RPGs (both Japanese and Western) have possiblly the most varied battle system out of all games. From real-time battles to action-based battles to turn-based battles and strategy battles, sometimes it's hard to know what you're in for when you buy an RPG game. Dualshockers.com takes a look at RPG battle systems, and whether they are adjusting to the times...

What do you want out of the battle system in the latest and greatest RPG? That’s a bit of a broad question, eh? It’s highly subjective; based on each gamer’s perspective and interpretation. But, what sort of gamers tend to gravitate to what type of battle system? You have your real-time battles, action-based battle systems, turn-based, strategy, a mixture of all of the above and more. Why the RPG focus? Because most games outside the genre usually have a fairly standard genre-wide flow to battles, even though the specific mechanics of battle differ greatly. Take first-person shooters, for example. They’re all “the same”, in that if you pick up an FPS title, you pretty much know what you’re going to be getting into. You have a good idea of how the game is going to be played, even though the specifics might change from one FPS to another. The same goes for third-person, action-oriented titles like Grand Theft Auto IV or Infamous. However, if you pick up an RPG without ever reading anything about it, it’s a toss up. I know the phrase is overused, but it really is like a box of chocolates given to you by your sweet old aunt - you never really know what you’re going to get, and sometimes it might be scary.

First off we’ll talk about the tried and true RPG staple of turn-based battles. Whether it was pioneered by Square-Enix in their Final Fantasy franchise or not, the fact remains that those games are what made it popular. Their “Active Time Battle” system first appeared in Final Fantasy IV, although elements of it were introduced in earlier incarnations. They even filed a United States patent for the ATB system in 1992 under the title “video game apparatus, method an device for controlling” and, three years later, was awarded said patent. These days, though, the idea of turn-based battles turn many people off. It can sometimes be slow, boring and even tedious, and the mentality of certain gamers just can’t handle that. This isn’t a bad thing - after all, you like what you like. But, the gamespace has changed in the last decade and this, perhaps in a small way, reflects on the change of society in general.

Miss Razz via dualshockers.com »