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Final Fantasy creator shows new RPG Fantasian’s world of handcrafted dioramas
Mistwalker’s game is coming to Apple Arcade in 2021
Final Fantasy creator Hironobu Sakaguchi has unveiled Fantasian, the new RPG from Blue Dragon, Lost Odyssey and The Last Story studio Mistwalker.
Playable on iOS, Mac and Apple TV, it features a world made up of over 150 handmade dioramas that blend physical environments and 3D characters. and a soundtrack by veteran games industry and Final Fantasy composer Nobuo Uematsu.
Players take on the role of protagonist Leo, who wakes up following an explosion to find himself lost in a strange realm ruled by machines and with only a single memory.
“Within this multi-dimensional universe, the balance of ‘Chaos and Order’ becomes a key factor in the struggle for these realms and the machinations of the gods who wish to control them,” reads the blurb accompanying Tuesday’s reveal trailers.
“As players set out on a journey to reclaim Leo’s memories, they will unravel the mysteries of the bizarre mechanical infection slowly engulfing all that is known to mankind.”
In an interview with The Verge, Sakaguchi called Fantasian “a really comprehensive RPG” designed to offer a console-like experience for mobile devices.
Sakaguchi said in January that the game had been in development for three years and would be released in 2021.
Fantasian feature list
- New Battle Mechanics: Tapping into his experience from the Final Fantasy franchise, Sakaguchi brings to Fantasian several quality of life improvements to the classic JRPG genre, such as the “Dimengeon Battle” mechanic, which allows players to send previously encountered enemies into a separate dimensional dungeon to streamline combat and maximize uninterrupted exploration of the beautiful locations.
- Hand-Crafted Environments: Each of the 150+ dioramas has been crafted by the masters of the Japanese “Tokusatsu” or special effects industry. Creating Fantasian’s real-life miniature sets are veterans who have worked on projects like the Godzilla films, Attack on Titan, and Ultraman. Fantasian serves as a vehicle to bring these amazing works of art into the digital space via Apple Arcade.
- Legendary Soundtrack: Celebrated composer Nobuo Uematsu, known for his work on the Final Fantasy series and games such as Lost Odyssey and Blue Dragon, created a soundtrack to compliment the memorable and magical world of Fantasian from catchy battle tunes to heart-pumping dungeon pieces, and moving character themes.
- Novel Storytelling: To tell an epic story, a ‘novel’ approach was used in the form of a “Memory” system where players encounter and collect various memories, journal entries, and notes presented as miniature in-game novels to flesh out the story, realms, and characters of Fantasian. These bite-sized novels have unique artwork, music, and sound effects to offer players a truly immersive experience.
