Fantasian Neo Dimension (2024)

Guys, you have no idea how satisfying it is to fight (and a defeat) a turn-based boss fight using actual strategy, losing a couple times, and figuring out exactly the right pattern of attack-heal-buff/debuff.

I am so, so happy I finally found modern JRPG that brings that feeling back. It's immensely cathartic. Alliance Alive and Yakuza 7 got close, but they were both pretty easily cheesed. This feels like exactly the right balance of challenge and payoff.

I finally tried the demo for this last week, and decided I liked it enough to pick up.

I was aware of the bullshit they're pulling with only selling the game through Amazon or Squeenix directly, with physical copies already being hard to come by, but I wanted to buy physical. I intended to play this on PS5--which is what I played the demo on, and which I prefer to play my JRPGs on whenever possible--but the game is out of stock on SE and the PS5 version was estimating an arrival toward the end of the month from Amazon. It didn't say unavailable, but in my experience, something that isn't showing as Prime, has an extended arrival date with a 10-day window, and is otherwise hard to find elsewhere...it never would have arrived. So I picked it up on Switch and got it yesterday.

I'm still actively playing Octopath 2 and having a great time with it, but I did play a couple of hours of FND yesterday. I'm loving the combat and the physical manipulation of attacks to target more enemies. The Dimengeon Machine to stockpile monsters and avoid more frequent random encounters in favor of one extended fight when it's full is amazing. I absolutely love it. The game's backgrounds are handmade dioramas and look stunninggg.

The only issue I'm having is with moving around. The camera changes automatically when you go around hidden corners, behind buildings, follow the curve of a path, etc., so however you're pushing on the thumbstick can make it so you run back the other direction or at a weird angle. I dunno, it's just uncomfy and obvious that it was originally touch screen controls.

Planning to play both somewhat interchangeably, I suppose. I'm back from winter break as of today, but I'm having surgery on Weds and have two days off for that and recovery, so I'll likely be lounging with games and books.

Just an FYI for folks wanting to buy this one physical (and you should - do not support digital rentals), this seems to have an extremely limited release on North America and GameStop, Best Buy and Walmart are not carrying it.

PNP sold out of preorders, but is doing backorders. VGP sold out of PS5 today but has more restocked now. Amazon has it too.

Got a feeling this is going to be one of those "if you didn't get it at launch" games, so if you're thinking about picking this one up, think about doing so soon.