Episode Details

Welcome to The Bonus Level — an extra Between Levels episode outside of our normal numbered weekly podcast.

WheelieAverage is joined by Dom from Dom’s Roundtable and Danreb Victorio from SmashPad for a special Final Fantasy Resonance review roundtable.

Wheelie has finished the main story and spent around 40 hours with the game, Dom has put more than 70 hours into it and explored virtually everything, while Dan joins us from the middle of Chapter 6. That gives us three very different perspectives on Square Enix’s return to old-school, turn-based Final Fantasy.

We discuss the HD-2D presentation, characters, story and the Vision system, which lets you combine abilities from iconic Final Fantasy characters in some ridiculous ways.

We also get into Resonance attacks, the soundtrack, how successfully Square Enix transformed a former mobile game into a full premium release, endgame grinding, Espers, technical issues and whether Final Fantasy Resonance really is a must-play JRPG.

Finally, we look beyond Resonance and ask where Final Fantasy should go next. Should Final Fantasy XVII remain 3D? Could turn-based combat make a full comeback? And what influence could games like Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 have on the future of the franchise?

Featuring WheelieAverage, Dom’s Roundtable and Danreb Victorio of SmashPad.

CHAPTERS

00:00 – Welcome to The Bonus Level

01:20 – The Final Fantasy Resonance Review Roundtable

02:11 – Wheelie’s Final Fantasy Resonance Impressions

03:07 – Danreb’s First Impressions

05:00 – Dom’s Thoughts After 70+ Hours

06:16 – How Wheelie Got Into Turn-Based Games

10:01 – The Vision System Explained

15:06 – Resonance Attacks & Breaking the Combat System

18:06 – The Problem With Unlocking Visions

19:28 – Final Fantasy Resonance Is a Museum for the Franchise

20:31 – Final Fantasy’s Iconic Music

23:39 – Gilgamesh & Classic Final Fantasy References

24:51 – You’d Never Know This Was a Mobile Game

28:18 – Is Final Fantasy Resonance a MUST-PLAY?

30:27 – What Doesn’t Work?

32:14 – The Endgame Grind

34:43 – The Hidden Vision That Makes Grinding Easier

36:20 – Taking 16 Turns & Dealing Over a Million Damage

37:03 – Are Espers Too Weak?

39:16 – Technical Issues

41:05 – Quality-of-Life Features We Want

42:43 – Why Fast Travel Works So Well

47:15 – Where Does Final Fantasy Go Next?

52:35 – Final Verdicts

56:43 – Guest Coverage & Outro