If you think turn-based combat is too old-fashioned, know it Final Fantasy Resonance trying to prove you wrong. The game will be released in October 2026, and the first Final Fantasy title to sport Square Enix's HD-2D art style has some questions to answer. One of the biggest questions is how this particular entry plans to modernize turn-based combat without losing what makes it such a favorite among the franchise's oldest fans.
In all essentials, Final Fantasy Resonance has improved and modernized the series' classic turn-based combat with its new stagger system. There hasn't been a turn-based main series entry since the beloved Final Fantasy 10 (10-2 with an ATB system as well), and to bring back this fighting style Final Fantasy Resonance, the team has also implemented a brilliant turn order manipulation mechanic. It makes it possible to interrupt enemy turns and adds a whole new strategic layer to combat.
Final Fantasy Resonance's stagger mechanic is extremely powerful
In many of even the best RPGs, using an enemy's weakness against them in battle results in increased damage. It's usually logical enough: machine-type enemies tend to take massive lightning damage, icy enemies would rather you keep your Flame Sword all the way out of their business, and so on. I will never understand why Fire was made weak to Ice i Final Fantasy series, but what really matters is this: it's more interesting when there's another strategic advantage to exploiting those weaknesses.
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That's exactly what Final Fantasy Resonance provides. In another Square Enix HD-2D RPG series, Octopath Travelerenemies are weak to specific elements or types of weapons, such as a sword, dagger or staff (balancing jobs and sub-jobs is essential to get the best coverage). Getting hit enough with their weaknesses causes a Break, which interrupts turns and makes them more susceptible to damage while stunned. The system i Resonance similar to this.
The best turn-based battles are about much more than just passively selecting skills from a menu.
Here, enemies have a secondary meter that reduces with hits to a weakness. Draining it causes a slump, or even a coveted sweeping swing, which allows the entire party to take another turn and top it off with your chosen Resonance attack (a follow-up from a Final Fantasy icon such as Cloud Strife or the Warrior of Light). It's not just about spamming these weaknesses to get to that state though, because getting these weaknesses at the right time in turn order is also a huge bonus.
Being aware of turn order will be critical to your success in battle
Too often with even the best turn-based titles, it's hard to tell which enemy will attack next. Most of the time it doesn't matter if you AoE blast the field or focus them down one by one, since they might not move anyway. In longer and more challenging fights, however, knowing where the next attack is coming from can be a real lifesaver. To help players plan several moves ahead, some genre entries have a timeline, with portrait icons showing when each member of your and the enemy's party will take their turn.
This can only be so much wasted real estate on your screen. But if you pay attention and use it to plan your strategy, you might find that there's a lot more to the turn-based style than passivity. For example in Darkest Dungeon 2you can potentially save a run by keeping this information in mind and focusing on a key enemy target, defeating or stunning it before it can devastate your party. If you can see two melee attackers are about to strike, you know how much time you have to buff or heal your valuable heroes before the blows come.
My favorite example of this type of mechanic can be found in Ubisoft's beautiful Children of Light. In this 2D story-like RPG, you can literally see when Aurora, her party members, and the dark creatures they encounter will unleash their attacks. Each advances individually along a timeline and then, after choosing an attack or ability, must wait a casting period before using it (the more powerful the ability, the longer it lasts). Getting hit during the latter can interrupt that move and cancel its use, and there's even a mage character who can freeze opponents in place and temporarily stop them from moving at all on the timeline.
This more dynamic style makes the game feel like a whole new one Final Fantasy experience, while also setting it apart from any action RPG the series has delivered since.
In short, some of the most gripping turn-based battles in RPGs are those that allow the player to take a more active role. Resonance is set to do this with its focus on watching the turn order and reacting to it. There's also so much to think about beyond that, with the skills of the main party members and those of their companions Final Fantasy superstars to balance.
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Image via Square Enix -
Image via Square Enix -
It's a far cry from the action RPGs that fans of recent installments will be used to, but it represents a unique blend of the old and the new, with some great takes on mechanics seen in more recent turn-based RPGs (and the obvious influence of Final Fantasy Brave Exvius for). All of this makes it one of my most anticipated games for the latter part of 2026. Pokemon winds and waves seems set to change the series' turn-based combat, and I'm over the moon about it Final Fantasy Resonance is also.
- Released
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22 October 2026
- ESRB
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All 10+/Alcohol Reference, Fantasy Violence, Language, Suggestive Themes
