JRPGsare only as good as their story and combat systems. When it comes to the genre, there are a ton of ways to play, from tactical JRPGs to action titles and turn-based options. There are also a ton of titles that don’t fit neatly there, experimenting with new ways to play these emotional and story-driven titles. Truly, the best JRPG battle systems are those that allow for the best player customization.
Being able to control several party members is a staple of the genre, allowing you to try and best your opponent through the best combination of abilities, taking advantage of everything at your disposal, and edging the game to new heights with engaging gameplay mechanics.
Saga Frontier gives you five party members to control at once. While it may seem like it’s a normal JRPG, there are a ton of tiny details that create unique opportunities when it comes to combat. Saga Frontier comes with combo attacks with teammates, dual techs, triple techs, and full team attacks with all five party members to use special moves.
There are a variety of weapon types, each one unique, including sword, fist, gun, and magic. While each character has a different classification that is specific to them, finding the perfect party and putting together every element makes the combat quite fun in the end.
Aside from having a brilliant cast of characters, Fire Emblem Engage takes the tactical gameplay of the series and stretches it to new heights with the Engage mechanic. The rock, paper, scissors of the combat, where one weapon type beats another, is there, but on top of this, there is a huge selection of party members and classes in the game.
You’ve got the ability to call in Fire Emblem characters from past games to add even more abilities and strategy to your plans, unleashing new devastating blows or healing and support you wouldn’t have otherwise. Finding the best Emblem ring pairings with each party member and adding this element to your strategy makes this one of the most dynamic Fire Emblem combat systems around.
Refined JRPG action combat, a menu for all your spells, shortcuts to perform the action combat as you need, and a unique drive form that allows you to change your abilities completely. The UI isn’t too bad to look at either, as it reflects the world you’re in.
The coolest part is the small details in each form, and how each plays differently from the last. This game takes the already great base combat of Kingdom Hearts, refines it, and adds elements that make it some of the best gameplay the series has ever experienced.
Final Fantasy 12 takes a turn-based approach in a unique way. The combat is almost a cross between an MMO and an active-time-based setup. While in the open world, you don’t transition to a new fight screen like most combat situations; you fight right where you are. While you do have the traditional setup of choosing your attacks in a turn-based style, you also have Gambits you can set up for specific situations.
Choose your target, and you’ll see the red and blue lines appear, indicating who is also targeting you. While you may switch between party members, you’ll mostly be able to play as whoever you want, while the computer parameters you set up through the Gambit system determine what your characters do in any given situation. This amount of freedom and control allows you to program a party for any scenario and is still unique to this day.
Don’t let the cute looks fool you, Final Fantasy 10-2 experimentswith turn-based combatand prevails with an active time-based system that’s dynamic and flashy, while giving you a ton of player choice. Switching dress spheres on the fly to completely change your class, and you get a neat magical girl style transformation while doing it.
With so many jobs to choose from that you can outfit with accessories to augment different aspects, you can go in with a triple support setup, triple damage dealing, or a ton of different combinations tailored to every fight you find yourself up against. Best of all, you get to do it in style.
Saving up your attacks to deal a devastating blow, or dealing massive damage upfront and hoping to destroy them before they even get a turn, Bravely Default 2 takes turn-based combat and gives you even more player agency. Deciding whether to borrow against your BP or save it up to not lose turns can change entirely based on the enemy you’re up against.
With Bravely Default 2, you’re able to combine subclasses with your chosen class to give your characters even more options to choose from when deciding how to deal with an enemy. The possibilities make the turn-based combat that much more intriguing.
Taking the Octopath formula and refining itto be even better, Octopath Traveler 2 adds even more elements for you to control. The familiar turn-based combat is there, but there’s a ton underneath it that will determine how you play the game your way. You’ll be able to find the enemy’s weaknesses and exploit them to break the enemy.
You get BP, which you can use to boost your attacks and break an enemy quicker, giving you a chance to hit multiple times or strengthen your attacks. There’s also a separate gauge that you fill with your latent power, releasing a cool, unique ability as well. With eight characters, there are once again several options to mix and match while playing, and even your role actions change from day to night.
No one said turn-based combat needed to be ridiculously distinct to be good. There’s something special about refining the turn-based experience to create opportunities where the gameplay feels active. That’s what Persona 5 somehow manages to do. The turn-based combat doesn’t feel turn-based as you’re constantly planning, strategizing, and the UI and combat interactions keep you glued to what’s happening.
Combine this with figuring out enemy weaknesses, exploiting them to gain extra turns and avoid being hit, and creating and switching Personas for even more flair and strategy. Every JRPG can learn from what Persona 5 accomplished.
One of the best aspects of JRPGs is the ability to switch between party members. Tales of Aries gives each unique character their own fighting style, and allows you to use combos and special strike moves by combining attacks of party members. It even comes with the cool character call-outs of the party members as they fight in a semi-open area.
There are several ways to tackle fights thanks to the variety within your party, and you can exploit animations and switch characters on the fly to ensure the safety of the one being targeted. It’s a fun system that is in-depth enough to create awesome opportunities but easy enough to just be fun.
One of the best things about a JRPG battle system is the intricacies of playing with it your way.Final Fantasy 7Rebirth somehow manages to incorporate an easy yet intricate system that still feels unique, while also retaining a touch of the turn-based feel of its predecessors.
The ability to turn the relationships between characters into awesome team-up attacks, on top of flying off swords, casting magic spells, shifting through party members, and mastering combos, this is the ultimate JRPG battle system.
