The fighting systems in these JRPGs are very action-packed, which is different from the usual turn-based style.
It looks like the only new turn-based RPGs are small, independent games and mobile games. It makes sense that the motor isn’t as popular now as it was in the 1980s and 1990s. With the help of new technology, it’s now easier for developers to add action fighting to RPGs.
Check out Final Fantasy, which is one of the best games in this genre. You can fight in motion in the remake of Final Fantasy 7, Final Fantasy 15, and Final Fantasy 16. Will there ever be a main game in this series with turn-based combat? The reason is still a secret, but for now, let’s enjoy this newfound interest in fighting. What action-based JRPGs, besides Final Fantasy, have some of the best systems out there?
Muramasa: The Demon Blade
Some of the best 2D action RPGs are made by Vanillaware, so they should be talked about. Muramasa: The Demon Blade is one of their least well-known games. Slope Game has two paths that players can take to go through a journey that is like a Metroidvania.
Both characters can use different katanas that have special abilities. A cooldown meter tells you how many times you can use these skills before the swords break and need to be fixed. This is the game for people who like beautiful art and sneaky ninja action.
Persona 5 Strikers
Personala 5 Strikers is a side project and follow up to the main game. It is also a side project of Dynasty Warriors. In that kind of game, characters face waves of enemies onscreen. It’s the best hack-and-slash game that Koei Tecmo has made from a licensing game. That’s because Atlus worked with them closely to add some important parts that made it feel like a real follow-up.
There are still catchy lines and a mystery story, and you can use personas and magic to surprise your enemies in battle. It would have been even more fun to play with other people if there was co-op.
Ni No Kuni 2: Revenant Kingdom
Players caught monsters called Familiars in the first game in the series, which was a turn-based Pokémon game. In Ni no Kuni 2: Revenant Kingdom, the battles turned into action scenes, and you could play as more characters. Even though they are small, animals can still help the main group in fight.
It has some of the best cel modeling in RPGs and a good mix of new and old things. It looks like one of Studio Ghibli’s most famous movies, even though they didn’t work on it.
Dark Cloud 2
Dark Cloud 2 is an action role-playing game with different levels and a way to build a town. These are two very different types of stories. The heroes, Max and Monica, also had skills that were different from each other.
Max could use a wrench and his gun to break things. He could also drive Steve, a mech he built himself that could be changed with different parts. She had a blade and could hit from far away with magic. She could also learn how to change into monsters and use their abilities.
Castlevania: Dawn Of Sorrow
At its core, Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow is a Metroidvania, which means it has RPG aspects. This one is the best in the series because it builds on the ones that came before it. It’s crazy how many tools the hero, Soma Cruz, can use, from swords to spears.
He can get new cross-type skills and learn random monster moves as well. In the same way that Pokemon does, players will be told to learn every monster’s move before the credits roll.
Final Fantasy 7 Remake
Final Fantasy 7 Remake was a fun mix of old and new games for fans. The first game was turn-based, and you could still play it here, though in a more mixed way. Instead, combat was more about movement, and each character had a different way of fighting, even though they could all use magic through Materia.
Cloud was the big heavy because he had a big blade, while Tifa was lightning fast with her hands. So far, there hasn’t been a better action game in the series. Hopefully, Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth can make things even better, or at least stay the same.
Kingdom Hearts 3
Kingdom Hearts 3 has the best fighting in the series so far. Fans can play the game the same way they did when it was first released on PS2. Hitting the attack button will get the job done, but that’s not fun. Instead, players should be told to try out all of the new features, like how the Keyblade can change forms.
These can change Sora’s trusty tool into something like a drill or a big hammer. Some of the most popular rides in Disney World, like the Teacups or the Merry Go Round, can also be used in battle. It’s a fun, colorful action RPG with a fighting system that makes it hard to stay away.
The World Ends With You
One of those RPGs that you have to play to fully understand is The World Ends With You. When it first came out for the DS, the Stylus was used to control the main character, Neku, on the bottom screen. They could wear pins that could be used in fight to do different things. One way to cut an enemy would be to slash them with the Stylus.
The D-Pad and face buttons could be used to control Neku’s moving partner on the top screen. While it was a little tricky at first, getting better at one of Square Enix’s craziest mobile games ever paid off.
