Mistwalker, the studio headed by Final Fantasy creator Hironobu Sakaguchi, has unveiled its latest game. Fantasian was announced in 2019, but the developer released an introductory story trailer today, along with a “features” trailer showing off gameplay.
The release window has also been set for 2021, so it’s on the way to Apple Arcade sometime soon.
Mistwalker’s Fantasian is Coming to Apple Arcade in 2021
Fantasian, which is touted as written by Sakaguchi and composed by long-time partner in crime Nobuo Uematsu, is a JRPG in the style of a classic Final Fantasy, but with some new twists.
The biggest new gimmick is that while battles are turn-based, the players can opt to use the “Dimengeon” feature to zoop the monsters over to another dimension. Once the player feels like it, they can then hop into the Dimengeon themselves to take on all the monsters at once.
The visual style is also unique. Fantasian uses 3D character models against a backdrop of environments created with real-life dioramas. Over 150 physical dioramas are represented in the game, and they were built by tokusatsu veterans who did miniature work for series like Ultraman and Godzilla.
You can see for yourself what that looks like in the footage released today. Some folks have compared the photographic look to a souped-up, contemporary evolution of the pre-rendered backgrounds of the 90s.
In terms of the story, Sakaguchi said he and his team were inspired after re-playing Final Fantasy VI on the SNES Classic console. They are exploring a setting that combines the fantasy elements of RPGs with oppressive technology, and stars an amnesiac character, Leo, who navigates a “multi-dimensional” world while searching for his memories.
Fantasian is coming to Apple Arcade in 2021, and currently there’s no indication the game will be headed anywhere else. At least, at launch. We’ve seen other Apple Arcade exclusives eventually come to platforms like Nintendo Switch, so don’t give up if you don’t own an iOS device. For now you can check out Fantasian’s App Store listing, which is already live.
Readers! Tell us what you think of this new JRPG from renowned creators over at the Prima Games Twitter and Facebook pages!
