25 years it’s been since Final Fantasy first graced the Famicom in Japan, and the series has been so twisted beyond its original aesthetic, it remains virtually unrecognizable.
However, someone at Square Enix knows how to celebrate a long 25 year legacy properly. No, not some huge Tokyo bash focusing on the latest in the ignorable Lightning Saga. A side team has been given the task of reviving what made Final Fantasy so popular during its glory years on the Super Nintendo.
Final Fantasy Dimensions brings back the old 16-bit style abandoned abandoned once the PlayStation took graphics to the next level. Open fantasy worlds, dashes of ancient machinery, Warriors of Light, chocobos and moogles, and a job system ripped right from Final Fantasy V. Not much is known about the plot besides it being really simple, but early Final Fantasy games did a lot without deep plot. Why isn’t his being more hyped?
Well, there are two reasons. One being its the first original Final Fantasy game being developed exclusively for smartphones, and much of the aimed demographic hasn’t been converted to the iOS and Android platforms yet. In genre circles, touch screen RPGs are generally seen as cheap compared to their console big brothers which use a controller to control menus. I don’t know, I think FPS and platforming fans have more to complain about in that department.
The game will also run a price of nearly $30. The game will be episodically released in chapters, the first running for $2.99, and with each following chapter costing a steep $6.99. The game can be purchased as a whole for $28.99, much more expensive than most are willing to pay for a cellphone game. Needless to say, the pricing plan has caused a lot of controversy from bellyaching fans who want to play it but not drop the cash for what could be the price of a DS game.
I fall in line with them. I don’t always share the same opinion with our gaming editor, Joey, about iPhone games, but I do know it’s a simple and cheap substitute for the real deal. If I wanted to pay double digits for a portable video game, I’d buy a 3DS.
At any rate, it seems a proper continuation of Final Fantasy V, the last of the “classic” games in the series. Enemy artwork is fantastic, and the character sprites fall right in line with the old style. If you’re really curious, the first chapter will be available August 31st, and it’s only $3 for the price of admission.
