Mainline Final Fantasy potentially going full action - what are your thoughts?

[unholyFarmer]

For me FF always tried to get inventive with rpg mechanics, and I enjoyed both the combat systems in FFXII and XIII. Both are a bit of an acquired taste, but I enjoyed how they mixed some action element in the rpg mechanics.

However, I am not a fan of them going full action. While I love action games like DMC, this is not really what I want from FF. It is too soon to tell, but I do hope there are plenty of rpg elements in XVI combat that we are not seeing right now.

 

[Rats]

I loved FF7R but I don't want every single Final Fantasy going forward to be full-on action. I fear the series will become homogenous if it goes down this route.

 

[OnanieBomb]

I'd rather it stay turn based.

 

[Butt-shot Katana]

More please! Remember, I got into JRPGs with Dragon Warrior and FF1. We dreamt of action. RPGs! Zelda 2 tried for it.

I used to dream of a JRPG where when you got into battles, it was like Street Fighter 2.

 

[Steelrain]

It would suck, honestly. There are tons of games out there with that style and that's great but I think FFVIIR is as far as I want to go in that direction. I wish they would bring back summon animations on the scale of FFVII-FFX.

 

[RagingAvatar]

To be honest, I'm out.

 

[civet]

I don't like the idea. Used to enjoy going home and relaxing after work while playing a (J)RPG. The slower nature of turn battles is really nice for that. FF being a head figure of this genre I naturally enjoyed the entries up to XIII.
Since XIV the series has really picked up in pace and I find it hard to relax while playing it. Instead you have to remain very sharp and focused, it doesn't represent my idea of entertainement.

 

[TrueSloth]

The evolution of the JRPG

 

[waugh]

We really need to see more before anyone can make a proper judgement on the battle system. All we have is the footage and knowing they hired a dude who worked on Dragon's Dogma and DMC. If the battle system is just DMC but with numbers I'm gonna be super disappointed. RPGs have always been the thinking man's genre for me. So I don't mind real-time action combat but make sure it has depth outside of button combos to memorise. If I want that I will play DMC.

Give me multiple party members with different roles and let me strategise to take down beasts. Let me pause combat and then queue commands to my party members. Basically mix FF12 with FFVIIR.

 

[Etrian Darkness]

I mean, sure, there are other turn-based RPGs, but Final Fantasy was for many years the flagship AAA franchise of the genre (which is not to say it always had the best or most challenging battle systems).

Without Final Fantasy, how many AAA (pseudo-)turn-based JRPGs are there? Precious few, almost none really. Meanwhile, how many AAA action games are there? The industry is littered with them. So I don't think FF is an easy write-off to most.

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I can count the good action games on one hand. If this goes more DMC, then there really is only maybe 2 other series at best that are currently active. Especially if people's analysis of the trailer combat is correct and we have stuff like enemy step and snatches.

Square Enix is still putting out Dragon Quest. If an AAA label is what people want so they can enjoy their games then I guess there isn't a lot of RPGs out there.

 

[Juryvicious]

Disappointing. The Final Fantasy series has been on such a downward path for several generations therefor I am unemotional in my dismissal. It is a massive change of pace that continues to erode the series in my eyes.

 

[Tpallidum]

Disappointed. Action games are a dime a dozen these days. Parties are nerfed to focus heavily on 1 character at a time and they don't always feel as diverse.

I'm still hype for it but it's disappointing to see it happen on some level. At least I still got persona and DQ..

 

[davepoobond]

I think it's fine, but it would be nice to bring back turn based in an offshoot series or something. Probably some sort of 2D-only series

 

[GamerJM]

I miss the series being turn-based, but I significantly prefer this to whatever the fuck FF15 was trying to do and the boring ass MMO combat of FF11/12/14.

As someone who's been moaning about the fact that the series is probably never going to be turn-based again, the trailer we saw for this game looks to have easily the best real-time combat in a Final Fantasy to date. I'm still frustrated that the series is real time now but I guess I'll just play some old unplayed RPGs on the Super Famicom or the PS1 if I need to get my fix there.

 

[Shizuka]

I miss turn-based Final Fantasy titles.

 

[JusDoIt]

Doesn't bother me because FFVIIR was my first 3D FF.

 

[Xavillin]

I'm hyped. Let FF keep changing their gameplay for each main entry.

Square Enix doesn't only make mainline FF. Go play their newer FF spin-offs and other IPs they constantly release if you want turn-based.

 

[Amibguous Cad]

Turn-based battles were never what made Final Fantasy, Final Fantasy to me. The important part, to me, was that it was a battle system that didn't require a lot of mechanical skill or manual dexterity to master, and that more relied on thought and planning. FFVIIr managed to execute on this while still being largely action-based; I hope whatever system FFXVI winds up with can do the same.

 

[Genz]

Making a good turn-based rpg is hard, while action is kind of "fail-proof" : even if it's bad, it can still be fun for a while. A bad turn-based rpg is just plain boring.
And it's hard to trust current SE for good rpg mechanic, especially from BD3 with FFXIV as a reference : job system is as primitive as in FF1, quests seem to be created by people discovering video-games, and battles are trapped in a binary "one-shot or doesn't matter" template.
So I'm ok with DMC gameplay in FF16.

 

[Argentil]

I loved FF7R but I don't want every single Final Fantasy going forward to be full-on action. I fear the series will become homogenous if it goes down this route.

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This is something I can agree with. I liked XII and XIII for their experimentation, and I think the series will continue to evolve and experiment.

 

[Deleted member 50658]

I don't mind it at all as long as it's good. Final Fantasy is about inventing itself and trying new things so bring it on.

 

[Deleted member 23893]

Its not 1997. I just want good gameplay with FF flavor sprinkled around, I'm not married to turn based.

FF7Re had a great system that leveraged action and strategy. No reason not to experiment.

If Bravely Default and Octopath have taught me anything, it is that at the very least theres no going home for me. Not looking to look backwards with my FF.

 

[4 Get!]

FF always switches up combat mechanics with every iteration.

I'll be more surprised when Persona finally switches to action.

 

[Trigonometrize]

FF always switches up combat mechanics with every iteration.

I'll be more surprised when Persona finally switches to action.

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You can switch up mechanics and remain a turn-based system. 3 to 4 was a pretty big change, as was 9 to 10, 10 to 12, and 12 to 13.

 

[wackotic]

I really do not want a final fantasy fighting to become combo chasing with fast twitchy button inputs. Hopefully the trailer painted a overly stylish picture of the reality. Also I really dislike the solitary protagonists they seem to be going for.

 

[Deleted member 13560]

I've been enjoying the series since 1994 and couldn't be happier with their direction.

 

[4 Get!]

You can switch up mechanics and remain a turn-based system. 3 to 4 was a pretty big change, as was 9 to 10, 10 to 12, and 12 to 13.

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No one has noticed that the key change in this one compared to 15 is the fact that every piece of combat we were shown is 1 v 1. It might end up being like Punchout or something(all boss-like fights), which is cool to me.

 

[SubvertedTrope]

Potentially? It already happened, like this thread could be from 2014 or something.

They can always make atb ff again if they want, I doubt it but it's not out of the question with all the different systems.

 

[Trigonometrize]

Making a good turn-based rpg is hard, while action is kind of "fail-proof" : even if it's bad, it can still be fun for a while. A bad turn-based rpg is just plain boring.
And it's hard to trust current SE for good rpg mechanic, especially from BD3 with FFXIV as a reference : job system is as primitive as in FF1, quests seem to be created by people discovering video-games, and battles are trapped in a binary "one-shot or doesn't matter" template.
So I'm ok with DMC gameplay in FF16.

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I think I completely disagree with this. Good action games are really hard to make. There are so many trappings to fall into, and they rarely hit the perfect note of satisfying and challenging. Like Final Fantasy XV had abysmal combat, worst in the whole series. Many bosses are awkward fights. And it was their first try! From the very beginning it was clear the fighting system was going nowhere.

Turn based systems are pretty easy to achieve a baseline level of fun. Just give the player some options, magic, curing, buffs and debuffs, make the bosses strong but not impossible, and you're good. You've got a solid start.

 

[N.47H.4N]

I don't like turn based,so its welcome to me,something like they did with FFVII Remake is good enough.

 

[4 Get!]

I think I completely disagree with this. Good action games are really hard to make. There are so many trappings to fall into, and they rarely hit the perfect note of satisfying and challenging. Like Final Fantasy XV had abysmal combat, worst in the whole series. Many bosses are awkward fights. And it was their first try! From the very beginning it was clear the fighting system was going nowhere.

Turn based systems are pretty easy to achieve a baseline level of fun. Just give the player some options, magic, curing, buffs and debuffs, make the bosses strong but not impossible, and you're good. You've got a solid start.

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If this is the case, wouldn't it help to let them keep experimenting with action until they get it right? You're basically saying they should go back to what's easy(and already there) instead of challenge themselves.

 

[PickledCucumber]

I miss turned based Final Fantasy...

 

[ZSeibar]

Series was never going back to turn based combat

 

[Dogui]

I think I completely disagree with this. Good action games are really hard to make. There are so many trappings to fall into, and they rarely hit the perfect note of satisfying and challenging. Like Final Fantasy XV had abysmal combat, worst in the whole series. Many bosses are awkward fights. And it was their first try!

Turn based systems are pretty easy to achieve a baseline level of fun. Just give the player some options, magic, curing, buffs and debuffs, make the bosses strong but not impossible, and you're good. You've got a solid start.

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Yeah, i can get my fun with "mediocre" turn based games, while i feel a lot harder to enjoy melee action below Souls / DMC / Platinum levels.

Stuff like Batman is kind of unplayable to me. While Assassins Creed has its share of fun because the stealth, parkour or ship mechanics, despite the braindead combat.

 

[Trigonometrize]

If this is the case, wouldn't it help to let them keep experimenting with action until they get it right? You're basically saying they should go back to what's easy(and already there) instead of challenge themselves.

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I wouldn't make any normative statements with my post as the premise — I would say they should stick to turn based for other reasons — I just disagree with the argument that action has a higher baseline of fun than turn based.

 

[Water]

I mean, SE took DMC5 battle director from Capcom for this, that's why it looks like DMC.
But the combat will not go above Nier Automata in complexity.

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Ohh I didn't know this. I am very interested now.

I felt like FFXV could of been good.. but the combat always felt so clunky to me.

 

[Scar]

Big Fat Meh

 

[Lindsay]

Sucks for jrpg gameplay diversity. Almost all of 'em dumped random encounters, an quite a few already switched to action. Now with FF leading the way expect even more ta go that way. ~_~

 

[Rizific]

I'd prefer that honestly. Trailer looked dmc'esque to me honestly. I also really liked ff7r's system so I wouldn't mind an improvent of that style either. Just give me familiar FF spells and such.

 

[Jon God]

I felt like FFVIIr's combat should be the foundation for FF combat going forward, but I understand this game has been in development since before FFVIIr was close to done.

 

[Party]

Other people have echoed this sentiment, but final fantasy as a brand pretty much just means "big budget JRPG" at this point. The style, aesthetic, gameplay, and tone have all varied so much over the years that people shouldn't get too hung up on what they think final fantasy should be.

That being said, final fantasy XVI going full action is a great move imo. They've already made great and renowned turn based battle systems in the past and FFVIIR's turn/action based battle system hybrid is almost perfect in my eyes. Why not try and tackle action rpg now? (And not just kind of half-assing it like FFXV, actually making combos and creating something that is more rewarding in a tactile sense).

 

[Hobbun]

I mean everyone is welcome to their own opinion, but it just boggles my mind on the amount of people on this thread that mistakenly say turn-based is a 'relic', or even better, was only ever done because that's what the systems could handle back then.

Turn-based is just as relevant combat system now as any other system that is currently out there, it doesn't only belong in the past because some feel 'everything else is better'. It's just a choice on who is developing the game.

Dragon Quest, Persona and Pokemon still show that this combat can still be done well and be fun.

If you don't like turn-based, that's fine. You are certainly welcome to that opinion. But don't try to state something it's not just because it's a system you don't like.

 

[nitewulf]

I always am a fan of dynamic combat, so its fine. This combat could still be scripted though, we just don't know. If its all dynamic and combo based, it still should have options to say tap a trigger to open up a menu to assign commands (to team mates if any), cast spells, use items etc. Going full throttle action in RPGs....in that case the whole system has to be integrated very well to the controllers, as well as battles need to be integrated to that system and scale well, which I think is difficult to do. And also frankly I think it's beyond what Square is capable of doing.

 

[LavaBadger]

I've felt mixed on Final Fantasy for a long time.

This would just finalize my disinterest in the series.

 

[HanSoloCup]

FFVIIR had one of my favorite battle systems ever, so I'm totally fine with the action if it feels like that but refined, or even a little more action.

 

[KINGOFSHIBUYA Ltd.]

Looks good, can't complain.

 

[Jahranimo]

I'm with it, let's go!

 

[Deleted member 45261]

This series is less a rpg with every game that comes out. It's going to become generic action game 101 in a couple of games max.

 

[Fitts]

While I'd prefer turn based, going straight up action is much better than the half-measure garbage we got with XV. I'd definitely be interested in knowing more even though I thought I was completely out of FF after how awful XV turned out and how poorly VII Remake is being handled.

 

[Greywaren]

I love it. The only thing I don't like about FF is the combat systems.