Final Fantasy Resonance Reviews
Final Fantasy Resonance sports one of the best turn-based combat systems seen in years, bolstered by lovable characters and a genuinely stunning presentation. However, it's held back by a lackluster story and odd pacing.
Final Fantasy Resonance is a spectacular RPG that captures the Final Fantasy experience of old. Equipped with a modern vision (pun intended), it offers a compelling story and hours of exciting battles and exploration.
Forget, for a moment, that Final Fantasy: Resonance is inspired by a defunct mobile game from eleven years ago, and instead consider the RPG experien...
Final Fantasy Resonance is an addictive, mechanically deep, and gorgeous role playing game.
After a long absence, it feels incredible to play another turn-based Final Fantasy, especially one as strong as Resonance. Complex characterisation and a satisfying combat system combined with smart progression incentives make for an excellent return to Square Enix's important heritage, even if the dungeons leaves much to be desired.
What Final Fantasy Resonance lacks in originality it makes up for with dynamic visuals and presentation and an understanding of what makes the classics work.
Final Fantasy Resonance wears its inspirations on its sleeves, presenting a worthy story and challenge that weaves new and old together.
Final Fantasy Resonance may not reinvent the airship, but it incorporates every mainline Final Fantasy title—directly, as classic characters appear as Visions, or indirectly, through a story that draws from every installment. It’s a splendid celebration of the series ahead of its 40th anniversary.
Final Fantasy Resonance is a perfect title for lovers of the series that have been there from the start, and for anyone who can appreciate turn-based battle, sound settings, beautiful soundtracks, and chocobos. Nostalgia may hit hard when acquiring Visions, and the harmony between gameplay and cutscenes keeps this title alive and vibrant throughout.
This is a classic, turn-based JRPG that acts as a powerful love letter to the entire series.
Featuring turn-based combat, HD-2D visuals, and plenty of returning characters, Final Fantasy Resonance is a nostalgic treat perfect for old-school Final Fantasy fans.
The story in Final Fantasy Resonance has a few baffling decisions, and its romance subplots occasionally stumble into uncomfortable territory. Still, those shortcomings don't outweigh the strengths of its combat, progression systems, and old-school design. If you can look past its narrative missteps, Resonance is exactly the kind of throwback longtime Final Fantasy fans have been waiting for.
I've pined for years to see this beloved series return to its roots, instead of leaning into genres that don't really represent what Final Fantasy is. Resonance, more than anything else, understands what made early Final Fantasy so endearing and enduring. If you've missed fully turn-based battles, quirky pixelated characters, and all of the classic '90s Final Fantasy charm, Resonance is guaranteed to resonate with you.
While it still leaves plenty of content from the game that inspired it for future sequels, Final Fantasy Resonance brings one of Square Enix's best games of the last decade to consoles. The title features excellent characters and narrative, combat that captures the best of the series' classics without the limitations of a mobile game, and a beautiful visual overhaul in HD-2D. If you're a Final Fantasy fan, you'll love the experience.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
Playing Final Fantasy Resonance, one is repeatedly struck with the feeling of how much better the games it references are than this game. The sprites are absolutely awesome and the ‘job’ system is pretty cool, but that is about the limit of its good points. Combat is frequent, long, grindy and repetitive. The story goes nowhere, and it’s sad when the two-minute vignettes of the heroes from past games are far more interesting than the actual story taking place.
Final Fantasy Resonance is a tremendously enjoyable adventure, with fast-paced combat that encourages experimentation and a very well-balanced progression system. Its spectacular HD-2D presentation and magnificent soundtrack round out a JRPG that knows how to make the journey a constant pleasure.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
The experiment of imagining how an old-school Final Fantasy might evolve has been a success. Square Enix took the mobile game Brave Exvius and, from its ashes, built a title that revives a narrative formula faithful to the traditions of the past, with well-developed characters and good plot twists, even if it doesn't offer anything truly original. At the same time, it recreates an entire world to explore, just like in the JRPGs of yesteryear: in some cases, it does so perhaps a bit hastily, but the overall result is truly excellent, thanks above all to one of the best implementations of HD-2D graphics ever seen.
Review in Italian | Read full review
The mix of new and old in FINAL FANTASY RESONANCE makes for an engaging story with a visceral battle system and a world that's a joy to explore. However, I wish the visions mechanic was more central to the game and its writing can be eye-rolling at parts. 🔮
I think Final Fantasy Resonance is a fine game, fun even, and a wonderful celebration of the franchise. The whole thing feels like a love letter to both the series as a whole and to fans of the oldest games, especially. It’s just in service of a format that isn’t really for me, and that’s okay. The game doesn’t try to shy away from its turn-based JRPG roots but instead embraces them, attempting to present the best version of those old systems as they could. Ironically, I feel like the Resonance design has a potential future in itself for combat systems that aren’t this, and that has me more excited than anything else. It feels weird to say but I like Resonance more for the potential it represents than the celebration that it is. Still, if you’re a lifelong or diehard fan of the series, there’s a lot here to love and I’d still recommend it.
Who knew a more straightforward, nostalgia-fueled experience was all that was needed to get us to enjoy an RPG? Final Fantasy Resonance more than satisfied our itch for a good old school adventure.