Fantasian Neo Dimension review: modern RPG classic gets the port it deserves

digitaltrends.com:

Fantasian MSRP $49.99 Score Details Pros

• Stunning presentation
• Unique turn-based gameplay
• Fun cast of characters
• Improved quality-of-life features

• Uneven character development
• Awkward controls

When I first fought Fantasian’s Sandsea Serpent, one of the Apple Arcade RPG’s first bosses, it wiped the floor with me. Now returning to it years later in Fantasian Neo Dimension, a new console port of the mobile standout, I didn’t find the battle nearly as difficult as I remembered. Was it that I was already familiar with the boss, so I had an advantage this time around? Not exactly. That was thanks to one of the game’s new features, a new “normal difficulty” that toned down what was once a brutal challenge.

This small difficulty adjustment is one of many welcome changes to Fantasian Neo Dimension, making it a much smoother experience than what’s currently available on Apple Arcade. Tweaks like that don’t get in the way of what the original game does so well, though.

Neo Dimension polishes an excellent RPG with an inventive turn-based combat system, fun cast of characters, and standout visual presentation. Its mobile origins result in some disjointed story pacing and awkward controls, but Neo Dimension’s enhanced features makes the 2021 RPG feel fresh again.

Modern throwback

Fantasian Neo Dimension follows a young man named Leo who becomes an amnesiac after suffering a magical explosion in a factory. In a journey to recover his lost memories, he aims to learn more about Mechteria, a machine-like plague that’s increasingly taking over the environment. It’s a classic world-hopping and world-saving affair that’s been explored many times in other RPGs, but Fantasian supplements the common plotline with a charming cast of characters.

Each character embodies familiar tropes. These include the old guy Zinikr, the annoying kid Ez, the lone wolf Tan, and the girl with mysterious powers,