Final Fantasy Resonance Devs Draw Heavy Inspiration from Final Fantasy IV, V, and VI
- ⚡Xe⚡
- 1 day ago
- 3 min read
In an interview with IGN, Final Fantasy Resonance producer Keisuke Nakashima and director Hiroto Furuya discussed the origins of the project, its adaptation of Final Fantasy Brave Exvius, and the philosophy behind its story and combat design.
Nakashima revealed that the initial concept for Resonance dates back approximately six to seven years. He clarified that this refers to the planning stage rather than full development.
"Yeah, just the idea itself, I'm thinking about six to seven years ago with regard to the concept and planning. Back during the Brave Exvius days, we also heard a lot of voices from our playerbase that they'd also want to experience this game on console."
According to Nakashima, the project began from a desire to revisit elements associated with earlier Final Fantasy titles.
"However, my first Final Fantasy was Final Fantasy V, and I felt like there was room to explore that classic Final Fantasy experience where it doesn't require much reflex."
Furuya said his own experience with Final Fantasy IV, V, and VI influenced the team's approach, particularly regarding player freedom, party building, and character driven storytelling.
"Towards the end of the year when I have some time off, I'll still replay Final Fantasy VI from start to end."
Discussing the decision to adapt Brave Exvius, Nakashima highlighted the story's use of classic Final Fantasy themes, including its focus on crystals.
"I believe that we haven't really seen a Final Fantasy game intricately weave in crystals into the scenario to this extent."
Furuya described Resonance as an attempt to deliver a traditional Final Fantasy style adventure built around many of the series' long standing motifs.
"If you say that there is a follow-up title in a similar nature 20-30 years after Final Fantasy IV, V, and VI, I feel that this scenario would very much fit into that landscape."
The developers also discussed how the project adapts Brave Exvius for a console RPG format. While the main story remains intact, the team revised dialogue, reworked scenarios, and adjusted the structure to better support exploration and progression in a standalone RPG.
"The overarching storyline hasn't changed, even if it's been reworked and rewritten for a large chunk of the scenarios."
On the gameplay side, the team said the battle system was designed around character viability, customization, and satisfying combat feedback. The developers looked to both Final Fantasy V and Final Fantasy VI while creating the system.
"The overarching direction we gave the team when developing this battle system was to see whether we can find a really good blend of something like Final Fantasy V's Job system... then also incorporate elements of the unique character traits that you really see from Final Fantasy VI."
The interview also touched on the recent popularity of turn based RPGs. Both developers believe there is still room for the genre to evolve, with Furuya pointing to a new generation of creators drawing inspiration from the games they grew up playing.
"A lot of us creators who had grown up playing turn-based games are now creating games ourselves."
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-⚡Xe⚡
About FINAL FANTASY RESONANCE
The first HD-2D game in the FINAL FANTASY series, FINAL FANTASY RESONANCE is a celebration of classic and modern FINAL FANTASY that evokes the beloved titles of yesteryear. This tale of Crystals features a strategic turn-based battle system with a modern twist, the return of chocobos, espers and airships, in addition to appearances from beloved FINAL FANTASY characters such as Cloud, Tidus and the Warrior of Light – all presented in stunning, retro-inspired HD-2D graphics that push the limits of pixel art.