Final Fantasy Resonance Launches October 22 on All Major Platforms: The Series' First HD-2D Entry, With a Free Demo That Carries Over
Square Enix launched the role-playing game Final Fantasy Resonance on October 22 for PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch 2, Nintendo Switch, Xbox Series X|S and PC via Steam and Xbox on PC, priced at $49.99 for the standard edition. It is the first game in the nearly 40-year-old Final Fantasy series built in the HD-2D style, which blends pixel-art characters with 3D environments.
The game adapts the first story arc, "Lapis," of the mobile game Final Fantasy Brave Exvius, but Square Enix stresses it is far from a direct port: it has been refined and extensively rebuilt as a full-fledged, single-player, console-quality RPG sold as a single purchase, without the mobile game's gacha mechanics. A free demo covering the first chapter was released on September 3, and its save data carries over into the full game on all platforms.
The story follows Rain, a knight of the Kingdom of Grandshelt entrusted with commanding an airship squadron at a young age, and his childhood friend Lasswell, who are sent to investigate the waning barrier of the Earth Shrine. There they are defeated by a mysterious man in black armor who shatters the Earth Crystal, and the two set out with Fina, a mysterious girl they meet in Grandshelt, to protect the remaining Crystals scattered across the world. Series staples including chocobos, espers and airships return, and beloved characters such as Cloud, Tidus and the Warrior of Light appear as "Visions."
Battles build on the series' classic turn-based system: Visions — echoes of characters from across the series — fight alongside the party with unique skills for deep party customization, and exploiting enemy weaknesses fills a stagger meter that can break a foe's defenses and earn extra turns, while Visions can unleash powerful Resonance attacks. The game also includes extensive side content, including optional challenging bosses, a Colosseum, the Chamber of Arms with formidable foes sealed within legendary weapons, and a showdown with Ultima Weapon. According to Square Enix, the Final Fantasy series has sold over 212 million units worldwide.
Source: GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：《Final Fantasy Resonance》官方主视觉（Square Enix 官方发布）。© SQUARE ENIX；标志插画 © YOSHITAKA AMANO
