When Hironobu Sakaguchi and his studio Mistwalker announced Fantasian as an Apple Arcade exclusive a few years ago, I was heartbroken. Too long the father of Final Fantasy’s efforts had been confined to mobile platforms, and there seemed to be no end in sight.
I have loved Sakaguchi-san’s work since my childhood. I was 12 when I played the original Final Fantasy, and I have played every single console game the father of the series ever made.
Unfortunately, after The Last Story on Wii, he decided to explore mobile development. I actually played Terra Battle on my smartphone quite actively, but it was mostly because Mistwalker had promised to move the franchise to consoles via its Download-Starter initiative (if you’re unfamiliar with it they promised to game a console game set in the same world after achieving a number of downloads), but that that promise never materialized.
Admittedly, Terra Battle was enjoyable. The gameplay was good and the art was lovely. Alongside Granblue Fantasy, it’s actually one of the first gacha games that I could stomach, but it certainly did not offer the same level of experience and emotional involvement (and I’m not talking about the typical gacha FOMO) that one could expect from a full-fledged JRPG.
That’s why, when Mistwalker finally announced a new, fully realized JRPG, I was sad to hear that it was basically a mobile exclusive. Sure, it’d also run on MacOS and Apple TV, but these are niche systems for gamers, and one game, no matter how awesome, certainly isn’t enough to buy into the expensive Apple ecosystem.
I don’t even have an iPhone, since I’d rather stick to much more reasonably priced Android offerings, but checking out a full-fledged JRPG by Hironobu Sakaguchi after so many years was enough of a pull that I asked my father to lend me his expensive smartphone by Apple for a few days.
The game was good. Sakaguchi-san had not lost his touch and I loved the characters, the writing, and the flavor that certainly reminded me of his past games. Yet, after a few hours, I had to give up.
Mobile platforms simply aren’t suitable, at least in my case, to enjoy a real, fully-featured, full-size JRPG. The screen is too small, the touch controls aren’t as comfortable for long sittings, and ultimately, I just wanted to relax with my favorite drink and snacks, and take my time to immerse myself in Fantasian’s world.
Smartphones are great for gaming in short bursts on your commute, but I don’t commute and I don’t want to play story-driven, extensive RPGs in short bursts. Call me old-fashioned and perhaps I am, but it takes me staight out of experience and prevents me from enjoying the narration to the fullest.
Then, a miracle happened: Mistwalker and Square Enix announced Fantasian Neo Dimension back in June for PC, PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, and Switch. Hironobu Sakaguchi was coming back home to consoles.
I don’t think I have been as excited for a port in many years, especially a port from mobile, but when I tried the game at Tokyo Game Show, my feelings were validated. Fantasian Neo Dimension may have been born as a mobile game, but it had the flavor and the style of a true console JRPG worthy of the Final Fantasy legacy.
It belonged on the console and PC combo, to be enjoyed in long sittings deep into the night with snacks and drinks, and a healthy supply of tissues, because JRPG stories make me cry easily.
And that’s exactly how I’m going to enjoy it. My less-than-optimal first impression on iPhone will be just a bad memory. What I’ve played at TGS and what I’ve seen and read since certainly give me confidence that it’s going to be worth the wait.
All I can say is, “Welcome back, Sakaguchi-san, where your games truly belong.” I understand you may not be too happy to hear this because you obviously do care about mobile development, but I really hope that you’ll stick around the console neighborhood for the time being.
I certainly have to thank Square Enix for rescuing Fantasian from the mobile jail where it had been confined. Perhaps I also have to thank Naoki Yoshida and Final Fantasy XIV, for helping bring the father of Final Fantasy and his former employer closer together. I really hope that this relationship will continue.
To JRPG developers who are considering the platforms for their next games (including Sakaguchi-san), I have a question: what environment would you prefer for us to enjoy your storytelling, your characters, and your creativity?
Would you like us to be sitting on a crowded train surrounded by noise, dirt, bad smells, ringing smartphones, and people talking loudly? I understand this isn’t how it works in Japan (I absolutely adore the quiet, clean, and respectful atmosphere of Japanese trains), but unfortunately, that’s what a commute looks like in much of the rest of the world.
Or perhaps, you’d rather us cry at your story’s most moving moments in the quiet comfort of our living rooms, surrounded by the things we love the most, without any external factors to spoil the experience?
I’ll leave you with this food for thought.
Fantasian Neo Dimension releases tomorrow (December 5, 2024) and I’m going to spend the next few days enjoying this promising JRPG how (at least in my mind) it was always meant to be enjoyed.
