FANTAVISION 202X Review Summary

Faithful PS2 remaster with addictive gameplay, gorgeous visuals and audio, but poor PC port, frequent technical issues, an immersive yet underwhelming VR, short content, and unbalanced difficulty.

Faithful remaster of PS2 classic: Players consistently praise the game as an excellent or welcomed remaster of the original PS2 title, noting it preserves the original experience and atmosphere. Several reviewers highlight that the base gameplay is exactly the same as the original, making it a nostalgic and faithful remake.

Satisfying and addictive gameplay: The gameplay is described as very satisfying, exhilarating, and almost addicting, with a well-designed action-puzzle system that is simple yet fun. Catching fireworks and chaining explosions for high scores is highlighted as particularly enjoyable, and the game tests reaction speed while remaining fun.

Beautiful and improved visuals: Reviewers frequently mention the beautiful, gorgeous visuals that are significantly improved from the original, especially at 4K resolution with more depth and clarity. The graphics are praised for being colorful, magnificent, and providing a strong visual impact, with stunning effects like fireworks displays.

VR enhances immersion and beauty: VR support is commended for adding immersion and intuitive controls, with fireworks in VR described as extremely beautiful, especially in Starmine mode. Players feel that only a VR remake can fully showcase the game's beauty, making the virtual reality experience a standout feature.

Excellent performance across platforms: The game runs very smoothly on various hardware, including a perfect 60fps on Steam Deck, 90fps on high-end GPUs, and up to 165fps with fluidity. Players note that the game is well optimized and works flawlessly, enhancing the overall experience.

Poor PC port quality: Many players feel the game is a quick and cheap port of a console release, lacking basic options like graphics settings, frame rate limiting, and windowed mode. The absence of an in-game exit option forces users to rely on Alt+F4, which feels like a crash.

VR mode is underwhelming: The VR mode provides little benefit over 2D, with scaled-back graphics that are blurry and lacking detail, even worse than the original game from over 20 years ago. Players also report connection issues and the use of 2D sprites for fireworks, diminishing the VR experience.

Music disappoints versus original: The soundtrack is a rearranged version of the Japanese soundtrack, not the original, and lacks the catchy and memorable qualities of the classic music. This is a common complaint among fans, especially since original tracks were lost to copyright issues.

Content too short for price: Players consistently report that the game offers only about one hour of content, which is not justified by its asking price. The high price doesn't match the short experience, and it is only considered worth it at a 50% discount.

Technical issues with framerate: The game's uncapped framerate and lack of vsync or frame limiter cause excessive power draw and side effects on high-end GPUs. Players must manually cap the frame rate through external tools like nVidia settings to avoid issues.

Action-puzzle fireworks chaining game: Multiple clusters describe the core gameplay as an action-puzzle where players catch fireworks and chain explosions for high scores. Clusters 1, 4, 5, 8, 9, 15, 22, 27, 32, and 38 all emphasize this central mechanic.

Chaining mechanics and life gauge: Gameplay involves targeting three or more same-colored fireworks to burst them, with a life gauge decreasing when fireworks disappear and recovering when bursting, leading to game over if it empties. These mechanics are described in clusters 4, 16, 17, 18, 27, 28, and 29.

Limited game modes: The game only offers Easy and Hard difficulties in an eight-stage story mode, with no endless or mission modes. Achievements are unlockable only within this story mode, as detailed in clusters 10, 11, 23, 24, 25, and 30.

Features VR and desktop modes: The game supports both VR and non-VR play, with VR using motion controllers for aiming. This is highlighted in clusters 2 and 36.

Chill and zen puzzle game: Once mastered, the game is described as very zen, funky, and colorful, providing a visual feast that keeps players engaged. These positive attributes are noted in clusters 37, 38, and 39.

Frame rate uncapped by default: Without a frame rate limit, the game can run at high fps (like 165), but this may cause excessive power consumption and hardware load. Players advise external capping.

VR audio issues fixed manually: Players report that the VR mode initially had no sound, which was resolved by alt-tabbing out and back in. This indicates a bug that disrupts the initial VR audio experience.

VR button mapping incorrect: In VR, buttons are not mapped correctly, causing control issues for players. This is a specific functional problem that hinders gameplay.

Game frequently locks up: The game locks up regularly, which is a critical stability issue. This could interrupt gameplay and frustrate players.

Cap frame rate externally: Due to high power consumption from uncapped frame rates, players recommend capping the frame rate externally. This is a performance and efficiency concern.

Targeted at PS2 veterans: Multiple reviews explicitly recommend this game only for players who enjoyed the original PS2 release, implying it offers nostalgia but may not appeal to others.

Appeals to niche audiences: Recommendations extend to fans of fireworks, score-attack puzzles, and Tetris-like games, highlighting the niche appeal of this title.

Wait for discounts: Several reviews recommend buying only when the game is on sale or after a steep price drop, suggesting the full price is not justified.

Buy PS2 original instead: Some reviewers advise against purchasing this version, suggesting that curious players should get the cheaper PS2 original instead of this port.

Not for original purists: A couple of reviews warn that diehard fans of the original may be disappointed, indicating the remaster or port may not meet high expectations.

Community fair range: $10.00 - $15.00.

Game completion: 1.0h.

Story completion: 1.0h.

Nostalgic Original Fans: Chaining color explosions with practiced timing, aiming for high scores from memory. Motivation: Reliving the classic PS2 Fantavision experience in a modernized form. Stance: buy.

VR Enthusiasts: Playing in VR mode with a headset and gamepad, seeking immersive spatial presence. Motivation: Experiencing the puzzle gameplay in immersive VR with intuitive controls. Stance: sale.

Puzzle & Arcade Genre Fans: Chaining combos for high scores, appreciating the music and visual fireworks, and often playing for relaxation. Motivation: Enjoying chill, color-matching puzzle gameplay with a satisfying audiovisual payoff. Stance: buy.

Steam Deck: User feedback on the Steam Deck is mixed. One user reports that the game only works with GE-Proton due to video codec incompatibility, while another confirms it runs perfectly out of the box. Additional feedback highlights a lack of frame rate limit leading to high power draw, heat, and a crash-like experience. The overall impression is that the game is playable but may require technical adjustments depending on the system setup.

Linux and Proton: Based on the single review provided, the game is functionally playable on Linux/Proton (evidenced via Steam Deck) but only after installing and using GE-Proton, a third-party Proton build. The root cause is an incompatible video codec in the game's files that standard Proton cannot handle. Because the fix requires a non-standard tool and a specific workaround, while the game itself runs excellently once that fix is applied, the overall Linux/Proton friction is moderate, aligning with the 'Tinkering Required' scoring band.

Remaster of PS2 title: Multiple reviews identify this game as a remaster or remake of the PS2 game Fantavision, which was a launch title for the console. Some call it an upgrade of the original physical version, while others note it is a near direct port with dated feel.

Includes VR mode: Several reviews mention that the game supports VR, with one noting it was played on Quest 2 via AirLink and cable. However, one reviewer could not test VR due to lack of hardware, and another refunded after encountering VR issues.

UI and control issues: The game shows a prompt to press A, indicating it shares a common screen with the PS5 version, and lacks in-game music change options. Patches have added an 'Exit Application' menu and a web link for keyboard instructions, but these fixes are incremental.

Performance issues uncapped framerate: The game has no frame rate limit, which can cause higher power consumption and heat. The frame rate cannot be set in-game, requiring external capping, though vsync can be enabled via Nvidia Control Panel or config file.

Fan-focused product: The game is described as a product only for fans of the original PS2 release, with a price justifiable only if discounted by 50%. It is made on a lower budget than the original and is compared unfavorably to rail shooters like Rez.