First launched on Apple Arcade, FANTASIAN Neo Dimension is now finding new audiences on the console. A turn-based RPG from the father of Final Fantasy, Hironobu Sakaguchi, FANTASIAN, is developed by Mistwalker and published by Square Enix. At PAX West, I got the chance to go hands-on with the title on the Switch, and while the movement through the handmade dioramas was a little jarring, the Dimengeon Battle feature made my time with the game one of my favorites of the fest. In FANTASIAN, the player portrays Leo as he journeys to recover his memories and solve the mystery of a strange mechanical infection destroying his world.
In all honesty, turn-based combat frustrates me. Having played demos for two other turn-based RPGs at PAX West, I was frustrated with the trash mob problem. While I appreciate encountering enemies that challenge my party and strategy on how to use them, the constant stop-and-start of encountering mobs of enemies I’ve already beaten two minutes prior is an easy way to make me put down a game. FANTASIAN Neo Dimension, however, has conveniently removed that issue. Is it something that has marked the genre? Yes. Is it more fun to deal with trash mobs in one giant fight? Absolutely.
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Called the Dimengeon System (a portmanteau of Dimension and Dungeon), this feature allows you to move through the map uninterrupted so long as you have already encountered and beaten enemy types previously. Holding up to 30 enemies at one time, as a player, you can decide to enter the Dimengeon Battle and deal with them five at a time, ten at a time, or, well, all 30 at once.
For me, 30 at one time added a difficulty to combat that made it exciting—adding in the fact that depending on the ability and makeup of the party, you have to choose a trajectory. A curved trajectory to maybe avoid the enemy blocking down the center, or a straight line to hit as many as possible? It’s your choice, and as more enemies begin to spawn, it’s one you have to make carefully.
Additionally, as the fight goes on, Dimengeon Gimmicks spawn. When hit with an attack, your party or individual members gain buffs that can increase damage, increase defense, add extra turns, and the like. The buffs can make the Dimengeon Battles a breeze if you time them right. That said, Square Enix did make it a point to share that the ported console version of the game will also feature an additional difficulty mode for those having trouble with the Apple Arcade-launched difficulty.
And, of course, if you’re picking up FANTASIAN Neo Dimension because of its creative connections to Final Fantasy, well, you won’t be disappointed since a few iconic Final Fantasy songs can be played as battle music. It’s fan service that’s well appreciated. But a great score isn’t everything when it comes to audio. This definitive release of FANTASIAN Neo Dimension will also feature English and Japanese voiceover.
As a whole, it’s unsurprising that FANTASIAN Neo Dimension was an Apple Arcade release. It plays exceptionally well on the Nintendo Switch, and the existence of the Dimengeon Battle alone makes it perfect for on-the-go play. Or at least how I chose to attack it all.
While some of the animations do leave something to be desired, the development of the characters’ world is an inspired one, to say the least, with 150 different dioramas to explore. It’s become increasingly rare to see hand-built miniature sets in even cinema, let alone games, and that’s a huge artistic swing that has to be called out. While the demo focused primarily on an open field of bridges and such, more detailed scenarios will be interesting to explore.
FANTASIAN Neo Dimension may have some rough edges, but as a turn-based title, its combat and unique approach to random encounters is what really makes it shine. With new audiences on the horizon, it’s sure to find support from players.
