Final Fantasy Resonance is Going All In On the Series' Golden Age

Time to track down some crystals

Final Fantasy Resonance marks the first time the Final Fantasy series has gotten the HD-2D visual treatment, which combines 2D pixel art with three-dimensional environments and dynamic lighting effects. The style was first introduced with 2018's Octopath Traveler, and earlier this year, Square Enix's action RPG The Adventures of Elliot: The Millennium Tales innovated on the style in some endearing new ways. Now, Resonance is poised to take that innovation a step further, with a turn-based tale of crystals that imagines a world where Final Fantasy games continued to push the limits of pixel art in the late '90s and beyond.

Based on the first season of the 2016 mobile game Final Fantasy Brave Exvius — yes, the one that featured Ariana Grande and Katy Perry as summons — this expanded and enhanced version of the story aims to deliver a richer experience than a straightforward port of remake. Ahead of the game's launch in October, Square Enix has shared some new details about the game's world, cast of characters, and how past Final Fantasy heroes will lend their power to this new adventure.

If you're a fan of the SNES era of the series, get ready for the return of chocobos, espers, and airships. Resonance will also feature a number of nations powered by mighty crystals, like The Zoldaad Empire, a military nation that's home to the fire crystal. In typical Final Fantasy fashion, this Empire is up to no good: "According to rumors, Zoldaad plans to use the airships and magitek weaponry they’ve mass-produced in recent years to invade neighboring countries," said Square Enix in a press release. There's also the advanced magical city of Mysidia, the home of the Ice Crystal that's said to exist only in legend. (Mysidia was also the name of a city full of mages in FF4.)

Zoldaad and Mysidia are home to two new main characters in Resonance, Jake and Sakura. Square Enix describes Jake as "The leader of the rebel army opposing the Zoldaad Empire. Though Jake comes off as breezy and easily distracted by the fairer sex, within his chest is a heart that beats fervently for his countrymen, and he will do whatever it takes to end their suffering under the empire’s boot. In battle, Jake makes Lady Luck his ally, fighting with chancy abilities such as Coin Toss and Gamble Shot." I'm seeing a little mash-up of FF6's Edgar and Setzer here, and I'm not mad about it.

Meanwhile, the purple-pigtailed Sakura "appears to be a young girl, her true age is unknown. As she speaks in a manner that suggests an ancient soul, many believe her to be far older than she seems... Sakura possesses an immense magical prowess that places her a cut above other mages. Her true origins and identity, however, are a mystery." From the sound of things, she might be a mix of FF6's Terra and a bit of FF4's Rydia. Either way, the mysterious city full of mages is a JRPG trope I can never get enough of.

Square Enix also shared some new information about how Resonance's turn-based combat will work. In battle, your party members will be able to use Limit Bursts, super powerful attacks tied to a gauge which fills when enemies or staggered or the character takes damage. As in past Final Fantasy games, you'll also be able to summon powerful enemies known as espers to help you in combat, including familiar names llke Carbuncle, Odin, Leviathan, and Bahamut. But what's most unique about Resonance's combat are Visions, crystalized essences of legendary heroes that can be equipped to fight alongside protagonist Rain and his companions. The more you use Visions in battle, the stronger they become. If you're able to stagger all enemies in one turn, you'll trigger a Resonance with a vision and perform an exceptionally devastating attack — essentially an even more powerful version of a Limit Break that's unique to that character. In order to obtain vision crystals, you'll have to visit the Sanctums of Light that have been erected around the world.

Some Vision characters are unique to this world and story. Each main character seems to have a handful of Visions associated with them, like Jake's gun-toting maid Amelia and Sakura's white mage pal, Ayaka. But other visions will be very familiar to longtime Final Fantasy fans. These include FF3's Onion Knight, FF12's Vaan, FF13's Lightning, FF15's Noctis, and FF16's Clive, among many more. (There's no official word yet on pop princesses like Ariana and Katy joining the cast this time around.)

Many Final Fantasy players love a top-tier challenge, and Resonance promises to have plenty to keep them occupied. The upcoming game will feature numerous optional superbosses and secret dungeons. "Though unrelated to the main story, these dungeons offer the perfect chance for those looking to test their mettle," Square Enix teases.

Final Fantasy Resonance will be released for Nintendo Switch, Switch 2, PlayStation 5, Windows PC, and Xbox Series X on Oct. 22.