I’ve Been Waiting for This “FF”: Hands-On With “FF Resonance,” the Series’ First “HD-2D” Entry, Captivated Me With “Visual Evolution” and “Ability Synergy” [Play Report]

Triggering a “Full Break” lets the entire party act again!

Additionally, exploiting an enemy’s weakness allows you to deplete the “Break Gauge” more effectively. While the protagonist, Rain, can use “Fire” magic, she excels at physical attacks. Therefore, while you should attack with a weapon to deal massive damage, using “Fire” to induce the “Break” status is also a viable strategy, so it’s important to adapt your approach based on the situation.

Furthermore, the character who puts an enemy into the “Break” state gains another turn at the end of that turn (Extra Phase). Since actions during the Extra Phase aren’t limited to attacks, you can use this opportunity to heal a critically wounded ally, for example.

Not only “which enemy to Break,” but also “which character should perform the Break” is a crucial strategic decision.

Even more important is “Full Break,” which occurs when all enemies are broken in the same turn, allowing all party members to take an additional action. When aiming for this state, you no longer need to worry about “which character should break them.”Since you can switch between “single target” and “area-of-effect” spells and skills, you can also employ a strategy of whittling down enemies’ HP to a certain extent before using an area-of-effect attack to trigger “Full Break.”

Furthermore, during the Extra Phase triggered by a Full Break, you can unleash a special move called “Resonance” at the end. Since it can be activated without consuming any resources as long as the conditions are met, aiming for a Full Break becomes even more valuable.

The effects of “Resonance” vary depending on the “Vision Crystals” you have equipped, and you can freely choose which effect to activate. Not only do the effects—such as attacks and healing—vary widely, but the activation animations also differ, making it a must-see in two ways.

This is the *FF* I’ve been waiting to play! Synergy Expanded Through “Visions” and “Abilities”

“Vision Crystals” are crystallizations of a character’s thoughts, and you can obtain them by clearing events featuring characters you encounter in the game. Early on, I obtained the “White Mage Leia” and “Black Mage Tron” Vision Crystals.

Equipping a Vision Crystal not only lets you use the techniques and spells each character knows but also grants you the benefits of abilities like “30% Break Boost.”

As explained earlier, exploiting weaknesses is crucial in this game’s battles, so having more elemental attack options thanks to Vision Crystals is a welcome addition. Equipping Tron’s Vision Crystal unlocks “Fire,” “Blizzard,” “Thunder,” and “Blind,” enabling you to exploit a wide range of weaknesses.

Furthermore, in an RPG, the importance of healing magic goes without saying. Leia’s Vision Crystal can be the lifeline of your party.

However, the importance of Vision Crystals extends beyond simply increasing the number of spells and techniques available during battle. As you engage in repeated battles while equipped with a Vision Crystal, the character wearing it will acquire its abilities.

If you assign these acquired abilities to a character, they can use the registered abilities even after the Vision Crystal has been removed. For example, by having party members take turns equipping Leia’s Vision Crystal, it’s possible to teach healing techniques to everyone.

While equipping abilities must stay within a certain cost limit and the number of slots available is limited, based on what I observed during this playthrough, there were up to eight ability slots. Since some combinations create synergistic effects, it’s great to have so many slots.

Although I only played through the early stages this time, I was able to find some promising combinations even within the limited time available. For example, by equipping Leia’s Vision Crystal and setting an ability with the effect “Restores 5% MP when an enemy is broken,” you can create a healer who replenishes MP every time an enemy is broken.

The gameplay—combining abilities to create effects that can’t be achieved with a single job, then incorporating them into your tactics—is a joy I’ve experienced in many *FF* titles. I’m sure many players got hooked on this fun in *FFV* and *FFVI*.

While the specific titles that come to mind may vary from person to person, “the joy we experienced back then” has returned in a more refined form—if I were to summarize my impressions of *FF Resonance*, that single phrase would capture it perfectly.

In the full release, players will likely be able to fully savor the experience of experimenting with various combinations—whether focusing on damage output or specializing in breaking enemies. You can enjoy the thrill of experimenting with ability combinations through the latest pixel art, which has evolved in true *FF* style. *FF Resonance* promises to let you fully savor these luxurious moments.

*FF Resonance* is the first HD-2D title in the *FF* series and a new entry in the *FFBE* lineage. While this article has focused on the most notable points, there’s still so much more to say about the game’s appeal.

You’ll encounter “Warrior of Light,” “Tina,” “Cloud,” and “Shantotto”—iconic main characters from past *FF* titles—and familiar elements like summoning beasts during battle have been faithfully preserved.

Incidentally, the summons in this game assist you for three turns, giving you a sense of cooperative combat that’s a bit different from previous titles.

It also adopts the world map format from the pixel art era, allowing you to travel directly to any location in the world. Since many fully 3D games often have limited exploration areas, this game promises to deliver the joy of good old-fashioned exploration. The airship, which appears later in the game, can also be controlled directly on the world map, further fueling your desire to explore.

This playthrough has already left me eagerly anticipating the release of *FF Resonance*, which is set to be at the cutting edge of pixel-art RPGs.

If *FF6* had continued to evolve while staying true to pixel art… We delve into the “*FF*-style visuals and battles” depicted in *FF Resonance*, exploring the team’s vision and behind-the-scenes stories [Interview]

*Final Fantasy Resonance* is the first HD-2D title in the *Final Fantasy* series. Through an interview with the development team, we explore the reasons behind choosing *FFBE* as the source material, the challenges of pixel art, and the behind-the-scenes story of the scenario’s reconstruction.

https://www.gamespark.jp/article/2026/06/10/167794.htmlRead more »

*UPDATE (October 22, 2026, 2:30 PM): Typos have been corrected.

ファイナルファンタジー レゾナンス -PS5
￥7,678
(価格・在庫状況は記事公開時点のものです)

Amazon

楽天市場

ファイナルファンタジー レゾナンス 【Amazon.co.jp限定】オリジナルステッカー付 -Switch2
￥7,678
(価格・在庫状況は記事公開時点のものです)

Amazon

楽天市場