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Fantasian 2021
Fantasian is a 2021 role-playing video game developed and published by Mistwalker for Apple devices through the Apple Arcade service. The title was released in two installments on April 1 and August 13. Its plot centers on Leo, a character suffering from amnesia who journeys across multiple realms while becoming entangled in a struggle between Order and Chaos. Players control Leo and his group as they navigate various settings from a top-down view, participating in turn-based battles. One distinctive feature of the game is the "Dimengeon" system, which lets players avoid certain encounters with specific enemies for a short time.
Development started in 2018 when producer and writer Hironobu Sakaguchi played Final Fantasy VI again and felt inspired to build an emotionally driven role-playing experience. The team included regular collaborators such as artist Manabu Kusunoki and composer Nobuo Uematsu. Both Sakaguchi and Uematsu considered this project possibly their final major effort due to aging and health problems. Real-world dioramas were used in designing the game's landscapes, with contributions from experts in the tokusatsu field. Critics responded positively to the release, commending its combat mechanics and setting design, although some criticized the second part for being too difficult.
A version for home consoles and Windows titled Fantasian: Neo Dimension launched on December 5, 2024 under Square Enix. This edition includes enhanced visuals, modified gameplay elements, and voice lines in both English and Japanese. Sakaguchi collaborated with Square Enix on Neo Dimension following an invitation from producer Naoki Yoshida, whose Creative Studio 3 partnered with Mistwalker to produce the console version. Neo Dimension received generally favorable reviews; praise was directed toward its visual style and gameplay, though opinions were divided regarding its storyline and challenge level, with the Switch adaptation being pointed out for technical glitches.
Crew
- Director
- Takuto Nakamura
- Designer
- Shunsuke Kobayashi, Masahito Inoue
- Programmer
- Takuto Nakamura
- Artist
- Jun Ikeda, Takatoshi Goto, Manabu Kusunoki
- Writer
- Hironobu Sakaguchi, Atsuhiro Tomioka, Masaru Hatano
- Producer
- Hironobu Sakaguchi, Saho Nishikawa
- Music
- Nobuo Uematsu
Details
- Developer
- Mistwalker
- Publisher
- Mistwalker, Square Enix Creative Studio I
- Platforms
- iOS, macOS, tvOS, Neo Dimension, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Windows, Xbox Series X/S
- Modes
- Single-player
- Engine
- Unity
