- Final Fantasy Resonance is a new throwback-style RPG from Square Enix that remixes assets from the mobile game Brave Exvius into a single-player console and PC experience with classic turn-based combat.
- “Visions” — ghostly apparitions of iconic Final Fantasy characters — form the backbone of the game’s combat system, granting party members unique powers, elemental affinities, and game-changing special abilities.
- Standout visions include Cloud for devastating critical-hit builds, Terra for breaking the 9,999 damage cap, and a surprisingly overpowered Vaan who can automate looting and grant extra actions per turn.
Final Fantasy Resonance Brings Back Fan-Favorite Characters as Powerful “Visions”
Final Fantasy Resonance, Square Enix’s latest single-player RPG, is built around a deceptively simple but deeply satisfying premise: what if the most beloved characters in the entire Final Fantasy lineage could fight alongside you? The game, which remixes assets from the mobile title Brave Exvius into a full-fledged console and PC adventure, centers its turn-based combat on a mechanic called “Visions” — ghostly manifestations of iconic Final Fantasy protagonists and recurring characters that bond to your main party members, bestowing them with new elemental affinities, passive bonuses, and screen-clearing special moves. It is, in essence, a love letter to decades of Square Enix history, and it works remarkably well.
The Combat-Defining Visions Worth Equipping First
Of all the visions available in Resonance, Cloud — the brooding, Buster Sword-wielding protagonist of Final Fantasy VII — is arguably the most immediately impactful. Including him on a favorites list is, admittedly, a little like including water on a list of best beverages, but his effectiveness in combat justifies the obvious pick. As a vision, Cloud grants whichever character equips him huge bonuses to critical hit rate and damage, and with the right build assembled over the course of the game, it becomes possible to use Cloud to do unbelievable amounts of damage and end boss fights shockingly quickly. His elemental combination of water and lightning also ensures he remains relevant across a wide variety of encounters.
Terra Branford, the emotionally complex lead of Final Fantasy VI, earns her place on the strength of both nostalgia and raw mechanical utility. Final Fantasy VI is one of the very best games in the series, and her role in the story is a big part of that — her journey over the course of that game gives it a solid emotional core and makes her feel like the closest thing its sprawling ensemble cast has to a real protagonist. As a vision in Resonance, she arrives equipped with several different kinds of magic and, eventually, an extremely important ability that gives party members the ability to do more than 9,999 damage in one hit. She is arguably the most important vision in the entire game for breaking combat wide open.
Perhaps the most surprising entry is Vaan, technically the main character of Final Fantasy XII — a designation that has always felt somewhat tenuous given how little the character contributes to that game’s storyline compared to its ensemble. He doesn’t have much to contribute to the proceedings and is, charitably, like the fifth most interesting character in that game’s party. In Resonance, however, Vaan is a revelation. His vision can automatically jack huge amounts of money and even items from defeated enemies, making it nearly impossible to run out of cash on your adventures. He also has the ability to grant fellow party members more actions per turn — a genuinely game-altering passive that has earned him a new level of respect.
Sentimental Favorites and Style Picks Rounding Out the Roster
Tidus, the lead of Final Fantasy X, makes the list on a more personal basis — Final Fantasy X is the author’s favorite game in the series, and Tidus’s ultimate fate remains one of the most heartbreaking moments in video game history. Beyond sentiment, though, his elemental affinities for water and wind come in handy in lots of encounters, and his associated party member gets a passive damage bonus just for having any kind of buffs applied to them. Lightning, the protagonist of Final Fantasy XIII, rounds out the combat-relevant selections, distinguished particularly by her signature special move triggered when the player staggers every enemy onscreen — a spectacular and satisfying ability that underscores why Final Fantasy XIII’s combat system remains one of the best in any RPG.
Then there is Gilgamesh. Strictly speaking, Gilgamesh is not, to the best of available knowledge, actually a vision in Resonance — but he deserves a mention regardless. This pompous, eccentric weapon collector debuted in Final Fantasy V and has made a series of appearances in other FF games since then, usually accompanied by one of the best boss fight songs in the history of the medium. That is exactly how it goes when you encounter Gilgamesh early in Resonance’s main story, and later in some side quests. He shows up, acts like kind of a buffoon, and you hear the song. His inclusion is a master class in what fan service, executed correctly, can feel like.
Why This Matters
Final Fantasy Resonance arrives at a moment when Square Enix is actively exploring how to translate the goodwill surrounding its legacy IP into new formats and audiences. By grounding a fresh console RPG in the visual and narrative vocabulary of the beloved Brave Exvius mobile universe while populating it with characters spanning the full breadth of mainline Final Fantasy history — from Cloud and Terra to Tidus and Lightning — the studio is making a calculated but sincere argument that nostalgia and mechanical innovation are not mutually exclusive. The Visions system in particular reflects a broader industry trend toward character-driven progression systems that reward long-term fans for their series literacy. For players who grew up with these games, Resonance offers not just a trip down memory lane, but a genuinely engaging new combat sandbox built from deeply familiar pieces.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are “Visions” in Final Fantasy Resonance?
Visions are ghostly apparitions of characters from previous Final Fantasy games that players can equip to their main party members in Final Fantasy Resonance. Each vision grants its associated character new elemental affinities, passive stat bonuses, and powerful special moves, forming the core strategic layer of the game’s turn-based combat system.
Is Final Fantasy Resonance connected to the mobile game Brave Exvius?
Yes. Final Fantasy Resonance is a new single-player console and PC RPG from Square Enix that remixes assets from the mobile game Brave Exvius, reconfiguring them into a standalone adventure with classic turn-based combat. It is not a mobile game itself, but it shares visual and mechanical DNA with Brave Exvius.
Which vision is considered the most powerful in Final Fantasy Resonance?
Terra from Final Fantasy VI is widely considered the most impactful vision for breaking the game’s combat, as she eventually grants party members the ability to deal more than 9,999 damage in a single hit — a hard cap that applies by default in many classic-style RPGs. Cloud is also exceptionally strong for critical-hit-focused builds, capable of ending boss fights very quickly with the right setup.
