FINAL FANTASY RESONANCE review: The first HD-2D Final Fantasy

With FINAL FANTASY RESONANCE, Square Enix takes the series back to its roots. The RPG came out on October 22, 2026 for PC on Steam and is the first Final Fantasy in HD-2D style, meaning pixel characters in front of detailed 3D backdrops. Square Enix developed it together with the studio LANCARSE, and classic turn-based battles are at its heart.

I took a close look at the journey, the battles and the tech and will tell you who it’s worth buying for. Up front: the Steam community is thrilled, with around 97 percent of reviews currently positive.

Story and world of FINAL FANTASY RESONANCE

You travel with a group of companions bound together by fate and uncover a power that threatens the entire world. The story is told in voiced scenes, in English and Japanese, with German text included. Many Steam players already know the characters and premise from the mobile game Brave Exvius and are happy about the reunion.

The world is classically structured: towns with inns and merchants, dungeons full of monsters and a world map you travel on foot, by Chocobo or later by airship. The story is rather linear and rarely surprises, but it carries the adventure well. A few players criticize that objectives are spelled out very clearly and you hardly have to search yourself.

Battles, Visions and party

The heart of the game is the turn-based battles. For each character, you choose attack, ability, magic or item and exploit enemy weaknesses. The Limit Burst attacks are particularly powerful and can turn a fight with big effects. The system is easy to learn but rewards good party planning.

A special feature is the Visions: you summon well-known heroes from Final Fantasy history to support you in battle. For fans, it’s a great nostalgia moment. There’s also equipment, abilities and party composition you can tinker with for a long time.

You can read more about the developers on our page about Square Enix.

Graphics, sound and tech

Visually, RESONANCE is an eye-catcher. The HD-2D style combines lovingly crafted pixel characters with light, water and depth of field; it almost looks like a moving painting. The soundtrack is catchy and fits the classic feel perfectly. Technically, the game is undemanding: a GTX 1650 is enough for 1080p, but you need Windows 11.

Scores at a glance