Square Enix should never make a Final Fantasy game without turn-based combat again
The writer argues that *Final Fantasy Resonance*, despite weak writing and other flaws, offers a model for future games in the series: it is confident in its own identity rather than trying to fit current gaming trends. They say this matters because recent mainline entries have often seemed uncertain about what Final Fantasy should be.
The article contrasts the series’ recent focus on prestige, expansive worlds and action combat with Resonance’s use of turn-based combat and a refreshed job system. Its team-building roles, world map and side quests add variety without making the experience feel bloated, the writer argues. They acknowledge that the game’s approach might have been harder to justify commercially in 2015, before the industry’s appetite for photorealistic, expansive games began to shift.
In short
- The writer sees Resonance as a confident direction for Final Fantasy.
- Its turn-based combat and job system provide enough innovation.
- Recent mainline games are criticised for chasing modern trends.
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The case for
A turn-based Final Fantasy could give the series a clearer identity by building on its history of tactical party roles, jobs and deliberate team choices. Resonance is presented as evidence that this approach can support varied encounters and exploration without requiring a sprawling world, while letting the series pursue its own strengths instead of following current trends.
The case against
Final Fantasy has always changed its combat and presentation, and action systems can offer immediacy and spectacle that suit the series’ cinematic ambitions. Turn-based combat may appeal to some fans but constrain the feel of moment-to-moment play or commercial reach; the article itself suggests that this approach might have been harder to justify commercially in 2015. Future games could preserve strategic depth while choosing the combat style that best serves each game.
Explained simply
Final Fantasy is a long-running role-playing game series from Square Enix, with each main game telling a separate story and often changing its combat and setting. Turn-based combat lets players choose actions for their characters in turns, while action combat asks them to react in real time.
The series has also used job systems, which let players give characters different roles and abilities, and worlds filled with optional quests. The debate is about whether future games should return to these familiar features or keep changing to match wider gaming trends. It matters because those choices shape what players expect a Final Fantasy game to be.