I love a good JRPG as much as the next guy, but I tend to draw the line at mobile spin-offs, even if the IP in question happens to be something as legendary as the Final Fantasy series. It’s no surprise then that 2015’s (2016 outside of Japan) Final Fantasy Brave Exvius never came anywhere close to popping up on my radar, despite it carrying most of the DNA that fans of the series have come to know and love over time, safely contained within that accursed device we all carry on our persons day in and day out (albeit being dragged down by the standard gacha system you’d expect from a mobile release, as well as other commonly employed elements like the dreaded gameplay energy/stamina meter).



Flash forward to roughly a decade later and Square Enix have finally found a way to rework this now dead app (or, at least, its first narrative chapter) into an even higher quality product, a proper meaty Final Fantasy entry that fans of both classic and modern JRPGs can get behind; now totally free of the tropes and setbacks associated with the mobile landscape, and boasting a striking new aesthetic approach combining pixel art character/enemy sprites with 3D environments (or HD-2D, if you prefer the fancy “official” term).



While Resonance’s story (revolving around preventing the destruction of multiple world crystals at the hands of the nefarious Sworn Six faction) might not be particularly exceptional as far as Final Fantasy plots are concerned, it does offer a heaping helping of fan service and general nostalgic franchise-themed goodness throughout. Protagonist Rain and his multiple party members also all fit neatly into various JRPG character archetypes, although I’d be lying if I said they were all equally interesting. That’s not to say the overarching narrative isn’t enjoyable or struggles to hold your attention, but it does feature story beats you’ve likely already experienced multiple times over elsewhere.

While Resonance’s story ... might not be particularly exceptional as far as Final Fantasy plots are concerned, it does offer a heaping helping of fan service and general nostalgic franchise-themed goodness throughout.

Side quests are also a thing, although the actual content of these diversions can sometimes feel underwhelming or repetitive - very much leaning towards story over gameplay. And by saying that I mean you’ll be doing these primarily to flesh out characters and other parts of the world, with dialogue punctuating much of the action. Having said that, some of the rewards on offer are absolutely worth your time, and fully immersing yourself into the setting and inhabitants of Resonance is certainly a small price to pay for an even bigger sword or stronger piece of armor.



But hey, even if the adventure itself doesn’t check every single one of your arbitrary boxes, the core traditional turn-based combat absolutely will. Rain and pals make use of standard equippable weaponry in addition to summonable Espers (usually after acquiring them though a mandatory boss battle/quest) and Visions; unlockable heroes and entities from prior Final Fantasy instalments (Tidus from Final Fantasy X, for example) with their own list of skills and respective classes that can be paired with matching party members if desired (growing in power the more they’re used in combat, matching classes or not). If you’re a Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure enthusiast, you may liken these Visions to Stands. Touching any one of the multitude of Crystals housed within Sanctums of Light scattered around the world map is how you’ll get your hands on these companions, accompanied by some rather tedious backstory summaries and even a brief “soul-baring” quiz to assess how in-tune you are with the character in question.



But there’s a bit more to taking out groups of enemies than merely bonking them over the head until they flash out of existence, of course. Different combat skills come in different elemental tastes, and isolating the weaknesses of your foes is crucial for maintaining the advantage in battle. Lowering an enemy’s stagger meter to zero by effectively exploiting weaknesses renders them unable to act, dishes out even more damage, and allows the party member that triggered the stagger to make another move after the current turn reaches its conclusion. If you manage to stagger all enemies at once, this applies to the party as a whole (a “sweeping stagger”, as the game describes it).

If you’re a Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure enthusiast, you may liken these Visions to Stands.

Alongside these super satisfying turn-based battles, the pixel/3D world combination is easily another one of Resonance’s major strong points (not to mention the excellent soundtrack). The numerous explorable areas, dungeons and world map are all wonderfully vibrant and suitably diverse in appearance (having the ability to fast travel to any previously visited location is a neat bonus, too); and the more detailed character portraits that pop up in conversations/cutscenes are all packed with personality. Some of the atmospheric effects encountered while out and about do feel a tad overdone, though. These include some questionably obnoxious god rays and heavy depth of field blur for objects or structures in the distance.



Despite Final Fantasy Resonance beginning life as a mobile title, this new and updated offering mostly succeeds in masking these traits with a shiny, new premium coat of paint. It might not be the most consistently phenomenal entry in the franchise, but the classic exploration, turn-based combat, and gorgeous 2D/3D world design all contribute towards an overall entertaining adventure positively packed to the rafters with nostalgia.

PS5 Review code provided by Square Enix | Final Fantasy Resonance is now available to order at Nexus Hub for R1,149