Final Fantasy Resonance Review - Close To Classic Final Fantasy

First Released October 22, 2026

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Published Oct 20, 2026, 9:00 AM EDT

While Final Fantasy Resonance doesn't hit the same high notes as some classic Final Fantasy games, it still forges its own path.

Whether you're a long-time fan or a newcomer to the series, Final Fantasy Resonance has a lot to offer. As a reworked version of the first story arc from the mobile game Final Fantasy Brave Exvius, some folks are understandably wary. But it has no gacha mechanics or FOMO elements to scare off prospective players.

Instead, Resonance offers a fully fleshed-out, contained story while giving you all the tools you need to build a varied, unique party. It's also a gorgeous-looking game, with new places to explore at nearly every turn. A few shortcomings aside, this is one to watch if you're a JRPG fan in any capacity.

Experimentation Is Paramount

With the first party members having access to fire and ice magic out of the gate, it immediately feels like a classicFinal Fantasyentry, through and through. The magical elemental crystals have returned, in what is essentially a "Final FantasyAll-Stars" entry. You'll find the Warrior of Light joining forces with Cloud and Squall, and classic motifs like Moogles and airships return.

What I love most about Resonance is that it feels like it's honoring the series without being too cloying. At some point, stuffing so much nostalgia into a package doesn't really convey anything in a way that hasn't been done before. Resonance avoids that pain point for the most part, instead offering those nostalgic options as legitimate tactical depth.

In addition to your party members (who all have roles, typically diverging from the melee/caster archetypes), there's also "Visions," the aforementioned spirits of old Final Fantasy heroes (and villains in a few cases), who can be "equipped" and leveled separately for each party member. So your tank could bring Tidus from Final Fantasy X along, and gain access to melee-based water attacks.

Or, your healer could bring an offensive mage Vision in to help bolster their magic attack. The choice is yours, and although some Visions don't synergize perfectly (like bringing a physical attack Vision for a magical character without equipping it properly), there is plenty of room for fun experimentation and efficiency in the same breath.

While combat tends to rely heavily on exploiting weaknesses, you don't always need to spam them, and you don't always have access to any given elemental weakness at any time. You can absolutely diversify to the point where everyone, say, has access to fire magic, but the efficiency of those builds won't necessarily translate into more damage than other builds.

Instead, I felt uniquely empowered as I discovered more Visions and party member playstyles, and I had several favorites fully leveled in almost every Vision. It reminded me of when I was inspired to complete the Sphere Grid in Final Fantasy 10 with Tidus, Yuna, and Auron. That's good company to keep.

Around Chapter 5, the heat turns up, and having all my choices come to roost was incredibly satisfying. New builds are just a few small tweaks away, and I didn't feel the need to grind because I had diversified my options enough that a few accessory changes and a Vision swap could spell the difference between a win and a loss.

Weakness and staggering are well-worn territory (especially in Atlus games), but they feel authentic to Resonance, and it's intuitive enough that everything works as it should.

Every Frame Is A Painting

The first thing I noticed about Final Fantasy Resonance was how gorgeous it was. The bright blazing fires, the glowing flower petals, the frosty ice; it all glitters like gold on any screen, even the small glow of the Switch 2.

Espers (summons) look particularly beautiful, and don't overstay their welcome. If you do get sick of watching in-combat cutscenes, you can skip roughly 95% of them, and crank up the battle speed from 1x to 2x or 3x. With these conveniences, battles never feel like a chore, even if you do decide to grind out a perfect build.

Where Resonance falls short for me is its story. While the narrative is serviceable, outside a few key moments, it lacks the impact of other entries. What I found lacking, in particular, were a few party members who aren't as memorable as they should be, especially if you compare them directly to some of the stellar parties of past games.

Still, there are plenty of cool character moments (especially with the initial trio you pick up at the start), and each party member has their own exclusive quest; plus lots of optional party banter pops up while you're exploring. A lot of effort is put into making everyone pop, but it's not always effective.

Classic Fans & Newcomers Should Apply

Another standout element of Final Fantasy Resonance is its map. While you predictably gain access to the airship later in the game, Resonance forces you to walk (or ride a chocobo) across its varied biomes at first, learning the ins and outs of wandering into an innocent-looking cave, or investigating a whirlpool with a deadly foe inside.

Even after finishing the game, I was floored to see that there was at least one super dungeon, several major named superbosses to take down, and multiple other elite enemies populated a few innocuous caves. I genuinely felt a sense of wonder looking around the game world, and with a ton of collectibles to find (arguably too many), there's even more there for completionists.

Despite a few missteps in the story's pacing, Final Fantasy Resonance fulfills its promise of delivering classic JRPG gameplay for a modern era. It has plenty of quality-of-life options you'd expect with a retro tint, and tacticians should enjoy the sheer breadth Resonance offers when building your perfect party.