Fantasian

 iOS
User Score
8.3

Generally favorable reviews- based on 64 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 51 out of 64
  2. Mixed: 4 out of 64
  3. Negative: 9 out of 64
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  1. Naedeslus
    Jan 8, 2022
    6
    + First half is great.
    + Music is excellent.
    + Simple but fun combat system. + Great progression system. + Genius way of handling ‘random battles’ - Serious controller issues when using a controller. - Exclusive to a platform that most probably won’t bother with. - Story is a little weak, not Sakaguichi’s best work. Lost Odyssey has a better story. - Second half becomes a    + First half is great.
    + Music is excellent.
    + Simple but fun combat system.
    + Great progression system.
    + Genius way of handling ‘random battles’

    - Serious controller issues when using a controller.
    - Exclusive to a platform that most probably won’t bother with.
    - Story is a little weak, not Sakaguichi’s best work. Lost Odyssey has a better story.
    - Second half becomes a monotonous grind fest that will most likely make you want to drop it half way through. The bosses have way too much HP and everything feels like a super boss instead of an actual legitimate challenge.

    The first half was great and is pretty much a 9/10 and I recommend anyone to atleast play that much. The second half has serious pacing and requires hours of grinding just to get anywhere. The second half tries too hard to be too hard for its own good and it shows. Right now, if you own any apple device it’s probably worth picking up, just be aware of what happens in the second half will probably turn you off unless you’re that much into hard RPG’s that you don’t care. Some may like the challenge but I felt it was too off putting and a shame considering how good the first half was.

    If you don’t own an Apple device, is it really worth investing in one just to play this game? No. Maybe wait, see if it ever comes to PC or another platform, though it probably won’t but it’s just not worth the price of admission. Don’t look at my score and think it’s a garbage game, the first half is really fantastic but the second half sinks it. I have to review it as a package since there is no section for ‘part 2’ and it’s all one game now.    … Expand
  2. Vanta77
    Dec 29, 2021
    7
    Fantasian is one of the best jrpg's ive played in years, which is not saying too much since i havent enjoyed barely any jrpg post 2010 or so. But i've had so much fun with this game and i wish i could rate it higher.

    Pros: -Fun exploration and so much to do, Part 2 is amazing. -Many side quests, upgrades and bunch of customizations for many characters -Its very long and to me thats a    Fantasian is one of the best jrpg's ive played in years, which is not saying too much since i havent enjoyed barely any jrpg post 2010 or so. But i've had so much fun with this game and i wish i could rate it higher.

    Pros:
    -Fun exploration and so much to do, Part 2 is amazing.
    -Many side quests, upgrades and bunch of customizations for many characters
    -Its very long and to me thats a good thing when its done with quality.
    -Has a very classic rpg feel to it with many surprises.
    -Challenging game that makes you think, i love many aspects of the strategies you have to figure out and you really have to think and its so much fun to have a good strategy be successful in a boss fight. I mean you better because there's not too much else this game offers but the battles.
    -Amazing and rewarding battle system that really opens up after 25 hours.
    -Environment and graphics are really well done.

    Cons:
    - Missions not displaying the appropriate level, easy to be stuck for hours on a lv50 mission while even being on lv55, doesnt matter sometimes, its very random
    -Instead of 40 challenging bosses you have 4000 mandatory crazy superbosses.The game is so hard that i dont think i wanna bring myself to play it ever again, and i love difficult games.
    - No respecter of my time - Whole game is an endless random encounter which leads to the boss fight and every boss drags on for so long and after 30min he has that tedious killmove and you think "Ah i shouldve brought that item or changed to that skill in the grid" Which is fine if the battle isnt so insanely long and you learn it always at the end of the fight. I feel like many of those bosses should be optional but they are 90% mandatory, even the "sidequests" which many are actually mandatory in order to open some gate etc.
    -Its only on apple and it crashes sometimes, also saves are stored on Apple, i hope if add it on different consoles there will be cloud save transfer. So much time investment and i heard people lose their saves because Apple is unstable save cloud wise.
    -The characters and story is really, really bad - I mean the characters themselves are pretty cool but they have zero chemistry and they dont really interact with each other.
    -Sakaguchi made Final Fantasy and having a typical anime story with a boy surrounded by 2 girls that are obsessed with him was disappointing to say the least but it wasnt terrible, i just expected way more because his stories are my favorite of all time.
    -I wish the game had more towns instead of grinding places.

    Conclusion:
    All in all having Uematsu and Sakaguchi finally joining forces again is amazing and i've been loving the game, the musical score is good, nothing crazy compared to Nobou's FF masterpieces but still pretty good.

    I love the surprises in this game and the creativity that the game exudes, its rare for a game to be this exciting for 60+ hours, i just wish the character interactions and story would be more expansive instead of the mandatory endless grind which 80% of the game consists of.    … Expand
  3. DigitalRain420
    Mar 5, 2023
    0
    Sakaguchi and Uematsu need to stop with this crapple exclusive mobile garbage and start making proper multiplatform JRPGs on console and PC.

    They can even make an iOS port if they want.
  4. nedmo000
    Apr 21, 2021
    6
    The Good:
    Fantasia has some strengths and its clear that its made with love and passion but sadly it has many problems that drags it down from greatness to mediocrity.
    -Turn based Battle system is very fun especially when you fight multiple opponents when you use Dimengeon. -its insane what they managed to achieve with the environments by using diorama it really shows that even with a    The Good:
    Fantasia has some strengths and its clear that its made with love and passion but sadly it has many problems that drags it down from greatness to mediocrity.

    -Turn based Battle system is very fun especially when you fight multiple opponents when you use Dimengeon.
    -its insane what they managed to achieve with the environments by using diorama it really shows that even with a limited budget and a limited hardware you can still make fantastic environments ,which is something that has been lacking in many Jrpgs released in the past decade.
    -its very approachable ,even if you have not played any Jrpg in the past its very easy to get into.
    -Cities are beautiful and are unique.
    -it works damn flawlessly without any buggs or frame drops even on my awful iphone.

    The Bad:
    and this is the part where it pains me to write mainly because the game has so much potential that are dragged down because of outdated design decisions and annoying flaws.
    -Random encounters is simply outdated and the fact that some Jrpgs still insist on adding it is simply beyond me ,even Dragon quest got rid of the damn thing for some reason they just HAD to include it ,Dimengeon thankfully does make it less annoying but still there are sometimes where you forced to fight when its a new enemy type for the first time.

    -The insane amount of concentrated boss fights in the second half was simply ridiculous and exhausting in a very bad way ,there are some cool boss fights but most of them are BS and tedious to fight.

    -Side quests are nothing but **** fetch quests with 0 effort put into them.

    -Ez gameplay gimmick is dreadful instead of using MP he uses items and once you are out of the items that he needs to do the skills he is pretty much useless and can only do normal attacks which wont do much.

    -The Writing is beyond bad and this is my main gripe with the game ,the fact that some people think its remotely good just shows how low bar the writing is for Jrpgs ,jumping from Disco Elysium to this is like jumping from Mount Everest to the depth of Mariana Trench ,where do i begin? you want to make a game that takes place in a generic setting ,with generic plot and characters? thats more than fine but ATLEAST execute properly ,its very hard to believe with all the experience the development team have they failed miserably at the writing department ,it felt like they are writing a story for a game that is supposed to release in the early 90s they failed to realize that gaming as a medium has moved far beyond the generic writing that this game has and the dialogues is probably one of the worst i have ever seen ,from the interactions between the main cast to the NPCs it really pains me to see a well designed city that is plagued with **** content and awful NPC dialogues and a lackluster worldbuilding ,its just plain bad and its such a shame because this is the part that is supposed to focus on the story.
    -a very forgettable cast of characters that has little to no chemistry.    … Expand
  5. dominicstop
    May 15, 2021
    10
    The graphics + music are absolutely gorgeous, it’s the classic turn-based JRPG formula we all know and love, but with a fresh coat of paint. The battle system is so well done and very satisfying. It’s an amazing game that evokes the nostalgia from the PS1 JRPG era. You can definitely feel the love and effort that went into making this game, from the amazing soundtrack to the beautifullyThe graphics + music are absolutely gorgeous, it’s the classic turn-based JRPG formula we all know and love, but with a fresh coat of paint. The battle system is so well done and very satisfying. It’s an amazing game that evokes the nostalgia from the PS1 JRPG era. You can definitely feel the love and effort that went into making this game, from the amazing soundtrack to the beautifully crafted diorama’s. Play it, definitely worth it for the aesthetics alone.… Expand
  6. iamchum
    Apr 13, 2021
    9
    If there was ever a reason to invest in Apple Arcade, this is the game that justifies it. Sure this could be seen as another Final Fantasy clone, but in a lot of ways it surpasses Final Fantasy, especially the modern era of FF. The music is phenomenal, the environments oozing with charm and vibrance, the combat, while maybe not the most revolutionary, adds a new spin to a tired formula,If there was ever a reason to invest in Apple Arcade, this is the game that justifies it. Sure this could be seen as another Final Fantasy clone, but in a lot of ways it surpasses Final Fantasy, especially the modern era of FF. The music is phenomenal, the environments oozing with charm and vibrance, the combat, while maybe not the most revolutionary, adds a new spin to a tired formula, while staying true to it's old school roots. While the story does tend to hit a lot of the same notes many JRPGs and animes fall victim to, the cast is still a likable motley crue that you grow to love over the course of the game. There's a couple plot points that, due to the nature of tropes, can be a bit easy to see coming, almost where you could play JRPG Plot Bingo at times...but even with it's predictability in certain areas, you still want to see it through to the end and want to see our heroes win. Tropes aren't always a terrible thing if they're done well, and these characters and plot beats are done reasonably well, much more than a platform like Apple Aracde deserves. If you have an iPhone/iPad/Mac/Apple TV, definitely don't let this game slip you by. If you're a fan of JRPGs, there is a lot to love about this game, and while it's exclusivity to Apple might be a bad taste in your mouth, if you do decide to make the plunge, I'd say it's a plunge worth taking. This game needs all the love it can get because it's clear love and passion were put into this game, and while it's easy to hate on Apple, remember, they directly helped fund this game because they saw potential too...this game might not exist without them, so while I won't always die on the hill of Apple's decisions and the way they treat customers like morons, I will give credit where credit is due, and say they had good intution when backing this game. Simply put, this game is a love letter to Final Fantasy fans everywhere.

    Pros:
    - Excellent music direction
    - Gorgeous art direction and graphics
    - Old school turn based gameplay that will bring about feelings of nostalgia
    - Oozes with charm

    Cons:
    - Exclusive to Apple (for the time being)
    - Hits a few too many tropes
    - Could really use some voice acting here and there    … Expand
  7. PCmstrRace
    Apr 20, 2021
    0
    I didn't like it much. I was expecting more, but sadly this whole game was letdown.
  8. KeenWatcher
    Apr 4, 2021
    10
    This game is a must have for any FFVII fans. I’m 10 hours into this game and this has it all this far. * engaging story
    * gorgeous diorama visuals * amazing battle team attack system (which collects creatures to battle later)
    * warp quick travel * character building loot (Although really only 3 slots -weapon, armour and special jewel per character). * the soundtrack is perfect and very    This game is a must have for any FFVII fans. I’m 10 hours into this game and this has it all this far. * engaging story
    * gorgeous diorama visuals * amazing battle team attack system (which collects creatures to battle later)
    * warp quick travel * character building loot (Although really only 3 slots -weapon, armour and special jewel per character). * the soundtrack is perfect and very FFVII like. This game is easily the best game I have played on iOS and I’m probably like close to halfway of part 1...    … Expand
  9. Akiin
    Apr 5, 2021
    10
    a masterpiece that needs to be released on consoles !
    probably one of the best jrpg's ever created
  10. Entr0py
    Apr 3, 2021
    10
    Deep gameplay. Great story. The controls feel natural for the platform. Everything you would expect for a game of this caliber. Must play. Highly recommended.
  11. yayarea
    Apr 4, 2021
    10
    A beautiful looking game that plays well both on iOS as well as M1 Macs. Playing it gives me the same great feeling of playing so many great JRPG in the past, that sometimes is missing in modern iterations of the genre. The combat system is really fresh and it's really enjoyable to play on your terms, and not being forced into random battles. Highly recommended
  12. Rezav
    Apr 4, 2021
    10
    I waiting for part2 please create this sooner and realese this game on android
  13. kornilone
    Apr 7, 2021
    10
    Finally a game that don't involve hundreds micro-transactions and is not a simple money grab. Beautiful visuals, combat system, very nice story and cross device play (save on mac and play on iphone). This is something that was really lacking on mobile devices (GBA/DS or PSP quality titles on mobile). Nice touch controls on iPhone and controller support (great for playing on mac). It's aFinally a game that don't involve hundreds micro-transactions and is not a simple money grab. Beautiful visuals, combat system, very nice story and cross device play (save on mac and play on iphone). This is something that was really lacking on mobile devices (GBA/DS or PSP quality titles on mobile). Nice touch controls on iPhone and controller support (great for playing on mac). It's a "proper" game so best to experience when you have at least 20-30 min+ for one sitting.… Expand
  14. lorent
    Apr 7, 2021
    10
    Had a great time. This game has more than 150 fantastic environments that can be explored. The method of constructing the scene is by scanning the created actual environment models. The three-dimensional perspective model has a elegant atmosphere. The Dimengeon Battle system allows the atmosphere to be undisturbed during the game. Very sweet.
  15. garland_spqr
    Apr 11, 2021
    10
    An incredible masterpiece that came out of nowhere and the best JRPG I have played in decades.
    On par with FFVII.
  16. fbnaulin
    Apr 16, 2021
    8
    A love letter to PSOne era JRPG. Specially, reminescent to FFVII and FFIX. Music and visual aspects are a truly work of art. I have enjoyed battle system, from the innovative random encounters gauge to the attack aiming. Story and characters are uninteresting.
  17. sodamonster
    Apr 10, 2021
    10
    While I am still playing through, I just felt compelled to say how much I am enjoying the old school feeling. This game encourages exploration, strategy, and getting immersed in the visuals, sound and story. Special shout out to the soundtrack composed by the final fantasy composer. It's just beautiful and moving in every way.
  18. chronofantasy
    Aug 21, 2021
    10
    This is the true Final Fantasy game. To me anything written by Hironobu Sakaguch with music by Nobuo Uematsu is FF Canon, anything SE makes is fanfiction, with the exception of maybe Final Fantasy XIV since it's decent and Yoshi-P actually does a great job directing and it's a nice love letter to the franchise. Otherwise the game itself ramps up in difficulty and even if you grind there'sThis is the true Final Fantasy game. To me anything written by Hironobu Sakaguch with music by Nobuo Uematsu is FF Canon, anything SE makes is fanfiction, with the exception of maybe Final Fantasy XIV since it's decent and Yoshi-P actually does a great job directing and it's a nice love letter to the franchise. Otherwise the game itself ramps up in difficulty and even if you grind there's still strategies required for the many bosses throughout the game, and once you're over the level of the monsters you're grinding you get so much less exp so you have to find stronger enemies, making you go out and explore and do many quests throughout the game. Many of these quests have a purpose too.

    The music is the best part of the game as well as the battle system and the story with the genius behind it, Sakaguchi himself. It's a unique setting as each land and area is designed with real life dioramas and placed digitally inside the game for you to explore.

    This game has so much charm and nostalgia feeling, it'll truly make you feel like you're playing just another FF.

    To me, Lost Odyssey is Final Fantasy 13 and Fantasian is Final Fantasy 15. The last story was decent too but it could've been much better to start out a parallel FF franchise, so it just wasn't good enough for that.

    Rumor goes that this is once again Sakaguchi's project, but maybe that's his marketing tactics yet again to create another FF big series. If this truly does become his last project, it's definitely a masterpiece to leave us all with. Go try it out. Get apple arcade free for one month trial. Borrow an apple product from a friend if you don't have one, or hopefully one day it'll be released for more than just apple products. It's a must play for sure.    … Expand
  19. AgriasReign
    May 3, 2021
    10
    A true return to JRPG greatness with the original creators of the now immensely popular Final Fantasy series. RPG's these days lost the magic that games had back before all the high quality visual effects. This game also has easter eggs hidden throughout the game that reference back to the old games such as Cloud's Buster Sword that is seen in a weapon shop. Can you spot all the easterA true return to JRPG greatness with the original creators of the now immensely popular Final Fantasy series. RPG's these days lost the magic that games had back before all the high quality visual effects. This game also has easter eggs hidden throughout the game that reference back to the old games such as Cloud's Buster Sword that is seen in a weapon shop. Can you spot all the easter eggs? A fantastic game and I hope they continue making games together.… Expand
  20. squallara
    Jun 8, 2022
    0
    There are no words to explain what I am feeling for this game.
    Hironobu Sakaguchi and Nobuo Uematsu are just legends.
    Thank you for everything.
  21. Dom007
    Apr 20, 2021
    9
    A very good old style RPG with a somewhat decent story, decent gameplay and an interesting setting. The music was great as well, even if it's not quite as good as some of the composers previous/older works.
    It's just a shame it's not on consoles. My enjoyment was somewhat lessened by the fact I played it on my phone. It really needs to be on consoles if it wants more attention as well.
  22. Rhmeriwani
    Apr 9, 2021
    9
    Can't really give it a fair grade as it is only one part of a two part game. And since the 2nd part is not out as of the writing of this review. But so far I think it is easily one of the best games that can be played on mobile phones.
  23. Therealdarkside
    Apr 10, 2021
    10
    Fantasian is an amazing game, that bring you back to the 90’s final fantasy games, with this magic and with this feelings…
  24. azurejake
    Apr 23, 2021
    10
    Hironobu Sakaguchi (creator of the Final Fantasy series) and Nobuo Uematsu (musician of the Final Fantasy series) team up for a new mobile experience which pays homage to all of their previous successful games but brings you to a new light. The game was made with a diorama which is absolutely stunning, the story will grip while having you love the characters along the way with its perksHironobu Sakaguchi (creator of the Final Fantasy series) and Nobuo Uematsu (musician of the Final Fantasy series) team up for a new mobile experience which pays homage to all of their previous successful games but brings you to a new light. The game was made with a diorama which is absolutely stunning, the story will grip while having you love the characters along the way with its perks and charms. A must play for long time Final Fantasy fans and JPRG lovers.… Expand
  25. stumblefiend
    Jul 13, 2021
    10
    Much like the jewels you find in the game itself, I'm extremely glad I stumbled upon this JRPG diamond. Beautiful visuals and such an amazing soundtrack that I listen to by itself. The story is fantastic so far as well despite the continual critics fussing about a few worn-out tropes. Fantasian got me back into liking RPGs and I'm stoked for the second part!
  26. Darkslb
    Dec 7, 2021
    10
    The father of Final Fantasy creates another masterpiece that transports us back to the golden era of PS1 Final Fantasies.
    The handcraft scenarios are pure art, the music composed by Nobuo Uematsu is pure magic and the story and characters have that charm of the finest JRPGs.
    For 5€/month (the price of Apple Arcade subscription) It’s a must play for all Apple devices gamers. Let’s hope    The father of Final Fantasy creates another masterpiece that transports us back to the golden era of PS1 Final Fantasies.
    The handcraft scenarios are pure art, the music composed by Nobuo Uematsu is pure magic and the story and characters have that charm of the finest JRPGs.

    For 5€/month (the price of Apple Arcade subscription) It’s a must play for all Apple devices gamers.
    Let’s hope It’s only a timed Apple exclusive: this game deserves to be played by everyone (and in Nintendo Switch it would sell like hotcakes).    … Expand
  27. Maxximka
    Sep 12, 2021
    0
    No russian language. Please add russian localisation!

    Добавьте русский язык, пожалуйста

Awards & Rankings

7
#7 Best iOS Game of 2021
1
#1 Most Discussed iOS Game of 2021

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
80

Generally favorable reviews - based on 19 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 15 out of 19
  2. Mixed: 4 out of 19
  3. Negative: 0 out of 19
  1. TouchArcade
    Aug 31, 2021
    80
    Fantasian is a very demanding experience, and you really have to be in love with its mechanics to put up with it all. Heaven knows the narrative isn’t going to keep you motivated. Fantasian is an absolute masterpiece in most regards, and yet I find myself struggling to recommend it.
    Read full review
  2. RPG Site
    Aug 31, 2021
    90
    Fantasian is a fantastic RPG, and will probably be a strong contender for GOTY deliberations later this year. Though it might not hurt to wait for a few patches for lingering issues to be resolved, and to consider if you’re up for the challenge that the game will provide.
    Read full review
  3. Noisy Pixel
    May 19, 2021
    80
    Fantasian is a love letter to old-school RPGs, with clear ties to classic systems that fans love but with added accessibility for newcomers. Its story could use a bit more creative twist to differentiate itself, but as this colorful cast remembers their past, longtime fans of the genre might recall adventures long since forgotten. In its turn-based nature, the battle system manages to feel fresh through unique abilities, which make this a must-play for anyone craving a classic JRPG experience. longtime fans will recall adventure long since forgotten.
    Read full review
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