7 RPGs That Prove Old-School Combat Isn’t Dead
RPGs That Prove Old-School Combat Isn’t Dead
I Am Setsuna
I Am Setsuna was the very first title from Square Enix’s Tokyo RPG Factory studio, and it was a nostalgic throwback to the golden age of JRPGs. Every bit of the game, from story to combat, emulated RPGs of the past, and for the most part, it succeeded. Combat, in particular, was lifted almost entirely from Chrono Trigger, sporting a turn-based system that let your party members team up for combination attacks.
I Am Setsuna didn’t do anything revolutionary with its combat, but it did apply a gorgeous new sheen to everything while trying to add in a layer of customization with its Spritnite system. It’s not a superbly long game, but it definitely showed that a contained, emotional story can still work well alongside a classic battle system.
RPGs That Prove Old-School Combat Isn’t Dead
Final Fantasy: Brave Exvius
In truth there are quite a few Final Fantasy mobile games that have achieved huge success; Mobius Final Fantasy, Final Fantasy Record Keeper, Dissidia Final Fantasy: Opera Omnia, and most of all, Final Fantasy: Brave Exvius.
As of April 2018, Brave Exvius has hit 30 million downloads, no small feat for any mobile game, and it continues to enjoy an active user base. Brave Exvius sports an original story and turn-based combat that has you collecting characters from across the Final Fantasy universe. There have been collaborations with other Square Enix games like Just Cause, Deus Ex, and Valkyrie Profile and even a few collaboration out of left field like Ariana Grande. The bite-sized gameplay of Brave Exvius works perfectly for quick turn-based battles. Combat is a little simplified from what a normal RPG would have, but the hardboiled nostalgia of Brave Exvius works well alongside a combat system designed to be quick.
RPGs That Prove Old-School Combat Isn’t Dead
Divinity: Original Sin and Original Sin II
JRPGs aren’t the only ones keeping turn-based systems alive, as there’s also a handful of western RPGs doing the same thing. Like many of their eastern counterparts, Divinity: Original Sin and its sequel put a spin on traditional turn-based combat, setting itself apart from the norm.
While Original Sin is turn-based, you can split up your party in each combat instance and control them individually. This means you can route characters around the enemy to create flanking maneuvers, or combine their attacks for devastating effects, like one character breaking an oil barrel and then a mage setting it on fire with a spell. There’s so much variation as to how you can combine skills and spells, as well as how to use the environment, and Original Sin 2 only expands on everything. The interactivity of the Divinity games shows how you can implement new ideas to keep a turn-based system fresh and exciting.
RPGs That Prove Old-School Combat Isn’t Dead
South Park: The Fractured But Whole
Somehow, turn-based RPGs have managed to be the perfect fit for South Park, proven by The Stick of Truth and now The Fractured But Whole. The latter game of the two once again casts you as the New Kid in South Park, and lets you build your very own superhero persona and team. Although Fractured But Whole still uses a turn-based system, it changes things up by putting an emphasis on character placement and the area-of-effect for each attack.
Overall it’s a simple system that’s very accessible for players not super familiar with turn-based RPGs, and the game really benefits from that. Even if it doesn’t have the depth of more complex RPGs, The Fractured But Whole’s quirk and comedy more than make up for it, and there are still tons of options for how to customize your New Kid. It’s amazing to see a game from a big name entertainment property use a turn-based combat system, and do it well.
RPGs That Prove Old-School Combat Isn’t Dead
Persona 5
The Persona series, and Shin Megami Tensei in general, have been influential games in the realm of turn-based RPGs. Persona 5, in particular, feels like a meaningful advancement of everything Persona has been doing for years in terms of gameplay.
Like past games, Persona 5’s combat is based around finding an enemy’s weaknesses and exploiting those to do massive damage. Knocking down all enemies lets the party do a “Hold Up,” unleashing the devastating All-Out Attack, demanding money or items, or even trying to negotiate with the demon to join your party. Persona 5’s combat system is fast, and even its turn-based battles play out quickly because of the snappy controls. More than anything though, Persona 5’s combat is crazy stylish, like the rest of the game, and it really helps elevate the game to another level altogether.
Persona 5 is one of the best JRPGs of the decade, if not all time, and it was received incredibly well by both fans and critics alike, even being nominated for multiple 2017 GOTY awards. The turn-based combat certainly wasn’t a hindrance for the game, and helped solidify its style and tone even more.
RPGs That Prove Old-School Combat Isn’t Dead
Octopath Traveler
Octopath Traveler burst onto the scene this year, selling over 1 million copies in just under a month, and as a Switch exclusive no less. The entire game is basically a modern take on the classic 16-bit RPGs, sporting a gorgeous sprite-based art style combined with modern effects. The same idea translates to the combat, which uses a traditional turn-based system interlaced with modern sensibilities and twists.
The big focus in Ocotpath is on the boost system, letting your characters build up charges and use them during a turn to power up actions or attack multiple times. Using this system is absolutely integral to combat, just as much as finding and exploiting enemy’s weaknesses. If you thought Persona 5’s combat was fast, Octopath feels like it plays out at a breakneck pace in terms of turn-based games. Pulling off actions is incredibly simple and quick, and the game’s job system lets you build a robust party however you want.
Despite being a nostalgic throwback to the games of yesteryear, Octopath feels anything but old. Square Enix’s Switch exclusive managed to make turn-based battles fresh and exciting, while also being decidedly challenging. It’s an achievement on more than one front.
RPGs That Prove Old-School Combat Isn’t Dead
Dragon Quest XI: Echoes of an Elusive Age
Dragon Quest is one of the most prolific RPG franchises out there, and in many ways helped craft the entire JRPG genre and turn-based combat. 30 years later it’s still going strong, and all those years of iteration have paid off in one of the best games yet, Dragon Quest XI: Echoes of an Elusive Age.
Dragon Quest XI still uses a tried-and-true turn-based combat system but makes adjustments and modernizations to make the experience more accessible to newcomers. Tactics options can auto-control party members, and a new Free Roam Combat option adds a visual change that lets you move your characters around the battle. Dragon Quest XI also does a great job of ramping up its difficulty throughout the game, letting you adjust to its systems and find party combinations before things really get difficult. Through these systems, Dragon Quest XI manages to be attractive to both newcomers and veteran JRPG players, and its turn-based combat can be adjusted to fit your liking. It’s through this combination of accessibility and depth that the game’s combat shines.
If you weren’t convinced before, Dragon Quest XI should be the final nail that proves turn-based games are still here to stay.
