Key Preview Takeaways:
- This might be the prettiest HD-2D game yet.
- Visions are a fun gameplay mechanic that get fan-favorite characters from previous Final Fantasy games involved.
- The soundtrack is on point based on what I’ve heard so far.
About two minutes into my demo, Final Fantasy Resonance hit me with a word that I’ve never seen before. That doesn’t happen much in a video game these days. The word? “Puissance.” So, like any good writer, the first thing I did was look it up. It’s Middle-English by way of Anglo-French, first used in the 15th century. It means “strength” or “power.” You see, I’d found my way into a strange, crystalline cave where the Vision of Noctis rested. I already had Noctis in my party, but entering the shrine gave me the opportunity to relive the act of acquiring him. The whole thing played out like a montage: moments from Final Fantasy XV played out all around me, and I answered questions about what I’d do if I was in Noctis’s shoes. The more my answers lined up with Nocti’s actions, the deeper our bond would be. None of it mattered of course; I already had Noctis, and I wouldn’t gain additional puissance for redoing it. But I’m glad I did all the same.
HD-2D FTW
Based on my time with it, Resonance has a lot of cool little moments like that. Let’s get the obvious stuff out of the way. Resonance has the most impressive use of HD-2D I think I’ve ever seen. It’s absolutely gorgeous, and you can see it from the overworld. It’s the way the clouds pass gently overhead, the way the wind seems to rustle the grass beneath your feet. What’s equally stunning is the way your character’s spite moves through all of this. HD-2D is gorgeous, but it can sometimes look like your character is a little out of place in the world. Not so here. Your character looks distinct, but it always seems like they fit.
Once I was done chillin’ with Noctis, it was time for me to head to the Wind Shrine and actually do the demo I’d come here to play. I putzed around in the overworld a bit to get a feel for the combat system, but once I felt good, I mounted my Chocobo and headed for the Wind Shrine. The visuals will get most of the ink in previews like this, but you shouldn’t sleep on Resonance’s music. It’s gorgeous. As I rode around on my Chocobo, and the Chocobo theme played (complete with a few callbacks to Swing de Chocobo), I felt right at home. And the battle theme? An absolute banger that I was banging my head to. I wouldn’t be surprised to see it show up at the Distant Worlds concert series sometime in the near future.
Sticking to its Vision
Once inside the Wind Shrine, my demo began in ernest. My party was making quick work of the wolves and other monsters scattered about outside, but inside it was time to get serious. Resonance’s combat system is interesting. I had four characters on the field – Rain, Lasswell, Fina, and Lid. Rain was your fire sword boy protagonist, and I loved him for that; Lasswell is your too-cool-for-school swordsman; Fina is an archer who also serves as the party’s healer; and Lid – who is aiming to be the next Cid, more a title in Resonance than a name – most clearly maps to Thief, despite her giant hammer and stone attacks. It’s a fun group, and I enjoyed the way they gassed each other up – or, in Lasswell’s case, was audibly over that – after fights.
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