Final Fantasy Resonance reaches 97% positive on Steam after launch

Final Fantasy Resonance has opened strongly on PC, with the Steam version reaching a 97 per cent positive user-review rating shortly after launch, according to figures reported by Automaton. The Square Enix RPG also climbed to roughly 43,000 concurrent players on Steam, giving the new HD-2D entry a notably busy first weekend.

What happened

Square Enix released Final Fantasy Resonance on 22 October, with the Steam edition following on 23 October. The game is also available on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox on PC, Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2. A free demo is available on the supported storefronts, and the official website says its save data can carry into the full game.

Automaton reported that the game had reached a 97 per cent positive rating from about 2,400 Steam reviews at the time of writing. That put it in Steam's "Overwhelmingly Positive" category. The same report put the game's peak concurrent Steam audience at approximately 43,000 players, after an earlier peak of around 20,000.

Those figures are useful early signals rather than a final verdict. Review percentages can move quickly during a launch window, while concurrent-player peaks reflect the timing of release, regional availability and the amount of attention a game receives in its first few days. Even so, the combination of strong user sentiment and a sizeable launch audience suggests that Final Fantasy Resonance has found an audience beyond simple curiosity about the brand.

Why it matters

Final Fantasy Resonance is built around a deliberately retro-looking idea: what if Final Fantasy had continued evolving its pixel-art identity? Square Enix describes it as the first HD-2D game in the series, combining pixel characters with depth, camera movement and three-dimensional environments.

The combat system is turn-based rather than centred on the active-time battles used by many previous entries. Players can exploit enemy weaknesses, break their guard and create opportunities for larger attacks. The game also uses Visions, which let the party draw on the abilities of familiar Final Fantasy heroes, alongside summons, airships, crystals and a job-inspired customisation system.

That blend appears to be central to the game's early reception. The Automaton report points to the return of command battles as one of the features players have welcomed, while also highlighting the way difficulty options alter the pressure placed on resource management and enemy weaknesses. The result is a game that borrows the visual language of classic Final Fantasy without simply presenting a museum piece.

The official Square Enix site positions the game as a single-player RPG with a crystal-focused story, a broad cast and substantial side content. Steam's official listing similarly describes a campaign built around companions, Visions and a threat capable of bringing the world to ruin. The publisher's store page also confirms that the PC edition includes English, French, German, Spanish, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, Japanese and Korean support, with full audio support listed for English and Japanese.

What to watch next

The important test now is whether the launch audience stays engaged after the novelty wears off. A strong first weekend can establish a healthy base, but longer-term interest will depend on how well the campaign, optional content and character systems sustain that audience. It will also be worth watching whether the game's Steam review ratio remains high as more players reach its later chapters.

For now, the early picture is encouraging. Final Fantasy Resonance is not relying solely on nostalgia: its launch numbers suggest that players are responding to the particular combination of HD-2D presentation, traditional command combat and a wide-ranging set of series references. That is a promising start for Square Enix's attempt to reconnect Final Fantasy with one of its oldest design identities.

Our opinion

The interesting part of Final Fantasy Resonance's launch is not that a famous name can attract attention. It is that the early response points towards a specific appetite for a more deliberate, turn-based Final Fantasy rather than a general appetite for another sequel. If the campaign's breadth matches its nostalgic pitch, Square Enix may have found a strong foundation for exploring this style again. The 97 per cent figure is still an early snapshot, but it is a much more convincing one than a launch driven by brand recognition alone.