I would love for Final Fantasy to return to turn-based combat, and thanks to Clair Obscur: Expedition 33,it might

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Since the release of Final Fantasy XI in 2002, principal installments of the Final Fantasy series have abandoned turn-based combat and opted instead for real-time combat or MMO-style tab-targeting, yielding a range of diverse outcomes.

It appears Square Enix is considering the notion that returning the Final Fantasy series to its traditional turn-based gameplay might not be a misstep after all.

A user named @yuzz__, who works as an Investment Media Reporter on platform X (as translated by @Genki_JPN), disclosed that they recently participated in a shareholders meeting at Square Enix. During this gathering, they inquired if future installments of the Final Fantasy series and Dragon Quest might incorporate ‘command-based’ combat, a combat style often referred to as turn-based in Western regions.

Citing the recent blockbuster RPG, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, user @yuzz__ pointed out that it gained widespread acclaim and significant financial success as an argument for bringing back command-based combat in future Final Fantasy games to ensure their own success.

Square Enix acknowledged their awareness of Expedition 33 and emphasized that command-based role-playing games form the bedrock of their company’s history. They highly regard the command-based RPG genre and aim to keep producing games in this vein for the foreseeable future.

It’s possible that Dragon Quest 12 will stick with the turn-based system, and maybe future primary Final Fantasy series installments will revert back to this style of gameplay as well. Personally, I’d welcome such a development.

I would kill for a mainline Final Fantasy game to be turn-based again.

Currently, I hold no personal grudges towards Final Fantasy VII Remake, Final Fantasy XVI, or Final Fantasy VII Rebirth; each title stands independently as a quality game.

One reason we fell in love with the early Final Fantasy games was because they featured turn-based combat, which remains a beloved aspect for many players like myself.

Despite taking a dynamic, real-time, action-focused approach, this strategy for the franchise hasn’t managed to reach Square Enix’s ambitious targets consistently.

During their release on Xbox, the Final Fantasy Remasters ruled the store rankings, and Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 significantly outshone Square Enix’s attempts to promote turn-based combat. It sold more than 3.3 million copies and received widespread praise.

The Final Fantasy Remasters were very popular on Xbox, and the game Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 greatly overshadowed Square Enix’s efforts to promote turn-based combat, as it sold over 3.3 million copies and received great reviews.

It would be fantastic if Square Enix could bring back the Active-Time Battle system, as seen in Final Fantasy games from the Super Nintendo and PlayStation One era (from Final Fantasy 4 to Final Fantasy 9).

In this system, although it was still a sequence of turns for each character, your decisions had to be made swiftly because opponents could act while you were pondering over your next move during their turn. This design maintained the rapid pace of combat without sacrificing the strategic elements inherent in traditional turn-based combat.

It could be that Square Enix decided to release a remaster of Final Fantasy Tactics as a means to gauge player enthusiasm towards turn-based gameplay. In other words, they want to see how much interest there is in this style of combat.

It seems clear that Square Enix might be coming to understand that the era of exploration with real-time combat systems has ended, and perhaps they should revert back to the turn-based style of gameplay that is so characteristic of Final Fantasy, in order to secure its continued success.

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2025-06-25 23:09