Switch Sports Resort and Final Fantasy Resonance Review Roundup: Dual Oct 22 Scores Arrive

October 22 is shaping up to be a classic double-header for release-day watchers, as reviews for both Final Fantasy Resonance and Nintendo Switch Sports Resort dropped on October 20, 2026. While neither game is poised to completely derail the end-of-year award conversations, both have landed comfortably in solid territory ahead of their shared debut.

Square Enix's Final Fantasy Resonance—the franchise's first attempt at the popular HD-2D visual format—currently holds an 85 aggregate score on both OpenCritic and Metacritic. Meanwhile, Nintendo Switch Sports Resort, a Nintendo Switch 2 exclusive, sits at an 83 on OpenCritic and a 79 on Metacritic, showing a minor split among critics but standing as a clear step up from the previous entry.

The details

• Release date: October 22, 2026
• Final Fantasy Resonance scores: 85 on OpenCritic, 85 on Metacritic
• Nintendo Switch Sports Resort scores: 83 on OpenCritic, 79 on Metacritic
• Switch Sports Resort platform: Nintendo Switch 2 exclusive

How critics scored Switch Sports Resort

For Nintendo Switch Sports Resort, consensus leaned toward the idea that motion controls remain a reliable trick when paired with modern hardware. TheGamer's Josh Coulson awarded the title a 3.5/5 score, noting the variety across the package. "The selection of sports is wide and varied, and most of them feel fantastic to play, including the likes of bowling and boxing that have been around since the series' inception, yet still feel great to play," Coulson wrote.

Other outlets landed on even higher figures. Nintendo Life critic Jim Norman gave the game a 9/10, highlighting how well the classic activities transitioned. "Most of the classics feel better than they've ever been, and the newbies surprise and delight with some classic Nintendo intuition," Norman wrote.

Where Final Fantasy Resonance landed

Square Enix's throwback RPG drew a similarly positive response, though individual verdicts varied on whether nostalgia was doing heavy lifting. DualShockers gave Resonance a perfect score, arguing that sticking to familiar mechanics works in its favor. "While the mainline entries focus on pushing novelty, Final Fantasy Resonance bets on familiarity and years of learned design, delivering an experience that feels comforting yet refreshingly distinct," the outlet stated.

Not every review was quite so permissive. Writing for VGC, former TheGamer editor Dave Aubrey gave the game a 3/5 rating, pointing out that retro-styled Final Fantasy experiences are no longer a rare commodity. "In a world with HD-2D releases of classic Square Enix games and Pixel Remasters of the first six Final Fantasy games, Resonance just isn’t an essential experience," Aubrey noted.

Why it matters

Having two prominent titles share a release date and embargo time forces players to make quick decisions with their time, but respectable aggregate scores ensure neither game arrives as a high-profile misfire. For Nintendo, a solid reception for Switch Sports Resort gives the Switch 2 another recognizable party game in its early library. For Square Enix, an 85 average demonstrates that the HD-2D approach remains reliable, even in a autumn packed with major RPG releases.