Final Fantasy shifts its look without abandoning its roots. Final Fantasy Resonance, a RPG developed and published by Square Enix, was unveiled at the Nintendo Direct on June 9, 2026. Drawing on the first narrative arc of Final Fantasy Brave Exvius, the game is slated for PC, PS5, Xbox Series, Nintendo Switch, and Nintendo Switch 2 release from October 22, 2026.
Controller in hand, Final Fantasy Resonance goes back to a familiar formula for fans of Japanese RPGs: strategic turn-based battles, but reimagined with a more contemporary presentation. Chocobos, summons, and airships will also return, in an HD-2D world that blends pixel art with modern effects. Square Enix notes that this isn’t merely a port of Final Fantasy Brave Exvius, but a game that's been redesigned from the ground up for consoles and PC.
The story picks up the opening arc of Final Fantasy Brave Exvius, reimagined as a full-fledged RPG. The game will also feature a number of familiar faces from the series, including Cloud, Tidus, and the Warrior of Light. The aim is to deliver an adventure that resonates with long-time fans while staying accessible to newcomers who discover the universe through this installment.
Final Fantasy Resonance: Our Review
The game’s biggest strength is its HD-2D art direction: the fusion of polished retro pixel art and three-dimensional settings bathed in volumetric light gives this adventure a lovely poetic quality. As for combat, strategy fans will quickly find their feet thanks to a pure turn-based system, free of an ATB gauge, that harks back to the tactical precision of Final Fantasy X.
The gameplay revolves around methodically hunting down enemies’ weaknesses to trigger a devastating stagger. To add some variety to battles, summoning the “Visions” briefly calls on iconic characters from the series, such as Cloud, Squall, and Noctis—a thrilling mechanic that adds real depth to the toughest duels.
We appreciate the adventure’s overall pacing, with around forty hours of gameplay and none of the artificial padding that often clutters contemporary releases. In the second half of the adventure, however, some of the dialogue can feel naïve, and the plot twists are predictable.
Despite these shortcomings, the game remains a warm-hearted choice for anyone looking to recapture the charm of classic role-playing games. For those curious but hesitant to take the plunge, a free demo lasting around five hours is available on all digital platforms, with the welcome option to carry over your save directly into the full game.
Square Enix is lining up multiple launch editions, including a standard version, a Digital Deluxe edition, and a Collector's Edition. The latter will bundle an art book, the game's soundtrack, and an exclusive promo card for the Final Fantasy Trading Card Game. More details on the game's exact content are still to come, but this first glimpse already places Final Fantasy Resonance as a bridge between a homage to the classics and a more modern take on the material.
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