Square Enix surprised everyone when they announced Final Fantasy Resonance at today’s Nintendo Direct presentation. Final Fantasy Resonance is the first original Final Fantasy game utilizing the HD-2D visual style popularized by the Octopath Traveler series and the recent Dragon Quest HD remakes. It is also a rework of the first story arc of Final Fantasy Brave Exvius, taking assets, characters, and storylines from that mobile title and reworking them into a single-player RPG for consoles and PC, similar to how Octopath Traveler 0 adapted the mobile title Octopath Traveler: Champions of the Continent into a single-player title.
Final Fantasy Resonance sets a new high watermark for the HD-2D visual style, employing what the trailer calls “cinematic pixel art” to essentially replicate the visual spectacle of classic FMV sequences using pixel art and animations rather than prerendered CG. The result is visually stunning, with massive animated sprites layered upon backgrounds, cinematic camera flourishes, and other modern visual effects combining into a rich tapestry that’s a true feast for the eyes. The gameplay segments feature the typical 2D sprite on 3D backgrounds, with high resolution 2D character portraits and enhanced lighting techniques.
The story is set in the Kingdom of Knights, Grandshelt, where the people live under the protection of the crystals. Airship Squadron commander Rain and his childhood friend Lasswell are sent to investigate a disturbance in the shrine of the Earth Crystal. There they find a mysterious man in black armor named Veritas of the Dark, who defeats the pair and destroys the crystal. Forced to flee in defense of their king, Rain, Lasswell, and a mysterious girl named Fina set out to protect the crystals from Veritas and save the kingdom. A classic Final Fantasy tale that harkens back to the earliest entries in the series like Final Fantasy or Final Fantasy III.
Final Fantasy Resonance features a turn-based battle system where exploiting enemy weak points rewards additional turns, and you can unleash powerful abilities called Resonance attacks to devastate foes (similar to Limit Breaks in other Final Fantasy titles). One of the unique mechanics carried over from Brave Exvius are Visions, echoes of characters from past Final Fantasy titles who assist in battle or strengthen your party members through extensive customization. So far we have seen the likes of Cloud (FFVII), Terra (FFVI), Tidus (FFX), Y’shtola (FFXIV), Shantotto (FFXI), and The Warrior of Light (FFI):
Final Fantasy Resonance Visions
Final Fantasy Resonance also promises a vast world to explore full of side activities like the Colosseum to test your mettle against strong monsters or the Chamber of Arms where you can encounter powerful foes sealed within legendary weapons.
Final Fantasy Resonance arrives on Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC via Steam on October 22nd, 2026. Preorders for the physical version of the game on Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2, and PlayStation 5 are now available on the Square Enix Store. The standard edition of the game will retail for $49.99 USD, with a Digital Deluxe Edition coming in at $59.99. There is also an elaborate Collector’s Edition at $209.99 that you can see below, which includes:
- Final Fantasy Resonance Standard Edition Game* (Platform of your choice)
- Final Fantasy Resonance Digital Deluxe Upgrade Code**
- COLLECTOR’S GOODS BOX:
- Acrylic Block Set
- Pixel Art Book
- Final Fantasy Resonance Original Soundtrack CD (will also be sold separately)
- Final Fantasy Trading Card Game PR Card
It isn’t cheap, but it’s a nice set! Finally, Square Enix has also opened the game’s official website.
Check out many debut screenshots below, with many more in our Final Fantasy Resonance game hub.
Final Fantasy Resonance Media
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