The Value Verdict
Final Fantasy Resonance is a polished, story-first JRPG that justifies its $84.95 RRP, and it is an easier sell at $69 to $79 from retail. It is an enhanced remake of the opening story arc from the mobile game Final Fantasy Brave Exvius, rebuilt for consoles with HD pixel art, strong voice acting and turn-based combat. The highlights are a heartfelt story, a party system built around heroes from past Final Fantasy games, and a Switch 2 version that runs smoothly. The caveats are a very traditional JRPG structure, a lack of text size options, and a retail copy that is only a key card. If you like turn-based RPGs, it is a clear buy.
The Gist
You play as Rain, a young knight and commander of an airship fleet, who sets out with his childhood friend Lasswell to stop the Sworn Six of Paladia from destroying the elemental crystals and ending the world. Early on they meet Fina, a girl with no memories who emerges from the Earth Crystal, and the party grows from there. Despite the magic, crystals and summons, the tone stays grounded and personal, with plenty of character-driven moments along the way. You do not need to have played the mobile game or any earlier Final Fantasy to follow along.
The Gameplay Loop
- ›Turn-based combat: Classic JRPG battles built on elemental weaknesses and summons, with modern touches like speed-up options and slick attack animations.
- ›Visions: Crystallised memories of warriors from other worlds that your party can wield in battle. Most are heroes from earlier Final Fantasy games, such as Cloud, Noctis and Zidane, alongside a few originals.
- ›Roles and flexibility: Visions and party members have roles (Breaker, Medic and Commando among them), so matching them well pays off, but any character can equip any Vision. Party members can also keep skills from Visions they have used before, which rewards rotating your lineup.
- ›Quests: A main story supported by optional side stories, with plenty of nods to the wider series that never lock out newcomers.
- ›Pacing: A long-form adventure, with reviewers putting a full playthrough at around 40 hours or more.
Hardware & Performance
Final Fantasy Resonance is released separately on Switch and Switch 2 with no upgrade path between them, so make sure you grab the Switch 2 version. On Switch 2 it runs smoothly, with fast load times, cutscenes that play without stutter, and a handheld screen that makes the HD pixel art pop. That makes it a natural fit for handheld play. The main technical gripe is the lack of UI scaling options: you cannot change the font size of subtitles or menus, which can make text hard to read on a TV from the couch.
Also worth knowing: the Switch 2 retail box contains a Game Key Card rather than the full game on the cartridge, so you still need to download it.
Is It Worth the Money?
Expect around 40 hours or more for the main story plus side content, which is strong value per dollar for a premium console RPG. Replay value comes from experimenting with Vision and party combinations and working through the optional side stories, though as a story-led JRPG many players will treat it as a one and done adventure.
The standard edition has an $84.95 RRP on the Nintendo eShop and at EB Games. The Digital Deluxe edition at $99.95 only adds a bundle of in-game items, and on Switch 2 that pack can be bought separately for $22.95 if you decide you want it later, so the standard edition is the sensible pick. Retail is where the savings are: at the time of writing, Big W sat at $69 and JB Hi-Fi at $79, which makes retail the best way to buy even with the download requirement.
This one is for turn-based JRPG fans, longtime Final Fantasy players who enjoy the nods to the series, and newcomers who want a friendly way into the franchise. Buy at launch from Big W or JB Hi-Fi if you are keen, and note that a demo was offered ahead of launch, so check the eShop if you want to try it first. Skip it only if you prefer real-time action combat, or if you need adjustable text sizes for accessibility.