Final Fantasy Resonance: How To Unlock Cloud Strife, Best Abilities, & Elements

Published Oct 20, 2026, 9:01 AM EDT James is a gaming writer from London who has spent thousands of hours exploring titles from every genre. Though he has a particular affinity for multiplayer titles like World of Warcraft, Destiny 2 and League of Legends, he has also put thousands of hours into single-player experiences, from deep RPGs to epic PC strategies. When he's not playing or writing, he can usually be found supporting his beloved Brentford FC. Sign in to your ScreenRant account Final Fantasy Resonance is finally here, and though much of the attention has understandably been on the upcoming release of the conclusion of Final Fantasy VII, this one really does feel like a huge win for fans. The HD-2D approach and spectacular depth combine to create a nostalgic experience that longtime players will feel immediately at home in. It’s also a game that rewards good strategy, and building your characters in the right way is absolutely crucial to success moving forward. One of the key elements you’ll need to get right is which Visions your characters are paired with. Visions are essentially iconic characters from throughout the series’ history, and equipping them to your party allows access to their abilities, giving you a lot more ways to play. One of the most iconic (and potent, in this case) is Cloud Strife, so here’s everything you need to know to get the Vision, as well as all of the abilities you can expect to use when you do. Where To Find Cloud Strife Vision Square Enix/ScreenRant The best thing about picking Cloud Strife up as a vision is that he’s available very early in the game and for little effort. As with all visions, you’ll need to pick him up from his appropriate Sanctum of Light. It can be found in the far Northwest of the desert biome on the first continent, the Kingdom of Granshelt. The best time to get this is to wait for the “Find a ship in Grandport” quest objective, then head North instead of heading into the city. Answer the three questions as you wish and Cloud Strife will be added to your options for visions. Vision Of Cloud Strife Abilities Cloud Strife really is one of the most potent Visions that you can pick up at any point in the game, and well worth grabbing before you depart Granshelt. His two elements (which many of his abilities are focused around) are Lightning and Water, both of which crop up as weaknesses for enemies with regularity. He's also a staggering machine, and you can use both Thunder and Water Surge at relatively low costs to whittle down enemies quickly to open them up for impressive damage. Once staggered, you can move into his higher tier abilities, including the upgraded versions in Thundara Surge and Watera Surge, as well as Braver, which you should exclusively save for when enemies are staggered. His Resonance ability is Ascension, and the fact that you stagger enemies so effectively means you should get to use it with regularity. It's a massive Lightning attack that hits weak enemies for almost 2000 damage at Level 15, making it comfortably the highest output Resonance ability that you can get on the first two continents. He also comes with solid passive buffs, and you will want to use a shard to upgrade him to one star as soon as possible, if only to get that additional 20% Stagger Power bonus. That's all there is to know about getting Cloud Strife in Final Fantasy Resonance. Grab him early and it will make a huge difference to any run through the game. As one final tip, absolutely make sure you use him in the Wind Shrine, as he is particularly strong against the enemies found there. Systems Released October 22, 2026 ESRB Everyone 10+ / Alcohol Reference, Fantasy Violence, Language, Suggestive Themes Developer(s) Square Enix, Lancarse Publisher(s) Square Enix Franchise Final Fantasy Number of Players Single-player Steam Deck Compatibility Unknown