Final Fantasy Resonance Earns Better Reviews Than Square Enix’s Previous HD-2D RPG

Since 2018’s Octopath Traveler, Square Enix’s HD-2D art style has won over RPG fans. With Final Fantasy Resonance, the company now applies that look to its flagship franchise for the first time. The game draws on the mobile title Final Fantasy Brave Exvius, which ran from 2015 to 2025. Resonance drops the gacha mechanics and microtransactions of that free-to-play original. In their place it offers a 16-bit-style overworld map and turn-based battles that recall the earliest Final Fantasy games.

Square Enix’s last retro-flavored RPG was June’s The Adventures of Elliot: The Millennium Tales. It combined hack-and-slash action with Zelda-style exploration and holds a respectable 78 on Metacritic. As early reviews arrive, Resonance appears to be getting a warmer reception. The PlayStation 5 version currently averages 85 across 30 reviews. The Nintendo Switch 2 version sits a little lower at 82 after 24 reviews. Here is what critics have to say about Final Fantasy Resonance.

A stunning visual style

Reviewers were nearly unanimous in their admiration for the way Final Fantasy Resonance looks. Nadia Oxford of Game Informer wrote, “Resonance wears the HD-2D aesthetic confidently; Square Enix has obviously listened to past criticisms of its beloved graphical style, and it paid off.” She added that its richly detailed character sprites and occasional breathtaking pixel-art “cinema” scenes set it apart from the Octopath Traveler games and the Dragon Quest HD-2D remakes.

In his IGN review, Michael Higham also singled out the blend of 2D and 3D artwork. He admitted that spectacle alone rarely wins him over, but called Resonance an exception. In his view, the game’s best moments feature some of the finest cutscene direction HD-2D has seen. Camera movement across a 3D plane combines with sprites and pixelated effects in fluid animation that carries emotion beyond what dialogue could manage. He concluded that the style began as nostalgia but has now moved past it, opening up fresh, evocative ways to build worlds and tell stories.

The diorama-like presentation looks superb, but the fixed camera does not always help exploration. In his Shacknews review, Ozzie Mejia observes that towns lock the camera at a static angle, so it isn’t always obvious where you’re heading. Scenery can block your view, particularly when you’re hunting for hidden treasure chests. Getting around towns shouldn’t be a weak point in a game like this, he says, and the fixed camera was a poor decision.

A slight story

Critics have been far less enthusiastic about the narrative than about the visuals. Dom Peppiatt of Eurogamer feels Resonance plays like a collage of the series’ greatest hits rather than a distinctive entry. He argues that it strains to belong alongside its esteemed siblings. In the process it collects their tropes without grasping why they (sort of) worked in those games, leaving players with a grab-bag of nonsense.

Dave Aubrey of VGC notes that the new characters often get overshadowed by longtime franchise favorites, even in a story that is meant to be theirs. Apart from one major exception, he says, most party members fade into the background after the chapter that introduces them. They serve as practical additions that widen your options in battle, and rarely offer much beyond that.

Polygon’s own Willa Rowe echoed those views. When the narrative hits its stride, she wrote, it can deliver real emotional catharsis. One standout moment follows a priestess in the mold of Aerith or Yuna, who weighs the burden of duty against her wish to live for herself. Too often, though, the game’s habit of calling other Final Fantasy titles to mind invites comparisons that don’t favor Resonance.

Source: Polygon