full limit. This is honestly [b]life-changing[/b] to RPGS that I hope other games take note off. Quality-of-life in exploring dungeons by not having to battle every few steps, efficient farming and satisfaction of killing hordes of enemies, an an option to even empty the damn thing and not battle at all! Amazing. Without a doubt, Fantasian is also one of (if not) the most challenging RPG I have played in modern times. Would even call it the Dark Souls of turn-based RPG. The game's 2nd part unlocks A LOT of stuff that was fun story & gameplay-wise. You get to really unlock the full potential of your party members. However, this is where things get [b]uniquely tricky.[/b] I say uniquely tricky because when you step into the game's Disc 2, the mini bosses and bosses also unlock their potentials and will brutally murder your party if you do not efficiently grasp the core of the gameplay itself and strengths of your own party & equipment. Having a clear understanding of your party & gear is key to surviving Fantasian's Disc 2. [b]But the satisfaction of beating a Fantasian boss is unlike any other RPG, ever.[/b] Haven't even told you the best part of Fantasian yet. [b]Classic pre-rendered backgrounds made up entirely of hand-crafted dioramas.[/b] It's a work of art. The sheer creativity & artistic direction of Sakaguchi for Fantasian shows his freedom of love & real genuine care for the game. Every single time I enter a new screen, I'm awestruck on how beautiful every set-piece is. I just stand there and look at the view. It's these types of games that keep me going. Of course we can't talk about a Final Fantasy-like game without our grand composer Nobuo Uematsu. Many lives were saved and cancer was cured when people heard Sakaguchi and Uematsu were teaming up again for a new game. Battle themes were not as strong as Uematsu's previous pieces (I'd even argue it's one of his weakest) however every track outside battles is a real delight. My definite favorites are Gravity, Owen's Theme, and Kina (Destiny). Really really sad that [b]Fantasian's OST is Uematsu's last ever role as the leading music composer of a game.[/b] Your music has brought joy and life to us, thank you Uematsu-san. Hironobu Sakaguchi made wonders on this game with developers Mistwalker that reignited classic RPG fans. Sakaguchi also said he's cooking up a successor to FFVI before he retires. We will be there when it releases. I hope to see you there. Thank you Sakaguchi for an amazing game once again. [i]PS: played with no character voices for classic FF immersion. it was a nostalgic experience voicing them yourself again[/i]