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Final Fantasy Resonance Trailer Imagines A World Without Final Fantasy 7 Changing Everything
GameSpot has covered a new trailer for Final Fantasy Resonance, an upcoming HD-2D entry in the Final Fantasy series from Square Enix, framing it as a glimpse of what the franchise might look like had Final Fantasy 7 never pushed the series into 3D, real-time-influenced territory. The piece situates the game as a nostalgic throwback that leans into classic turn-based combat and pixel-art-inspired visuals rather than the cinematic, action-oriented direction Final Fantasy took after FF7's landmark success, making it notable for long-time fans curious about that road not taken.
Final Fantasy Resonance was announced during a June 2026 Nintendo Direct as the first HD-2D game in the mainline series and is due for release on 22 October 2026 across Nintendo Switch 2, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S and PC. The trailer highlights a strategic turn-based battle system with a modern twist, alongside series staples such as chocobos, espers and airships, and teases cameo appearances from characters including Cloud, Tidus and the Warrior of Light. Its story is described as "a tale of Crystals" centred on a force threatening to bring ruin to the world.
In short
- New Final Fantasy Resonance trailer showcases HD-2D visuals and turn-based combat
- Game imagines a Final Fantasy series untouched by FF7's genre-changing shift
- Releases 22 October 2026 on Switch, Switch 2, PS5, Xbox and PC
Explained simply
Final Fantasy Resonance is an upcoming game from Square Enix and the first mainline Final Fantasy title to use the HD-2D visual style. The trailer frames it as an imagining of where the series might have gone had Final Fantasy 7 not shifted the franchise towards three-dimensional graphics and real-time action gameplay in the late 1990s.
Final Fantasy 7's 1997 release was transformative for the series, establishing a new direction that moved away from the two-dimensional, turn-based style of earlier games. Resonance instead embraces that earlier approach with turn-based combat and pixel-art-inspired visuals, offering long-time fans a nostalgic look at the road not taken.
Final Fantasy Resonance launches on 22 October 2026 across Nintendo Switch 2, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S and PC. The game features strategic turn-based battles alongside classic Final Fantasy elements such as chocobos, espers and airships, with cameo appearances from well-known series characters.
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