Yearning For An Old-School Final Fantasy Experience? Dimensions Nails It
FINAL FANTASY DIMENSIONS (Free) by SQUARE ENIX is the latest Final Fantasy game to hit your iOS device. If you have ever played the original Final Fantasy games on the NES or SNES, then you will feel right at home with Dimensions. The game actually feels closest to Final Fantasy V than other FF titles for several reasons.
The thing about Dimensions is that it isn't a port of a mainstream Final Fantasy title. The game actually started out as a mobile only game in Japan, and it was released into multiple episodes via the Japanese i-mode distributing service.
With the iOS version of FFD, players are only able to get a taste of the full game with the free “Prologue” episode. Even though I found the amount of content in here to be reasonable for zero dollars, I was definitely left wanting more. Players are able to purchase the first episode for $2.99, and then subsequent episodes for $9.99 each. There is also a Chiptune BGM for $9.99, or you can get the whole shebang for $28.99.
In FFD, there is the Avalon Empire that ended a great world war. You will soon meet two groups of young adventurers in Avalon: one group is from the small and peaceful country, while the other group is from the harsh northern mountains who ride an airship. The moment that these two groups encounter each other, the powerful Crystal shatters and puts the world into light and darkness. FFD will focus on these two groups: the “Warriors of Light” with a boy named Sol and his friends, while the “Warriors of Darkness” will have Nacht and companions.
The graphics are done in the 16-bit style of FFV, and the moment I saw it, I got overwhelming nostalgia. And like most other games in the FF series, the music is amazing — I’d recommend plugging in a nice pair of headphones, because your device speakers won’t do it justice.
The game features a virtual joystick that you will use to move around the world map, towns, and dungeons. By default, it is not “fixed,” so it will appear anywhere you touch the screen. If you prefer the fixed style joystick, just enable it from the game’s option menu. In the middle of the joystick will be the button you use for interacting with NPCs and opening treasure chests.
Combat is done in the traditional turn-based fashion of Final Fantasy games, but FFD is using a variation of the Active Time Battle (ATB) system. For those who don’t know it, the ATB system is where time does not stop while the player selects commands for each member of their party, who also cannot do anything until their ATB meter is full. I am a fan of the ATB system because it puts more pressure on the player, and the game is going at a much faster pace.
As mentioned earlier, Dimensions uses the job change system, in which you can change a character’s class, acquire new and more advanced classes, and also combine different class abilities. Quite frankly, it’s one of my favorite parts of Final Fantasy, and I’m very pleased to see it in here. However, you won’t have access to the job system in the Prologue, so expect to purchase an episode or two before you get to that point.
Through the game menu, you are able to access Job, Item, Equipment, Row, Ability, Magic/Skills, Status, and Config. There is also the Quick Save (suspends the game in a saved state) and Save option (only available at certain points in dungeons or on the world map). You are able to optimize your party’s gear, use items for emergencies or even white magic to cure any ailments when you’re not in battle, and adjust the position of your party (front or back row).
If you’re a fan of old-school Final Fantasy games, then you definitely won’t want to miss Dimensions. Even if you’re skeptical because of the high price tag of the full game, I still recommend giving it a try since it’s a free initial download. You can judge whether the other episodes are worth it after first getting through the prologue, but I, for one, welcome this mobile Final Fantasy into my collection.
For more RPG games, make sure to check out this AppGuide.
