White Knight Chronicles Review

By Keza MacDonald Published 18 February, 2009

Shining armour.

Version tested: PlayStation 3

Having spent far too much of my time ploughing through self-consciously epic Japanese games lately, I can't tell you how much of a relief it is to come across one that doesn't take itself too seriously. Despite being marketed as The Ultimate Next-Gen RPG in Japan, plastered all over billboards and convenience stores for months leading up to release, White Knight Chronicles turns out to be unexpectedly lighthearted. It's a game with birds that can inexplicably project holographs from their eyes, drunken midget furries lying around on farms, airships, princesses and ridiculous giant-robot transformation sequences, replete with awesomely wailing J-Rock guitars. Thank f*** for a game with a sense of humour in place of misplaced pomposity.

White Knight Chronicles does have rather a lot riding on it, though. It's been disappointment after disappointment with JRPGs lately in the face of ever-increasing strength from their Western competitors. It's an ambitious game, too, attempting to lure Japanese players online by forging a battle and gameplay system that works simultaneously as a single-player, story-based RPG and as an online co-operative one. And despite the numerous inevitable difficulties with such a far-reaching mission statement, Level-5 has done a fine job.

The game stars a band of lively characters headed up by Lenard - he of the henshin-a-go-go transformation capabilities - trying to save a princess from mysterious assailants in a climate of international unrest. The world is a mix of medieval swords-and-sorcery and occasional random futurism; the titular White Knight is supposedly an ancient warrior spirit, but he looks far more like a massive shiny white robot. Lenard can transform into him in battle at any time once you've saved up enough action points, but usually it's best to save it for the boss fights, which are nearly always preceded by (unintentionally?) hilarious action cut-scenes that culminate in at least one transformation sequence. Lenard's not the only one with that trick up his sleeve, see - enemies have a habit of unexpectedly transforming as well.

'White Knight Chronicles' Screenshot 1

Sorry Lenard - turns out the princess is in another airship.

White Knight Chronicles' fighting is all in real-time - think Phantasy Star, or FFXII - and always leaves you free to do things like switch between characters mid-battle with a quick few button-presses or run away from enemies on the map. You cycle through attacks and spells on the fly with the d-pad and execute them with the circle button. It looks like an action-RPG, but the actual mechanics are based on numbers and dice-rolls; enemy attacks will still hit you if you're standing behind an obstacle, or halfway across the room.

The lynchpin of the system is combo attacks, which you create and name yourself from the vast selection of commands and actions that open up as you level up your characters. You can string together magic, close and long-range attacks and aerial moves into fantastically satisfying action-game-like chain commands, which then slot seamlessly into your move-selection menu. They're executed with timed button-presses in the field, contributing to the combat's hands-on, action-heavy feel. Hits are pleasingly weighty, especially with axes and longswords, and fights against more impressive enemies can look properly gorgeous, particularly when fighting on a beefed-up scale as the White Knight.

'White Knight Chronicles' Screenshot 2

Well, you wouldn't want to jump into the game with incorrect eyebrow width, would you?

Levelling up earns each character skill points that are put towards unlocking new moves or capabilities in each of the weapon and magic disciplines. You can specialise and unlock the majority of the moves in a particular discipline quite early in the game, allowing you to start experimenting with combos as soon as possible, but spending time gleefully unlocking things in the skill menus and working them into your battle strategy is a great joy in White Knight Chronicles right up to the final hours - and beyond, when you take the game online.

The end result of these impressively flexible skill and combat systems is an easy-to-play and fun-to-watch RPG that feels much more customisable than any other in the genre, and allows you to enjoy it how you want. There's mercifully little pratting about in White Knight Chronicles - no grinding, no wandering, well-placed save-points and a mini-map that always highlights where you need to go next with a little star icon lest you get lost in a combo menu for a while and forget where to go. Because of the constant experimentation you'll be doing with combos and skills, combat doesn't get tired unless you get complacent and start falling back on the same old techniques instead of switching characters and tweaking your battle strategy.

It's a little too easy to fall into such a repetitive pattern. There's not much challenge in the single-player game and as a consequence it's possible to muddle through using fairly basic combos, without switching characters or paying attention to the hidden intricacies of the combat, like elemental attacks. It's only once you get stuck into the online multiplayer that getting intimately acquainted with skills and combos becomes essential to progress as well as entertaining.

The online portion of White Knight Chronicles exists entirely separately from the single-player, but items and experience are transferable. You create an online avatar at the beginning of the game, adjusting fifty-four different sliders to achieve just the right breast size and angle. Amusingly, your avatar is along for the ride in single-player too as an eternally mute accessory to the plotline, standing at the back during dramatic cut-scenes wearing whatever ridiculous cape you've dressed them in and a faintly inappropriate smile.

'White Knight Chronicles' Screenshot 3

DO NOT MESS.

It's not an MMO, nor a co-operative version of the single-player; you sign up using GeoNet from any save-point, and from there you can access a huge number of multiplayer-specific missions to play with up to five friends. Quests take place in the same areas you've already been to in single-player, and you unlock more by buying them in guild halls or uncovering more of the map on your own. You access quests via your own personal lobby space, to which you can invite friends - jumping into games with strangers is virtually impossible thanks to a combination of confusing menus and a relative dearth of sociable players, but this might change come the Western release.

It clearly takes a lot of cues from Monster Hunter, which is hardly surprising considering that series' incomparable success as a social multiplayer game in Japan. Completing quests slowly increases your rank, and the vast majority of the quests themselves are amazingly boring. It's like Level-5 took all the grinding and metaphorical rat-punching that's so appreciably absent from the single-player and shoved it all into a near-endless sequence of practically identical online quests. Basically, they're little more than a way of harvesting the endless materia items necessary to craft powerful custom weapons and armour.

'White Knight Chronicles' Screenshot 4

Don't feed trolls. Instead, hit them in the knee with hammers.

This, naturally, is quite a disappointment for anyone hoping for some interesting co-operative story-based play from White Knight Chronicles. The multiplayer is still a great way to show off and experiment with the game's combat system - that it works so well both online and offline is indeed an achievement for Level-5 to be proud of - but when White Knight Chronicles was first announced, I had visions of a co-operative story-based JRPG rather than a huge but repetitive selection of monster hunting and fetch missions. Monster Hunter has done that to death in the past, and done it better.

Disappointing multiplayer doesn't take away from how enjoyable the game is, though, or how well-thought-through and impressively integrated its gameplay systems are. Level 5 has taken its inspiration from a lot of sources for White Knight Chronicles, and the result is a fresh synthesis that is a definite jewel in the platform's crown. It's funny, innovative and satisfyingly complex without ever being overwhelming, a JRPG for the lighter of heart and more action-orientated player. Level-5 was aiming to breathe a little fresh air into this genre with White Knight Chronicles, and in that respect it is a complete success.

8 / 10

White Knight Chronicles is out now in Japan, with a European release date yet to be announced. A half-decent working knowledge of Japanese is necessary to enjoy it at this point.

Read the Eurogamer.net scoring policy
Picture of Keza.

About Keza MacDonald

Read more articles from Keza by visiting the Keza MacDonald archive page.

You may also like...

Comments (70) Latest comment 2 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • Cappy #1 3 years ago

    I wish this was a review of Demon's Souls.
    Edited by 1 at 18/02/09 @ 13:52

  • the_dudefather #2 3 years ago

    Yeah Demon's soul looks ace

  • Widge #3 3 years ago

    Unexpected appearance.... and I think my adblock is causing backgrounds to go black meaning I have to highlight all the text to read it... thats if I can without the PUSH advert getting in the way.

    So pretty ok on both play style fronts, lets hope the online side of things gets some more work over time as opposed to getting dumped out there and thats it.

  • Darren #4 3 years ago

    Sounds great... definitely interested in this, although not for the multiplayer. So much for people telling me this was supposed to be rubbish and boring, etc. Since when have Level 5 made a bad RPG recently?

  • rhubarbandcustard #5 3 years ago

    All JRPG's are terrible. Terrible, I say.

    And Anime.

    And Manga too.

    In fact, Japanese influenced pop culture is a stain on us all.

  • Widge #6 3 years ago

    amusingly, with the background being black, the only words that appeared were DISAPPOINTMENT DISAPPOINTMENT in blue!

    I thought "oh man".

  • RedPanda #7 3 years ago

    Post deleted at 14:31:59 28-01-2012

  • JahB #8 3 years ago

    i'd consider playing a jrpg if somebody ever makes one with decent combat.

    it's 2009, consoles are high-powered machines (well, 2 out of the 3 we have atm) and there's really no excuse for not implementing a proper fighting system; at least this one is not completely turn-based, but the fact that everything is still based on the very much outdated "roll the dice" mechanic instead of player skill is epic fail.

  • Widge #9 3 years ago

    That is the mechanic of role playing games. Oblivion is stat driven, Mass Effect is stat driven, Fallout 3 is stat driven.

  • UncleLou #10 3 years ago

    it's 2009, consoles are high-powered machines (well, 2 out of the 3 we have atm) and there's really no excuse for not implementing a proper fighting system; at least this one is not completely turn-based, but the fact that everything is still based on the very much outdated "roll the dice" mechanic instead of player skill is epic fail.

    That's probably the most fundamental misunderstanding of RPGs and the term "outdated" that I've ever read.

    Some players prefer to use a different kind of skill rather than twitch gaming skills (what, btw., gaming has initially all been about) in their games.

  • Widge #11 3 years ago

    But fundamentally you still have a bunch of numbers behind it saying that "well your strength is X, their defence is Y, add in %age chances for critical/miss, so we'll do a calc and this is your damage for your attack".

    Not saying this is an issue, but its present in just about all RPGs regardless of where they come from.
    Edited by 1 at 18/02/09 @ 14:11

  • Vertius #12 3 years ago

    Very good! It's not the greatest RPG ever made, but certainly better than most of the tosh that has been released this generation.

    Even Level 5 isn't that good, it seems...

  • Darren #13 3 years ago

    Well being able to level up and use more powerful equipment/magic/whatever is a big part of what makes RPG so addictive for me. Most modern RPGs hide the number cruncing pretty well, e.g. Fallout 3 and Mass Effect.

    What I don't like about many Japanese RPGs is the silly random battles... you know... you're treking across an empty landscape and all of a sudden you find yourself fighting an enemy that wasn't there seconds ago because... da da... they were invisible, presumably. It might have worked 20 years ago when the technology was limited but it doesn't work now, it's archaic, it's annoying. That spoilt Lost Odyssey for me completely and is the reason why I enjoyed games like Grandia II (a personal favourite from my Dreamcast days), Blue Dragon and Eternal Sonata far more. I mean why wouldn't you be able to see the enemies? Maybe you're walking around with your eyes shut or something... :?

  • DrDamn #14 3 years ago

    @JahB
    Wrong on so many levels it's hard to work out where to begin.

  • Kenshin001 #15 3 years ago

    Actually quite surprised at the positive note of the review since Famitsu gave it a lowish score and it has gotten mixed user reviews on Amazon.jp. The only other review in English I've seen (rpgfan) said, "Ultimately I think the franchise has potential. Nevertheless, it's still very skip-able for people with a long backlog of games to get into." Be interesting to see the reaction when the localised version comes out.

  • mkreku #16 3 years ago

    "There's mercifully little pratting about in White Knight Chronicles - no grinding, no wandering..."

    No wandering?? There goes my interest right out the window :(

  • HermitArcader #17 3 years ago

    Post deleted at 09:17:39 22-12-2011

  • menage #18 3 years ago

    Sounds rather good, I love giant robots and furry midgets.

    Lost Odyssey didn't have wandering much, still thought it was better than FFXII.
    Edited by 1 at 18/02/09 @ 14:35

  • Tonka #19 3 years ago

    Is this out already. Bit of a rushed release innit?

  • Widge #20 3 years ago

    Its been out for a while, smashed in first week sales of over 200k in Japan.

  • Beige_Alert #21 3 years ago

    Oh God, Im so tired of FPSes. At this point I'll take anything and this even looks decent.

  • JahB #22 3 years ago

    @disc:
    might give eternal sonata a try then. that sounds quite good.

    @DrDamn
    Wrong on so many levels it's hard to work out where to begin.

    care to elaborate? i was simply stating that in this console generation, the excuse "it's not technically doable" (which was the reason behind the turn based games of old) doesn't cut it anymore. cueing up buttons and then watch a custcene play out can never be a substitute for actual gameplay.

    but if you want to argue that there's a valid reason for having a turn based system in place, enlighten me.
    Edited by 1 at 18/02/09 @ 14:46

  • Zaltan #23 3 years ago

    Sounds cool, I expected it to be decent. Level 5 rarely disappoint.

  • Steroyd #24 3 years ago

    Oh Eurogamer, you pulled on my heart strings when I saw this belated import review hoping that the European or US version was around the corner. Please if you're going to do an import review do it around the time it's launched in that country. *weeps*

  • jimboton #25 3 years ago

    @ Cappy

    That's exactly what I thought when i saw this :)

    It is an interesting choice of review for Eurogamer as this game is the polar opposite of Demon's Souls (both being rpgs released for the same platform at about the same time notwithstanding), it is lighthearted, accessible and easy where DS is much more serious, demanding and challenging. I just hope it doesn't get bashed precisely because of that when it is finally reviewed here.

  • Steroyd #26 3 years ago

    @JahB

    You want Action RPG's which sound like the "evolution" in JRPG's what you want (and they've been swarming the PS2, where have you been?), wish people would stop painting a broad brush over all JRPG's :(, some people like the "ancient" turn based mechanic for the same reason why people prefer chess over hungry hungry hippo.

  • BlueDot #27 3 years ago

    @JahB

    It is a different style of combat mechanics and a simulation of your character's abilities not a measure of how fast you can mash buttons. Not everyone likes Ninja Gaiden way of doing things. Personally I like turn based games.

  • thedaveeyres #28 3 years ago

    This sounds great, looking forward to it.

  • Shrub #29 3 years ago

    Why is it in every thread about a JRPG we have to have some clowns making the same tired old complaint against turned-based battle systems?

    Battles do not *have* to be fast-paced twitch affairs in every goddamn single game. There is room for alternatives you know.

    Perhaps those clowns would like to suggest some improvements to the gameplay of Chess as its clearly an ancient game well past its sell-by date due to the turn-based nature of the contest?!

    Oh, and random battles add a lot of tension when you're roaming a dungeon low on health!

  • DrDamn #30 3 years ago

    @JahB
    You've seem to have a core assumption that real time combat is a a natural progression from turn based combat. It's like saying oranges are a natural progression of apples. They are two different things. There never were technical reasons for not doing non-turn based combat. It's simply a choice or design decision. Many people prefect the tactical nature of turn based combat where the battle is decided based on your decisions and planning rather than how nibble you are with button presses.

  • Widge #31 3 years ago

    I wouldn't say its turn based, its moves with cooldown periods.

  • JahB #32 3 years ago

    @Steroyd
    I see where you're coming from, but the chess comparison doesn't quite work. The guy who made up chess (brilliant as he must have been, I'm afraid I don't know who it was) intended it to be a turn based game, it wasn't a decision forced upon him by technical limitations.

    @BlueDot
    That's the one argument that holds. Naturally, if there's a large audience of games that prefer their games to be turn based, a developer should cater to that. But I still think that - given today's technology - having the choice between real time or turn based should be doable at the very least.

  • JahB #33 3 years ago

    @Shrub
    this was a decent discussion before you came along and started the name-calling. the point of my post was not to personally offend anybody who likes turn based games, but that's about all i have to say to you.
    Edited by 1 at 18/02/09 @ 15:16

  • JahB #34 3 years ago

    @DrDamn

    correct me if i'm wrong, but didn't Final Fantasy (the poster child for turn-based combat games) evolve into realtime? yes, nowadays turn-based is of course a design decision (as realtime is doable for everyone), but if the team that made the early Final Fantasy games had had the technological power that we have today, their design decisions might have been very different.

  • chessboxer #35 3 years ago

    So is this action or turn based RPG? I haven't payed much attention to this title and haven't got a scoob.

  • Steroyd #36 3 years ago

    Final Fantasy XII isn't realtime, but neither is it turn based, you could say that White Knight Story is an evolved form of what FFXII started, FFXIII is a testament to that.

  • drumbaby #37 3 years ago

    So, online it feels/ plays like Mhunter? Colour me a punter.

  • retr0gamer #38 3 years ago

    @JahB

    If a developer made a game that gave the choice of both real time and turn based they would be creating two different gameplay styles which would be far too much effort. I much prefer turn based RPGs myself since I've never played a real time RPG that required any tactics other than mash the X button and throw out the odd healing item. FFX was probably the perfect run based system. You really had to think about how to win a battle unless you over levelled and ruined the game on yourself.

  • menage #39 3 years ago

    @JahB

    You're right that it was intended that way to counter technical difficulty's, but games like that now are a deliberate choice. It's not like japnese don't know how to make action games, it's that a whole lot of people there and over here still love em. Just look at it like a Pokemon mechanic. I hit you with my lightning storm +10. It's the same mechanic, only digital. I actually hated FFXII for being more realtime because battles became a cluttered mess. And a semirealtime game like Eternal Sonata actual was more boring because of it.

    It's actually relaxing for me to not have to play with fast reflexes and supercombo gameplay all the time. I do enjoy that, but there' something quite relaxing about turn based gameplay after a days work as well.

  • Gecks #40 3 years ago

    how on earth did we get to this idea that turn-based videogames was initially due to technological short-comings? they all stem from the computer versions of pen & paper RPGs, so they were turn-based by design. there have been real-time games since pong and co.

    the chess comparison is excellent. i like turn-based battles. and i cannot lie.

  • septimus #41 3 years ago

    "rhubarbandcustard
    All JRPG's are terrible. Terrible, I say.

    And Anime.

    And Manga too.

    In fact, Japanese influenced pop culture is a stain on us all. "

    Really? Wow, that is the most ignorant statement I've read in a while. Or your sarcasm is beyond us all.

  • marilena #42 3 years ago

    JahB

    "i was simply stating that in this console generation, the excuse "it's not technically doable" (which was the reason behind the turn based games of old)"

    The problem is that you start from an incorrect premise. People don't use turn based because of technical constraints, they use it because it is a valid gameplay that shifts focus from speed/reflexes/accuracy to tactical thought and planning. I understand that it's not what you like, but many people do. Personally, the more I grow old, the more I want everything to be turn based :p. unfortunately, the general tendency seems to be the opposite (most games these days are real time), but I think that developers underestimate the number of slow old people who like games. there must be a fair few of us.

  • marilena #43 3 years ago

    Speaking of slow, 10 posts appeared in the time it took me to write mine! I want turn based forums!

  • DrDamn #44 3 years ago

    @JahB
    I think you'll find that poster child is heading back to turn based territory for FFXIII - based on the last vid.

  • JahB #45 3 years ago

    whoa, that thread exploded. well, it seems obvious enough that there's quite a number of people who hold turn based combat dearly, so there's clearly a distinct market :)

  • Keza #46 3 years ago

    Shame White Knight isn't turn-based, eh?

  • Scimarad #47 3 years ago

    Glad to see this one getting a decent review. I'm definitely still interested in it.

  • Rodchenko #48 3 years ago

    JahB has a point. The first Myst games, for example, were so static because of technical limitations. While the developers found a way to turn these limitations into a great experience back then it would feel a bit antagonistic, if all adventure or exploration games would work the same way in 2009.

    I am not saying that turn based action should be banned or that it is not a legit design decision for a modern game, but it's a bit unfair to call someone all kinds of names, just because he spends a few thoughts on this issue.

  • Triggerhappytel #49 3 years ago

    Oh, I had no idea you guys were doing an import review of White Knight. I am interested in this, although I have really fallen out with JRPGs in the last couple of years and if I don't enjoy this I'll be giving up on the genre altogether.

    PS - does the way the online modes work sound a bit like Resistance 2's to anyone else?

    Also looking forward to Demon's Souls - it looks like being this year's Folklore (I hope).


    Although I would still love a Dark Cloud 3, please?!
    Edited by 1 at 18/02/09 @ 16:28

  • Krelle #50 3 years ago

    I was greatly let down by this game. Did expect alot more from Level5. An eight from EG seems rather generous.

  • Gecks #51 3 years ago

    @Rodchenko
    but these RPGs have never been turn-based because of technical restrictions. pen & paper RPGs eventually led to the ultima RPGs, which begot dragon quest in japan, which begot final fantasy, and we all know the rest. there's no technical limitations at play here - they have typically been turn-based because, well, that's the kind of game they are.
    Edited by 2 at 18/02/09 @ 16:33

  • JahB #52 3 years ago

    @Gecks:
    that brings the discussion full circle. yes, they've been turn based in pen and paper form before they went digital, but the same goes for e.g. Warhammer, which is not turn based in its videogame form.

    edit: typo
    Edited by 2 at 18/02/09 @ 16:36

  • Gecks #53 3 years ago

    @JahB
    that's cos the warhammer games inherit very little from their boardgame counterparts in terms of gameplay, possibly because it's always sucked :p i'm sure there has been a straight conversion of the warhammer boardgames but i bet it never sold, because there's no real appeal. these days they just use the scenarios and locations and strap it all on any old game.

    pen & paper RPGs were basically ripe for converting, and were fairly popular to begin with, so relatively less has been lost in translation.

    i'm playing persona 3 at the moment and the turn-based battles are more fun and involved than most other games on the market. it's not for everyone, but you have to appreciate that it works for a lot of us :)

  • Scimarad #54 3 years ago

    Personally I've love to play a proper turn-based W40K RPG. I don't mind realtime/action RPGs too much but I do definitely prefer turn based games.

  • InsoFox #55 3 years ago

    I think the confusion about the technical limitations/turn based thing might be because it was technical limitations which were the reason for -random- battles in JRPGs, not turn based battles. I and lots of other people have always hated random battles but turn based is just a design choice, really.

  • Krelle #56 3 years ago

    Eh? Zelda2 and ChronoTrigger, to mention 2 early games, mangd w/o random battles. I always thought of that as a design choice aswell.
    Personally, I dont hate random battles. It was such a big part of my most beloved JRPGs that I kind of miss it at times. There is better ways (and worse!) to create the system which makes you enter a battle, but random battles never make or break a game in my opinion.

    Sorry, derailing this thread even more.

  • InsoFox #57 3 years ago

    Chrono Trigger is not that much of an old game in JRPG history. 1995 I think? By that time it was very easy to do non random battles, but lots of JRPGs still had (and have) random battles because it's a convention, for some reason. When talking about technical limitations we're going waaaaay back, and they have nothing to do with turn based fighting mechanics.

  • #58 3 years ago

    so better than other Jrpgs then, sweet. Good review.

  • KillerMonkey #59 3 years ago

    "Really? Wow, that is the most ignorant statement I've read in a while. Or your sarcasm is beyond us all."

    Just beyond you I think :p

  • creepylizard #60 3 years ago

    if I had a PS3 I'd get it. I don't suppose it's going to be multi-format?
    oh, and about the whole real time/turn based thing. It just depends on the kind of Rpg its in I guess. I much prefer turn based in japanese rpgs myself...haven't played a really good next gen Jrpg yet though...

  • Les #61 3 years ago

    As JRPG that's actually good and SquareEnix has nothing to do with it. Coincidence?

  • Triggerhappytel #62 3 years ago

    @ Creepylizard - "if I had a PS3 I'd get it. I don't suppose it's going to be multi-format?"

    Nope, I would wager that the IP is owned by Sony, much like their last three collaborations with Level-5 (Dark Cloud, Dark Chronicle and Rogue Galaxy).

  • Postumo #63 3 years ago

    I've played Lost Odyssey and it wasn't bad... but by the time i reached the end one thought came to my mind:

    I can't waste 60-70 hours of my life on a japanese RPG with hours and hours of weird combat, lots of bizarre people and etc. JRPG's are too long for the story the tell. I've been playing games all my life and at this point I think I lost all my patience to get trough these games.

  • creepylizard #64 3 years ago

    @triggerhappytel
    I didn't know all that but I suspected it would be the case. Twas a fools hope..

  • darm #65 3 years ago

    Phantasy Star as an example of real-time compat in JRPG? Lolwut?

  • Widge #66 3 years ago

    Yeah, I actually like a good tactical battle. Not something which usually lasts about 5 moves while you physical attack your way through.

  • SchumiF1 #67 3 years ago

    Hey, that's a great score. I expected a 2/10. This game is looking better and better!
    Still, to put in the same level as MGS4 is just so wrong...

  • konnsky #68 3 years ago

    @septimus

    clearly the latter one. better tune that sarcasm antenae boy.

  • Chupakun #69 3 years ago

    Well Warhammer would have worked equally well as a turn-based strategy game (think Disagaea, FFTactics) but the [video game] designers chose to make it real-time. Now, for a number-crunching game, I wouldn't be too surprised if one of the early reasons for sticking to a turn-based format were indeed due to technical limitations. That in addition to keeping with the spirit of the nature of an RPG (as defined by Gary Gygax, may he rest in peace), would probably lead to a natural conclusion: we [developers] need to make this (i.e. the game) turn-based. Of course, it didn't take too long for various off-shoots of the system to move towards real-time as an alternate style of gameplay.

    Nowadays, the decision of turn-based and real-time is purely a stylistic preference. The thing is, the turn-based style of play is generally preferred in Japan which is where the Final Fantasy and Dragon Quest series hail from. Thus it makes sense for them to do what they want. Similarly, the systems in Western releases evolved into more real-time elements thus carving its own niche in the spectrum. If Japanese RPGs are moving towards or decide to move towards real-time elements than it is probably to capture a shooter-crazed demographic who are drunk on their Halos and CoDs. As for longtime fans, turn-based is still the way to go since the very existence creates a completely different gaming experience.

  • milk_pudding #70 2 years ago

    @JahB

    Yes real-time action RPG is evolved from turn-based but they are two completely different styles and neither one can replace each other.

    You are basically saying "Artists who still paint with brushes are dumb - CGI looks so much more visually stunning, with details up to every pixel."
    " Why do publishers still print books? - ebooks are more interactive and fun."

    Do you see what's wrong with your statement?
    "Why "