Final Fantasy Resonance is set to bridge the gap between the series' storied past and its future, offering a new HD-2D role-playing experience built upon the foundations of the defunct mobile title Final Fantasy Brave Exvius. Producer Keisuke Nakashima and director Hiroto Furuya shared insights into the game's development, emphasizing its dual role as a preservation effort for Brave Exvius's narrative and a reimagined, traditional Final Fantasy adventure.
The development team aimed to create a game that appeals to long-time fans while also welcoming those new to the Final Fantasy universe. Nakashima noted that while the series has evolved towards 3D action titles, there remains an audience that desires classic, turn-based gameplay. Resonance seeks to merge the strengths of the original smartphone game with this traditional approach. "I was familiar with the original work, and I was very impressed by the story, the originality, the Final Fantasy elements and the high-quality pixel art," Nakashima stated. "At the same time, the Final Fantasy series has moved more towards 3D action, which is great; they’re wonderful games, but I think that there’s still a segment of users that want the classic, turn-based, more approachable job- and class-based gameplay."
Retooling Brave Exvius for consoles involved significant adjustments, particularly in the battle system and scenario integration. The team retained the appealing pixel art and characters from the original but redeveloped these elements for a console environment. "We wanted to keep the strong elements, but at the same time, we didn’t really feel constricted by the original title because we are creating this as a new game, essentially," Furuya explained. "And because of that, that’s where a lot of the challenge lies, because when you’re creating a console title, you need to completely retool how the battle system and scenario hooks together, so it’s like creating a new game in that sense."
Removing Brave Exvius's gacha mechanics allows for a more balanced character system where rarity does not dictate power. This change is intended to give players greater freedom in party composition. The game also introduces fixed cutscene animations and new voice acting to enhance the emotional impact of story moments. Original characters like Rain and Lid are present alongside 'Visions' of classic Final Fantasy characters such as Cloud Strife and Noctis Lucis Caelum. These Visions act as secondary party members, recruited by discovering Vision Crystals scattered throughout the world. Developers aimed to integrate these familiar faces meaningfully, providing players with their backstories and ensuring their abilities complement the gameplay of Resonance, rather than appearing as mere fan service.
Furuya elaborated on the approach to integrating returning characters: "Maybe somebody’s played them all, maybe somebody hasn’t played any of them, so, our goal with the Visions is to kind of allow you to either relive the experience from the original game or to kind of get a rundown of it if it’s your first time." To further connect players with these iconic figures, a dialogue system prompts players with questions about character situations, offering in-game perks for choices that align with the Vision characters' own responses. However, the team stressed that these alignment bonuses will not create a significant imbalance, ensuring that both seasoned fans and newcomers can enjoy the game on a level playing field.
Final Fantasy Resonance will feature a curated roster of 26 characters, a significant reduction from Brave Exvius's over 2000. This selection prioritizes characters who bring unique abilities and contribute meaningfully to the overall game. Currently, there are no plans for post-launch DLC, as the development focus remains on delivering a complete and polished core experience. "One thing that Team Asano titles prioritize is that we want to make sure that the core experience is the best they could possibly be," Nakashima said. "So instead of thinking about DLC and additional content from the get-go, we’re trying to put all of our dev time into making sure that the base game is the best it can be."
The developers acknowledge the risk of crossovers being perceived as superficial cash grabs, but they assert that Resonance's classic characters are integral to its narrative and gameplay. "We didn’t want to turn out that way, so the way we incorporate the characters in the game, we wanted to make sure that they each brought something unique into the actual overall gameplay experience," Furuya stated. "Internally, we also got to work with the core members from other Final Fantasy games, and they reviewed how the characters were presented in Final Fantasy Resonance to make sure that we did our utmost to respect the integrity of the original works."
Despite rebuilding upon Brave Exvius, the team insists that developing Resonance was not a less resource-intensive process. Nakashima emphasized, "It actually requires as much work, time, and budget as creating a new title." The goal is to leverage the strengths of Brave Exvius to create a distinctly new game that offers both a fresh experience and a nostalgic journey. Final Fantasy Resonance is scheduled for release on October 22 for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, PC, and Xbox Series X/S.