With “Final Fantasy: Resonance,” Square Enix returns to the turn-based roots of the legendary RPG series. But what can the current boom in this classic genre be attributed to? In an interview, director Hiroto Furuya explains the reasons for the comeback of turn-based role-playing games.
As part of the last Nintendo Direct, Square Enix surprised players of the announcement von „Final Fantasy: Resonance“which is in development for PC and consoles.
As the developers revealed after the announcement, the HD 2D adventure is playfully based on classics like “Final Fantasy 5” and sees itself as a spiritual successor to the “Final Fantasy” trilogy for the Super Nintendo. But why did Square Enix decide to return to the series’ turn-based roots with a new PC and console title?
As Hiroto Furuya explained in an interview, his team wants to capitalize on the current success of turn-based games with “Final Fantasy: Resonance”, as the developers are convinced that this genre will be back in the long term and that the success of games like „Clair Obscure: Expedition 33“ is more than just a short-term trend.
A return to the classic virtues of a genre
Furuya attributes the current renaissance of turn-based games primarily to the fact that there are many developers active in the industry these days who grew up with turn-based role-playing games from Japan and are now interested in actively shaping the future of their favorite genre.
“I feel like a lot of us developers who grew up playing turn-based games are now making games ourselves,” he explained. “It feels like there’s this general movement towards revisiting and perhaps reevaluating or reworking some of the experiences that we ourselves had in our youth.”
Referring to teams like Sandfall Interactive, makers of “Clair Obscur: Expedition 33,” the game director said, “I feel like a lot of us developers who grew up playing turn-based games are now making games ourselves.”
He added that this conscious examination of one’s own gaming past is by no means limited to the gaming industry. Instead, it also appears in anime, manga and other media. For Furuya, this creative process of reinterpreting youth experiences is a cross-industry phenomenon.
“Creators are now returning to past projects, redesigning and reinterpreting them,” he continued. “That may also be a contributing factor to this kind of resurgence that we’re seeing.”
A classic Final Fantasy experience
“Final Fantasy: Resonance” will be released on October 22, 2026 for PC, PS5, Xbox Series
The developers also promise a strategic combat system that allows players to specifically exploit their opponents’ weak points.
In addition, the strategic possibilities are expanded by the “Visions” system, which makes it possible to integrate echoes of well-known “Final Fantasy” characters into the team. “Return to the pixel world of Final Fantasy, evolved from its origins,” Square Enix continues.
“Travel with companions bound by fate and summon visions to aid you in battle. Discover the truth behind the power that threatens all.”
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