GamesJRPGFantasian Neo DimensionThis JRPG from two Final Fantasy legends is secretly Nintendo’s best announcement of the summerWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
GamesJRPGFantasian Neo DimensionThis JRPG from two Final Fantasy legends is secretly Nintendo’s best announcement of the summerWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
(Image credit: Square Enix)
June’sNintendo Directwas jam-packed with major announcements. We were shown a new 2D Zelda game – with the titular character taking the lead role for the first time since the CD-i – along with our first real look at Metroid Prime 4: Beyond, a brand new Mario & Luigi title, and much more. Yetarguably the biggest announcement might not be what you’d expect: Fantasian Neo Dimension, which Apple Arcade users have been clamoring about for the last three years. Can you blame them? After all, it’s the latest RPG from Final Fantasy veteran Hironobu Sakaguchi and features what is likely the last full soundtrack from legendary composer Nobuo Uematsu.
Fantasy dimensions
(Image credit: Square Enix)
It’s an incredible game, as anyone who managed to play it on Apple’s subscription service might be able to tell you – and the announcement that it’s finally coming to other platforms is a bombshell for RPG fans. Apple Arcade exclusives haven’t always escaped the service before being delisted: most recently Platinum Games' World of Demons was axed without a port in sight, whileSEGA’s ChuChu Rocket Universe has essentially been lost media since September 2022. No game deserves to languish on a subscription service where it might eventually be lost to the sands of time, least of all a game which holds the legacy of industry icons like Fantasian.
I don’t think it’s a stretch to claim that the games industry has a problem with preserving its history, and when it comes to subscription services like Apple Arcade, it feels like a damning example of all of our worst practices. We should never have had to worry that anything even approaching the esteem of Sakaguchi’s last game could be lost forever, but we very well might have if things had gone even slightly differently.
Ironically enough, it may have been what Sakaguchi’s been up to in his “retirement” – playing Final Fantasy 14 like a full-time job – that could have led to the game’s release on other platforms, asSquare Enix’s own Creative Studio 3 is helping with the new release.
Second time’s the charm
FANTASIAN Neo Dimension - Announcement Trailer - YouTubeWatch On
FANTASIAN Neo Dimension - Announcement Trailer - YouTube
FANTASIAN Neo Dimension - Announcement Trailer - YouTube
It goes without saying that Sakaguchi returning to working with Square is a major deal. There’s something poetic about them coming together to ensure that what might be the father of Final Fantasy’s last project won’t end up in purgatory. To make things even better, it sounds like the game will benefit from more than just being playable: improved resolution and visuals, voice acting, and a new difficulty mode are all on the way.
Even at its release, I lamented that Fantasian was a game that felt doomed to an audience much smaller than what it deserved. While I loved the difficulty present at its release, and never had any particular issues with how it ran or looked on a then-current Apple TV 4K, it was undeniable that a core portion of the game’s potential fans would never give it the time of day without an eventual port and a few balancing tweaks.
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Now, that port has finally arrived – and in a state where I’m sure the wider RPG-playing public might finally give it that chance. There were plenty of heavy hitters at the Nintendo Direct, but as far as I’m concerned, none were as important as Fantasian finally seeing the light of day. I’d almost lost hope it would ever happen - and the true weight of the game’s legacy is still up in the air. While it’s unclear whether he feels the same now, at the time of the title’s release Sakaguchi famously calledFantasian his last game.Moreover, Nobuo Uematsu maintains that his work on the soundtrack will likely remain hislast full project as a composer. To see the game finally come to other platforms, and with the help ofSquare Enixno less, feels like a minor miracle.
Fantasian: Neo Dimension is set to release for the PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch, and PC via Steam in Winter 2024. In the meantime, you could always check our something from our ranking ofthe best JRPGsto play right now.
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1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension”
1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension”
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Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension”
2Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package”
2Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package”
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Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package”
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3Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure”
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