There are times when our past can inform how we act, from how a bully can learn from their mistakes and become someone who protects others from being bullied, to how a gambler can stop playing slots and start playing gacha games to cope. This is also true for groups and teams, like how a startup that once struggled with communication issues can grow into a foundation for communication where every voice is valued, or on the other side of the coin, how a club notorious for game nights that turn into fights can swap poker for Uno only to find that the arguments about strategy and betrayal will still follow them to their bloody +4s. 

This holds with the game I played that’s being promoted on Steam’s next fest, Dimensionals, a Saturday Morning cartoon-styled turn-based RPG releasing next month developed and published by Mino Games, whose track record shows that they’ve been developing mobile game apps since 2011, and if you can see where I’m going with this, Dimensionals still has the mobile game blood that past Mino games have.

Gameplay

Dimensionals plays as a roguelike turn-based RPG where you choose a max of 3 out of the 21 heroes with their own classes and special abilities. As this was just the demo, only 6 heroes are available to be played and 2 of them are unlockable to give the players something to chase for progression, and maybe give them a bit more time to be familiar with the title.  

Once you have picked your heroes, you can start your adventure. The game consists of 8 nodes that follow a simple pattern: You progress through pre-determined paths, where they are lined with nodes. These nodes vary from enemy types as well as pit-stops for you to recover from combat and potentially upgrade your party. Choosing more challenging enemies through the path rewards you with better gold, allowing you to evaluate your risks and possible rewards.

Battles inside enemy nodes are played out in a simple turn-based combat system where you always have your turn first before the enemy can make their move. What you can do in your turn is limited by the dastardly mana system. You start with 1 mana, and when it’s your turn again, the game grants you another permanent mana slot and refills your mana to full.

Aesthetics

It lives up to its promise of being “The Ultimate Saturday Morning Cartoon Adventure” as both its graphics and music live up to the pedestal it had sold itself on. With the stylized world and character design it plays on. Telling their story in a fully voice-acted, comic book-style cutscenes. As well as having fluid yet snappy animations in battles. This title proudly pays homage to the genre it lends itself to in every aspect that it can show you.

Although there are still things that miffed me over that I can’t exactly just gloss over, such as the UI, I understand that this is still a demo but the UI/UX teeters between too cluttered or too simple that my eyes couldn’t exactly get used to what to do. One example is the preparation when you enter a battle node. When you enter, you have to click ‘prepare’ on the bottom left and then it opens your party screen to prepare. I honestly feel that it’s not the best way to execute the idea. Rather, I would suggest that when you enter a battle node, you are immediately thrust into the party preparation screen instead with a button to hide the preparation window to see what enemies you would be fighting and build your strategy around that.

The soundtrack, on the other hand, I have no qualms about it, it’s really nice, although I did have to turn down the volume on the music as I sometimes couldn’t hear myself think with the volume on max. If I had to describe the music in one sentence, it would be “late 2000s/early 2010s action cartoon” music. This is honestly right up Brad Breek’s alley, having composed tracks for shows like Gravity Falls and Owl House. While the voice acting does a good job of conveying the characters’ emotions and feelings, it can be a little campy at times in the way they deliver their lines. But if you’re in the mindset of thinking of the game as a Saturday morning cartoon, the campiness adds to the experience rather than detracting from it.

Although I have my reservations about how messy some parts of the experience are, the fact remains that this game is faithful in its recreation of the “Saturday Morning Cartoon Adventure” vibe that it seeks to become, and I think it’s cute and funny how some people are already feeling a little nostalgic with the unique and very memorable art styles that would show up on channels like Toonami and Disney XD. I sincerely hope that they keep their design philosophy intact when the game releases and matures, as I think the aesthetic is what makes the game stand out from the saturated market of turn-based RPGs being released these days.

Conclusion

In the end, Dimensionals feels like a game that knows where it came from but isn’t sure where it wants to go. The Saturday morning cartoon vibe is the biggest draw it has at the moment, with the visuals and music leaning more towards that nostalgic, action-packed energy where it doesn’t want to hold anything back. It’s a love letter to the past, as most people have already outgrown their love of action cartoons, but it wouldn’t hurt to relive some of those moments. It’s not hard to get caught up in the game’s commitment to the ‘cartoon adventure’ it prides itself on, with animated and comic-style cutscenes that feel like an unearthed lost cartoon from the 2010s. As it stands, however, this insistence on its style wouldn’t translate seamlessly to the video game medium, and it’s not hard to see where it falls short.

As I’ve said before about how people can change and still retain some aspects of their past selves, the same goes for these developers, as Dimensionals hits the mark of being a great PC game, but would honestly fit perfectly on a mobile device with its simple to understand yet challenging combat system that keeps the experience exciting in short bursts. The gameplay draws on familiar mobile game design tropes, with a streamlined turn-based combat system and a tap-and-drag mechanic that feels much more at home on a touchscreen. It’s as if Dimensionals is torn between its mobile roots, which are still growing within it, and the PC experience it wants to embrace. The UI quirks and mana-based system feel like vestiges of older mobile games and Mino Games’ past, remnants of a formula honed for those quick sessions on your phone rather than longer and more focused play on the big screen.

Ultimately, Dimensionals is an easy recommendation for anyone who misses the thrill of Saturday morning cartoons and doesn’t mind a bit of mobile DNA in their PC games. This game is definitely for those who appreciate a mix of nostalgic aesthetics, bite-sized gameplay, and a touch of challenge, even if it sometimes leans towards the numbers-driven type of challenge. It’s a fun ride for those who want to feel what it’s like to be in the shoes of their favorite cartoon heroes, even if it’s a bit like playing an arcade mobile game in the modern era.

Dimensionals will be available on Steam on November 19.