#Fantasian Neo Dimension brings a refreshing twist on dungeon battles, however its awkward controls are distracting – Destructoid

Sq. Enix and Mistwalker’s 2021 RPG Fantasian is lastly escaping the confines of cell and making it to new platforms as Fantasian Neo Dimension. Having performed the sport on PlayStation 5, I really feel RPG followers have one thing to be enthusiastic about — however a ghost of handhelds previous might find yourself haunting it.

Those that know me finest will agree that I’m not the most important JRPG participant on this planet. It’s not that I dislike the style — removed from it. I do know what these are about. You begin by rolling off the bed at your mother and father’ home, fast-forward about 100 hours, and also you’re body-slamming god by way of a fold-out desk. Belief me, I get it.

Dance to my beat

To be clear, my enjoyment of JRPGs largely hinges on how properly they “vibe” with me. There are numerous video games within the style I performed for some dozen or so hours and dropped. However compared, there are others I’ve utterly devoured. For each unfinished Darkish Cloud, there’s Skies of Arcadia, which I’ve heaped praises on for many years. I couldn’t get by way of Ni no Kuni, however you higher consider I did every part in Tales of Vesperia and fulfilled my future by, sure, piledriving its god by way of a fold-out desk.

My time with Fantasian was brutally brief, however I’m thrilled to say that, save for one obvious difficulty, by the top of the demo I used to be rocking out to its rhythm. And I can sum up the first motive with one confounding phrase: Bowling. Sure, bowling, which I’ll clarify shortly.

Enjoying the classics

For individuals who don’t know, Fantasian is a turn-based RPG that launched in 2021 for cell by way of Apple Arcade. A Mistwalker sport, it concerned two legends of the style. The sport’s author is none aside from Hironobu Sakaguchi, the creator of Remaining Fantasy. He’s paired with composer Nobuo Uematsu, who was behind the music of Remaining Fantasy for greater than a decade. If you happen to, ever in your life, have listened to “One-Winged Angel” on repeat, you possibly can thank Uematsu. It ought to come as no shock that Fantasian appears like an echo of the previous.

The sport’s story revolves round Leo, a younger man who was viciously bludgeoned by an RPG trope. Affected by amnesia, he’s led by a lingering reminiscence to search out himself and save the world from a mechanical virus. Naturally, he’s joined by fellow warriors of all sorts, whom he gathers as you make your approach by way of the sport.

The demo I performed included such an opportunity encounter. It was early within the sport, and I discovered Leo paired with the white magician Kina and Cheryl, a spellcaster with mastery over ice magic. I walked by way of the world for a short time earlier than discovering a person underneath assault by somebody with two wolf-like enemies referred to as Wolzas by his facet.

I’ve seen this one earlier than

Pleasantries be damned, we determined to assist the person being attacked. The sport break up the celebration, permitting me to make use of the stranger in opposition to the Wolzas. His package was actually fascinating. Partnered with a spirit beast, his strongest talents drained not mana, however his personal life bar.

Fantasian boasts conventional turn-based fight with weapon assaults and magic. I used Leo to slice away at foes, whereas Kina supported him and the stranger with therapeutic and holy magic. There have been solely two enemies, permitting me to give attention to one after the other. We simply gained the combat, because it wasn’t meant to be any sort of boss battle. The person took off, and so did Leo and buddies.

Taking all of it in

The post-battle respite gave me a while to soak within the sport’s environments. I wasn’t acknowledging it earlier than the combat, however the visuals of Fantasian Neo Dimension struck me throughout this second. I assumed issues regarded a bit odd at first. The characters have been typical polygonal fashions, however the surroundings had a surreal, dream-like high quality. It was as if I used to be manipulating toys in a miniature film set. I wasn’t far off.

Fantasian Neo Dimension makes use of hand-made dioramas blended with polygons and CG to showcase its world. I’m undecided how properly it labored on a cell gadget, however the impact was gorgeous on the bigger monitor I used. The tan path, trying prefer it was comprised of sawdust, was fenced off with blue and magenta bushes. Massive boulders dusted by inexperienced paint seemed to be fabricated from clay. I might see locations the place they have been scraped by instruments.

As an improve, Fantasian Neo Dimension helps as much as 4K on PS5, Xbox Collection X|S, and PC by way of Steam. I don’t consider I skilled it throughout my preview, however I can solely think about simply how far more spectacular the sport can have a look at that facet ratio. Fantasian Neo Dimension might find yourself having one of the lovely visuals I’ve skilled in video games. It’s fairly breathtaking in movement.

Regardless of the 4K help, Fantasian Neo Dimension nonetheless bears the marks of cell gaming. The characters are tiny on the display, and the icons within the UI are massive. That’s not an enormous difficulty, in fact.

Uncontrolled

However there may be one lingering remnant that’s. Because you’re meant to make use of a controller, you manipulate characters by way of a thumbstick as a substitute of tapping a location on a display. Shifting characters utilizing the latter technique implies that the digicam has to relocate to help new views, displaying you extra of the surroundings. However the thumbstick doesn’t match the sudden swing the digicam makes.

The impact made transferring round really feel like I used to be caught in a pinball machine. I even bought misplaced just a few occasions after my viewpoint all of a sudden shifted. It frustratingly broke any immersion, and I ended up feeling a bit sick to my abdomen. I hope it will get improved forward of launch.

Regardless of bouncing round like a steel ball in a can of spray paint, I used to be nonetheless in a position to progress extra within the demo. As per the norm, you possibly can combat enemies in random encounters. However since I all the time really feel a tad rushed when taking part in demos at occasions, I ended up operating previous loads of fights. Properly, that call ultimately caught up with me.

It’s a dungeon dimension, get it?

Fantasian Neo Dimension features a distinctive system referred to as a Dimengeon, which is a portmanteau of “dungeon” and “dimension.” Each time you keep away from a random battle, the enemies are positioned into the Dimengeon. If it reaches most occupancy, you’re unceremoniously pulled into the darkish world the place you should combat all of the baddies you ignored. The world fills up with enemies with a counter on the top-right of the UI displaying what number of you’ll want to combat to outlive. It sounds oppressive. However you understand what? I beloved it.

That is the place I return to my needlessly befuddling point out of bowling from earlier. Scrolling by way of the checklist of spells, you possibly can see icons of which spell hits one enemy and which can pierce a number of. On cell, utilizing powers like magic spells required you to pull your finger to create a path towards enemies. With piercing pictures, you possibly can manipulate the spell’s trajectory to blast by way of as many baddies as doable. The system works splendidly on the controller. You decide a spell, transfer the thumbstick to create a straight or curved line, and let it fly!

In my first Dimengeon combat, I fortunately abused my piercing talents at each probability. Gimmicks, proven as glowing icons, additionally seem within the Dimengeon and are sometimes positioned on the bottom between your celebration and enemies. Hitting them with a capability grants a particular power-up like elevated harm.

I bought right into a groove. Enemies would plop onto the sphere en masse and I’d arc a blast of magic by way of a Gimmick earlier than hitting as much as 5 foes without delay, killing a number of whereas injuring the others. It’s simply a lot enjoyable! I didn’t even thoughts how a lot time I spent tearing by way of Mecha Jellyfish. The sport additionally lets you see many upcoming turns (as much as 12 by my depend) without delay, permitting you to plan far forward.

It’s extremely simple and intuitive and, sure, does kinda really feel like bowling. The best way enemies cluster collectively on the display shouldn’t be too not like pins you possibly can knock down with a heavy strike. Each time I fired off a spell that devastated a line of helpless foes, I needed to set free a small cheer. It’s extremely satisfying.

The battle wore on, however ultimately, the enemy spawns slowed and ultimately stopped, permitting me to proceed the demo. There wasn’t a lot left to do, sadly.

Don’t contact the merchandise

We quickly came across what I assumed was the rationale we have been right here within the first place. My celebration situated an previous, injured man, who instantly warned us not to the touch the close by “golem” lest it get up and beat everybody to a pulp. Leo, clearly understanding the project, waltzed over and touched the golem after attempting to drag an merchandise out from underneath it. The golem awakened and utterly dusted my celebration in about three strikes. Thanks, Leo.

The celebration wipe heralded the top of my time with Fantasian Neo Dimension. Regardless of my issues over the controls, the demo left a powerful impression. The sport is gorgeous and runs easily, and whereas normal fight feels rudimentary, the Dimengeon system provides a powerful gust of contemporary air.

Fantasian Neo Dimension doesn’t have a launch date but, however it’s scheduled to reach within the winter of 2024. If the motion controls get smoothed out, I could fortunately add one other RPG to my shortlist of completed and beloved video games.