Square Enix: North America dislikes turn-based RPGs

In a recent interview on IGN.com’s website, Square Enix gives an interview in which it states that North American gamers aren’t fond of the turn-based style roleplaying games that most of us grew up and loved. Unfortunately, the man taking the interview, Yuji Horii, only takes into account how game reviewers feel about the element and not how gamers themselves feel.

As someone who grew up playing the Final Fantasy franchise, I’ve always had a love for turn-based RPGs and it’s hard to imagine anyone feeling otherwise who grew up playing similar titles. However, in a day and age where game reviewers are more accessible, I can see why Square Enix and Horii feel the way they do.

I sometimes wonder why the U.S. reviewers are more negative towards turn-based battle system. Real-time play has fun aspects too, but for this type of game there is more strategy that comes with a turn-based system. Also, you can play with other people in this game and decide what actions to take together.

One of the key points Horii makes in his quote is the strategic element that turn-based roleplaying games provide the player. This is the primary reason why so many of us enjoy it. Instead of being thrown into a hectic battle that is live-action and sometimes just a complete cluster frack, it allows you to slow down and strategically out-think the enemy AI (whether easy or not).

Do you guys prefer your RPGs in a turn-based formula or live action?

Readers Comments (17)

  1. You’ve pasted this part twice: “Real-time play has fun aspects too, but for this type of game there is more strategy that comes with a turn-based system So, you can play with other people in this game and decide what actions to take together.”

  2. Thank ya

  3. Anyways, I like both turn based RPGs, action ones and mixes between those two battle types (like Eternal Sonata). However I want to see Square Enix make a great traditional turn based RPG this gen. I hope Final Fantasy Versus XIII will be a such game but probably not.

  4. Also, in the last sentence you wrote: “Do you guys prefer your PRGs in a turn-based formula or live action?”

    It’s supposed to be RPGs. 😛

  5. Eh wrong smiley.

  6. I love turned based combat and that’s the kind of experience I want from a JRPG. Adding some twist to that formula keeps things fresh (like combos or different forms of attack).

    I grew up with Final Fantasy too, so I don’t think that the turn based combat is the problem but the lack of quality rpgs. We used to have lots of rpgs back in the day (Right now I’m playing breath of fire iv, lol) but now those are really scarce.

  7. Turn-based. Always have and always will. More tactical and gives you much more time to think about everything, resulting in a longer game and a more in-depth gaming experience, which you expect from an RPG, especially from the legendary Final Fantasy franchise.

  8. To say that NA doesn’t like turn based games is a lie. Look at how well Pokemon has been doing for the past million years. It’s the same exact formula, and EVERYONE LOVES IT. Perfect example of staying classic and righteous and still managing to succeed. Square should take notes. The only people who dislike turn based gameplay are those addicted to twitchy shooters and have no patience whatsoever.

    • Yeah, but the unfortunate thing is that we are coming upon an age where no one wants to play a game unless it has multiplayer and you can shoot things and blow stuff up. Even in America, the Pokemon franchise is dying for most gamers. If it weren’t for Japan making it and loving it, it probably would be a memory in the wind.

      Take my cousin for example, I wanted to introduce him to Castlevania. He asks can you shoot people? I say no but you can use a whip. He proceeds to say that the game sucks because of that. I just proceeded to facepalm at that statement. This is a guy who does not realize that by skipping the cutscenes and not paying attention to the videos he is missing out on important information that will help him get through missions especially in Dead Rising. Every time I try to introduce a new game to him he asks if it is two player and most of the time he is dissapointed in my answer. I tell him why I get mostly single player games, because they improve most of the time in story quality since there is no multiplayer to improve on. He thinks that I should just get multiplayer games.

      Anyway, I like both types, but stick mostly to JRPG’s in the first place since they do tend to have good stories. Sorry for the long reply.

  9. I think Western games have more fast-paced action, which turn-based games don’t deliver. Still, I enjoy them a lot.

  10. The website has become a huge add ! I understand you want to make money but come on can’t you find a better way.

  11. Reneid Klein July 12, 2010 @ 18:39

    Turn-based all the way. In a way, I can understand how people can like a change of pace, but not stop liking a genre altogether. Although I always prefer turn-based to action, I do still enjoy action-rpgs. I think hybrid games make the best RPGs. Games like Valkyria Chronicles and Resonance of Fate mix both genres perfectly and I wish there were more made.

  12. Turn base is cool when done right. FFXIII failed in their turn based battle structure. This quote from the article shows how SE likes to own themselves:

    “Also, you can play with other people in this game and decide what actions to take together.“

    In FFXIII, you can’t decide how you play together other than choosing everyone’s classes. You also can only switch who you play with before each battle (which I mean come on, you should be able to switch parties during battles by now). So it’s not that America dislikes turn base, we just disliked FFXIII’s turn base.

  13. Doominator99 July 14, 2010 @ 06:08

    the only turn based games i like are table top war games like warhammer 40,000.
    But on a video game it just looks stupid. i remember playing a turn based lord of the rings game and two teams just stand there and attack one at a time and it looks so gay! When i play video games i want to believe that i am in the game and last time i checked, real life people dont take turns attacking eachother.

  14. if it’s a Tactical RPG, then I prefer turn-based gameplay(of course), but if it’s just an RPG, then I would prefer it if it had real-time gameplay(.hack// series, Mass Effect, etc are good examples of real-time RPGs.)

  15. Final Fantasy Tactics and Disgaea turn based games are great. Im lookin foward to the tactics orge release on the psp. I prefer turn based games like these rather than live action any day.

  16. like many here i grew up on the classic Final Fantasy 1 and love turn based games. but this interview shows me something. in some ways he’s right kids today in north America and other places are twitchy hyped up, balls of energy that take no time to think and prefer there games as fast as they are with little to no strategy. as a friend of mine put it best “game company’s in the end are company’s and all company’s want to make money” i think squire enix sees this generation not as the armchair generals that us older gamers where/are but as the counterstrike, half life, modern warfare, halo generation. fast game play and short story so it can be beaten and the next clone in line can be beaten. they think nobody wants to play a 60+ hour game anymore. it’s sad and i hope they stop and ask actual gamers about this rather then just relying on the flavor of the month reviewer.

    NOTE: this was not a rant on young kids or reviewers. just a observation on the game market as a whole these days and how game company’s seem to want to only please a set age demographic and not the gaming community as a whole.

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