JRPGs with Real-Time Combat
At this time, I have over fifty games that are waiting for me to play. Most of these are new releases that I bought on sale and never played. Some are indie titles that friends have recommended to me and others are a stack of visual novels that I've been saying I would get to this year. However, I ended up playing Tales of Arise for the second time last weekend.
Action JRPGs captivate me in such a way that I can only describe how much they draw me in. When I play an Action JRPG, it is different than when I play other action games because of how different the gameplay loop is within the Action RPG Genre. The combat loop of the Action JRPG isn't just about your reflexes or knowing the attack patterns of your opponent. The Action JRPG combat loop has a whole new level beneath the combat loop in the game, which affects the feeling you have when completing a battle. Winning is not just winning; you are earning experience, open uping new skills and open uping a new skill that will completely change how you approach your next battle.
I find that I return to Arise time and time again because I have yet to reach the bottom of the depth ceiling of the combat system after three play-throughs. There are so many ways to create aerial combos and I love the boost attack system within the game. There are a huge number of opportunity for chaining together your arte combinations based on the make-up of your party. Most action games will NOT reward experimentation like Pure Action games do. In the Action RPG, the RPG systems will provide you with some new tools to experiment with during gameplay as a result of leveling up.
Tales of Arise, however, is not the only example of the greatness that Action JRPGs have displayed. The Ys series has been providing their gamers with great action JRPG combat for many years and the speed and precision of the combat within each new iteration of Ys is unmatched by nearly every other game.
Take for example Ys VIII on the PS5, which runs at a locked 60 frames per second; the combat in Ys VIII to provide you with the same "tight" feel that a dedicated action game can provide, while at the same time providing the player with the progression and story that all JRPGs offer.
Star Ocean: The Divine Force has attempted to develop a strong system for Flying Traversal in the game, so while it hasn't been universally applauded, the combat in Star Ocean: The Divine Force has a number of moments of pure brilliance. The combat system uses real-time party management and a new mechanic called special arts as well as utilizing a mechanic called the blindside mechanic.
The genre continues to evolve. The latest installment of Granblue Fantasy has introduced cooperative multi-player play into the action JRPG formula and the new title of Final Fantasy XVI has taken character action video gaming to the next level with the Eikon battles that were reminiscent of the games of the Devil May Cry franchise. Each new installment of an Action JRPG is throttling down the innovation of what action combat will continue to evolve to become.
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The backlog will be there when I am finished mastering all the new combos.