Critics enjoy the job-style Visions system in Square Enix’s rebuilt Brave Exvius, but disagree on whether it is a new classic or a nostalgia piece.
About this review roundup: GAME MODE has not playtested this game. This is original analysis of the credited reviews and official information below, researched November 2, 2026. The displayed 7.5/10 is the equally weighted average of these two critics’ scores, converted to ten and rounded to one decimal. It is not a GAME MODE playtest score or a comprehensive review aggregate.
Released: October 22, 2026. Platforms: PC, PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch 2, Switch.
Brave Exvius, rebuilt for consoles
Square Enix released Final Fantasy Resonance on October 22 for PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Switch 2, Switch and PC, developed with Lancarse. Both critics trace it back to Brave Exvius, a mobile game. Nadia Oxford at Game Informer sees a successful rescue of that defunct game, rebuilt rather than ported, while Dave Aubrey at VGC credits the removal of the gacha system and the reworked progression.
The story centres on Rain and Laswell, and a free demo carries its saves over to the full game. Game Informer lists an Everyone 10+ rating.
Visions, battles and the party, side by side
Oxford’s Game Informer review scores it 9/10 on Switch 2. Aubrey’s VGC review scores it 3/5 on PS5. They often describe the same features and simply value them differently:
| Game Informer (9/10) | VGC (3/5) | |
|---|---|---|
| Visions | Works like Final Fantasy V’s jobs and VI’s espers, ending in big CGI summons | A hot-swappable job system and the main hook, but the quiz that unlocks them feels cheap |
| Battles | Classic turn-based fights with visible turn order | Solid but familiar, from Limit Breaks to Espers |
| Characters | Rain and friends are easy to root for, with funny side conversations and good voice acting | Likes the Rain and Laswell duo, but most party members are sidelined after their first chapter |
| The world | A thin overworld, dungeons that lack pizzazz, no auto-battle for random encounters | Dull, backtracking-heavy side quests and an always-on objective map that removes any sense of getting lost |
| Presentation | Confident HD-2D art and pixel “cinema” scenes | Captures the classic Final Fantasy atmosphere |
A fresh start or a nostalgia piece?
The real split is about what the game is for. Oxford sees a confident new Final Fantasy that builds on the series’ history, with subtle references for longtime fans, generous fast travel and a digestible length of about 40 hours. Her conclusion is short: “Final Fantasy Resonance is easy to recommend.”
Aubrey sees a game whose mobile origins limit its ambition. For him, Square Enix’s own Pixel Remasters and other HD-2D games do this style better, and he concludes that “Resonance just isn’t an essential experience.”
Which version of the argument fits you?
Our reading is that the Visions system decides it. Both critics enjoy it, and if mixing job-style abilities in classic turn-based battles is what you want from Final Fantasy, Oxford’s account is likely closer to your experience. If you already own the Pixel Remasters and want something that pushes the formula forward, take Aubrey’s comparison seriously. Because the free demo’s saves carry over, you can test which camp you are in before paying.
Cited scores and sources
- Game Informer: 9/10 (Switch 2).
- VGC: 3/5 (PS5).
Calculation: (9.0 + 6.0) ÷ 2 = 7.5/10, rounded. These are selected reviews, not every published score.
For a wider view, OpenCritic listed a Top Critic Average of 85 for the game when we checked on November 2, 2026.
Official game information and artwork source. Image: Square Enix.
The Verdict: Divided
Average of the cited critic scores, normalized to 10. See the methodology and individual scores above.
