FINAL FANTASY RESONANCE is a new HD-2D JRPG developed by Lancarse and published by SQUARE ENIX. The project comes from Creative Studio 5, the team also behind The Adventures of Elliot: The Millennium Tales earlier this year and last year’s Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D Remake. Set in a world shaped by an ancient war between magic and machines, the adventure follows a group of companions whose paths become intertwined as they uncover a threat that could bring everything to ruin. Read more in our FINAL FANTASY RESONANCE review!
Return to the pixel-art world of FINAL FANTASY, evolved from its classic roots. Travel with companions bound by fate and call on Visions to aid you in battle to uncover the truth behind a force that threatens to bring everything to ruin.
A FINAL FANTASY fan’s dream return
I’m a huge fan of SQUARE ENIX’s FINAL FANTASY series, having started with the original NES game way back in the early 1990s. I then played IV, VI (II and III in their original North American numbering), and every subsequent mainline installment. As I got older, I also went back and played the entries I had missed along the way. Needless to say, seeing FINAL FANTASY RESONANCE return to the franchise’s pixel-art roots was something I was looking forward to. What I particularly appreciated was the attention to longtime fans, with familiar monsters, locations, and bosses bringing plenty of enjoyable moments as I progressed. Even the summon animation resembles Rydia’s from FINAL FANTASY IV. These nostalgic touches are a treat for longtime fans, but newcomers can enjoy the adventure just as much without recognizing them.
A familiar battle system with a new twist
One of the things I appreciated the most about FINAL FANTASY RESONANCE is the return to traditional turn-based combat. There’s no ATB system here, just straightforward turn-based combat that will feel familiar to anyone who has played the Octopath Traveler games, while also bringing to mind FINAL FANTASY X‘s Conditional Turn-Based Battle (CTB) system, all with a distinctly FINAL FANTASY flavor. You have access to physical attacks, magic, and character skills, but the combat also brings back the stagger mechanic. By targeting enemy weaknesses, you can stagger opponents, leaving them stunned and allowing you to deal increased damage. The character responsible for staggering an enemy also receives an additional turn, while staggering every enemy in a single turn triggers a bonus round in which the entire party gets another action. This adds a satisfying tactical layer to encounters, rewarding players who take the time to understand enemy weaknesses rather than simply selecting their strongest attacks.
Character customization revolves around Visions, which represent characters from previous FINAL FANTASY installments. Rather than changing jobs and costumes like in FINAL FANTASY V, you equip these Visions to gain access to their associated abilities while retaining each character’s personal skills. There are more than 20 to discover throughout the adventure, and part of the fun is seeing which familiar characters you’ll unlock next. Keeping a Vision equipped on a character gradually increases their affinity with it, eventually unlocking permanent skills. Since each character can develop skills from different Visions, the system encourages you to experiment with various combinations and find the ones that best suit your party. It also ties into the Resonance mechanic, which activates when you stagger all enemies within a single turn. Doing so unlocks a powerful Vision-specific ability, somewhat reminiscent of a Limit Break, that can turn the tide of battle.
Combat remained interesting throughout my entire playthrough, although some dungeons definitely benefited from spending a little time adjusting the equipped Visions. As you encounter different enemies and notice their elemental weaknesses and resistances, changing your setup can make a noticeable difference. Random encounters also make a return, but I found their frequency quite reasonable. An optional indicator on the minimap even lets you know when an encounter is approaching, which is a welcome addition. On Normal difficulty, regular encounters tend to be on the easier side, while boss battles provide a more substantial challenge. Things become progressively tougher as you advance, and completing sidequests as they become available helped me stay appropriately leveled for the main story. These activities are fairly straightforward, generally involving defeating monsters or collecting items. You can also change the difficulty at any time through the options menu.
A World Full of Discoveries
The story begins with a prologue featuring the Archwitch, an extremely powerful character who already has access to a full selection of skills and Espers summons. This serves as a nice introduction to the battle system, letting you experience what it can offer before starting the actual adventure. From there, the focus shifts to Rain and Lasswell, two soldiers serving the Kingdom of Grandshelt who learn that their kingdom’s Crystal might be in danger and set out to investigate. The larger narrative revolves around a conflict between magic and machines that took place 700 years earlier, although the game initially takes its time revealing what’s really happening.
The opening chapters mostly involve traveling from one destination to another, with relatively limited story developments along the way. However, the reveals at the end of each chapter gradually provide a better understanding of the events unfolding behind the scenes. By the middle of Chapter 3, approximately 10 to 12 hours into my playthrough, the story was finally in full swing and had become genuinely engaging. There’s also a familiar recurring FINAL FANTASY V villain to look forward to, which is another nice touch for longtime fans. The gradual revelations kept me curious about what was really happening, making the story increasingly engaging as I progressed.
Exploration is another enjoyable part of the adventure. The overworld is colorful, well-crafted, and pleasant to travel through, with Chocobos always available at the press of the Square button. It’s also worth wandering a little outside the main path, as you’ll come across optional dungeons featuring stronger bosses unrelated to the main story, along with additional Visions to discover. These locations are relatively easy to find if you take the time to explore, and they provide some worthwhile challenges and rewards for doing so.
A beautiful HD-2D world
Visually, FINAL FANTASY RESONANCE is a great showcase for the HD-2D style, combining pixelated character sprites and monsters with fully 3D environments. The result is a colorful world that feels right at home within the franchise, while the flashy CGI sequences add some extra spectacle to important moments. Particle effects are particularly impressive, and the water effects also look very good. The game runs at 60 frames per second, making the overall presentation feel smooth throughout the adventure.
The voice acting is another highlight. I thought the main cast was very well voiced overall, with Fina and Lasswell standing out in particular. The orchestrated soundtrack, composed by Noriyasu Agematsu, is quite good as well. The battle theme is a particular highlight, and several unique boss battle tracks also stand out. The overworld theme is another enjoyable addition, making for a very good soundtrack overall. That said, Octopath Traveler II still has the edge for me when it comes to HD-2D music.
For trophy hunters, there are 39 trophies to collect, leading up to a Platinum trophy. The list includes 28 Bronze trophies, 7 Silver trophies, and 4 Gold trophies. Several of the trophies will unlock naturally as you progress through the story, while others are tied to miscellaneous objectives such as clearing the Coliseum, defeating specific enemies, finding all Visions, and using Resonance a certain number of times. If you need some extra help, you can check out this FINAL FANTASY RESONANCE Trophy Guide.
A welcome return to classic FINAL FANTASY
FINAL FANTASY RESONANCE is a very enjoyable JRPG that understands what makes the franchise special. Its return to traditional turn-based combat is a major highlight, while the Vision and Resonance systems add enough depth to keep battles interesting throughout the adventure. The numerous references to previous installments are a treat for longtime fans like myself, but the game remains perfectly approachable for newcomers. The story takes a while to find its footing, and some of the side activities are fairly straightforward, but the narrative eventually becomes engaging. Combined with its beautiful HD-2D presentation and memorable musical highlights, this is an adventure I thoroughly enjoyed. Whether you’ve followed the series for decades or are simply looking for a new turn-based JRPG, there’s plenty to appreciate here.
Disclaimer
This FINAL FANTASY RESONANCE review is based on a PlayStation 5 copy provided by SQUARE ENIX.
