If you never played it on Apple Arcade, Fantasian: Neo Dimension is one of the best RPG releases of the year
I don't have to point out just how strong of a year that 2024 has been for RPGs; but I would be remiss if I didn't give special attention to Fantasian: Neo Dimension - and how it's likely the first time many RPG players will actually have a chance to check out what ultimately won our RPG of the Year 2021, back when it released as an Apple Arcade exclusive.
I won't re-review the game, though I have gone back and updated my conclusions to better reflect the version of Fantasian that now exists, as everything that made the original release so incredible remains here - just with a few small additions that round out the package, but that for many players they'll never know the differences even exist. Voice acting is the main addition, which I greatly appreciate; and there isn't a single dud in the English voice cast, as far as I'm concerned. The addition of a new, easier difficulty helps alleviate one of the few worries I had with recommending the game to a wider audience, too. There's even the ability to swap out the battle music with tracks from recent Final Fantasy releases - an odd novelty, but one that I guess is neat? I never used it.
Returning to Fantasian has been an interesting experience, mostly because its helped me grapple with how my feelings on the whole package have evolved over the last 3 years. I still stand by everything I said about the game in my initial review, but now with the few lingering complaints accounted for - an easier game mode for those that can't handle the massive difficulty spike past the mid-game, and a completely solid technical experience without any crashes on any of the systems I tested the PC version on - I feel even more strongly that this is a game, while still not for everyone, a title that every RPG player should at least experience.
Fantasian: Neo Dimension will release on every modern platform, whereas previously it was only available on Apple devices. I tested the game on PC, including my Steam Deck OLED, and while I also have some specific impressions about the game on Valve's handheld, I have no complaints about the state of the port. Originally I was going to go out of my way to test the game on my laptop as per usual, but the game is so lightweight to run that there was basically no need. At 4k160FPS on my RTX 4090 and 9800x3D based desktop, the game only consumed 70w of power from my 4090. When I uncapped the framerate, the FPS would skyrocket above 1000. Your PC is more than capable of running Fantasian like a dream. For console impressions - Mikhail checked out the game on Xbox and Nintendo Switch.
A few of Mikhail's complaints ring true to my experience revisiting the game. I wish the game's UI had been retooled for consoles; while the mobile-centric interface works well on Steam Deck, blown up on a monitor or a TV it sticks out a bit like a sore thumb. Similarly, while many of the game's locations look incredible in 4K - not all scans of every diorama are equal, with some being noticeably blurrier than others. They're far from the norm, but I found myself sticking to Steam Deck OLED as it alleviated both of these issues, it ran wonderfully, and battery life was incredibly solid.
No matter where you decide to pick it up, please play Fantasian. Neo Dimension is a genuine upgrade to what is one of my favorite RPGs of all time - and now in a package I can way more readily recommend, no matter the type of RPG player. For us at RPG Site, Fantasian might not be one of the best RPGs of 2024; but it sure will be for the majority who haven't yet had the chance to play it.
Fantasian: Neo Dimension was provided by Square Enix