Over the last couple of months, I've been salivating at the chance to play Final Fantasy Resonance, the first 'HD-2D' RPG in the Final Fantasy franchise.
It aims to bring back turn-based combat to the series after being absent for decades, while taking players on a grand adventure with gorgeous pixel-art graphics, lovable characters, and a fun story that pays tribute to the entire Final Fantasy legacy.
As someone who grew up playing turn-based Final Fantasy games ever since the original PlayStation One version of Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy Resonance wowed me with its nostalgic-yet-fresh presentation and gameplay.
Yet, I can't be worried. Square Enix hadn't made a home console Final Fantasy game with turn-based combat since Final Fantasy X-2 in 2003. It has spent many years trying to turn this series into an action-RPG franchise, which made me worry the developers had forgotten how to do turn-based combat for a Final Fantasy game.
Fortunately, after having played the recently released Final Fantasy Resonance demo on Xbox, my fears were crushed harder than a falling Meteor because this game is AWESOME so far.
Here's why I'm looking forward to playing Final Fantasy Resonance and why you should to if you're an old-school Final Fantasy fan or turn-based RPGs in general.
What is it?
Final Fantasy Resonance follows the story of Rain, a Knight of Grandshelt tasked with saving the world's life-giving Crystals from being destroyed by an evil group of dark knights known as the Sworn Six.
Along the way, you will meet heroic companions with intriguing backstories, explore a vibrant and colorful world rendered in nostalgic yet richly detailed pixel-art graphics, and call forth spiritual manifestations called 'Visions' to aid you in turn-based combat against deadly foes.
Story and Presentation
What I like about the story so far is how simple yet effective and easy to follow it is.
After dealing with shoehorned alternate timelines and 'Plot Ghosts' in the Final Fantasy VII Remake series and Final Fantasy XVI's library's worth of exposition and introspection, it feels so nice to play a Final Fantasy game where the premise is "Evil knights want to burn the world because they felt it wronged them; go stop them."
What also helps elevate the story from what I've played so far is the myriad of side-quests that go into detail on the characters' backstories, the vibrant worldbuilding and charming characters, and the stunning way Square Enix presents it.
This game takes 'HD-2D' graphics (a graphical style that blends 2D-pixel art with 3D backgrounds and atmospheric lighting) and perfects it with gusto.
The cinematic cutscenes, environments, and turn-based battles are so gorgeously animated and detailed that they make the world feel more alive than games rendered in Unreal Engine, and make something as mundane as fighting low-level goblins feel like the most epic battle in the world.
Not to mention, the pixel-art animation breathes so much life and personality into the characters through their facial expressions and actions that it makes me feel nostalgic for old PlayStation One JRPGs like the underrated classic, Grandia.
On a side note, the story has plenty of funny gags and heartwarming moments that will please long-time Final Fantasy fans while bringing levity after some pretty brutal moments.
Classic Final Fantasy turn-based combat returns with a modern twist
Now, of course, Square Enix wastes no expense when it comes to their games' presentation, but what about gameplay?
Well, Final Fantasy Resonance follows the old-school Final Fantasy gameplay loop of exploring a world map to progress the plot, visiting towns to shop for equipment, and exploring dungeons filled with deadly enemies and bosses that must be defeated in turn-based combat.
Turn-based combat was my biggest draw to Final Fantasy Resonance, and I'm pleased to report that Square Enix still knows how to make it, and it feels SO GOOD.
At first, it plays the combat system seen in Final Fantasy X, where you take turns smacking each other with weapons and spells until one side is defeated. However, Final Fantasy Resonance quickly introduced me to new mechanics to spice things up.
These include breaking an enemy's Stagger gauge to stun them, like in Final Fantasy VII Remake, and gaining extra turns where you can unleash a storm of attacks to batter them while they're down.
Combat takes things a step further with Visions. This mechanic allows your party to embody the traits and abilities of heroes from past Final Fantasy games or original heroes exclusive to this game.
These Visions can turn party members into tanks that draw aggro from enemies, healers to keep the party alive, damage dealers that focus on breaking an enemy's stagger meter, and much more. What's more is that these Visions can perform powerful super moves (with pre-rendered cinematics) when you manage to stagger all enemies on-screen at once.
As you use and level up Visions, you can even permanently learn their passive traits and mix and match them to suit your playstyle to create the ultimate party of heroes. I got so hooked on the Visions system that I spent hours trying to learn the few abilities that were available from the demo just to see what kind of party members I could create.
It felt so rewarding when I managed to cobble a team together to take this game's brutal optional bosses and obtain some loot for my efforts, especially on Hard Mode when breaking Stagger meters became harder to do with just brute force alone.
On side note, thank goodness this game allows you to play the hardest difficulty immediately instead of making us beat the whole game on 'Normal/Easy' Mode first like many Final Fantasy games seem to these days. It makes the story's high notes feel more worth it when we're given the option to tackle it's hardest difficulty.
Here's hoping the full version of Final Fantasy Resonance lives up to its name and 'resonates' with gamers
Overall, I'm liking what I'm seeing in Final Fantasy Resonance so far after completing the demo.
It nailed the retro vibe of the early 2D-era Final Fantasy games while being fresh with its beautiful HD-2D art style. The combat system and Visions system are so addictive; there are hints of plenty of side content to partake in, and it's chock-full of fan service for Final Fantasy fans while being accessible enough for newcomers to enjoy without making them do homework.
Hopefully, if the full version of Final Fantasy Resonance is good and sells well enough with gamers, it will convince Square Enix to make more turn-based Final Fantasy games in the future once it's finished with Final Fantasy VII: Revelation.
Either way, I can't wait to play the full version of Final Fantasy Resonance when it launches on October 22, 2026, on Xbox Series X|S (with Xbox Play Anywhere support), PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch 1 & 2, and PC via Steam.
If you want to check out Final Fantasy Resonance for yourself before then, the playable demo is available to download on digital storefronts.
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