Final Fantasy Resonance Review

One of the beautiful things of a long-running franchise like Final Fantasy is that if you ask a group of fans to name their favourite title, you could hear dozens of different answers. Each amazing title throughout this storied franchise means something to someone, even the ones that many may consider “bottom tier”. Final Fantasy Resonance is not the first time that Square Enix has made a love letter to the series, that honour goes to Final Fantasy IX, but it is the experience that the fan base needs right now. While fans feverishly debate the future of the franchise, Square Enix quietly released one of the best Final Fantasy games in a generation, and perhaps a clue as to where the series will go from here.

Before getting too into the weeds, the elephant in the room must be addressed. Final Fantasy Resonance is in fact a “reimagining” of the 2016 mobile game, Brave Exvius. Incremental story progression and gacha pulling were part of my morning routine for a short period of time, but it only took a few weeks for my interest to wane and my finger to finally remove the app from my phone. Buried beneath mobile game sensibilities and heavy monetization hid the framework of a truly great game. Thankfully, someone at Square Enix thought so too. This isn’t the first instance of Square Enix taking a mobile game and expanding it into a full console-like experience. The success of Octopath Traveler 0 created both a framework to reimagine a mobile experience and prepare an audience to be accepting of that vision.

Looking past its mobile roots, Final Fantasy Resonance feels like the original developers that brought us the Pixel-Era of the franchise brought the band back together for a reunion tour. Not to simply relive the glory days by reusing assets and storylines, but a wholly original tale that really nails the Final Fantasy vibe. A pair of humble knights and a wayward sorceress suffering from amnesia are thrown into a world-saving adventure when their kingdom’s crystal is destroyed by an evil organization calling themselves the Sworn Six. It’s a plot description straight from the 1990s that feels both familiar and fresh at the same time. Along the way, they add more party members, take on side quests in each of the different kingdoms, and even form bonds with Espers, who then can be called upon in battle. If that wasn’t enough, crystals of light bestow the spirit of heroes from past games. These past heroes provide party members with unique abilities that can be learned over time, as well as a unique attack with a cinematic execution.

Some of the dialogue may be hit or miss, but overall the story is a wonderful mix of dramatic moments and perfectly timed levity.  Each chapter is packed full with heart tugging moments between the party members as they try as best they can to defend the world from the evil deeds of the Sworn Six.  Long time fans of the series will notice nods to past entries, both big and small. The sibling rivalry relationship between Rain and Laswell very much mirrors the relationship of Cecil and Kain from Final Fantasy IV. Smaller details can be found in the dialogue such as the Dwarves greeting everyone with a Lali-Ho, or even a travelling musician that refers to himself as a “Spoony Bard”. Whatever you think of the quality of the writing, what cannot be denied is that the development team clearly has a lot of knowledge and admiration for the franchise.

Not to be outdone, the visual design of Resonance went well beyond anything I could have imagined. Based upon the HD2D engine that has worked so well for the Octopath Traveler series, Resonance takes the engine a step further with some of the best visuals ever seen in a non-3D Final Fantasy title. Each time the party enters a new kingdom, some aspect of its environment completely blows you away. Flowing water and beautiful fountains adorn the landscapes of the Aquapolis while the capital city of Zoldaad is a visual delight of urban architecture. Resonance is packed full of incredibly impressive cinematic scenes, beginning with an opening sequence of Bahamut using Mega Flare. The cutscenes appear to be using a filter that gives the video a “pixel” shine to them, but they still manage to maintain that 2D aesthetic.

The most pleasant surprise of the game might just be the unique combat system that finds a happy medium between the traditional turn-based systems of the early years and the more complex system used in the Octopath Traveler series. As a fan of more complex systems, my main concern going into Resonance was that the battle system would feel stale fairly quickly. Thankfully, that proved not to be the case. The Visions, or heroes from games past, act as a sort of job system that can be applied to each of the different party members. An offensive character such as Rain can be paired with a white mage to add healing abilities, or become an offensive juggernaut by linking them with a soldier like Cloud Strife. Experimentation is encouraged through the fact that each of the party members can learn permanent abilities that can be equipped even after you’ve paired them up with a new vision. The system is simple enough for newcomers of turn-based combat not to feel overwhelmed, but also provides enough freedom to veterans to develop different strategies.

The release of Final Fantasy Resonance couldn’t have come at a better time. Coming off the disappointing release of Final Fantasy XVI, the franchise is at a crossroads of sorts. Square Enix continues to chase trends as they have so far been adamant that the larger audience demands an action-RPG. This assessment may be out of date, as shortly after release, Resonance set a Square Enix record for most concurrent Steam players even beating out flagship title, Final Fantasy VII Rebirth. Taking into consideration this renewed interest in classic Final Fantasy, along with the success of other turn-based RPGs such as Expedition 33, Square Enix may now be reconsidering the future of the franchise. And they definitely should, because Resonance is one of the best Final Fantasy games that I’ve played in two decades.