Final Fantasy Resonance Reviews Roundup: What Critics Are Saying

Final Fantasy Resonance averages 85 on OpenCritic across 82 critics, which puts it in the site’s top “Mighty” tier, and 90% of those critics recommend it. Metacritic shows an 86 from 50 critic reviews. The game launched October 22, 2026 on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Switch, Switch 2 and PC for $49.99.

The short version of the reviews: the turn-based battles and the HD-2D presentation get the praise, and the story gets most of the complaints. Scores run from a 10/10 at DualShockers to a 3/5 at Eurogamer. All the numbers here were checked on October 22 and will move as more reviews land.

The verdict so far

Resonance is a remake of the shuttered mobile game Final Fantasy Brave Exvius, rebuilt as a traditional console RPG with no gacha or microtransactions, according to IGN’s review. It adapts the first season of that story. Our Famitsu 36/40 write-up shows the Japanese press liked it before the Western embargo lifted on October 20.

What critics loved

The battle system is the headline. RPG Site’s Madsen calls the combat and its Visions setup “easily one of the best turn-based battle systems we’ve seen in the last decade.” Visions work like a job system: you equip the spirit of a past Final Fantasy hero to change a character’s skills. DualShockers goes further and says it found nothing worth complaining about.

Presentation is the other win. IGN says the game “sets a higher bar for HD-2D,” and singles out the soundtrack, including a boss theme that mixes piano jazz with orchestral metal. TheSixthAxis calls the orchestral score delightful and the voiced main quests a strength.

The complaints

The writing takes the hits. Eurogamer’s Peppiatt gives it 3/5 and calls it “a fantastic example of how to rewrite battle mechanics to suit a full-fat RPG release, it’s just a shame about all the actual writing.” IGN’s Higham says the storytelling “often rings hollow,” and RPG Site says the plot “sputters out near the end.”

Polygon’s Rowe is the coolest on the game. She argues it leans so hard on nods to earlier Final Fantasy games that it feels unoriginal, and she lands on “a popcorn game,” best played on a handheld with a snack. IGN also notes the early hours are easy, and says it cruised through the first half before the bosses got tougher.

Performance and platforms

Reviewers mention PC, Steam Deck and Switch 2 specifically. Anime News Network’s reviewer played on PC and reports no bugs or crashes, plus a locked 114 fps at native 4K on top settings, though that is on a high-end rig. Polygon’s critic played on Steam Deck. TheSixthAxis found frame rate drops on Switch 2, mostly in busy areas and the overworld, and hopes for a patch.

If you’re checking whether your own machine will cope, our PC specs and Steam Deck guide has the official requirements. The cross-platform and cross-save explainer covers moving between systems.

Should you play it?

The split in these reviews comes down to what you want from a Final Fantasy game. IGN, Eurogamer, RPG Site and DualShockers all single out the battle system, while IGN, Eurogamer, Polygon and RPG Site fault the story. If you want a deep turn-based RPG to tinker with, the scores say go. If you play Final Fantasy mainly for its characters and plot, Eurogamer’s verdict is the one to read first.

IGN timed its own playthrough at about 45 hours, side quests included. There are two editions: the $49.99 Standard and a $59.99 Digital Deluxe that adds item packs, which our editions comparison says most buyers can skip. A free demo is on Steam if you’d rather test the combat first. Our release time guide has the launch details.

Edited by Kerwin Stewart, Editor-in-Chief · How we report