FINAL FANTASY RESONANCE is a Delightful Return to the Series’ Classic Roots

FINAL FANTASY RESONANCE marks Square Enix’s first use of its HD-2D style on the flagship franchise, blending 2D pixel art with 3D environments, lighting, and effects. The hybrid aesthetic, refined over nearly a decade in titles like Octopath Traveler, offers a nostalgic yet evolved visual experience. The game adapts the story from FINAL FANTASY BRAVE EXVIUS, a mobile gacha RPG, but rebuilds its combat, progression, and world into a full single-player experience.

The narrative follows childhood friends Rain and Lasswell, knights of Grandshelt, whose kingdom is attacked by an armored assailant who steals a relic and shatters the Earth Crystal. Joined by Fina and others, they pursue the Sworn Six to protect the world’s elemental Crystals. The story returns to the series’ early archetypal fantasy roots, balancing high-fantasy melodrama with lighthearted moments and classic menu-driven combat.

Combat is fully turn-based with a timeline showing upcoming actions, adding strategic depth. Enemies feature stagger meters; depleting them stuns foes and grants bonus actions. The game retains elemental weaknesses, status effects, and traditional character progression, while introducing Visions—echoes of past FINAL FANTASY characters like Cloud and Zidane—that grant unique abilities. Players can customize kits by equipping Vision abilities, with mastery levels unlocking additional options.

The game includes modern quality-of-life features such as permanent enemy weakness displays, variable speed combat, skippable summon cutscenes, and fast travel to avoid random battles. Available now on Xbox Series X|S and PC, it supports Xbox Play Anywhere and offers a free demo of the first chapter that carries over progress.