New Trailer Reveals Pixel Dreams Taking Flight in Final Fantasy Resonance

Square Enix just rolled out a fresh pixel trailer for Final Fantasy Resonance, and it leans hard into the question of what the series might have looked like if it never left those old Super Nintendo sprites behind. The nearly three-minute clip puts the HD-2D style front and center, showing off battles, summons, and story moments that feel pulled straight from the glory days of Final Fantasy IV and VI while running on modern hardware.

Final Fantasy Resonance is the Final Fantasy series’ first foray into HD – 2D format, and it does so in a big way. Instead of simply copying over the action from the mobile game Final Fantasy Brave Exvius, the developers rebuilt and expanded on the opening story arc, transforming it into a full-fledged console RPG. Rain and Lasswell, a squadron commander and his boyhood friend, will head out after receiving a royal order to deal with a weakened barrier at the Earth Shrine.

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Inside, they face up against Veritas of the Dark, a man in black armor who simply wipes the floor with them, shattering the Earth Crystal and leaving their entire force in disarray. They then have to run back home to discover that Grandshelt is being attacked. Following the king’s desperate rescue, they partner up with a mystery girl named Fina to go out and protect the remaining crystals strewn over the earth.

Combat remains true to its turn-based roots, but with a few nifty improvements. When you hit an enemy’s weak area, you will stun them and shatter their defenses, giving you the opportunity for a couple of extra turns and those massive Resonance assaults, which are basically a showstopper in cinematic fashion. You can use traditional Espers such as Ifrit, Shiva, and Titan to gain a few extra rounds before they finish with a sweeping strike like Hellfire or Diamond Dust. Then there are Visions, crystallized reflections of heroes from throughout the Final Fantasy history with whom you can team up. Equip one, and he (or she) will fight alongside the team. The stronger the link, the more of Vision’s special abilities you will be able to access. Expect to see familiar names like Cloud, Tidus, the Warrior of Light, Cecil, Bartz, Squall, and Zidane appear in this way.

Between story beats, exploration reigns supreme. The cities may not have much to offer beyond a jump-rope contest or Mog Tag, but when you come across a Sanctum of Light, you’ll find a new Vision crystal to add to your collection. Then there are side paths to the Colosseum for some challenging monster confrontations, or the Chamber of Arms, where you can get your hands on some legendary weapons, or at least try to get them from the sealed creatures that are now protecting it. Places like Dilmagia, the steel metropolis that began it all with airship technology, and Olderion, the water-rich capital guarded by the Wardens of the Waters, give the game world a genuine lived-in atmosphere. Expect to see Chocobos, airships, and other Final Fantasy staples.

Square Enix and co-developer Lancarse are preparing to release the game on October 22, 2026, for Nintendo Switch 2, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC via Steam and the Microsoft Store. The standard game costs $49.99, the Digital Deluxe version adds in-game goodies for an additional $59.99, and the Collector’s Edition costs $209.99.