JRPGs that reinvent turn-based combat

Key takeaways

• Active Time Battle introduced urgency, allowing characters to act while playing animations.
• Persona 5's stylish UI minimized menu clutter, enhancing navigation and making turn-based skeptics fans.
• Grandia's initiative point gauge introduced tactical turn orders, influencing games like Octopath Traveler.

Turn-based combat has been a cornerstone of JRPGs and is, in many ways, the defining gameplay mechanic that binds the genre together. Like most things in the video game medium, turn-based gameplay has evolved beyond turn-waiting over the years, with simple menu selections and innovations that keep the genre fresh and exciting.

From strategic depth to stylish presentation, these games introduced groundbreaking ideas that either continue to influence modern RPGs today or remain notable but sadly neglected offshoots of the JRPG family tree.

8 Final Fantasy 4 – Active Time War

Adding urgency to play

Instead of waiting in line to enter an action, “Active Time Battle” was introduced within the system Final Fantasy 4 It was made so that characters could act while watching enemy or party member animations. While this addition to the turn-based system may have divided Final Fantasy fans and fans of the format, there's no denying the clock adds an element of urgency to any battle.

Of course, the series has innovated in many ways beyond ATB's turn-based format, including Final Fantasy 10-2The creation of in-battle job switching and a semi-automatic turn-based gambit system final fantasy 12, For example.

7 Persona 5 – Stylish UI

Adding flair and removing clutter from the menu

Many gamers still find the turn-based format found in most JRPGs to be slow, static, and cumbersome. However, while Personality 5 and personality The series, in general, has contributed greatly to the JRPG scene, with its eye-popping, fluid-feeling UI that has the power to make a believer out of the turn-based skeptic.

A lot of thought and art has clearly gone into making the navigation of the menus as slick and cool as possible while minimizing the clunk that weighed down similar games for so long. In addition, its highly stylized and beautiful UI does not allow the player to feel bogged down in details, and each press leads to a meaningful action.

6 Grandia – flexible turn economy

Making battles more strategic with turn order

Back and forth attacks can wear down players faster than any first-level slime trash mob. Thankfully, Grandia introduced a dynamic, visual turn order system known as the “Initiative Point Gauge” that has inspired other innovative games since. Octopath Traveler and Brave defaults.

This timeline shows a sequence of actions, depending on the agility of both characters and enemies, allowing players to anticipate moves and make strategic decisions based on upcoming turns. Players can use special skills or attacks to delay or disrupt the actions of enemies, disrupt their plans and purchase valuable advantages.

5 Undertale – keeping every encounter interesting

A unique minigame for each monster

one UndertaleThe main theme is how love and peace can overcome fear and violence. It plays into its encounters, where the player has the choice to fight or show mercy to the many whimsical monsters that roam the Underkingdom. It is played in a turn-based segment where players attack or interact before facing their opponent in a bullet-hell-style microgame. A plethora of inspiring classic games Undertale, Earthbound Among them, but because of its subversive design philosophy, there is something definitely different UndertaleCombat mechanics.

Because each encounter is unique (with multiple enemy encounters combining each monster's gameplay), each fight remains fresh and memorable. Despite being a turn-based game, players aren't left waiting for animations or dialogue to roll out; Instead, they must always be reactive to survive. In addition to the monsters' cute design, it makes players less likely to write them off as XP fodder and instead inspires sympathy.

4 Super Mario RPG: The Story of the Seven Stars – Active Action Orders

Prompt-based interactive battles

Turn-based combat is still often thought of as stilted, static, and drawn out. But what happens when responsive, skill-based platform thrillers take on the original face format? Super Mario RPG: The Story of the Seven Stars JRPGs (and the philosophy of many RPGs outside of Japan) were forever changed with its implementation and popularity of “action orders”.

After inputting a command, the player can increase the result by pressing a well-timed button. For example, when Mario brings down his hammer, the player can deal more damage by pressing the B button as the blow lands. This command action addition has inspired many games Shadow hearts, Yakuza 7and South Park: The Stick of Truthwhich not only uses pro-active commands but also reactive commands, such as dodging or countering during an enemy attack.

3 Megami Tensei – Enemy negotiation and collection

Collecting monsters and creating alternatives to violence

before Megami TensiMonsters in JRPGs were just obstacles to smash together. With the introduction of the “monster talk” mechanic, the turn-based format was flipped on its head. Suddenly, a powerful monster is not something to be feared but a potential ally if the player is lucky and knows how to appease them. Later in the series, these monsters can be combined together with others, creating a “collection” gameplay element.

It helped turn the idea of ​​enemy encounters from a droll slug into an exciting opportunity to face valuable enemy types. Being able to turn enemies into allies through dialogue didn't catch on much in the genre, with two notable exceptions: Pokemonwhich eliminated the negotiation side but doubled down on the collection side, and UndertaleWhich turned into talking about its central gameplay loop.

2 Legend of Legaia – a turn-based fighter

Input fighting moves with each input

Fighting games and JRPGs may seem completely unrelated, but inside The legend of LegaiaThe two merge to create a completely unique take on turn-based combat. Players enter commands through menus similar to other JRPGs, but players are invited to input what kind of moves their martial artist character will make using the controller's D-pad.

Certain inputs combine to form “arts,” super attacks that are otherwise called “combos” in straight-up fighting games. The player unlocks new “arts” by using inputs or finding books that teach new art combos. As the player levels up their character's soul stat, their inputs can potentially become longer, leading to more detailed and powerful moves.

1 Suikoden – Army Battle

Epic scale battles with realistic high stakes

Knowing that Suikoden has a cast of over 100 party members available to recruit, players may be wondering how they can see all of those characters in one playthrough. Battles play out in a traditional turn-based system, but as the party grows in size, another battle system emerges: army battles. These “cast of thousands” fights use menus and turns, but one major difference is that players are betting their characters instead of HP points, and once gone, they don't come back.

In later games in the series, Suikoden reinvents the turn-based system by turning army battles into tactical games and then RTS. Along with epic battles, fights can come in the form of duels, intimate one-on-one fights that require the player to figure out their opponent's moves based on their dialogue and react accordingly to gain the upper hand.