Final Fantasy Resonance Review (PS5)

Crystal clear

Version Reviewed: PS5 Pro / European

For well over a decade now, some Final Fantasy fans have been demanding a return to a more traditional gameplay structure. And while Final Fantasy Resonance is a far cry from being a mainline AAA Final Fantasy game, it provides a glimpse of what a modern instalment could look like, if it adhered to old-school sensibilities.

Resonance is built on the foundations laid by Final Fantasy Brave Exvius — the now defunct mobile game. But this isn't just some weird console port; it's a full-on rework that strips Exvius of its free-to-play systems and reimagines it as a classic turn-based adventure.

The result is a surprisingly great JRPG, complete with all of the franchise's usual trimmings.

It's a well-paced journey that doesn't get caught up on endless reams of dialogue — a genre trend that's become increasingly difficult to escape. And in that sense, Resonance really does feel like a throwback to simpler times, when big story moments came thick and fast, and there was very little padding to be found in between them.

Having said that, Resonance's relatively simplistic approach leads to a noticeable lack of narrative depth.

The plot, which revolves around all-important crystals, and the mysterious group of knights that's obsessed with destroying them, has its share of twists and turns — but it's all very, very predictable.

Characters tend to be incredibly stereotypical, and you can see their eventual struggles and subsequent development coming from miles away. The cast feels frustratingly surface-level at times, especially since character interactions — particularly between party members — often suggest that there's more to offer.

Still, I found myself endeared to these personalities in the end. A combination of gorgeous character portraits and occasionally humorous writing goes a long way; there's an undeniable charm and confidence to Resonance in how it presents itself.

Indeed, this may be yet another example of Square Enix's foray into HD-2D visuals, but I think it pulls the style off to far greater effect than its peers, like the comparatively static Dragon Quest HD-2D Remakes.

That's because it's not afraid to shift the camera and work some really nice cinematic angles during cutscenes. It can be a little strange seeing pixellated character sprites move like they're part of a fully 3D production, but those big story beats I mentioned earlier are undoubtedly better for it.

Environments look lovely as well. The explorable overworld map is a genuine treat for the eyes, while the game's multiple cities and towns are all beautifully put together with carefully worked lighting and depth of field effects.

It's a shame, then, that the user interface is just a bit... basic. Generic and boring font choices are the primary culprit here, and although visual clarity is super important in a game that features so many different menus, I do think that something like an alternative text setting — as seen in the Final Fantasy Pixel Remasters — would be more than welcome.

But that's a minor complaint, the kind of thing that's so easy to overlook when you're having fun — and boy is Resonance fun once it really gets going.

The opening hours are perhaps a little too straightforward. Combat options are limited, you're stuck with just two or three party members, and early enemies pose almost zero threat. It can feel like Resonance is just going through the JRPG motions — to its own detriment.

Fortunately, it isn't long until you start to realise the importance of 'Visions'. Scattered throughout the game in easy-to-find sanctuaries, Visions are essentially spirits of past Final Fantasy protagonists.

They can be equipped to your party members, granting them access to unique skills, magic spells, and passive abilities. Think of them as an interchangeable class system, and you're on the right track.

Visions can be freely swapped out at any time, but keep them equipped on one character long enough, and that party member will gain both permanent stat increases and passive perks, allowing you to shape their overall combat build.

This process opens up so much potential for customisation, and it helps that you're handed new Visions on a pretty frequent basis. It got to a point where I would stumble across a Vision sanctuary and get excited about the possibilities.

It's just a great progression system, which also just happens to pander towards existing Final Fantasy fans. Seeing the likes of Cloud, Squall, and Tidus unleash attacks in battle — floating alongside your characters like JoJo's Bizarre Adventure stands — is fairly cheap but effective fan service.

There is some brief narrative reasoning behind the existence of Visions, by the way — but you can kind of tell that they were originally implemented as part of a gacha system in Brave Exvius.

As such, Visions can feel slightly shoehorned into the experience, but again, they work so well on a mechanical level that I was willing to look past the spottier details.

So what about the combat itself? Well, it's a turn-based affair — not an ATB one, it should be stressed — and it's actually fantastic.

The system's centred around enemies having a stagger gauge, and specific elemental weaknesses. Just like in the Persona games, you're heavily rewarded for exploiting said weaknesses, and so it pays to make sure that your party covers a wide range of elemental strikes and spells.

Hitting a weakness depletes stagger bars at a far faster rate, and staggering all of your opponents awards a full sweep of bonus turns, which is usually where your meatiest damage numbers come from.

Success lies in dishing out these staggers as efficiently as possible, but when you throw in additional options like summons, and Vision-specific super attacks, things get really dynamic and interesting. There's an impressive degree of depth here.

Conclusion

Square Enix has hit on something surprisingly special with Final Fantasy Resonance. While its story and characters struggle to break away from being all too predictable at times, its old-school, turn-based gameplay is fantastic.