Final Fantasy Resonance has made waves since it was announced during the June 2026 Nintendo Direct with it being the first HD-2D Final Fantasy, which also brings the series back to turn-based combat while adapting the story of the now-inactive mobile game Final Fantasy: Brave Exvius. I really enjoyed the three hours I got to play in an exclusive hands-on preview, and can't wait to see how it may just capture that classic Final Fantasy experience many of us had as kids. And two of those kids from decades ago include the producer and director of Final Fantasy Resonance: Keisuke Nakashima and Hiroto Furuya, respectively.

I was able to catch up with Nakashima and Furuya after my preview to talk all about Final Fantasy Resonance – everything from how they're reworking the first story arc of Brave Exvius to the ways they looked to Final Fantasy V and VI as specific inspirations for its new combat system. They also shared the general timeline for its creation and their thoughts on why turn-based RPGs have had a resurgence in recent years. If you haven't caught up yet, you can check out my Final Fantasy Resonance preview for more details on how it plays, but otherwise, you can read our conversation below.

Editor's note: This interview was conducted through a translator and editor for clarity.

IGN: First, I want to ask about the development timeline and what the conversations were like when coming up with Resonance. When did the idea start and how long has it been in development and what sparked the idea to begin with?

Nakashima: When we think about the first idea or conception, we would say maybe it was six to seven years ago or so. The reason why I wanted to create the game was because when looking at the current Final Fantasy landscape, it's become more of the norm to move in a 3D direction. The more recent games have more action-based gameplay elements and with 3D graphics, and it's jam packed with a lot of content and it's quite dense. That is kind of becoming the mainstream Final Fantasy experience of this day.

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. For example, some of the features that call back to that classic Final Fantasy experience,like airships being able to traverse around the overworld and explore the various content scattered across that world, really diving into that exploration aspect. So, again, personally, I also wanted to go back and relive and reexperience the classic fun of the Final Fantasy games of then. That was the initial trigger that set off the idea to create this game, I suppose.

Furuya: Personally, I grew up playing Final Fantasy IV, V, and VI, the ones released on the SNES. I experienced those games in real time and looking back, these stories were really quite epic and expansive. I know these were stories about saving the world, but it also allowed you to play at your own will and how you see a fit, and they also came with very unique characters with unique personalities. And building parties as those characters was definitely an aspect that I enjoyed myself.

So, with regards to being able to customize your own experience, so to speak, having that kind of gameplay experience is something that we try to instill in Final Fantasy Resonance as well. Of course, this game also incorporates classic Final Fantasy elements, like airships, traversing an overworld, and so forth – but again, I'm drawing from the experiences that I personally had with Final Fantasy IV, V, and VI, those are the experiences that I enjoy myself even now. Towards the end of the year when I have some time off, I'll still replay Final Fantasy VI from start to end. I'm very much a Final Fantasy fan, and in a sense, really wanted to respect those classics which led to what we were hoping to achieve with this game.

IGN: Just so it's clear, it was the idea that first started about 6 or 7 years ago, not the development?

Nakashima: 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. That was what initially led to the concept of a console adaptation. We can't disclose the exact development timeframe. However, the development itself was much shorter. This was more of just when the idea first came about when it was just me and a very small team doing the concept and planning.

IGN: For those who have not experienced Brave Exvius when it was on mobile, what is it about this story that you think is going to resonate with Final Fantasy fans who have been looking for a classic Final Fantasy game? What is it about this story that stands out to you?

Nakashima: Going back to the fact that there were hopes to see a console release with Brave Exvius. We had player feedback, but personally, I believe that Brave Exvius would be suitable for a console experience, something that FF fans would be able to fully enjoy. It's part of the reason why we believed and wanted to take on this particular project.

Specifically, regarding the Final Fantasy Resonance story and how that would resonate with Final Fantasy fans and those experiencing it for the first time, one thing is that the crystals are central to the story here. Throughout Final Fantasy's history, all entries have an element of crystals incorporated into their scenario. However, the degree in which it is woven into their scenario varies. And I believe that we haven't really seen a Final Fantasy game intricately weave in crystals into the scenario to this extent. There have been several throughout its history, but maybe not to this degree. So, that's one of the appeals of this particular story.

Second, as just another example; loving Final Fantasy V personally, the story about that father-child relationship, that's a central focal point within the story, as well. There are elements where you can truly feel those classic Final Fantasy moments spread out throughout the Resonance story, which I believe is one of the biggest appeals that would resonate with fans and newcomers alike.

Furuya: From my perspective, I believe that Final Fantasy Resonance is dead-set on delivering on that traditional Final Fantasy storyline and experience. One of the largest story plot beats you often see that is representative of Final Fantasy is protecting the planet. Not specifically like a nation or a person, it really is about protecting and saving the planet. I believe that kind of plot line is very Final Fantasy-like, and within that larger storyline, we have all of these motifs that are unique to Final Fantasy, such as the crystals, airships, and so forth. The dramatic depth when characters meet and depart, joining and leaving the party, and all the adventure within it, are fundamental to the Final Fantasy experience. That dramatic storyline is a cornerstone of the series, and with all that combined, it's represented in Resonance. Of course, there's the large epic story where you set off on an adventure to save the planet, and the various events and incidents you come across along the way, and it's that cohesive and comprehensive drama – those seeking a Final Fantasy experience, it fits what they're looking for.

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, it would match something that people might expect of an experience that comes after those past entries. That's something I felt when I first read the draft of the scenario, and from there when converting this for console-style game, we brushed up and reworked the scenario where necessary in order to build on that dramatic nature we were going for. Again going back to the series motifs, like the summons, what we call Espers in this game, to the crystals, and a war with the empire – I think you can say that it was very much an homage to classic Final Fantasy with all the hallmarks you'll find throughout the game.

IGN: How much can you share at this point about how much it deviates from what we saw in Brave Exvius, if at all?

Nakashima: When we're looking at the overarching plot line, as well as the main characters who appear, all that has been carried over from Brave Exvius. However, with regards to specific dialogue and specific scenarios, those are all things we reassessed and reworked for Resonance. For certain remarks or lines, there may be some instances that made sense to keep the classic version and there was some dialogue that was reworked for this console version. Just as an example, the order in which the scenario takes place or how the scenario unfolds, we changed the order in some areas to make sure that works well for the console experience. There are some areas where we've deviated Brave Exvius, but again, the major storyline remains, but it has very much been reworked for the console experience.

Furuya: Adding to that, the overarching storyline hasn't changed, even if it's been reworked and rewritten for a large chunk of the scenarios. When we're looking back at the mobile game scenario, it developed in a way where you would complete a stage, and then that would unlock a new scenario, which you would read through. It was very much more of an adventure game format or structure. However, now you'll be setting out on your own adventure, walking around exploring the overworld. When thinking about that gameplay experience, we did need to recreate that story with the console-style gameplay experience in mind; really thinking about how to blend and fuse gameplay and story together. We wanted to ensure that players will be able to enjoy their own adventure, and then see that within the context of how gameplay unfolds, and what kind of peak moments unfold with the gameplay and how that intersects with the scenario, that's how we approached it, which required us to rewrite and rework the scenario. Again, if you look within the context of how the game is presented and directed, you'll see those natural differences between the two.

IGN: I love turn-based systems and am always interested in how they evolve. Octopath Traveler 0 was my favorite game last year and it's cool to see Final Fantasy do its own thing with turn-based combat again. How did you land on this system in particular? It's not ATB, but it has turn order. It has a stagger system like FFXIII and FF7 Remake, but also has elemental affinities and the equippable Visions [which function like a Job system]. It feels like so many different things we've seen from Final Fantasy over the years combined into one new thing.

Nakashima: When we were thinking about building this battle system, there were two things we wanted to achieve. The first being ensuring that all the characters have their own unique usage; we have 20-plus Visions in this game. What that means is that we didn't want any of the characters to go to waste, with some being weaker than the others, we wanted to ensure that all characters are equally capable and be quite active and useful in your party. We understand that in Final Fantasy over its history, different players have an affinity towards different characters. All of their preferences vary and their favorite characters vary. So, we made sure that no one character would be weaker than the other and there were opportunities for every character to shine. That was one thing we kept in mind in order to achieve this particular system. The other part is ensuring that it was intuitive, along with that sense of satisfaction. When you unleash your massive attack, and the outcome of that, it's very much apparent and intuitive. These are things that we wanted to come through in this system.

Hand-in-hand with that, going back to something like Final Fantasy V and its Job system, we wanted to ensure that we incorporated depth in the types of character builds that are possible in Resonance. There may be abilities where you can change the order of your character's actions, or there may be starting abilities that unleash massive damage, as examples. Either way, we wanted to incorporate all of these elements, and as a result of that, we landed on this particular battle system as being the most optimal form.

Furuya: You mentioned that it almost felt like all of these past systems converging into one and you really hit the nail on that. One aspect from a development standpoint, and within the team, we have staff who really love and enjoy the Final Fantasy franchise, and even have a few who were involved in the development of Final Fantasy games in the past. So, naturally, we would lean in on those elements. However, 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, where the enjoyment really is about party customization, then also incorporate elements of the unique character traits that you really see from Final Fantasy VI. So, whether we can explore and find a really good balance that takes from both of those battle systems and combine them to create Final Fantasy Resonance, that was the overarching direction we initially set out to achieve.

Of course, it's quite a challenge and difficult to find the right balance because when you look back at Final Fantasy V, the Job system was very much about customization. So, there wasn't much variation with character traits or stats, whereas Final Fantasy VI had less of the customization because it was really leaning into the unique traits of its characters. Blending them and finding the right balance was very much a challenge, but that's what we set out to achieve. On top of that, going back to what Nakashima-san mentioned about having clear satisfying and exhilarating moments, whether that be through a kind of break/stagger system, or the powerful Resonance attacks you unleash, those are the peak moments of battles.

I think if you played the earlier parts of the game, you've already seen quite a few abilities that are really a hallmark of Final Fantasy. But as you progress, going back to Final Fantasy V's Job system where the real fun is the ability setups and different builds, essentially – there will be opportunities to really dig deeper into that customization and really leverage that synergy you get out of these abilities the further you get into the game.

IGN: Hearing that there's a new turn-based Final Fantasy is going to set off a lot of bells for people who have been looking for something like this for a long time. With that, I want to get both of your perspectives on what some are looking at as a renaissance of turn-based RPGs. People would point to Clair Obscur as highlighting this, but I'd also point to series like Octopath Traveler or Persona that have been doing that really well, keeping turn-based gameplay going and pushing it forward. Do you see it that way from your perspective, that there is this resurgence in turn-based RPGs?

Nakashima: It's a difficult question, but I personally feel like right now in this current environment, there are various games of various genres of varying degrees of quality, really. I believe that players who have always enjoyed and preferred RPGs are still very much prevalent to this day. At the same time, I researched widely when it comes to pixel-based games, everything from indie games to major releases, and how technological advancements are incorporated within those experiences. When we're looking at that, I still believe that there's room to grow, evolve, and advance, even for pixel art turn-based games at this moment in time. Of course, the experience is very much ingrained in the classics, leaning into something that feels familiar. However, incorporating some of these new technologies, I still believe there's a future for these types of experiences that even if you play it current and in this modern day, these types of RPGs may not necessarily feel dated. There is still very much a future for these games, and perhaps that's where all of this is coming from.

A lot of us creators who had grown up playing turn-based games are now creating games ourselves.“

Furuya: I do feel this kind of renaissance or resurgence of turn-based RPGs, and I believe part of that is attributable to the increased number of options when it comes to handheld hardware, including the Nintendo Switch, and being able to play these games more accessibly in your free time. For example, you could do a little bit of customization before, like, going to sleep, and then as a gamer, you would just be thinking about what build you'd want or the possibilities while you're sleeping, then you'd pick it back up. With regards to having that kind of option, as far as handheld gaming goes, I believe there is a general environmental shift that has contributed to this.

Secondly, I feel like a lot of us creators who had grown up playing turn-based games are now creating games ourselves. It feels like there's this general movement towards revisiting and potentially reassessing or reworking some of the experiences we personally had when we were younger. When we're talking about Clair Obscur, I believe they are creators who grew up playing JRPGs. So in a similar manner, this isn't just something that's occurring within the gaming sphere, I think it's a movement that we're also seeing in anime, manga, and other mediums where creators are now revisiting past projects, remaking them, and reimagining them. That's also potentially a factor that contributes to this kind of resurgence that we're seeing right now.