Summary
Turn-based role-playing games will always have a dedicated fanbase who loves the tactical combat in these titles. Players must apply their brains and avoid strategic pitfalls while trying to take out challenging enemies.
Both Japanese and Western developers have innovative takes on these kinds of RPGs that players can’t get enough of.Some of these games can be incredibly complex, and players who don’t take the time to learn the combat mechanics will be punished over and over in tough battles.
Players who want to check out an indie CRPG that pays homage to the genre’s classic roots will lovewhatUnderRailbrings to the table. As one would expect, combat can be quite challenging as the fragile player character is torn apart by even the weakest enemies around early on.
Thankfully, players can use powerful items to turn the tide of battle against their opponents and figure out ways to exploit the enemy AI after a point. It takes some time, but the learning curve is immensely satisfying to master, as players take out groups of enemies without any issues.
WhileDivinity: Original Sinwas a great game in its own right, Larian felt that combat could be improved in the sequel. This was done by adding Physical and Magical Armor, tying status effects to the lack of these protective layers instead of pure RNG.
This made for a deeply tactical combat system where players needed to be up-to-date with the latest equipment to make things easier for themselves. Failing to do so could lead to party members receiving direct damage and being bombarded with negative status effects in no time.
No matter how challenging players think their first romp through a dungeon is going to be, nothing will be enough to prepare them for the sheer suffering they’ll endure inDarkest Dungeon. Every fight will be a grueling affair, leaving physical and mental scars on their adventurers if they manage to survive this grueling ordeal.
The game will beat it into players that they need to be prudent while exploring dungeons, since biting off more than they can chew early on is nothing short of a death sentence. Eventually, their party members will become strong enough to give them the confidence they need to tackle greater obstacles, but all it takes is a single slip-up to have dire consequences for the party.
Players who want to check out the most ridiculously complex turn-based combat ever featured in a JRPG should giveThe Last Remnanta spin. Players control multiple forces in combat, who must use everything from innate skills to positioning in a bid to make things easier for themselves.
It’s easy for battles to become cluttered and hard to surpass, as players either scrape by with the skin of their teeth or suffer a humiliating loss over and over again. This is whereThe Last Remnantwill beat its sensibilities into players, with impatient gamers opting out of this experience altogether.
The combat ofResonance of Fatecertainly looks great, but it’s not until players experience it firsthand that they realize how complex it is. Scratch and HP damage is just the tip of the iceberg, with the game revealing many complex mechanics that can take a while to wrap one’s head around.
Players must head to the Coliseum and check out numerous combat tutorials before they can understand what’s happening in the background during each battle. Only after educating themselves on the combat can players breeze past every encounter instead of letting their Hero Gauge run out and turning their party members into useless shivering husks.
Players who lovedXCOM: Enemy Unknownfelt right at home when the sequel came out.XCOM 2is essentially a polished version of its predecessorwith refined gameplay, with lite-RPG elements to keep fans engaged.
Every encounter is a nail-biting tactical affair where slip-ups can cause players to lose powerful and precious squad members. Players must learn how to master certain strategies that can help them flank opponents and preserve the lives of their most valuable soldiers.
From the first moment players control the Demi-fiend and engage in battle, they realize just how challengingShin Megami Tensei 3: Nocturneis. This game introduced the Press Turn Battle system for the first time, and helped combat feel more tactical than ever before.
The real kicker was the boss fights, which beat players into submission and made them realize that exploiting weaknesses and bringing strong monsters into battle was essential to defeat these powerful foes. There’s nothing worse than bringing a liability into battle, whose weakness can be targeted to decimate the entire party in no time.
Final Fantasy Tacticsis one of the greatest strategy JRPGsof all time, and it keeps fans coming back for more. Ramza’s conflict in a war-torn landscape is riveting as players master the job system and help their characters become stronger than ever.
Even then, players who feel like they’ve mastered the combat system will be in for a rude awakening when they find themselves stuck at a major difficulty spike.Final Fantasy Tacticsis full of these moments, punishing players for doing a poor job of optimizing the party’s jobs and making the most of the battle arena they fight in.
