Sigh.
Ahem, I don’t think you heard me. I said, “Sigh.” The proper response to such things is to come over, ask me what’s wrong, comfort me, and perhaps offer me a Yarn Yoshi Amiibo. Oh for the love of… fine. I’ll do it myself.
“What’s wrong, Jenni?”
It’s Level-5. The company went and broke my heart.
“How?”
Level-5 decided to make Fantasy Life 2 , the sequel to the extraordinarily wonderful Fantasy Life, a mobile game.
“Ouch.”
Ouch indeed. Fantasy Life is one of the best games you can play on the 3DS. I’ve referred to it as essentially a mobile version of Skyrim. That’s not entirely apt – it isn’t as though the player’s character is the Dragonborn. But it’s appropriate in terms of content. The game is a delight because it keeps on giving. There’s not only a lengthy story, but 12 different classes with their own goals to achieve, a home to customize, pets to enjoy, friends (both virtual and real) to bring on quests, and an expansion that majorly adds to the overall experience.
Simply put, Fantasy Life was a full and rich experience. There was so much to see and do. A sequel was a more than welcome prospect. Except now, Level-5 has announced that only Android and iOS devices will be getting the follow-up. Which is, naturally, a tragedy. To have such a game, a true example of 3DS excellence, shift to another platform is so very sad.
Especially since we all know what ends up happening with mobile games. They end up being free-to-play affairs. There’s no word yet on if this is Level-5’s plan, but it could happen. The company went freemium on Wonder Flick . Sure, it could go the way of Layton Brothers: Mystery Room , but Fantasy Life 2 seems like a perfect candidate for microtransactions. Especially since the game will have a village building mechanic that already looks similar to something like The Simpsons: Tapped Out . I could see having the option to pay for in-game cash, character customization options, or materials for class recipes. Even worse, imagine having only a few of the 12 classes available, then having to pay for more.
It makes you wonder about the scope of Fantasy Life 2 , as well. The original game was, as I’ve mentioned before, massive. The main story was of a respectable length, plenty of side quests were available, and the expansion was well worth the extra investment. With Fantasy Life 2 being mobile, does anyone honestly expect for it to offer the same scope? Or, more realistically, to provide that kind of experience for a reasonable price?
I suppose it hurts the most because this isn’t the kind of thing you expect from Level-5. The company seems to pride itself on quality experiences, but taking Fantasy Life 2 to iOS and Android seems questionable. It could prove to be a decent game in its own right. Maybe it will even prove a worthy successor to the original. But the fact that it is going mobile and that Level-5 has done free-to-play before is worrying. The first game is magic, and I’m sure this announcement isn’t the one any 3DS owner was waiting for.