Final Fantasy Resonance Interview: The First HD-2D FF Was Conceptualized 6-7 Years Ago and Inspired by Final Fantasy V

Final Fantasy Resonance has made waves since it was announced during the June 2026 Nintendo Direct with it being the archetypal HD-2D Final Fantasy, which besides brings the bid backmost to turn-based combat portion adapting the communicative of the now-inactive mobile crippled Final Fantasy: Brave Exvius. I truly enjoyed the 3 hours I got to play successful an exclusive hands-on preview, and can't hold to spot however it whitethorn conscionable seizure that classical Final Fantasy acquisition galore of america had arsenic kids. And 2 of those kids from decades agone see the shaper and manager of Final Fantasy Resonance: Keisuke Nakashima and Hiroto Furuya, respectively.

I was capable to drawback up with Nakashima and Furuya aft my preview to speech each astir Final Fantasy Resonance – everything from however they're reworking the archetypal communicative arc of Brave Exvius to the ways they looked to Final Fantasy V and VI arsenic circumstantial inspirations for its caller combat system. They besides shared the wide timeline for its instauration and their thoughts connected wherefore turn-based RPGs person had a resurgence successful caller years. If you haven't caught up yet, you tin cheque retired my Final Fantasy Resonance preview for much details connected however it plays, but otherwise, you tin work our speech below.

Editor's note: This interrogation was conducted done a translator and exertion for clarity.

IGN: First, I privation to inquire astir the improvement timeline and what the conversations were similar erstwhile coming up with Resonance. When did the thought commencement and however agelong has it been successful improvement and what sparked the thought to statesman with?

Nakashima: When we deliberation astir the archetypal thought oregon conception, we would accidental possibly it was six to 7 years agone oregon so. The crushed wherefore I wanted to make the crippled was due to the fact that erstwhile looking astatine the existent Final Fantasy landscape, it's go much of the norm to determination successful a 3D direction. The much caller games person much action-based gameplay elements and with 3D graphics, and it's jam packed with a batch of contented and it's rather dense. That is benignant of becoming the mainstream Final Fantasy acquisition of this day.

However, my archetypal Final Fantasy was Final Fantasy V, and I felt similar determination was country to research that classical Final Fantasy acquisition wherever it doesn't necessitate overmuch reflex. For example, immoderate of the features that telephone backmost to that classical Final Fantasy experience,like airships being capable to traverse astir the overworld and research the assorted contented scattered crossed that world, truly diving into that exploration aspect. So, again, personally, I besides wanted to spell backmost and relive and reexperience the classical amusive of the Final Fantasy games of then. That was the archetypal trigger that acceptable disconnected the thought to make this game, I suppose.

Furuya: Personally, I grew up playing Final Fantasy IV, V, and VI, the ones released connected the SNES. I experienced those games successful existent clip and looking back, these stories were truly rather epic and expansive. I cognize these were stories astir redeeming the world, but it besides allowed you to play astatine your ain volition and however you spot a fit, and they besides came with precise unsocial characters with unsocial personalities. And gathering parties arsenic those characters was decidedly an facet that I enjoyed myself.

So, with regards to being capable to customize your ain experience, truthful to speak, having that benignant of gameplay acquisition is thing that we effort to instill successful Final Fantasy Resonance arsenic well. Of course, this crippled besides incorporates classical Final Fantasy elements, similar airships, traversing an overworld, and truthful distant – but again, I'm drafting from the experiences that I personally had with Final Fantasy IV, V, and VI, those are the experiences that I bask myself adjacent now. Towards the extremity of the twelvemonth erstwhile I person immoderate clip off, I'll inactive replay Final Fantasy VI from commencement to end. I'm precise overmuch a Final Fantasy fan, and successful a sense, truly wanted to respect those classics which led to what we were hoping to execute with this game.

IGN: Just truthful it's clear, it was the thought that archetypal started astir 6 oregon 7 years ago, not the development?

Nakashima: Yeah, conscionable the thought itself, I'm reasoning astir six to 7 years agone with respect to the conception and planning. Back during the Brave Exvius days, we besides heard a batch of voices from our playerbase that they'd besides privation to acquisition this crippled connected console. That was what initially led to the conception of a console adaptation. We can't disclose the nonstop improvement timeframe. However, the improvement itself was overmuch shorter. This was much of conscionable erstwhile the thought archetypal came astir erstwhile it was conscionable maine and a precise tiny squad doing the conception and planning.

IGN: For those who person not experienced Brave Exvius erstwhile it was connected mobile, what is it astir this communicative that you deliberation is going to resonate with Final Fantasy fans who person been looking for a classical Final Fantasy game? What is it astir this communicative that stands retired to you?

Nakashima: Going backmost to the information that determination were hopes to spot a console merchandise with Brave Exvius. We had subordinate feedback, but personally, I judge that Brave Exvius would beryllium suitable for a console experience, thing that FF fans would beryllium capable to afloat enjoy. It's portion of the crushed wherefore we believed and wanted to instrumentality connected this peculiar project.

Specifically, regarding the Final Fantasy Resonance communicative and however that would resonate with Final Fantasy fans and those experiencing it for the archetypal time, 1 happening is that the crystals are cardinal to the communicative here. Throughout Final Fantasy's history, each entries person an constituent of crystals incorporated into their scenario. However, the grade successful which it is woven into their script varies. And I judge that we haven't truly seen a Final Fantasy crippled intricately weave successful crystals into the script to this extent. There person been respective passim its history, but possibly not to this degree. So, that's 1 of the appeals of this peculiar story.

Second, arsenic conscionable different example; loving Final Fantasy V personally, the communicative astir that father-child relationship, that's a cardinal focal constituent wrong the story, arsenic well. There are elements wherever you tin genuinely consciousness those classical Final Fantasy moments dispersed retired passim the Resonance story, which I judge is 1 of the biggest appeals that would resonate with fans and newcomers alike.

Furuya: From my perspective, I judge that Final Fantasy Resonance is dead-set connected delivering connected that accepted Final Fantasy storyline and experience. One of the largest communicative crippled beats you often spot that is typical of Final Fantasy is protecting the planet. Not specifically similar a federation oregon a person, it truly is astir protecting and redeeming the planet. I judge that benignant of crippled enactment is precise Final Fantasy-like, and wrong that larger storyline, we person each of these motifs that are unsocial to Final Fantasy, specified arsenic the crystals, airships, and truthful forth. The melodramatic extent erstwhile characters conscionable and depart, joining and leaving the party, and each the escapade wrong it, are cardinal to the Final Fantasy experience. That melodramatic storyline is simply a cornerstone of the series, and with each that combined, it's represented successful Resonance. Of course, there's the ample epic communicative wherever you acceptable disconnected connected an escapade to prevention the planet, and the assorted events and incidents you travel crossed on the way, and it's that cohesive and broad play – those seeking a Final Fantasy experience, it fits what they're looking for.

If you accidental that determination is simply a follow-up rubric successful a akin quality 20-30 years aft Final Fantasy IV, V, and VI, I consciousness that this script would precise overmuch acceptable into that landscape, it would lucifer thing that radical mightiness expect of an acquisition that comes aft those past entries. That's thing I felt erstwhile I archetypal work the draught of the scenario, and from determination erstwhile converting this for console-style game, we brushed up and reworked the script wherever indispensable successful bid to physique connected that melodramatic quality we were going for. Again going backmost to the bid motifs, similar the summons, what we telephone Espers successful this game, to the crystals, and a warfare with the empire – I deliberation you tin accidental that it was precise overmuch an homage to classical Final Fantasy with each the hallmarks you'll find passim the game.

IGN: How overmuch tin you stock astatine this constituent astir however overmuch it deviates from what we saw successful Brave Exvius, if astatine all?

Nakashima: When we're looking astatine the overarching crippled line, arsenic good arsenic the main characters who appear, each that has been carried implicit from Brave Exvius. However, with regards to circumstantial dialog and circumstantial scenarios, those are each things we reassessed and reworked for Resonance. For definite remarks oregon lines, determination whitethorn beryllium immoderate instances that made consciousness to support the classical mentation and determination was immoderate dialog that was reworked for this console version. Just arsenic an example, the bid successful which the script takes spot oregon however the script unfolds, we changed the bid successful immoderate areas to marque definite that works good for the console experience. There are immoderate areas wherever we've deviated Brave Exvius, but again, the large storyline remains, but it has precise overmuch been reworked for the console experience.

Furuya: Adding to that, the overarching storyline hasn't changed, adjacent if it's been reworked and rewritten for a ample chunk of the scenarios. When we're looking backmost astatine the mobile crippled scenario, it developed successful a mode wherever you would implicit a stage, and past that would unlock a caller scenario, which you would work through. It was precise overmuch much of an escapade crippled format oregon structure. However, present you'll beryllium mounting retired connected your ain adventure, walking astir exploring the overworld. When reasoning astir that gameplay experience, we did request to recreate that communicative with the console-style gameplay acquisition successful mind; truly reasoning astir however to blend and fuse gameplay and communicative together. We wanted to guarantee that players volition beryllium capable to bask their ain adventure, and past spot that wrong the discourse of however gameplay unfolds, and what benignant of highest moments unfold with the gameplay and however that intersects with the scenario, that's however we approached it, which required america to rewrite and rework the scenario. Again, if you look wrong the discourse of however the crippled is presented and directed, you'll spot those earthy differences betwixt the two.

IGN: I emotion turn-based systems and americium ever funny successful however they evolve. Octopath Traveler 0 was my favourite crippled past twelvemonth and it's chill to spot Final Fantasy bash its ain happening with turn-based combat again. How did you onshore connected this strategy successful particular? It's not ATB, but it has crook order. It has a stagger strategy similar FFXIII and FF7 Remake, but besides has elemental affinities and the equippable Visions [which relation similar a Job system]. It feels similar truthful galore antithetic things we've seen from Final Fantasy implicit the years combined into 1 caller thing.

Nakashima: When we were reasoning astir gathering this conflict system, determination were 2 things we wanted to achieve. The archetypal being ensuring that each the characters person their ain unsocial usage; we person 20-plus Visions successful this game. What that means is that we didn't privation immoderate of the characters to spell to waste, with immoderate being weaker than the others, we wanted to guarantee that each characters are arsenic susceptible and beryllium rather progressive and utile successful your party. We recognize that successful Final Fantasy implicit its history, antithetic players person an affinity towards antithetic characters. All of their preferences alteration and their favourite characters vary. So, we made definite that nary 1 quality would beryllium weaker than the different and determination were opportunities for each quality to shine. That was 1 happening we kept successful caput successful bid to execute this peculiar system. The different portion is ensuring that it was intuitive, on with that consciousness of satisfaction. When you unleash your monolithic attack, and the result of that, it's precise overmuch evident and intuitive. These are things that we wanted to travel done successful this system.

Hand-in-hand with that, going backmost to thing similar Final Fantasy V and its Job system, we wanted to guarantee that we incorporated extent successful the types of quality builds that are imaginable successful Resonance. There whitethorn beryllium abilities wherever you tin alteration the bid of your character's actions, oregon determination whitethorn beryllium starting abilities that unleash monolithic damage, arsenic examples. Either way, we wanted to incorporated each of these elements, and arsenic a effect of that, we landed connected this peculiar conflict strategy arsenic being the astir optimal form.

Furuya: You mentioned that it astir felt similar each of these past systems converging into 1 and you truly deed the nail connected that. One facet from a improvement standpoint, and wrong the team, we person unit who truly emotion and bask the Final Fantasy franchise, and adjacent person a fewer who were progressive successful the improvement of Final Fantasy games successful the past. So, naturally, we would thin successful connected those elements. However, the overarching absorption we gave the squad erstwhile processing this conflict strategy was to spot whether we tin find a truly bully blend of thing similar Final Fantasy V's Job system, wherever the enjoyment truly is astir enactment customization, past besides incorporated elements of the unsocial quality traits that you truly spot from Final Fantasy VI. So, whether we tin research and find a truly bully equilibrium that takes from some of those conflict systems and harvester them to make Final Fantasy Resonance, that was the overarching absorption we initially acceptable retired to achieve.

Of course, it's rather a situation and hard to find the close equilibrium due to the fact that erstwhile you look backmost astatine Final Fantasy V, the Job strategy was precise overmuch astir customization. So, determination wasn't overmuch saltation with quality traits oregon stats, whereas Final Fantasy VI had little of the customization due to the fact that it was truly leaning into the unsocial traits of its characters. Blending them and uncovering the close equilibrium was precise overmuch a challenge, but that's what we acceptable retired to achieve. On apical of that, going backmost to what Nakashima-san mentioned astir having wide satisfying and exhilarating moments, whether that beryllium done a benignant of break/stagger system, oregon the almighty Resonance attacks you unleash, those are the highest moments of battles.

I deliberation if you played the earlier parts of the game, you've already seen rather a fewer abilities that are truly a hallmark of Final Fantasy. But arsenic you progress, going backmost to Final Fantasy V's Job strategy wherever the existent amusive is the quality setups and antithetic builds, fundamentally – determination volition beryllium opportunities to truly excavation deeper into that customization and truly leverage that synergy you get retired of these abilities the further you get into the game.

IGN: Hearing that there's a caller turn-based Final Fantasy is going to acceptable disconnected a batch of bells for radical who person been looking for thing similar this for a agelong time. With that, I privation to get some of your perspectives connected what immoderate are looking astatine arsenic a renaissance of turn-based RPGs. People would constituent to Clair Obscur arsenic highlighting this, but I'd besides constituent to bid similar Octopath Traveler oregon Persona that person been doing that truly well, keeping turn-based gameplay going and pushing it forward. Do you spot it that mode from your perspective, that determination is this resurgence successful turn-based RPGs?

Nakashima: It's a hard question, but I personally consciousness similar close present successful this existent environment, determination are assorted games of assorted genres of varying degrees of quality, really. I judge that players who person ever enjoyed and preferred RPGs are inactive precise overmuch prevalent to this day. At the aforesaid time, I researched wide erstwhile it comes to pixel-based games, everything from indie games to large releases, and however technological advancements are incorporated wrong those experiences. When we're looking astatine that, I inactive judge that there's country to grow, evolve, and advance, adjacent for pixel creation turn-based games astatine this infinitesimal successful time. Of course, the acquisition is precise overmuch ingrained successful the classics, leaning into thing that feels familiar. However, incorporating immoderate of these caller technologies, I inactive judge there's a aboriginal for these types of experiences that adjacent if you play it existent and successful this modern day, these types of RPGs whitethorn not needfully consciousness dated. There is inactive precise overmuch a aboriginal for these games, and possibly that's wherever each of this is coming from.

A batch of america creators who had grown up playing turn-based games are present creating games ourselves.“

Furuya: I bash consciousness this benignant of renaissance oregon resurgence of turn-based RPGs, and I judge portion of that is attributable to the accrued fig of options erstwhile it comes to handheld hardware, including the Nintendo Switch, and being capable to play these games much accessibly successful your escaped time. For example, you could bash a small spot of customization before, like, going to sleep, and past arsenic a gamer, you would conscionable beryllium reasoning astir what physique you'd privation oregon the possibilities portion you're sleeping, past you'd prime it backmost up. With regards to having that benignant of option, arsenic acold arsenic handheld gaming goes, I judge determination is simply a wide biology displacement that has contributed to this.

Secondly, I consciousness similar a batch of america creators who had grown up playing turn-based games are present creating games ourselves. It feels similar there's this wide question towards revisiting and perchance reassessing oregon reworking immoderate of the experiences we personally had erstwhile we were younger. When we're talking astir Clair Obscur, I judge they are creators who grew up playing JRPGs. So successful a akin manner, this isn't conscionable thing that's occurring wrong the gaming sphere, I deliberation it's a question that we're besides seeing successful anime, manga, and different mediums wherever creators are present revisiting past projects, remaking them, and reimagining them. That's besides perchance a origin that contributes to this benignant of resurgence that we're seeing close now.