Final Fantasy Resonance is off to an impressive start, with the turn-based JRPG earning a score of 36/40 from Famitsu's review panel. This debut suggests a cracking first impression, especially as it scored 9/9/9/9 across the panel. If each judge came up with the same score, it's evidence that Final Fantasy Resonance is another shining testament to the series' enduring quality. A strong review score is only the first chapter of the game's story, though.

While the strong debut suggests the JRPG has made a solid opening reception, its estimated completion time has raised a few eyebrows, as well as a question about how the game uses its content. Famitsu estimates that the main story takes 20–30 hours to finish, while completing everything can take up to 70 hours. That's a pretty substantial gap. There is a conversation to be had about whether the optional activities will provide meaningful reasons to keep playing after the credits roll, because a lengthy completion time can sometimes be a concern if the game relies on repetition, rather than adding new experiences.

Final Fantasy Resonance has made one excellent addition to turn-based combat, proving it can still feel fresh.

The important part to remember here is what makes good optional content, because it should really aim to offer something players cannot get from simply following the main story. In my opinion, the best JRPGs understand that a longer runtime is only valuable when the experiences within it are engaging in their own right , so Final Fantasy Resonance ’s 70-hour total runtime makes me wonder about its completionist requirements: if completion demands excessive repetition, grinding, or backtracking, it could end up an exhausting list of check boxes.

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