- Amethyst
- 1 May, 2025
The modern world requires fast-paced interactions. It does so for any form of contact these days, including games.
Then why do players still prefer turn-based combat in games to this very day in 2024? While real-time combat dominates most modern games, turn-based mechanics have carved out a special place, particularly in RPGs.
Laying the Foundation: The Early Days of Turn-Based Combat
JRPG’s like Final Fantasy and Dragon Quest have set the benchmark in the 80’s and 90’s of the 20th century.
The genre has seen significant transformation into new styles, like adding real-time elements or creating hybrids of turn-based RPG’s.
This article will dive into the evolution of turn-based RPG’s, and the groundwork for the games we play today.
The foundation for turn-based RPG’s originates in Japan.
The release of Dragon Quest in 1986 laid the foundation for the battle systems that are still used today.
The original Final Fantasy, released in 1987, made turn-based combat even more popular, introducing strategies with the use of multiple party members with their own traits and strengths.
These systems were easy to use and accessible in design, as they focused on using attacks, defense, magic and items to heal or use. The system prioritised strategy over real-time interaction, giving players an opportunity to plan the best way to defeat opponents.
This only was just the beginning of turn-based combat in RPG games, and gaming in general.
The 1990s: Heightened Strategy and Emotional Investment
In the 1990’s, more system enhancements were put into place.
Most notably were three stand-out games for enhancing the standard turn-based combat.
Final Fantasy IV in 1991 made use of the Active Time Battle (ATB) system. It was a timer running down before the enemy would strike. Players needed to make decisions faster than previously while maintaining the best combat strategy. It added a sense of urgency to battles, heightening emotional responses of the players and raising endorphin and adrenaline levels.
1995, my birthyear, deems the best change in turn-based gaming of all time.
The release of Chrono Trigger showed a hybrid of turn-based and real-time combat, while introducing combo attacks of various party members.
Suikoden released a 6-person party with unite attacks, allowing even more combinations and adding to the traditional combat style.
The 2000s: Experimentation and Decline
The 2000’s were a form of experimentation with different forms of turn-based combat and rapidly declined.
The Final Fantasy franchise again brought a new form of combat into the world, with Condition Turn-Based Battle (CTB) in Final Fantasy X in 2001.
With less pressure of a timer running down in the old ATB system, there was more strategy and planning involved. Like a game of chess, planning was the key to defeat your enemies, while keening out the key triggers of said battles.
Persona 3 in 2006 blended the traditional turn-based combat with social simulation and dungeon crawling, using their Press Turn mechanism. Focusing on exploiting enemy weaknesses brought another strategic element into gameplay.
While others steered away from the traditional turn-based combat, some stayed loyal to the format, like Lost Odyssey in 2007. While seeming old-fashioned, it would later prove the best bet as new styles of turn-based combat got lost in the mix.
Turn-Based Combat in the Modern Era: A Revival
New elements into turn-based combat have not completely vanished, yet the good old turn-based combat itself remains steady and stable to this very day.
Persona 5 in 2016 was widely acclaimed for rewarding tactical play with the “One More” mechanic. Knocking down an enemy by exploiting its weakness, could give you a new enemy to combat.
Octopath Traveler in 2018 used new options like “Boost”, “Break” to offer layers of strategy. Bravely Default II in 2021 used “Brave” and “Default” to store turns or take multiple turns at one time. These innovations would offer more tactical forms of combat throughout the game for players. These new styles also made turn-based combat personal, a key essence of enjoyability.
In mainstream titles, Yakuza: Like A Dragon in 2020, changed its franchise from action-focused, to a fully turn-based combat style. The combination of this, eccentric language and humour, and taking a rip into other games like Pokémon, made this a great performing game.
The game sold over 1.8 million copies worldwide as stated in December 2023 by SEGA. It was nominated for several awards including Best RPG and RPG of the Year.
The success paved the way for its successors to use the same traditional turn-based combat style.
Looking Ahead: Turn-Based Combat’s Future
In recent years, remakes of old games and new series using turn-based combat have been selling well across the world and next year (2025). Remakes and remasters include:
Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy X/X-2, Suikoden I/II and Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D Remake.
New games like Eiyuden Chronicle Hundred Heroes (made by e.g. Suikoden creators Yoshitaka Murayama, Junko Kawano and Osamu Kumota) started due to a massive crowdfunding action.
In a period of 32 days, the goal of 53 million yen ($357,000) was far exceeded, raising, 481 million yen ($3.23 million).
It resulted into a vast expansion of the game, added DLC, and even a prequel town-building RPG game in Eiyuden Chronicle: Rising.
Conclusion: Why Turn-Based Combat Still Thrives Today
This means that classic games of 30 to years ago still live on in people’s minds and attracts new fans for turn-based combat RPG’s that blend, combine or coincide with the story.
With fresh mechanics added into the current games to add value and experience, turn-based combat will always be a main-stay in gaming. Giving the option to use tactics and strategy and not react instantly, proves a relaxing way of gaming while using your brain capacity.
With that said, turn-based combat in RPG’s will always be a key aspect in attracting young and old people into spending their time into video games.
