Summary
It’s easy tomislabel most JRPGs as linear experienceswhere exploration is more of an afterthought than anything else. While it’s understandable why some people feel this way, this does a huge injustice to some great games in the genre that understand how magical exploration can be when it’s executed with great finesse.
The idea of exploring a rich and diverse world filled to the brim with organic combat encounters is something that many JRPGs nail. Players who may find it hard to get into this genre because of its apparent rigidity will sing a different tune after checking out these games.
AfterFinal Fantasy 11experimented with the idea of turning a mainline title into an MMO, the development team at Square Enix learned many things from this process that were integrated intoFinal Fantasy 12. This can be seen in the lack of battle screen transitions, which is the first time something like this has happened in a single-playerFinal Fantasynumbered entry.
This means that players can explore a bunch of rich and diverse environments, choosing to engage with the vast majority of combat encounters as and when they see fit. The Hunts inFinal Fantasy 12make the most of this seamless transition between exploration and battles, readying players for a tough battle once they see a lumbering beast out in the distance.
AlmosteveryXenoblade Chroniclesgamequalifies as a beloved title that merges exploration and combat with great finesse. However,Xenoblade Chronicles Xdeserves due credit for letting players mess around with the open world in no time, with little to nothing stopping players from losing themselves in these massive landscapes.
Sure, high-level enemies can discourage players from heading to certain zones too soon, but these also serve as a motivator for enemies to get stronger before they return and show these foes who’s boss. Combat is quick and doesn’t break the flow of exploration at all, which is something that fans ofXenoblade Chroniclesconsider to be the series' biggest strength.
Fans point to many reasons that detailwhyChrono Triggeris hailedas the greatest JRPG ever made. The fact that the game bucked most genre trends across many fronts, including how it handled combat, is a huge reason why this is the case.
Unlike most JRPGs at the time, fans could see enemies mucking about in dungeons and choose to sidestep them if they wished. If they decided to engage them in battle, then this transition was seamless as enemies and party members occupied pre-ordained spots on the screen as they battled it out, with some powerful team attacks capitalizing on disadvantageous enemy positioning.
The stealth mechanics inPersona 5 Royalare snappy and satisfying, befitting the idea of a bunch of ragtag thieves breaking into Mind Palaces and stealing a heinous person’s “treasure.” This makes dungeon exploration a blast and helps sneak attacks feel rewarding.
Sneaking around corners and taking enemies by surprise allows players to get the jump on foes with ease, exploiting their weaknesses to unleash a critical All-Out Attack and ending battles in a flash. Thestyle and energy oozing in these fights are immense, with the victory screen naturally bringing Joker and his team back where they started without any jarring transitions.
The news thatYakuzawas shifting to a turn-based combat system worried many fans, but these complaints were put to rest when the seventh mainline entry in the series came out.Like a Dragonintroduced an excellent character and used his JRPG addiction to justify the shift in this action.
Players could explore the dense streets of Isezaki Ijincho and get into battles organically, with some ambushes being downright hilarious. Enemies moved around naturally in these combat arenas and it didn’t take long for Ichiban and Co. to secure victory and get back to the exploration side of things once again.
The post-apocalyptic world of Da’at and its varied biomes serves as an excellent setting forShin Megami Tensei 5. New fans drawn into the series by thePersonagames may be taken off-guardby its heightened difficulty, but a few monster recruitments are all it takes for players to make the most of this ingenious combat system.
It helps that the in-game areas are diverse and beautiful to behold, with enemies showing up naturally in these locations and compelling players to either take them head-on or skirt away from particularly troublesome encounters.
After numerous demands from fans, Game Freak finally listened and developed an open-worldPokemongame that showed off a ton of promise.Pokemon Legends: Arceusmay not be the most visually stimulating experience, but fans won’t mind as long as they get to see how the developer has integrated combat naturally with the exploration.
The simple yet meaningful tweaks to combat ensure that players can order their Pokemon around seamlessly as they take on other monsters and try to either defeat or capture them.Pokemonfans will have a great time with this title, with Game Freak using the lessons they learned from this development process for the next generation ofPokemongames.
Final Fantasy 7 Rebirthis a huge step forwardfrom the incredible remake project of the previous title. After being stuck in the claustrophobic areas of Midgar for a lengthy experience,Rebirthfinally allowed players to explore an open, detailed world filled to the brim with side content and engaging encounters.
As one would expect from any real-time action game, the transition to combat is natural and merges well with exploration. The addition of an open world ensures that exploration is a blast as players see imposing enemies in the distance and choose to either engage them or run away.
