“If you’ve never played a good mobile game, then you’ve obviously never paid for one.”
-Unknown
Many moons ago, I found myself in a rut of sorts. There were so many games that were available to play on my cell phone, and they were all immediately accessible to me because they were free! Downloading them would be fine, but then I would immediately be bombarded by an endless onslaught of microtransactions and “gacha” schemes. “Free” is a word that means you don’t have to pay for something, but that is pretty misleading, especially nowadays. Wanting to see if there was a cell phone game worth its weight in bytes, I decided to do the unthinkable.
I paid for a mobile game!
“Why would you do that?” I can just hear some of you screaming over your grease stained keyboards. Well, I wanted to try something and see if it would be worth it. Knowing that some major gaming franchises had paid-for mobile-only titles, I decided to see if I could find one that was cheap enough that my wife wouldn’t notice it missing from the bank account. I came across a game from the Final Fantasy franchise that looked appealing in the Google Play Store, and I pressed “purchase.”
A New Dimension of JRPG
The game I bought is called Final Fantasy Dimensions. Looking at the reviews, I could tell that this title was one that many fans of the “numeric” Final Fantasy titles (1 through 10) enjoy and consider to be a throwback of sorts. The screenshots made the game out to be some sort of Final Fantasy 5 and 6 hybrid, using similar sprite art from the mobile ports of those games. What ultimately stole my gil was the premise of this game being a full-length Final Fantasy title featuring a completely original story and cast. There is even a large “job system!” Hook, line, and sinker, baby!
The big rub for most people considering this game, however, is the platform it is on. This game is exclusively for mobile, which means that to play this game, one must endure the awkward touch pad interface and “floating buttons” that may or may not work when pressed. At least, that was my assumption going into this game. Despite my initial reservations, I was colored impressed on a few occasions as I played through the entire main story.
The 8-Bit Review
Visuals: 6/10
If any of you are familiar with the “smooth pixel” graphics of other cell phone ports (I’m looking at you, Mega Man X on iOS), then you will know exactly what to expect for FF Dimensions. The overworld sprites are rigid and somewhat emotionless, featuring very little of the depth that classic pixel art often presents. For those who are used to proper pixel art, the aesthetic can be somewhat difficult to manage.
I can’t say the same for the battles, however. In Final Fantasy 6, the monsters we see during battles were digitized paintings, original pieces of art rendered from their stenciled forms. The monsters in Dimensions are just a step below that. They are not as flat as their overworld counterparts, and they are quite detailed for being original renderings of new and classic FF beasts. Overall the visuals of this game are passable, but they are hardly anything that represent the best that the franchise has to offer.
Audio: 8/10
If the visuals are simply passable, then the music in Dimensions would be considered a commercial standard for the franchise. Honestly, the original soundtrack, battle themes and all, are pretty good and have that great “earworm” quality we all have come to expect from Final Fantasy games. This is no doubt thanks to the composer of the game’s music, Naoshi Mizuta.
Sometimes called the “Uematsu We Got From Wish,” Mizuta has a huge portfolio of game soundtracks that he has either created or collaborated in. This includes, but is not limited to, music from Street Fighter Alpha, Mega Man & Bass, Parasite Eve II, Final Fantasy XI and XIV, and most recently, Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin. From this impressive list, it is easy to see how this composer could live in Uematsu’s shadow while still having the skill and creativity to fashion together some excellent music in games.
This becomes very apparent when you hear the first battle theme. As if knowing that battle themes are the bread and butter of Final Fantasy’s music catalog, Mizuta composed some absolute bangers for this game. Though some of the overworld tracks can be a little drab and repetitive in places, the battle themes highlight the action of this game and help the player to see this game as a genuine “Final Fantasy” title.
Gameplay: 6/10
True to the gameplay of the numerical Final Fantasy titles, the action in Dimensions features a top down view with a large overworld and long dungeons with plenty of monsters. This game sticks to the basic formula that most fans of the franchise will be familiar with, and that might actually work to the detriment of this title.
The aforementioned dungeons of this game are some of the driest and boring maze-walks since the original Final Fantasy in the 1980s. One would think that Square Enix would have learned from that era of level design, but sadly, Dimensions takes the term “throwback” to mean adopting even the negative parts of the retro experience.
Despite the outdated level design preferences, Dimensions has a surprisingly user friendly interface for a mobile game. The floating buttons and directional pad can be configured to fit the preferences of the player. Everything from button size, position, and even sensitivity can be tweaked to ensure that the player is as comfortable playing on a mobile device as they can be. The player can even take a hybrid approach and touch the commands during battles to ensure quick reactions during the ATB battles (more on that in a moment).
Narrative: 7/10
Since this game is somewhat a tribute to the classic Final Fantasy titles of yesteryear, it goes without saying that the narrative and themes would be similar as well. Well, part of that assertion is correct, as this game has all of the normal narrative tropes: crystals, an evil empire, elemental fiends (these ones are generals in the empire, which is a cool change), and a broody protagonist. Where it switches everything up is by adding a “dark” element to the classic “Warriors of Light” story.
This story revolves around two separate parties, your classic Warriors of Light, and four other heroes that become a byproduct of a shattered crystal, the Warriors of Darkness. Both of these groups of heroes travel simultaneously through their respective dimensions, attempting to thwart the evil Avalon Empire, a kingdom which seeks to garner control over both the Light and Darkness. I don’t want to spoil too much, because as simple as this narrative sounds, there are some major twists that I didn’t even see coming.
Dimensions narratively shares from several Final Fantasy titles, mostly 5 and 6. Much like the narrative of FF5, Dimensions has a more whimsical tone to its story, often making references to other titles through tongue-in-cheek jokes. It’s obvious that this story was created for the fans, but those who are new to the franchise will be able to appreciate the straightforward content. The core gameplay is very linear and about 30 hours in length, so in that way it is much like FF4. That’s not necessarily a bad thing as a mobile title.
Challenge: 8/10
Final Fantasy games have the tendency to take off the kiddy-gloves pretty quickly. From the very outset of this game, the player is thrust into the action and very little tutorial information is given to help the player out. The enemies progressively get more difficult as the narrative continues, and that is accentuated by a status effect that is unique to this era of ATB titles.
The “stun” effect changes the strategy of this game in ways that other numerical Final Fantasy games didn’t. In the ATB system, the action gauge for each party member rises, and when the gauge is full, that party member can act. Now, there is a short time between the moment when the action is selected and it is actually performed, and it is at this time that a party member can be “stunned” by an enemy. It is basically an attack that some enemies can do that interrupts the spells and attacks of your party members. This adds an extra challenge to the combat, one that can get very annoying near the end of the game.
Replayability: 6/10
Due to the fact that this game borrows from multiple elements of other Final Fantasy titles, it is assumed that there are little secrets and special items one can find to help in their adventures. These little McGuffins make FF games very repeatable, but that is sadly not the case with this game. Despite having two rich worlds, Light and Dark, the game is very linear and does not offer much in terms of rewards for exploration. This cuts the replayability score down a few notches in my book.
Uniqueness: 7/10
There is not too much that is visually unique in this title as compared to the other numerical Final Fantasy games. All the sprites and enemies depicted match much of the art style of other games. I believe that is intentional, however, because this game pushes the idea that it is a “throwback” and not its own unique universe. Where it is unique is in the narrative choices and a few of the gameplay mechanics. You will know that you are playing a Final Fantasy game, but it will feel like a separate experience.
Personal: 7/10
As a fan of the Final Fantasy franchise, I can honestly say that I enjoyed playing through Dimensions. It is a mobile title that plays like a handheld RPG, and since you have to pay for it, you don’t have to cringe through countless ads. It is nowhere close to being the best Final Fantasy game ever made, but it is certainly not the worst either. For those who discredit it just because it is a mobile game: shame on you! Didn’t your mother ever teach you to not judge a game by its platform?!
With all of that said, having played through the game, I don’t think I will be picking it back up again soon. As endearing as some of the characters are, as well as the story itself, the game is absolutely linear and makes a great “one and done” experience. That doesn’t mean it is not worth playing, however. If you have never bought a cell phone game in your life, this game is the perfect launching point for that. It may very well be the best Final Fantasy game you’ve never heard of.
Aggregated Score: 6.8
J.R. Sommerfeldt is a family man, licensed counselor, farmer, fiber artist, and indie game enthusiast living in the heartland of America. He has found solace living the simple life, and his preference for games centering around narratives, crafting, and exploration is a testament to this.
