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Final Fantasy 7 Revelation is the talk of JRPG town post-Summer Game Fest 2026, but as much as I am looking forward to it, the third installment in a remake of an old JRPG is less interesting to me than fresher experiences. This is one reason that Final Fantasy Resonance, due October 22 and based on the Brave Exvius side game but retooled as a complete package, is at the top of my mind instead.
Resonance represents Final Fantasy's return to turn-based combat and its introduction to the HD-2D style that's come to define some of the best games from Square Enix, from Octopath Traveler to several Dragon Quest remakes. Ever since I first played Octopath Traveler in 2018, I've been hungry for a full-fat Final Fantasy game in the same style, and that hunger's only grown over the years thanks to the likes of The Adventures of Elliot: The Millennium Tales.
HD-2D is essentially pixel art embellished with 3D environments sporting modern lighting, shadows, and higher-res details that add depth. In many ways, it feels like a natural evolution of pixel art. I love and play a lot of games with traditional pixel art, but HD-2D hits my eyeballs like nothing else. Final Fantasy was crying out for this aesthetic, and I'm thrilled to see Resonance make it happen.
It's also exciting to see Brave Exvius shed its mobile game trappings, with Square Enix promising an expanded version of the game that will hopefully recenter the series' core identity. It's coming to PS5, Nintendo Switch and Switch 2, PC, and Xbox Series X, beefing it up and putting it in front of many more players. (I mean, I'm sure a lot of you have phones, but I understand the hesitation to play mobile game spinoffs.)
Resonance seems to retain the Exvius battle system's intriguing chain attack mechanic, it integrates open-world exploration both mounted and airborne, and it looks packed with special moves and cameo characters. It's certainly different from classical titles like Final Fantasy 6, but I'll take whatever turn-based, HD-2D Final Fantasy I can get right now.
