Final Fantasy Resonance is out now. Square Enix launched the first HD-2D game in the Final Fantasy series on October 22 across PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch 2, Nintendo Switch, Xbox Series X/S, and PC via Steam and the Xbox app — and players who want to try before buying can grab the free demo, with save data carrying over on all platforms.
From Mobile Roots to a Full Console RPG
Resonance is based on the first story arc of the mobile game Final Fantasy Brave Exvius — but per Square Enix, it is “far from just a direct port,” having been “refined and extensively rebuilt as a full-fledged console-quality RPG experience.” It’s a tale of Crystals with a strategic turn-based battle system, the return of chocobos, espers and airships, and appearances from beloved Final Fantasy characters such as Cloud, Tidus, and the Warrior of Light — all presented in retro-inspired HD-2D graphics that, in the publisher’s words, “push the limits of pixel art.”
Visions: 26 Heroes Join Your Party
The signature mechanic is Visions — echoes of Final Fantasy characters that fight alongside main heroes Rain and Lasswell. There are 26 companions to find across the game, from iconic villain Sephiroth and amnesiac rebel Terra to the first Warrior of Light and stoic battler Lightning, plus originals from Brave Exvius like Black Mage Tronn. Each Vision grants passives, magic, and physical strikes (Noctis, for example, brings a 20% attack boost plus Thunder and Blizzard), earns mastery points from battles to unlock more bonuses, and can unleash cinematic Resonance finishers — like Cloud’s brutal Ascension — after you stagger all opponents in a fight.
Reviews: Brilliant Battles, Weaker Story
Eurogamer’s review is a qualified recommendation. Resonance “is a decent game, a wonderful ‘what if’ experiment that asks ‘what does a pixel-based Final Fantasy look like in 2026?'” and “the best-looking HD-2D game I’ve ever played” — but its Brave Exvius-sourced story is “by far the weakest facet,” and pacing issues run through its 30-40 hours. The battles are the saving grace: a stamina-and-stagger hybrid that plays “more like something from Octopath Traveler than any numbered FF entry,” and is “compelling and hard to put down.” Producer Keisuke Nakashima has said the combat is largely inspired by FF5 and FF6 — Visions as a proxy for FF5’s job system, unique individual characters as in FF6.
“If you come to Final Fantasy for its emotive storytelling, memorable characters, and a complete world to get lost in, I think you’ll leave disappointed,” Eurogamer concludes. “If you come looking for moreish, brain-scratching RPG combat puzzles, I couldn’t recommend it more.”
Beyond the main quest, Resonance packs optional bosses, a Colosseum with deadly monsters and rewards to match, the Chamber of Arms with formidable foes sealed within legendary weapons, and a showdown with series staple Ultima Weapon. Square Enix bills it as “the culmination of nearly 40 years of Final Fantasy games” — a series that has now sold more than 215 million units worldwide.