Ever since it debuted on the NES in the 1980s, Square Enix's Final Fantasy franchise has been the face of JRPGs. Known for its typical blend of steampunk fantasy, great music and stunning character designs, the series is instantly recognized for entries such as Final Fantasy VI and Final Fantasy VII.
Though most of its classic entries are known for being turn-based RPGS, the franchise has recently moved away from this. One example is the recently announced Final Fantasy XVI, which uses an action-RPG battle system. On the other hand, Atlus' Persona is more popular than ever and has remained staunchly turn-based in the wake of other franchises abandoning the gameplay system. With the decision to make Final Fantasy XVI an action-RPG, Square Enix is essentially conceding defeat to the growing popularity of Atlus' Persona.
Fast-Paced Fantasy
Since Final Fantasy XI, Square Enix's franchise has been able to get away will all manner of weird changes thanks to its popularity. FFXI, despite being a mainline title, was an MMORPG with a unique battle system. Fellow MMO Final Fantasy XIV would adopt this, though FFXII had its own unique system. The Final Fantasy XIII trilogy had battles closer to the classic turn-based system, leading some to believe that the franchise would eventually return to that standard. Instead, Final Fantasy XV shocked fans when it went with a completely action-based battles. This move, along with many of the game's other stylistic choices, were seen by some as an attempt to Westernize the franchise in an attempt to regain popularity.
Though receiving more positive reviews than negative, FFXV was controversial among players, with its battle system being one of its most criticized elements. When Final Fantasy VII Remake was announced to similarly eschew the classic system, many saw the franchise as trying to move away from it entirely. This has now been seemingly confirmed with Final Fantasy XVI, which is action-based despite returning to a hard fantasy setting.
While some have expressed excitement at the game's announcement, the mainline Final Fantasy series officially leaving turn-based gameplay behind leaves a rather large hole to fill. Fortunately, or perhaps unfortunately for Square Enix, another JRPG franchise is already there to replace the house that Cloud Strife built.
Beneath the Mask
The Persona series began in 1996 with the release of Revelations: Persona. A spinoff of Atlus' broader Shin Megami Tensei series, Persona took the high school setting of one of that franchise's previous entries and expanded upon it. Each game is standalone, though there are minor Easter eggs that connect them together. The exception is Persona 2, which is essentially split into two games, one of which is an alternate timeline.
The franchise replaces the religious iconography of the main series, recasting demons and monsters into psychological concepts wrought with Jungian terminology. These monsters are fought in turn-based battles and encountered in the games' various dungeon crawling sections. Each hero also has their own individual Persona, which can be summoned to fight alongside them, similar to a Stand in JoJo's Bizarre Adventure.
Starting with Persona 3, the youthful high school setting has been emphasized, fully jettisoning the bleak tone of Shin Megami Tensei. This brought an added focus on developing the characters' social relationships through all manner of extracurricular activities, making each of the games since a bevy of content. Persona 4 in particular pushed the franchise closer mainstream heights, but it was the highly-anticipated release of Persona 5 in 2016 that finally sent it over the edge. The long-delayed game premiered to rave reviews in Japan and the West, with considerable praise being given to its stylish design, music, story and fighting mechanics. It was the latter in particular that made its reception so shocking to some.
You'll Never See It Coming
Despite the decreasing popularity of turn-based RPGs in the West, Persona 5 was praised across the board by most non-Eastern review aggregates. This made it the biggest turn-based release on a console in years, which is ironic given the franchise's former niche status. After Persona 5's release, Square Enix would essentially sequester turn-based mechanics to the realms of Final Fantasy spinoffs. FFXV being an action-RPG was understandable given it started development as a spinoff title, but FFXVI following suit makes it obvious that the company no longer sees a future for classic fights in its premiere series.
The only other notably well-known franchises to still employ turn-based battle systems are Pokémon and Square Enix's own Dragon Quest. Pokémon is held back by being a Nintendo exclusive, as well as focusing on a younger audience. The series has also faced criticism from a fanbase that has vocally expressed disappointed in newer entries. Likewise, Dragon Quest's battle mechanics, along with its presentation and storytelling, are why many see it as an outdated franchise. It's also never caught on in the West to the degree of even Persona, let alone Final Fantasy. With no other real competition, Persona is easily the king of turn-based RPGs, having both the popularity and acclaim to back it up.
Developed by Square Enix and published by Sony, Final Fantasy XVI will be released for PlayStation 5 and PC at a currently unannounced date.