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Final Fantasy Resonance Producer Had to Fight Square Enix Execs Who Wanted Cheap Port of Dead Mobile Game
Square Enix producer Keisuke Nakashima says company executives initially favoured making Final Fantasy Resonance a straightforward port of the discontinued mobile game Final Fantasy Brave Exvius. Nakashima wanted instead to create a full console RPG, and the released game substantially reworks its source material into an experience closer to a traditional Final Fantasy adventure.
Brave Exvius shut down in 2024, and Resonance builds on its foundations while changing entire systems for console play. The article says the game has been well received by fans and reviewers, but its sales were not known at the time of writing. A simple port would likely have cost less to make, though Nakashima said he did not want that approach.
In short
- Executives initially favoured a simple Brave Exvius port.
- Producer Keisuke Nakashima pushed for a full console RPG.
- Resonance reworks the mobile game, but sales figures are unknown.
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
A full console RPG could give the discontinued mobile game a more complete afterlife, adapting its systems to suit console players and offering a substantial new adventure rather than a largely familiar port. Nakashima’s approach also reflects the view that a recognised series deserves the care and ambition needed to make a release feel worthwhile to existing fans and newcomers.
The case against
A straightforward port could have been a lower-cost way to preserve access to Brave Exvius’s story and systems, while limiting the financial risk of a new console project. Given that Resonance’s sales were not yet known, executives could reasonably favour a more modest adaptation before committing greater resources to a full RPG.