The short version
- Final Fantasy Resonance launched on October 22 on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Switch 2, Switch and PC. Square Enix calls it the first HD-2D Final Fantasy.
- Reviews are strong: 86 on Metacritic, 85 on OpenCritic with 90% of critics recommending it, and 97% positive user reviews on Steam.
- On Steam it's ₹3,499 in India ($49.99 in the US). The Digital Deluxe Edition is ₹3,999 ($59.99).
- A free demo covers the whole first chapter, and your save carries over. Buy before November 6 to get the early purchase bonus.
What kind of game it is
Resonance is a turn-based RPG built by Square Enix with the studio Lancarse. It isn't a brand-new story. It remakes the first story arc of Final Fantasy Brave Exvius, a mobile game, as a full console RPG.
You play as Rain and Lasswell, captains in the airship division of the Grandshelt military in the land of Lapis. When a dark knight from the Sworn Six destroys the Earth Crystal, the pair gain new powers and meet a girl with no memory who came out of the crystal. The first chapter is set on a medieval-style island. The second moves to a neon, steam-powered city.
Image: Square Enix
Visions and combat
The hook is the cast you borrow. You equip Visions, echoes of classic Final Fantasy characters such as Cloud, Tidus, Lightning and Noctis, on your party. Each Vision gives active and passive skills, and its Mastery Rank rises the longer you keep it equipped. Nintendo Life called it "a great take on a job system".
Battles are turn-based with a turn-order timeline:
- Every enemy has a stagger bar. Hitting its elemental weakness drains the bar quickly.
- A staggered enemy loses its turn and takes extra damage, and whoever staggered it gets a bonus action at the end of the round.
- Stagger every enemy at once and your whole party gets extra moves and a big Resonance attack.
Outside battle, you can ride chocobos across the overworld, and there's fast travel and side-quest tracking. Familiar faces like Gilgamesh, the Colosseum and Ultima Weapon turn up too.
What HD-2D means here
HD-2D is the look Square Enix built for Octopath Traveler in 2018: pixel art characters placed in a 3D world, with modern lighting, water and a blurred, diorama-like depth of field. Our HD-2D explainer covers how it works and which other games use it. Nintendo Life praised Resonance's "gorgeous, upgraded HD-2D graphics".
Image: Square Enix
What reviewers said
Image: Zerocade
Most critics landed between 8 and 9 out of 10. IGN, Nintendo Life and Push Square gave it 8/10, Game Informer 9/10 and Japan's Famitsu 36/40. The praise centres on the combat and the look. Nintendo Life summed it up as playing "like a lost entry from earlier in the series".
The complaints are about the story. Nintendo Life called it "kind of so-so", and Eurogamer (3/5) and VGC (3/5) both took issue with the writing, which carries over from a mobile game.
How long is it? Square Enix hasn't said. A Famitsu-based report puts the main story at about 20 to 30 hours, and everything at around 70 hours. Treat those as rough figures.
Prices and editions
| Edition | India (Steam) | US | What's added |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard | ₹3,499 | $49.99 | The game |
| Digital Deluxe | ₹3,999 | $59.99 | Magitek Armor Key (changes your chocobo's look), Archwitch's Grimoire, Mastery Ring, items |
| Deluxe Upgrade | ₹1,249 | $14.99 | Deluxe items for Standard owners |
| Soundtrack | ₹1,195 | $22.98 | Original soundtrack |
The Squire Kickstart Pack (Blessed Cuirass and Mist Ether) is free if you buy before November 6 at 8:59am PT, which is 10:29pm IST. A physical Collector's Edition also exists, with an artbook and soundtrack. We couldn't confirm PS Store or Xbox India prices, so check those before you buy on console.
PC requirements
- Minimum (1080p, 30fps, Low): Windows 11, Ryzen 3 2300X or Core i3-8100, 8GB RAM, GTX 1650, RX 6400 or Arc A580.
- Recommended (1080p, 60fps, Highest): Ryzen 5 2500X or Core i3-8100, 8GB RAM, GTX 1650, RX 5500 XT or Arc A580.
- Storage: 15GB. It uses Denuvo anti-tamper, and only Windows 11 is listed.
Those are modest numbers, so most gaming laptops sold in India in the last few years meet the recommended spec.
Who it's for, on paper
This is aimed at fans of turn-based Final Fantasy who miss the SNES-era look and like tinkering with party builds. If story is what you want most from Final Fantasy, the reviews suggest you'll find it thinner than the combat. The demo is the easy test, since your progress moves over. Our October release guide has the rest of this month's big games.
What to watch next
Watch for the November 6 bonus deadline, any post-launch patches, and whether Square Enix adds more Visions or story content. No DLC beyond the Deluxe items and soundtrack has been announced.
