Final Fantasy Resonance - Switch 2 Review

I feel like my read of Final Fantasy Resonance is entirely different compared to everything else I’ve heard about the game from others that have played it. To be clear, I enjoyed my time with Resonance a lot, and I see a heap of potential in this design being used elsewhere for different combat systems. I’ll elaborate on what I mean shortly but the main thing I’ve come to think of about Resonance is that it’s not a Final Fantasy game, as much as it is a game about Final Fantasy. I think that in itself is great; I just think it could be more. 

The Good

I mentioned earlier that I felt out of step with others that were playing the game at the same time as me. Indeed, one of my peers described Resonance as being one of the best, most dramatic stories told in an FF game (direct quote(?)) and I had to check we were playing the same thing. Yes, things do come full, dramatic circle toward the end. The weight of that drama is entirely dependent on your personal investment and I cannot express enough how goofy everything before those moments felt. I’m not saying this is a bad thing, either; I thought it was the point. To that end, I still hold the story up - whether or not you think it’s “good” depends entirely on what you’re trying to get out of it. I personally find it fascinating that two people with similar levels of fandom for the series can play it and come away with entirely different interpretations of its inherent seriousness. 

I enjoy the world and cast of characters from… Well, from a very different perspective. A brief digression but have you ever seen the anime Excel Saga? For those that haven’t, it’s not so much its own story as it is a collection of tropes from other anime, loosely strung together as a story, which itself is just a vehicle for more anime memes. Resonance feels like the Excel Saga of the Final Fantasy games, and I mean that with love. It’s undeniable from the outset of the game. Rain looks and feels like the misbegotten love child of Tidus and Vaan, with the personality of a kicked Golden Retriever to boot. Lasswell - Lassie, if you will - is basically Auron by way of the Insomnia Kingsglaive. From the very opening of the story, the dynamic between these two felt like it laid out every beat one could expect by the end of the game. The surprise every time, for me, was only in which cliche they’d play. Every character is like this, a personality formed out of blended archetypes, here to fulfill a role rather than play a part. It makes sense when you consider that this wasn’t meant to be a story about these characters, but rather a celebration of these character types. I’m pulling my examples from more “recent” series entries than what this title is clearly inspired by but then that’s also the nature of Final Fantasy really, isn’t it? It just feels more so for Resonance.

What am I trying to say here, exactly? It’s that the story is serviceable for what this game is but that it’s hardly groundbreaking or even particularly novel within the framework of Final Fantasy. Again, I believe that’s intentional, as the story cobbles together elements from across the entire series of games to make up this one. It’s constructed entirely from slapstick and tropes to tell a story about the core of Final Fantasy, rather than an especially good narrative in its own right. I don’t think it was really trying to be something that was incredible on its own, to be fair. I think that what it set out to do, which is to be as Final Fantasy as possible in the most Final Fantasy way, is exactly what it achieved. To that end, your mileage will vary. Are you a fan of Final Fantasy games, characters, return characters, and endless references? You’ll probably have a good time. 

It’s also worth mentioning that the game looks amazing. This is the first 2D-HD game I’ve put any amount of time into and I can see why the art style has become beloved among parts of the general audience. It’s so evocatively nostalgic, even though this isn’t a remake of a game from my childhood. It doesn’t replace or override the visuals one holds in their head when thinking about JRPGs from the 16-bit era; it brings to life those visuals in a way we imagined when we were younger and likely think of them when we conjure the memories to mind. I don’t know if Resonance is setting a particular standard here but I’d say it’s at least maintaining it deftly.

Let’s talk about the Visions, though, because I think this is actually one of the coolest tech systems I’ve seen in a Final Fantasy game. Do you like Jojo stands? Because that’s what Visions more or less are: Ghostly apparitions of FF characters from other worlds, crossed over… Sssssomehow, to help you with their abilities. There’s a story of conceit there to explain it but I’d be generous in describing it as “loose.” It works by giving a Vision to a character like equipment, the longer they’re equipped, the more the character will have greater access to the Vision’s own abilities. However, once you’ve unlocked the ability on that Vision’s track, you can then equip individual abilities from their list to the character themselves. It’s a very neat twist on the classic “jobs” system, with a hint of things like Junctioning from VIII or the Sphere Grid from X, which allows you to really craft your ultimate version of these characters. 

The combat system has a fantastic, frantic energy to its presentation, which does a lot to remove the inherent “boredom” of turn-based combat. For a start, everything moves quickly as it is but you can also crank the combat speed up to triple speed and leave it there. Characters execute moves faster, the flashier stuff can be skipped, and turn order and triggers tumble over at instant speed. If you’re like me and always found fighting out of menus from static positions to be kind of dull, this goes a long way to keep things interesting. Given how much grinding can be involved with obtaining some Vision abilities, the faster pace also keeps things from bogging down for too long. 

This trend towards reducing the tedium associated with the older FF games seems to have been a large focus. You’re given better methods of transporting throughout and while world exploration is encouraged and rewarded, it’s also not essential. If you just want to fast travel between towns to complete quests as fast as possible, the game allows you to do that and I don’t feel like anything is lost for it. You may, perhaps, find yourself underlevelled at times if you skip over too many random encounters but it was rare that I ever found myself so far on the back heel that it mattered. This might be one of the “simpler” combat systems in a Final Fantasy game but it still has enough complexity and depth that “my number is bigger than your number” isn’t always the deciding factor in a fight. This isn’t Mystic Quest Legends.

This also ties nicely into the world exploration and side quests, as the Visions are unlocked via shrines dotted about the world. The general loop of exploring a nearby region, completing side quests, and unlocking new Visions before moving on with the story is engaging enough to keep you going until the end of the game. Whether or not it’s enough to keep you going for the post-game content, of which there’s a considerable amount, is really down to how much you’re into this world and the combat mechanics. 

TL;DR

• Delightfully meta narrative and world
• Engaging gameplay loop reminiscent of the old games
• Great combat system with adaptability potential
• Excellent 2D-HD visuals

The Bad

I need to be frank: I just do not like the turn-based combat of old JRPGs. I don’t think I ever really have, and this game has only driven that home for me. Everything I’ve said before now still stands; it really feels like they did everything they could to remove anything I’d consider a “pain point” of that system of combat. Which is how I know, deep down, that even with all those wrinkles smoothed out - I just don’t get a lot of enjoyment out of it. That’s not strictly a point against the game, mind? This is (being a review) entirely my personal opinion. Championing and celebrating that style of combat was clearly the intention for the design, especially since this is more about older-style Final Fantasy games. I can absolutely see how this is a game for other people, is what I’m saying. 

I’ve been doing a lot of thinking about this because there have been other games recently with a “classic” turn-based JRPG combat system that I’ve enjoyed. If you’ll indulge me a moment to speculate, I can’t help but think of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. Much like Resonance, it sought to “remix” the JRPG turn-based combat system with big numbers and flashy presentation but, unlike Resonance, there’s an element of interactivity there. The dodges and parries of CO:E33 seem like such a simple change and yet the added control over battle made the whole thing immensely more satisfying. I wonder if a change like this might have gone a long way towards changing my perception of Resonance. I think it may have. 

Even though this is “the bad,” I’m going to end this by saying that my only real grip with the game, as large as it is, is something that wasn’t even done poorly. It’s just something I’m not into without some extra contrivances that this game didn’t have because of the history it was trying to honor. That stops it from being a perfect game in my view but that doesn’t mean that it isn’t a good game. I think that there’s been a lot of thought put into smoothing off the rough edges of this genre. If I were the kind of person more inclined toward this style of combat system, I imagine I’d be having a greater time. 

That said, I think that the way Visions are found, equipped, and used for customisation is something that could easily be adapted for other games. I can absolutely see an FF Tactics-style game, or real-time combat a la FFXV or the FFVII remakes, that uses the Visions system to great effect. The full extent and breadth of FF’s worlds and characters have hardly been explored via these Visions, there’s more than enough content for another game that uses this system.

TL;DR

• It goes all in on the turn-based JRPG combat system
• Your enjoyment will be based entirely on that

Final Score: 8/10

I think Final Fantasy Resonance is a fine game, fun even, and a wonderful celebration of the franchise. The whole thing feels like a love letter to both the series as a whole and to fans of the oldest games, especially. It’s just in service of a format that isn’t really for me, and that’s okay. The game doesn’t try to shy away from its turn-based JRPG roots but instead embraces them, attempting to present the best version of those old systems as they could. Ironically, I feel like the Resonance design has a potential future in itself for combat systems that aren’t this, and that has me more excited than anything else. It feels weird to say but I like Resonance more for the potential it represents than the celebration that it is. Still, if you’re a lifelong or diehard fan of the series, there’s a lot here to love and I’d still recommend it. 

Thank you for checking out our Final Fantasy Resonance Switch review, thank you to Square Enix (via Bandai Namco AU) for providing the review code and thank you to our Patreon Backers for their ongoing support:

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