Fantasian Neo Dimension was planned to be the farewell title for some industry icons. Both Hironobu Sakaguchi and Nobuo Uematsu approached development as if it would be their last game – their health and age dictating the pace of development. After three years as an Apple Arcade exclusive, the game was launched on a wide variety of platforms with Square Enix’s support.
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Fantasian is a game steeped in nostalgia: it hearkens back to the days of PS1 JRPGs – to the golden age of Square. But it is also a painstakingly passionate project by one of the greatest directors gaming has ever seen – and it pays tribute to his peers. Here are some of the best Easter eggs, callbacks and hidden details in the game.
8
Final Fantasy 30th Anniversary Wine
The director and composer of Fantasian will both be linked with Final Fantasy forever. Even though Sakaguchi has been with Mistwalker longer than he was with Square, and Uematsu’s involvement has been waning, Final Fantasy is still the first series that comes to mind upon hearing their names.
In fact, the creation of Fantasian was spurred by Sakaguchi’s fond memories of FF6. Due to this, the game is packed with FF references. One of the most notable Easter eggs: a wine bottle in Vence is labelled Final Fantasy 30th Anniversary. A fine vintage.
The 30th anniversary is a reference to the fact that Fantasian started development in 2017, exactly three decades after the original Final Fantasy launched.
7
Chrono Cross Callback
What do Fantasian and Chrono Cross have in common? Well, apart from the aesthetic, they’re both mostly serious JRPGs with a trio of minor antagonists that act half as tutorial bosses and half as comic relief.
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The Cinderella Tri-Stars are expies of Karsh, Solt and Peppor from Chrono Cross. They’re not too challenging and endearing to boot, and often fall victim to their own devices. This is a more subtle nod than the rest, but all we’re saying is Folt rhymes with Solt for a reason.
6
Snooping In Cheryl’s Suite
No matter how modern Fantasian is, it’s not above a bit of anime humour straight out of the 90s. Here’s a hidden interaction you can have: at a certain point if you enter Cheryl’s suite instead of following her somewhere else, she’ll come and scold you for snooping in a lady’s room.
Notably, this is the only time so far that Leo is the solo member of the party. It’s fine if he enters the suite with Kina or Cheryl in the party, so this cutscene only triggers if Leo is alone. Talk about ludonarrative cohesion.
5
The Funi Enemy
As a grind-heavy title, Fantasian understands that its high random encounter rate can lead to frustration at times. To alleviate this, the game provides you with a Dimengeon that banishes encountered monsters to another realm, which you can enter to battle them at your convenience.
You’ll want to turn the Dimengeon off while crossing the Ancient Mountain Path, though, because there’s a chance you’ll run into the Funi: an enemy who asks for materials to use in crafting before it gives you a valuable item. If you take too long to fork them over, it ends up attacking you – brutally. Expect your party to be wiped out if you make it unhappy.
The Funi will offer you a double-or-nothing deal, but unless you’re overleveled you should turn it down as it will ask you for attacks stronger than your party possesses the first time you pass through.
4
Pre-Rendered Dioramas
Fantasian’s navigation plays out almost exactly like that of PS1 JRPGs: characters moving over a pre-rendered background. The interesting fact about Fantasian is that the backgrounds are actually dioramas the team created in real life, before photographing them and inserting them into a game. Notably, the camera can move around to give you a three-dimensional view of the dioramas at certain spots, whereas PS1 JRPG backgrounds could only scroll or have camera cuts.
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However, if you’re observant in certain spots you can see how this technical trickery was achieved: the dioramas were simply photographed from fixed angles appropriate to the planned camera angle, and fade in when the camera moves. It’s charming, inventive and full of soul.
3
Buster Sword In Vibra
In Vibra, there’s a massive sword on the wall of a weapon shop. If you talk to an NPC next to it, she mentions that she loves reading fantasy novels and thinks the sword on the wall looks really familiar.
Leo and the NPC might not know, but ask any Final Fantasy fan and they’ll tell you: that’s the Buster Sword up on the wall. The dialogue even makes direct references to its unique shape and size. Was the girl reading a Final Fantasy 7 novelization? If so, let’s hope it was better than the Final Fantasy 10 novel.
2
Nobuo Uematsu’s Unheard Composition
In the city of Vence, the references become rather direct. One of the most obvious ones is an orchestral piece you can discover in a house: it’s composed by Nobuo Uematsu himself. Apparently Leo is not a big JRPG fan, as he has no reaction to this information.
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The piece is titled The Slime’s Great Escape. It isn’t played in-game, and there is no piece titled such in any game Uematsu has worked on. Perhaps it’s foreshadowing for a song to come, or a reference to a track that will remain unreleased. Maybe Uematsu is just a Slime Rancher fan.
1
Akira Toriyama Is A Character
Akira Toriyama is one of the greatest cultural ambassadors Japan has ever produced. Though now deceased, his legacy in video games and anime will continue for a long time. And in a small way, his name will be preserved in this game forever.
In the city of Vibra, you can explore a house where a book is signed Akira Toriyama. It’s implied that the resident NPC there is, in fact, the creator of Dragon Ball himself. The book has Dragon in the title as well, though it’s uncertain what the complete title would be. It would be familiar territory for Toriyama: he worked on Dragon Ball, Dragon Quest and Mistwalker’s own Blue Dragon.
Akira Toriyama worked on a diorama for Fantasian Neo Dimension, though it’s unknown which one.
- Released
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December 5, 2024
- Developer(s)
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Mistwalker
- ESRB
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Everyone 10+ // Fantasy Violence, Mild Blood, Mild Suggestive Themes, Use of Alcohol and Tobacco
- PC Release Date
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December 5, 2024
- Xbox Series X|S Release Date
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December 5, 2024
- PS5 Release Date
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December 5, 2024
- Nintendo Switch Release Date
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December 5, 2024
- Number of Players
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1
- Steam Deck Compatibility
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Verified