Genre: Simulation
Developer: Level-5 Osaka Office
Publisher: Level-5

Fantasy Life i doesn't push technical boundaries, but its almost pre-rendered-esque CGI scenery, unique camera angle, and clever use of Bokeh depth-of-field give it an almost tilt-shift appearance-- like the player is invited to explore a real-time children's diorama storybook. The whimsical puppet-like character designs contribute to this sensation, like they are tiny dolls wandering about inside this fantastical world. Menus are crisp yet look organic and rounded, and the whole presentation is so polished that one could mistake it for a first-party Nintendo release. On Switch 2, the entire release plays at sixty frames per second, and at a very high resolution as well.

The evergreen composer of all time, Nobuo Uematsu, is responsible for this game's sensational soundtrack. Most of the songs came from the prior game in the series, and are phenomenal. "Exciting Shopping" is a real highlight, with the bizarre, ear-catching combination of instrumentation in its opening. "Pounding Life Guild" is a jaw-dropping prog funk song. "Dynamism When Fighting" is a JRPG-esque battle theme with kazoo samples. If there is a criticism it's that the game would be better off with a focus on fewer songs, so that more attention could be paid to each one-- as many of them tend to blend together a bit.

Fantasy Life i plays like a cross between "Animal Crossing" and "Dragon Quest Builders". The player moves and rotates the camera with the analog stick; different "lives"-- jobs, essentially-- can be selected, and these change the control layout to allow for mining, chopping down trees, harvesting crops, or engaging in some simple-but-fun combat. There are dungeons to explore, NPC requests to satisfy, a home base town to build up "Dark Cloud"-like, equipment and a party to manage, plus each of the jobs can be leveled complete with their own independent skill trees.

There is so much to do in Fantasy Life i! It's an imagination capturing game, where it's fun to explore the different areas just to see the new, cool artwork and to hear some more Nobuo Uematsu tunes, much less engage with the mechanics. There just aren't many games out there which have this title's combination of elements, and the novelty factor makes it a tough formula to put down. On top of it, the story is super engaging, with memorable, heart-felt characters. The only thing holding this release from a perfect score is that some of the core-- especially the combat-- could have used a little more variety. But overall, this is a phenomenal video game.