The reviews are in for Final Fantasy Resonance, and they're good. Square Enix's HD-2D Final Fantasy hit its review embargo on October 20, two days before its October 22 launch, and the early verdict is that it's well worth a look, with one system getting most of the praise.
That system is Visions. The PlayStation Blog published an explainer the same day, and it's the clearest way to understand why reviewers keep bringing it up.
What Visions actually are
Visions are companions based on heroes from earlier Final Fantasy games, and the PlayStation Blog says there are "a staggering 26" of them to find. Here's how they work, per the post:
- Finding them: you discover Visions at crystal shrines in Lapis, where a short story and some multiple-choice questions introduce each one.
- Using them: once awakened, a Vision is equipped to a party member and grants magic, attacks and permanent stat boosts. Noctis, for example, boosts attacks and can cast Thunder or Blizzard.
- Growing them: winning battles earns mastery points that unlock stronger bonuses and Vision-specific skills, such as Zidane's Steal. Using a Vision also raises its affinity with that character, adding more bonuses.
- The big finish: stagger every enemy and you trigger Resonance, which unlocks a Vision's cinematic finisher, like Cloud's Ascension Resonance.
- Ranking up: collect magicite and visit the Moogle of Light to raise each Vision's base rank.
One clarification saves confusion later: Visions aren't the series' traditional summons. Those are Espers, which fight alongside you for a set number of turns. In the blog's words, "Visions fundamentally alter and personalize your party's proficiencies in combat."
What the reviewers say
Pure Xbox's same-day roundup collects the early scores, and the spread is mostly high:
- COGconnected: 9.5/10
- Game Informer: 9/10
- Windows Central: 4.5/5
- Nintendo Life, Push Square and IGN: 8/10 each
- VGC: 3/5, the outlier, saying Resonance "just isn't an essential experience"
At the time of the roundup, Metacritic averages stood at 85 on PS5, 88 on PC and 82 on Switch 2. Early aggregates move as more reviews land, so treat those as a snapshot.
Game Informer's review, by Nadia Oxford on Switch 2, explains the enthusiasm. It calls the game "a great RPG experience with a fun cast and character customization options," says it "wears the HD-2D aesthetic confidently," and praises how "snappy" it is, with generous fast travel and dungeons finished "in just the right amount of time." It puts a playthrough at about 40 hours, give or take.
It isn't uncritical. The same review says "the overworld connective tissue is thin and its dungeons lack pizzazz," and wishes for an auto-battle option to take the sting out of random encounters.
When you can play
Final Fantasy Resonance launches on October 22. Pure Xbox lists it on Xbox Series X|S, PC, PS5, Switch and Switch 2, with Xbox Play Anywhere support and a $49.99 price on the Xbox Store. It also notes a free demo on Xbox. The PlayStation Blog's post covers the PS5 version.
Here's the read. Reviewers seem to agree on two things: Visions give the combat real depth, and the world between battles is the weak spot. If you like customizing a party more than wandering an overworld, that's a good trade. If you're not sure, the demo is the low-risk way to find out before Thursday.
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