Fantasian Neo Dimension [PC] | REVIEW

When it comes to blending nostalgia with innovation, Fantasian Neo Dimension feels like a heartfelt love letter to the golden age of RPGs. Developed by Mistwalker, the studio helmed by Final Fantasy creator Hironobu Sakaguchi, this title is a mix of old-school sensibilities and modern touches. It started life as an Apple Arcade exclusive but has now made its way to PC and consoles, bringing with it additional features and refinements to ensure the adventure feels better than ever on the bigger screen.

Check out some screenshots down below:

The story begins with Leo, an amnesiac protagonist who awakens in the grim Machine Realm – a cold, metallic world teeming with danger. After his escape, he ventures into the Human Realm in search of his lost memories, all whilst assembling a group of allies along the way as they look to save civilization from a world-threatening danger.

While the narrative is steeped in RPG tropes, its execution is elevated by moments of strong character work and clever writing. Fans of classic RPGs such as Final Fantasy or Dragon Quest will appreciate the thematic nods to RPGs of yesteryear, particularly in the balance between personal journeys and world-saving stakes that make each party member all the more endearing. That being said, whilst the tale has its charm, it’s rare that it does anything that feels unique for the genre. The story is guilty of being predictable in places, whilst it’s always easy to see how the plot threads for individual characters will play out. You know what, though? Whilst Fantasian Neo Dimension’s storytelling is riddled with tropes of the genre, I actually found it endearing – especially as someone who finds the old-school RPG nature of the game one of its most enticing qualities.

One thing that I have to mention immediately is the visual presentation of Fantasian Neo Dimension. The game utilises diorama-style backgrounds, each of which is handcrafted and made using real-world miniatures that were individually photographed and integrated as pre-rendered environments. I absolutely adore this visual style, with it giving the game a unique look that makes the world feel more magical. The pre-rendered style also gives the game a PSOne-like charm, which is something I’ll ALWAYS be on board with.

“Fantasian Neo Dimension succeeds in evoking the spirit of classic RPGs while introducing fresh ideas into a delightfully handcrafted world.”

The characters aren’t quite as sophisticated, with the game’s Apple Arcade roots showing with character models that are simple in style when compared to other modern RPGs. Don’t get me wrong, the designs themselves are great and you’ll certainly enjoy meeting each unique and colourful character on your journey, but it’s undoubtedly the environments that stand out as the most impressive aspect of Fantasian Neo Dimension’s presentation.

Complementing the visuals is a stellar soundtrack composed by none other than the legendary Nobuo Uematsu. The music shifts seamlessly between uplifting, chirpy tunes for light-hearted moments and dramatic, intense compositions for battles and climactic scenes, with each piece perfectly capturing that classic RPG feel throughout. It’s a wonderful swansong for Nobuo Uematsu, who has confirmed that he will be stepping back from composing entire soundtracks for video games going forward.

Gameplay-wise, Fantasian Neo Dimension takes a traditional RPG approach, with turn-based battling, plenty of exploration across a vast and varied world, and an abundance of quests to complete. The combat system offers a satisfying sense of strategic depth, with an emphasis placed on exploiting enemy positioning to defeat multiple foes at once. Players are able to hit multiple foes in a line or arc whilst utilising area-of-effect spells to target specific areas of the battlefield, with the game rewarding those who use their abilities in a tactical manner to damage multiple foes. This is emphasised by the skills you unlock for your characters, with players using skill trees to customise their ability sets to better get the upper hand over enemies. It might sound complex, but it’s pretty straight-forward for most encounters. It does add a puzzle-like element to stronger foes and bosses though, with careful planning (and experimentation with failure) often necessary if you want to survive.

Check out some screenshots down below:

It makes for an engrossing combat system, and whilst I’d be lying if I said the constant fine-tuning wasn’t a lit bit tiring in some encounters, it certainly stands out as one of the strengths of the experience. Just be warned: it’ll throw some harsh difficulty spikes your way, so you REALLY have to be willing to toy with your setup and skills if you want to survive. But hey, at least you can reallocate your skill points, with the game actively encouraging players to adapt to each situation they face.

The updated release includes numerous quality-of-life improvements that enhance the overall experience. The 4K resolution and 60fps frame rate make it look better than ever – even if there is the occasional sketchy texture here and there. Players can now choose between two difficulty modes too: Normal, which offers a more forgiving experience, and Hard, which retains the challenge of the original Apple Arcade release. Honestly? I wouldn’t recommend Hard, with it actually feeling a bit imbalanced as opposed to offering a satisfying challenge. There’s also voice acting included this time around that makes for a more cinematic experience for players, whilst you can even switch out the battle music with that from a variety of different Final Fantasy titles (this is a feature that I ended up playing with a lot more than I expected).

I enjoyed my time with Fantasian Neo Dimension, and believe me, it’s a meaty experience. However, there were some elements of its design that were a little iffy, such as the user interface that can often feel clunky or the controls that aren’t as precise or responsive as you might expect. They’re small issues, but something that could’ve been improved upon during the game’s transition from touch-focused mobile screens to TVs. The shift to big screens can make some of the graphical flaws stand out too, and whilst Fantasian Neo Dimension’s overall presentation is great, the imperfections are clearer when playing on a television. The most jarring aspect? The shift of camera perspectives, which could feel a little too constant in some locations. It wasn’t something I noticed so much when I played on iOS, but it certainly felt more prelevant here.

Developer: Mistwalker
Publisher: Square Enix
Platform(s): PC (Reviewed), PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch
Website: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2844850/FANTASIAN_Neo_Dimension/