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I subscribed to Apple Arcade back in 2021 for one game alone: Fantasian. I only ended up putting about eight hours into the Mistwalker and Hironobu Sakaguchi JRPG due to the subscription model and mobile format. Thankfully, I finally fixed that issue with the release of Fantasian Neo Dimension, which cements this JRPG as a worthy Final Fantasy-like game every JRPG fan should check out.

If you put Fantasian in front of me and told me it was a remaster or remake of a classic PS1 or PS2 JRPG, I’d be likely to believe you. It fits right in with some of the greats of the genre, like Final Fantasy X, Chrono Trigger, and Final Fantasy VII. The opening of the JRPG begins with an amnesiac protagonist named Leo fighting his way through a futuristic robotic factory.

This opening dungeon wastes no time whatsoever in ushering the player into the action, much like the start of Final Fantasy VII. Fantasian Neo Dimension feels like the perfect blend of Sakaguchi’s previous Mistwalker works like Lost Odyssey and his time at Square Enix working on the Final Fantasy series. It has wonderful aspects of both experiences at the same time.

For one, there is the amnesia and visual novel-like memories that come straight out of Lost Odyssey. There is a lot of rich lore to this world, including the Mechteria menace that is invading everywhere and destroying everything. Much of this backstory plays out in the form of memories that are stunning, unforgettable, visual novel vignettes.

Then there is the combination of the general gameplay and vibes found in this JRPG. This is where the Final Fantasy element comes into play. The turn-based combat feels like a flashier, more flexible version of the first 10 or so mainline titles. Players can pick various skills, attacks, and items to use in combat each turn. This will all feel familiar to existing JRPG fans. The twist, though, comes into play with the fluidity of attacks.

You can use the thumbstick of your controller to bend your attacks. Most skills use a line to target enemies, but you can twist this line to be more angular. This allows you to bend around the edge of the arena, for instance, and hit three enemies at once, rather than one. It is a fascinating system, and most skills allow its use. This makes every single turn you make a strategic endeavor to find the most efficient way to attack.

You’ll want to do this too, because Fantasian Neo Dimension is a highly challenging game. Fortunately, this version comes with two difficulty modes: Normal and Hard. Hard is the previous difficulty from the Apple Arcade version. I shamelessly played on the Normal difficulty this time around, and it feels much more balanced and welcoming. That said, this is still one of the most challenging JRPGs I've experienced in a long time.

Even grinding levels and being overleveled does little to help you here. Bosses still have some of the most intense and ridiculously difficult strategies found in modern JRPGs. I appreciate how every boss pretty much has their own unique idea and concept. One boss might have arms you have to defeat first to reduce its skills set and make it weaker. But then you might have another boss that summons minions that it consumes if you don’t defeat them fast enough to do a powerful, near-party-wiping attack.

Fantasian: Neo Dimension is the type of game where you can expect to see the "game over" screen. That said, the exhilaration of defeating the bosses is one I haven’t felt in quite a while. It helps that the other parts of the JRPG match the level of the combat. Exploration, for instance, looks constantly beautiful due to the hand-crafted nature of the world. Each area you visit comes from a literal diorama the team made in the real world. There is nothing like this visual style and it continues to impress in its level of detail.

I also found, though, that this diorama idea struck the right balance between non-linearity and pacing. No area feels too large or overwhelming to explore. But, at the same time, there are enough rooms and branching paths in dungeons to warrant exploration, with tons of chests and items around every corner.

Then there is the story itself. It may not reach the heights of Lost Odyssey, for example, but it doesn’t need to. This is a tale where the characters take center stage, and I actually like this cast a bit more than the ones found in Mistwalker’s past works. The dynamic between the three leads of Leo, Cheryl, and Kina is reminiscent of the triangle of Cloud, Tifa, and Aerith in the best way possible, all without copying it too much.

The constant banter between the party is consistently great. I won’t dive into the other party who appear later on, but every member of the group quickly became a favorite of mine for different reasons. Better yet, Fantasian Neo Dimension does a fantastic job of ensuring every party member plays widely different from one another. Kina, for instance, is your typical White Mage character with heals. But Cheryl is like a Summoner, able to rely on her ancestral knight summons to deal impressive damage. There are some even more neat additions later on as well, spoilers aside.

Voice acting is finally available in Fantasian Neo Dimension, and it helps flesh out the party . Whether you pick to play in Japanese or English, these aspects really bring the story and characters to life. Another new feature with this release is the addition of Final Fantasy songs. I wish it was easier to pick songs, as they are generally tied to types of fights like boss fights, normal fights, and so on. Still, being able to play with one of my favorite recent FFXIV Dawntrail tracks was a great addition.

And this is all before including the Dimengeon feature. Grinding in Fantasian Neo Dimension is a breeze because you can avoid random encounters, and instead store them to fight all at once later on. It is fascinating ideas like this that make this game one of my favorite JRPGs in recent memory. In fact, I had more fun with Fantasian than the most recent mainline Final Fantasy title.

After all, Fantasian Neo Dimension is the best way to play this Mistwalker JRPG. The sharper visuals and resolution make this truly pop in a beautiful way on the Nintendo Switch, where I played it. The story, characters, and fluid turn-based gameplay are high quality enough to feel like a classic spin-off of the Final Fantasy series. If you like JRPGs, don’t miss out on one of my favorite releases in 2024 during a year jam-packed full of thrilling releases.

Fantasian Neo Dimension releases for Nintendo Switch, PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC on December 5, 2024.

The post Review: Fantasian Neo Dimension Feels Like a Final Fantasy Spin-off appeared first on Siliconera.

Mistwalker is the legendary, arguably underrated studio from Final Fantasy creator Hironobu Sakaguchi. After Sakaguchi’s split from Square Enix, he founded this studio. Certainly, the studio doesn’t have the success it deserves. But this doesn’t mean it doesn’t have excellent games worth checking out. So, what is the best Mistwalker JRPG?

Mistwalker has phenomenal titles like Blue Dragon, Lost Odyssey, Fantasian, and more. These JRPGs are well worth your time. When it comes to the best one out of these in of visuals, story, characters, and gameplay, though, there is only one answer.

Siliconera Speaks Up: Our Favorite Mistwalker JRPG 345f1d

Lost Odyssey was, strangely enough, one of the first JRPGs I ever played and a game that ranks highly for me in the overall genre. Since I only ever had a Nintendo handheld for Pokemon or an Xbox console growing up, I missed out on just about every JRPG out there for a long time. My general knowledge and experience from playing Final Fantasy XII when I borrowed a PS2 for a short time got me to check out this game and I adored it.

The story of Lost Odyssey is incredibly unique with its tale of immortals, the little visual novel-like stories you find throughout is such a novel idea, and the turn-based combat still holds up well today. Sadly, I never finished it as my disc got scratched up when I was likely around 75% through. I’m really hoping for a remaster someday so I can finally see it through to the conclusion. Of the incredible Mistwalker JRPGs, Lost Odyssey stands out as the best for me. That said, I also enjoyed my time with Fantasian for a bit on my iPad. I never finished it but it has some neat ideas of its own. I look forward to completing it with Fantasian: Neo Dimension soon. -- Cody

Fantasian: Neo Dimension releases for Nintendo Switch, PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC on December 5, 2024.

The post What’s the Best Mistwalker JRPG? appeared first on Siliconera.

We’ll be able to choose how our Fantasian Neo Dimension physical copies look on shelves, as Mistwalker and Square Enix showed the reversible cover on the Switch version of the game. While one side shows the general art with the main cast, the other option is more artistic.

The primary cover art for Fantasian Neo Dimension focuses on Leo and his allies. He appears at the bottom, and we see Zinikr, Kina, Cheryl, Ez, Valrika, Tan, and even Prickle posed above him. The interior option has Leo with Kina and Cheryl on either side of them as they pose on a staircase, while something of a spoiler character appears on the opposing side.

Here is the official social media post showing the default cover art for the Switch version of Fantasian Neo Dimension, as well as the reversible option that initially is hidden on the other side.

It isn’t just the new version of the game that’s about to debut. There will also be a detailed book from Mistwalker and Square Enix going over the title and its development. However, so far the companies only confirmed that Fantasian Neo Dimension Official Setting will launch in Japan in December 2024.

Fantasian Neo Dimension will come to the Nintendo Switch, PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X, and Windows PC on December 5, 2024. Fantasian is also readily available on Apple Arcade.

The post Fantasian Neo Dimension Switch Reversible Cover Shown appeared first on Siliconera.

Square Enix is now accepting pre-orders for a new Fantasian: Neo Dimension Official Setting book containing information about the setting of the game. The book will include an introduction by producer and writer Hironobu Sakaguchi. It is only confirmed for Japan, at the moment, and debuts in December.

The Fantasian: Neo Dimension Official Setting book costs 2,640 yen (or approximately $17.22), and it is now available for pre-order from the Square Enix e-Store. The volume has only been announced in Japan so far, and it is set to release on December 5, 2024. That is the same day that Fantasian: Neo Dimension will come out on consoles and PCs.

Aside from the introduction from Mistwalker founder Hironobu Sakaguchi, the new book includes a variety of concept art pieces, previously unpublished art and photos of the dioramas used to create the environments of the game, development staff comments, and messages from composer Nobuo Uematsu, various other developers, and the diorama artists. Square Enix warned people that the book will include spoilers up to the very end of the game, so players that purchase it might want to wait until clearing the game to check it out.

The Fantasian: Neo Dimension book costs 2,640 yen (~$17.22) and is now available for pre-order with its release date set for December 5, 2024 in Japan. The game itself will also come out on December 5, 2024 for the Nintendo Switch, PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X, and Windows PC.

The post Fantasian Neo Dimension Setting Book Appears in December appeared first on Siliconera.

Square Enix and Mistwalker shared a new video on the social media for Fantasian Neo Dimension that confirmed it will be the last full game soundtrack composer Nobuo Uematsu worked on. He shared the news in the brief announcement. Uematsu later took to social media to confirm he isn't completely retiring yet.

The reveal began with Uematsu confirming the more widespread version of Fantasian will release on December 5, 2024. Previously, it only appeared on Apple devices via the Apple Arcade subscription service. He followed that up with the statement, “This is my final project as a composer of video game music.” 

Here is the full video: 

In the updated statement, he noted there was a misunderstanding and he would only "cut back a bit" when it would come to composing for video games.

Nobuo Uematsu was tapped as the composer for the original Fantasian game, prior to his announcement that his last project will be the Fantasian Neo Dimension release. Prior to that, he worked on the FFVII Rebirth song “No Promises to Keep,” which is an Aerith theme. His music was included in the original FFVII Remake as well. Uematsu also worked on games like Square Enix’s Dungeon Encounters, FFXIV, and FFXV over the last few years, as well as Mistwalker’s Terra Wars and Terra Battle 2.

Fantasian Neo Dimension will appear on the Nintendo Switch, PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X, and PC on December 5, 2024. The previous version of the JRPG is immediately available on Apple devices like the iPad and Mac via Apple Arcade. 

The post Fantasian Neo Dimension Composer Nobuo Uematsu’s Last Entire Game Soundtrack (Update) appeared first on Siliconera.

When Mistwalker created Fantasian for Apple Arcade, the team built actual dioramas in the real world to use as background and environments in-game, and Square Enix and the developer shared another video going over the process again ahead of Fantasian Neo Dimension’s debut. It shows both the creation of a few dioramas and the filming of them, as well as gameplay of areas that used them.

The Fantasian Neo Dimension video begins with a piece of art, before showing someone working on a diorama based on it. As part of that process, we see how the water around a wall is added. From there, a whole in-game town is depicted from a distance, before a close-up offers a better look at its more unique elements. We then see how that diorama looks in-game as gameplay shows Leo running through the streets. 

At the 43 second mark, we get to see a more detailed series of progress on the game. Things begin with concept art of technological ruins. Then, we get to see the construction of the diorama. The process also included small prototype figures, to help provide a sense of scale for when it appears in-game. We watch as details are added, before we see gameplay at the 1:05 mark.

Here’s the full trailer: 

As a reminder, Hironobu Sakaguchi talked extensively about the development of the Fantasian dioramas back in 2021, going over how they affected gameplay. He also revealed that, after the game development ended, he saved one of the homes used in the process.

Fantasian Neo Dimension will come to the Nintendo Switch, PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X, and Windows PC on December 5, 2024. Fantasian is also readily available on Apple Arcade.

The post Fantasian Neo Dimension Video Shows Dioramas and Gameplay appeared first on Siliconera.

During the September 2024 State of Play, Sony announced that the release date for the Fantasian Neo Dimension console and PC port is slated for December 5, 2024. As part of the event, Mistwalker founder and Fantasian Producer Hironobu Sakaguchi appeared during the latest broadcast to announce the launch date.

Additionally, Sony and Square Enix released a new gameplay and story trailer for Fantasian Neo Dimension. The trailer showcases the unique real-life diorama pre-rendered backgrounds mixed with 3D character models. Furthermore, the trailer showcased the Dimengeon system, where random enemy encounters can be temporarily stored in order to fight all of them in a row.

Here is the release date trailer for the game:

Fantasian originally appeared as an Apple Arcade exclusive between April and August 2021. Square Enix will be publishing the Fantasian Neo Dimension console and PC port, which was announced earlier this year during the June 2024 Nintendo Direct with a Winter 2024 release window. Final Fantasy XIV Producer Naoki Yoshida and Mistwalker’s Hironobu Sakaguchi talked in the past about both the collaboration between both companies to publish and release.

The Fantasian Neo Dimension release date is set for December 5, 2024 and it will appear for the Nintendo Switch, PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X, and PC via Steam.

The post Fantasian Neo Dimension Release Date Falls on December 2024 appeared first on Siliconera.

Square Enix shared a new video of Naoki Yoshida and Hironobu Sakaguchi talking about Fantasian Neo Dimension, Sakaguchi’s Mistwalker game which Square Enix is publishing and Yoshida is producing with Creative Studio 3. However, in addition to discussing Fantasian, the two also bring up FFXIV. 

The brief clip begins by setting the stage with some introductions. Sakaguchi and Yoshida then note how this is the first time Sakaguchi worked with Square Enix in 25 years. He is one of the founders of Final Fantasy and worked on mainline up until FFXI, as well as spin-offs like FFX-2 and Final Fantasy Tactics Advance. From there, Sakaguchi said one of the reasons he “entrusted” Fantasian Neo Dimension to Yoshida is because of the work he’s done as director and producer on the MMORPG. They also tease a release date announcement for the console and PC version of the former Apple Arcade exclusive.

Here is the full video, which ends with Sakaguchi stating, “FFXIV is the best.”

This is the second time we’ve seen commentary from Naoki Yoshida and Hironobu Sakaguchi about Fantasian Neo Dimension. Previously, a Famitsu interview with the two appeared. Among other things, they talked about how this version of the game has voice acting due to Yoshida’s influence and suggestions.

Fantasian Neo Dimension will come to the PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox Series X, and PC in Winter 2024. Fantasian is on Apple devices via Apple Arcade. Final Fantasy XIV is available for the PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X, and PC.

The post Naoki Yoshida and Hironobu Sakaguchi Talk FFXIV, Fantasian in New Video appeared first on Siliconera.

Mistwalker founder and Fantasian Producer Hironobu Sakaguchi saved one of the real miniature diorama houses created for the RPG and took it back home himself. As a reminder, the Fantasian Neo Dimension console and PC port was revealed during the last Nintendo Direct.

After the announcement, the X (formerly Twitter) official for the game shared one of the real diorama houses created as one of the game assets, as well as how it looks in-game. The post shared said that the developers created over 150 hand-made dioramas to use as backgrounds for Fantasian.

In response to the aforementioned post, Hironobu Sakaguchi himself shared a photo of the same diorama house, and revealed that he took it back home to Honolulu with himself and is now on display at his work room. You can check out the original post here:

Shortly after the announcement of the console and PC port of Fantasian, Sakaguchi also shared on his social media that Square Enix and FFXIV Producer Naoki “Yoshi-P” Yoshida is collaborating with Mistwalker on Fantasian Neo Dimension as publishers.

Fantasian Neo Dimension is currently in development for the Nintendo Switch, PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X, and Windows PC, and it will come out in the 2024 holiday season. Fantasian is also readily available on Apple Arcade.

The post Sakaguchi Saved One of the Fantasian Diorama Houses appeared first on Siliconera.

Three years after its Apple Arcade debut, Fantasian will appear on the Nintendo Switch as Fantasian: Neo Dimension. The June 2024 Nintendo Direct revealed the exclusivity arrangement expired, and people can expect it in the Holiday 2024 season.

Fantasian was one of the early Apple Arcade exclusives, with the first part appearing in April 2021. The second part launched in August 2021, with elements like new game plus also eventually added. In February 2023, creator Hironobu Sakaguchi noted interest in both a PC port and sequel. SteamDB also showed a listing for a PC version of the game back in August 2023. However, it’s only now that a Switch release is confirmed.

Here's the trailer:

In Fantasian, players follow an amnesiac young man named Leo who is currently stuck in the Human Realm. He’s attempting to find out who he is and what happened prior to a Machine Realm. In so doing, he gets caught up in the investigation of Mechteria draining the Human Realm of energy and the fate of the world. It is unique in that Mistwalker created actual dioramas in the real world for the game's environments.

Fantasian is available on Apple Arcade, and it will also come to the Nintendo Switch in the 2024 holiday season.

The post Fantasian Heads to Switch, No Longer Apple Arcade Exclusive appeared first on Siliconera.

Android and iOS storefronts offer an incredible selection of games you can play on your smartphone or tablet right now, including some solid free JRPGs. However, if you want the best paid mobile JRPGs that you pay for once and never have to worry about ads or anything like that, these are the games you should check out.

Best Paid Mobile JRPG for Retro Fans: Final Fantasy VI 3j34i

The entire lineup of Final Fantasy Pixel Remasters are available on mobile for a price, much like their console and PC counterparts. While you could certainly pick up all of them, Final Fantasy VI is a true classic. The stunning and timeless SNES art is fantastic alongside the beautiful world to explore.

If this isn’t enough for you, I also suggest other classic JRPG remasters like Chrono Trigger, Final Fantasy Tactics, and Final Fantasy IV 3D.

Best Mobile-Exclusive JRPG: Chaos Rings 3 i6k34

While there are classics on Android and iOS, mobile also has its own set of exclusive games. One of the best is Chaos Rings 3 from Square Enix. Unfortunately, the first two games are unavailable at this time. However, the third title works well enough on its own. It features a Sora-like main character and several colorful worlds to explore. Its graphics might be simplistic, but the detailed characters and fun story make it worth a look.

Best Mobile JRPG for Console Fans: Dragon Quest VIII 2i3p1c

While plenty of paid mobile JRPGs exist on Android and iOS, few have the console-level of 3D. If you want something with a bit more polygons but not sacrificing quality in the process, check out this port of Dragon Quest VIII. It arguably looks better than the 3DS port and even original PS2 version.

The only downside may be the touch-only controls. Fortunately, the massive world feels solid to explore with even just one hand. It all works so seamlessly you might forget you aren’t using a controller.

Best Paid Mobile JRPG for iOS: Fantasian 2a3q3j

iOS has one of the best paid mobile JRPGs of all time available exclusively on it (for now). Fantasian is unique in you can’t purchase the game at this time. Instead, you need to be a subscriber to Apple Arcade. This is one of the strongest games from Final Fantasy creator Hironobu Sakaguchi outside of his work at Square Enix.

It is a full-fledged JRPG with a beautiful world, memorable characters, and a fascinating hand-crafted diorama art style you just have to experience. Plus, it even has controller for those who prefer a traditional control scheme.

The post Best Paid Mobile JRPGs to Play appeared first on Siliconera.

While more than a handful of games released for the Apple Arcade in 2023, there a few that stood a head above the rest. Not all of the games that made our list of the best games available on Apple's gaming service will surprise you, but maybe this will entice you to give these games a shot! You can check out our list of what we felt were the best Apple Arcade games in 2023 below.

As Butters aptly said many years ago in South Park, Hello Kitty Island Adventure is the best! Jokes aside, this game is actually a ton of fun to play and gives me some solid Animal Crossing vibes with all the different activities and adorable characters. I need to get back to it. Outside of that, Fantasian is a gorgeous and lengthy JRPG from Final Fantasy creator Hironobu Sakaguchi that seriously needs to come to other platforms. — Cody

Yeah, I have to go with Hello Kitty Island Adventure is the best. It's a really solid game with lots of fun updates, plenty of characters, and a gameplay loop that motivates you to keep playing. Multiplayer event quests like the Halloween one aside, it's definitely worth someone's time. — Jenni

Fantasian and Hello Kitty Island Adventure are available for iOS devices.

The post Siliconera Speaks Up: Which 2023 Apple Arcade Games Were the Best? appeared first on Siliconera.

It looks like a Fantasian PC port may be headed to Steam. A SteamDB listing for the Hironobu Sakaguchi RPG showed up on SteamDB. When it launched, the game debuted as an Apple Arcade exclusive in two parts. [Thanks, Wario64!]

The SteamDB listing for Fantasian on Steam noted it was updated on August 2, 2023. Various image assets appeared. The “header” one features the Apple Arcade markings crossed out in blue. However, the capsule, library, and logo images are all clean ones. The update history for the listing first showed up on July 19, 2023.

This wouldn't be the first time we heard about a PC version of Fantasian. Sakaguchi discussed the possibility back in February 2023. At the time, the game's creator told IGN, "There are a lot of fans who want to see it on Windows, as well as lots of questions regarding a sequel. I wish to continue to do my best and work on it." However, at the time there were no confirmations that the game would actually appear on other platforms. However, it isn't uncommon for Apple Arcade exclusives to appear on other systems when exclusivity arrangements expire.

Fantasian is immediately available on Apple Arcade for Macs and Apple devices, and the new Steam details showed up in SteamDB on August 2, 2023.

The post Fantasian PC Listing Appears on Steam DB appeared first on Siliconera.

At Magic 2023, Hironobu Sakaguchi, the father of the Final Fantasy series, stated that he would be interested in a PC release and sequel of Fantasian. However, there is no concrete confirmation as of yet in regards to either. Sakaguchi's comment indicate an interest in continuing to expand on Fantasian. [Thanks, IGN!]

The full quote from the article, translated, from Sakaguchi in regards to Fantasian is: “There are a lot of fans who want to see it on Windows, as well as lots of questions regarding a sequel. I wish to continue to do my best and work on it. ... Fantasian is a title that I still want people to experience.” There is no hard commitment or promise in his statement, and it is unclear what has to happen (or what is happening) behind the scenes at Mistwalker in regards to the game.

Fantasian came out in 2021 for Apple Arcade. Hironobu Sakaguchi created it and Nobuo Uematsu (also of Final Fantasy fame) was the composer. It has a unique diorama style, as well as an aiming mechanic for attacks. It focuses on an amnesiac boy named Leo in an alternate universe. There are two parts to the game and it does not feature any micro-transactions.

As of the time of writing, Fantasian is only available via Apple Arcade, despite Sakaguchi's interest in a PC port.

The post Fantasian Creator Comments on PC Port and Possible Sequel appeared first on Siliconera.

Mistwalker's JRPG Fantasian is nearing a notable s hallmark on Apple Arcade. Creator Hironobu Sakaguchi noted on Twitter that it is approaching the one million mark. The first part of the game only debuted back in April 2021, with the second part finishing the story in August 2021.

Here's Sakaguchi's tweet teasing Fantasian approaching the s milestone. He didn't provide an exact number of s yet, only mentioning it is "almost a million s." He also shared a piece of art from Art Director Jun Ikeda. In the diorama piece, people can see a model of Valrika sitting on a couch.

#FANTASIAN もうすぐ１００万ダウンロード。
なんとかミリオンですね。感慨深い。

Almost a million s.
That's a million, somehow. I'm deeply moved.

池田アートより
by art-director Ikeda-kun. pic.twitter.com/st7cT2hCe6

— 坂口博信 (@auuo) October 12, 2021

Most recently, a major update appeared for Fantasian. In September 2021, Void Realm and New Game Plus arrived. The former is a new opportunity to face bosses again. The latter is a means of starting over while still maintaining things like character progress.

Fantasian is available to on Apple devices via Apple Arcade. A one month subscription is $4.99. In a Siliconera interview with Sakaguchi, he noted that most of the real-world dioramas used to make the game would eventually be destroyed.

The post Fantasian s Nearing 1 Million Mark appeared first on Siliconera.