Final Fantasy has defined Japanese role-playing games for generations, with the Square Enix franchise still seen by many as the premiere JRPG property. Throughout the years, the games have changed their mechanics and chief elements, sometimes to follow trends as much as start them. This has seen it recently abandon turn-based battles in favor of action-RPG elements, though this might not need to be the case going forward.
Before going almost entirely action-based, Final Fantasy pioneered in RPG history through the "Active Time Battle" system. These mechanics combined turn-based fights with more action-oriented elements, keeping the tension alive during battles. With how popular and revolutionary it was, it's time for the ATB system to make a comeback, perhaps making Final Fantasy a bit more unique again in the process.
The ATB System Was Final Fantasy's Best Battle Mechanic
The Active Time Battle System was introduced in Final Fantasy IV and remained a staple of the series for quite a while afterward. Beforehand, the initial Final Fantasy games featured a much more rudimentary style of combat, with battles being entirely turn-based in the most basic sense. Thus, the strategy simply involved grinding the player's party to increase their stats as much as possible, beating enemies through sheer brute strength. The ATB system changed this by adding a greater sense fo caution and tension to battles. Instead of the whole party having turns across the board, every combatant in the fight has their own constantly refilling gauge of speed that allows them to attack before the others. Of course, increasing a player's speed stat helps out in this regard, but there's more to it than simply leveling up to get stronger.
Quicker speed/agility means that an action gauge will fill faster, and players can "switch to" party members who already have a full meter. Set meter will go back down to zero after an attack, and while attacks aren't instantaneous upon selection, players are unable to change their actions after the fact. Likewise, party members can actually be killed as they're waiting to attack. This means that using the right tactics to defeat enemies as soon as possible is key, especially if certain party members are far weaker than others. It's made worse by the fact that some monsters and enemies can even attack while the player is selecting an action, further increasing the sense of dread and excitement.
After being introduced in the series' fourth main game, the ATB system would continue to be a staple until Final Fantasy IX. Though changed somewhat, it was brought back in Final Fantasy X-2. Spinoffs of the series would also utilize variations of the mechanic, and even unrelated RPGs such as I Am Setsuna did the same. The latter game's use of it largely stemmed from its sense of nostalgia, showing just how intrinsic the Active Time Battle system had become to classic Square games. Returning it to the fore once more doesn't have to mean simply repeating the past, however, as previous titles have shown how to remix the ATB system in exciting ways.
Final Fantasy's Best Battle System Has Changed a Lot Over the Years
When it was first brought into Final Fantasy IV, the speed action gauge for the Active Time Battle system wasn't visible to players. This would change in the next game, with the following game Final Fantasy VI even allowing players to skip turns. In the case of Final Fantasy X-2, players could chain their attacks and even strike behind an enemy to score more damage. World of Final Fantasy had a rather strange take on the idea, with the ATB gauge being present alongside an "Active" and "Wait" mode for battles with different menus. Strangely enough, the ATB gauge was also implemented in the action-based Final Fantasy VII Remake, and filling it allows players to perform skills and special attacks.
All these different takes on the same basic concept and system show how versatile the Active Time Battle system is. It's arguable that more straightforward turn-based combat is hard to innovate, but the differences between Final Fantasy IV's ATB system and the one seen in Final Fantasy X-2 prove that the same isn't true for the "best of both worlds." Thus, bringing it back and refining it further for future games could ensure that the system is continually innovated while also giving these new games a much-needed classic feel to them. Given some of the steep JRPG competition on the horizon, this is exactly what Final Fantasy needs to stay on top of the genre.
Bringing Back ATB Can Help Final Fantasy Regain Its Former Glory
While still immensely popular, there's no denying that the days of Final Fantasy's uncontested rule of the Japanese role-playing game genre are long gone. Ironically, this can be seen as a result of the success of the original Final Fantasy VII, with the iconic game inspiring a smorgasbord of new JRPGs. With many of them being just as good in their own right, new franchises came about that have now challenged Final Fantasy's throne. The biggest of these in the past decade is easily Atlus' most recent Persona games. Though the main Shin Megami Tensei series that Persona spins off from has never been nearly as mainstream, the JRPG/dating sim combination of Persona 3, Persona 4, and especially the different versions of Persona 5 has made the subseries into instant classics. The reception toward Persona 5 has even made many gamers reconsider the value of turn-based combat. Given how much it's already experimented with it, Final Fantasy could do the same thing with Active Time Battle combat.
If nothing else, the ATB system offers a sort of middle ground between action-based combat and true turn-based mechanics. When added together with the series' darker and more morose aesthetic, it would allow Final Fantasy to evolve while also staying true to itself. Said darker tone actually works perfectly with past versions of ATB in which enemies could strike as players made their selections. Doing this in a modern game could be used to make a Final Fantasy survival-horror title, turning battles from boring to bloodcurdling. Fears would run rampant if players got accidentally slaughtered by overpowered enemies just as they're figuring out which attack to use. Likewise, the ATB system changes seen in Final Fantasy X-2 could further emphasize strategy and party member placement, allowing players to bring up the rear with powerful magical ambushes. Such an idea would essentially make such a game into a more action-oriented turn-based strategy game. There's a lot that can be done with the Active Time Battle system, and Final Fantasy would only benefit from making it the staple fighting mechanic going forward after the much-different Final Fantasy XVI. This way, whenever the RPG genre is upended by the latest game in the series, it'd be a game that features a true trademark battle system that only Square Enix could deliver.