That which we call Final Fantasy, by any other name, would be Fantasian Neo Dimension. The Mistwalker title reunites Hironobu Sakaguchi with his Square colleague Nobuo Uematsu, delivering an adventure drenched in nostalgia. The game bears vast similarities to retro PS1 JRPGs, but also operates on its own strengths.
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Fantasian is a passion project through and through. While it features a decently lengthy plot, reaching the end credits doesn’t mean you’re done with the game. The game has a wealth of side content and optional endeavours to keep you engaged. Here are eight things you can do to keep enjoying Fantasian long after the journey is over.
8
Unlock All The Chests
Fantasian Neo Dimension rewards backtracking, as treasure chests are laid throughout the game world. These chests require different types of keys to open, ranging from Iron to Mechteria keys. You won’t be able to open these chests right away, and there are many that you’ll have left behind long before you get the appropriate key.
Luckily, there’s a warp system that becomes active halfway through the first act. It’s a good idea to keep a save file before the final boss, so you can go back and unlock all the chests for completionism.
On a New Game Plus, Leo can obtain a lockpick to unlock chests more easily.
7
Complete All The Growth Maps
In the second half of Fantasian, you’ll unlock growth maps for your party. In simple terms, these are skill trees that allow you to spend points and upgrade stats. This allows for a greater degree of customization than the first act did.
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To unlock every node on the growth map, you’ll need to find growth items scattered around the game’s world. Finding all the growth items and upgrading all the characters to the maximum extent is a time-consuming process, but the result is a party that knows no fear.
Don’t be afraid to experiment with growth maps: skill points are refundable with no penalty.
6
Try A Different Party Build
While Act 1 of Fantasian Neo Dimension is strictly linear, Act 2 gives you plenty of freedom in how you arrange and customize your party. No longer are you forced to use only the characters provided to you by the narrative. Thus, you can try out different lineups.
This also means that optional bosses that were hard to beat in Act 1, like Eternal Holy, can now be essentially cheesed with a different lineup. Fantasian’s Act 2 is a lot like Disc 4 of a Final Fantasy game on the PS1: it lets you get overpowered and mop up any stuff you missed previously.
5
Beat The Eternal Holy Boss
Halfway through the game, you’ll spot a strange yet enticing purple chest in Leo’s Maxi Toy Box. Do not open it at that point: you’ll come face to face with the Eternal Holy boss, who is completely optional and can annihilate your party at that point. A single attack can wipe out all three of your characters.
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4
Play On Hard Difficulty
If you beat Fantasian Neo Dimension on Hard difficulty on your first run, we salute you. However, you’ll likely switch to Normal at some point. Fantasian is an incredibly challenging and punishing game, verging on unfair at times.
A lot of bosses have gimmicks that you couldn’t have foreseen and are nearly impossible to beat without a lot of preparation. On your second run, however, you’ll be familiar with all the trappings. To keep it challenging, play through the game on Hard.
Originally, the Hard difficulty was the only one available in the Apple Arcade version. Hironobu Sakaguchi conceded that the Normal mode is more balanced and represents the way the game is meant to be played.
3
Do All The Side Quests
Fantasian Neo Dimension’s side quests aren’t particularly deep or challenging; a lot of them, particularly the earlier ones, boil down to simply talking to an NPC and then going to talk to another NPC. Then you come back and talk to the original NPC: quest complete.
However, they offer refreshing little side stories or some much-needed levity outside of Leo’s adventure. They provide insight into how the common folk feel about the mechteria infestation of their world. Lastly, they’re a must for any RPG completionist to clear: only then can you 100 percent the game.
2
Enter The Void Realm
The Void Realm is the most challenging part of Fantasian Neo Dimension, and that’s saying something when the base game is already so hard. Essentially, the Void Realm is a boss rush that pits you against the game’s strongest enemies.
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To get the Void Realm, you need to have defeated the Cinderella Tri-Stars at every location they’re available. This is a trio of inept enemies, a bit like Biggs and Wedge from Final Fantasy, who drop hints about where you should fight them next. Once the quest is complete, you can unlock the Void Realm.
1
Hit The Level Cap
The Void Realm can realistically only be cleared if you’re willing to invest the time and energy to level your characters up to level 99, as that’s when it becomes feasible to beat its most difficult bosses. The best way to hit the level cap and overcome the game’s penalty for overleveling is to start a New Game Plus.
This is an arduous, unconventional process that involves finishing the Cinderella Tri-Stars quest and then obtaining a special key that lets you start a new run while retaining your items. This allows you to level up faster as you effectively replay the entire game.
- 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