Video gaming has its fair share of "sacred cows" - those rare titles that are so institutional that they've become pillars of the medium. There's the obvious inclusion of the Super Mario and Legend of Zelda franchises, but one would be remiss to not also include Final Fantasy. Final Fantasy 16 is looking to abandon many of the aspects that players have come to expect from a new numbered entry in the long-running RPG series as a way to bring Final Fantasy back into prominence. One of the biggest changes being implemented in Final Fantasy 16 is the switch from turn-based combat to a real-time action system, which is leaving some fans divided prior to release.

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Dragon Quest 11's Turn-Based Combat Is Like RPG Comfort Food

Dragon Quest 11 S

Turn-based combat is practically synonymous with RPGs for longtime fans of the genre. Even though turn-based combat systems have been around since the very beginnings of role-playing video games, there are still plenty of examples of titles that have taken these traditional gameplay mechanics and improved them for newer games in their respective series. When it comes to RPG series that have adhered to tradition while also implementing modernized features and quality of life improvements, one need look no further than Square Enix's own Dragon Quest. Dragon Quest 11 is one of the best modern RPGs to implement traditional turn-based combat effectively.

Having enemies be visible on the field and allowing players to choose whether to engage them or skip encounters entirely is an important feature of the newer Dragon Quest and Final Fantasy games. Additionally, Dragon Quest 11's presentation is improved by creating a seamless transition between exploration and initiating combat. The inevitable mid-to-late game grind can also be alleviated through automated battles. Playing the original games in the Final Fantasy and Dragon Quest series can feel archaic by today's standards, but Dragon Quest 11 shows it's possible to take traditional mechanics and make them feel right at home in a newer title.

Octopath Traveler and Bravely Default Prove There's Plenty of Room for Innovation in Turn-Based Combat

Battle screen in Octopath Traveler

Square Enix have acknowledged fans of their classic SNES and PlayStation-era output with two newer RPG franchises that harken back to the RPGs of yore. Both Octopath Traveler and Bravely Default are series that strongly abide by the characteristics of the genre's luminaries while also iterating on what came before. Given that both series use turn-based combat and have each been celebrated for a unique spin on battle mechanics, the next mainline Final Fantasy should borrow some of the creative talent behind these franchises to help make combat engaging if it returns to a turn-based model.

Bravely Default features the titular "brave" and "default" mechanics in battle where players can choose to skip turns in order to unleash multiple commands in a single turn later. Octopath Traveler also has a similar system where players can "boost" and expend multiple actions at the cost of being incapable of issuing commands later. Both systems make turn-based combat more engaging and show that Square Enix still has combat designers that are innovative. If the next Final Fantasy opts for a turn-based combat system, it's not unreasonable to imagine the new talent at Square Enix using their love of the genre to create something truly special.

Final Fantasy 16 releases on June 22 for PS5.

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