The problem with RPGs is that, while their stories can be thrilling, engaging, and heartstring-pulling, this isn’t always the case with their gameplay. Even the most diehard fan would eventually tire of battles that aren’t key to progression, especially if they’re random encounters. Conversely, fighting games have fast-paced, frenetic gameplay, but a high learning curve that’s much less friendly to beginners than RPGs.
So, what would happen if the two genres were crossed together? Not as in action games with RPG elements likeYakuza/Like A Dragonor theCastlevaniaseries afterSymphony of the Night. But RPGs with combos, mix-ups, and other brawling mechanics in their gameplay. These are the best bona fideRPGs with fighting game mechanics.
7Hybrid Heaven
GameFAQs Score: 3.7/5 Stars
Globally, RPGs hit their peak in the late 1990s-early 2000s, when they went 3D and really made players feel like they were in another world. However, even then, some developers wanted to ramp up the action. For example, Konami’sHybrid Heavenaimed to live up to its title by combining the genre withTomb Raider-style action-adventure gameplay, and with fighting game-based combat.
Neither genre really appeared on the N64 in a big way, so it makesHybrid Heavenstick out as one ofits most curious cartridges. Its hero, Johnny Slater, can run, jump, shoot, and solve puzzles to progress during the overworld sections. In combat, both Johnny and the enemy fight in turn-based combat like an old RPG, but can pull off punches, kicks, throws, and combos like a fighting game. They can even move around the stage for a better tactical position, like the pre-round segments inTekkenandDead or Alive.
Inspired byValkyrie Profile’s mix of platforming and RPG combat,Indivisibleplays out more like an action-based 2D platformer. Ajna’s quest to reseal the goddess Kala just switches to RPG combat when the player strikes an enemy. From there, likeValkyrie Profile, each member of the player’s party can be controlled with the face buttons.
Though unlike tri-Ace’s game, players tap the buttons to form combos for each character. They can produce different attacks by holding a direction+attack likeTekkenand other 3D fighters, with each strike building up a meter that, when filled, can unleash a super attack a laStreet Fighterand 2D fighting games. The result is an intriguing mash-up of different games that produce aunique blend of experiences.
5Naruto: Rise of a Ninja & Naruto: The Broken Bond
Metascore: 78 (N:RoaN), 80 (N:TBB)
Anime tie-ins are susceptible to producing shovelware. For everyJump Super Stars, there’s aJump Force, with a lot of average entries between those extremes. However,Naruto: Rise of a NinjaandNaruto: The Broken Bonddid a good job adapting the originalNarutoanime into games, and it did so by combining a bundle of genres a laHybrid Heaven.N:RoaNfollows the first half of the show, whileN:TBBcontinues from the ‘Return of Itachi’ arc onward.
The hub world and action stages play out like a 3D platformer, while the one-on-one combat sections are like a fighting game, complete with a 2D side-on view and special moves. But, like an RPG, Naruto and company must earn EXP through completing missions and side quests to learn new moves. Both games start off slow, but soon pick up the pace as their stories get going. As critically acclaimed as they were on release, they’ve since become hidden gems that often pass most players' notice.
The originalXenogearshad one of the more interesting development cycles. It started life as a concept proposal forFinal Fantasy 7, then it became a potential sequel toChrono Triggerbefore becoming its own thing. Then it nearly missed out on reaching the West at all due to its religious content falling foul of censors. But it made it over the ocean and has since become a classic RPG that, while it didn’t receive a direct sequel, inspired related series fromXenosagatoXenoblade Chronicles.
Its normal gameplay is based on the Active Time Battle system fromChrono Triggerand earlyFinal Fantasygames. However, when the player climbs into the Gears for the Battle Arena minigame, things change. It became a 3D fighter where the Gears could use the terrain to get a tactical advantage, likeDOAandVirtua Fighter 3. Only those games didn’t have rideable mechs and homing projectiles.
Today, BioWare is better known for theMass EffectandDragon Ageseries, which combined RPG elements with space shooting/sword swinging, and letting players chat up their party members. But before those games, they madeJade Empire, which used its Chinese mythological setting to tell a story straight out of akung-fu epic movie.
This also meant its action replaced the laser blasters and Zweihanders with fists, feet, and chi. Players mix quick, light attacks with slower, heavy attacks to wear down their opponents while blocking and dodging their offense. They can also learn new techniques to help break the opponent’s guard or bring out sabers, spears, and other weapons to make things less likeTekkenand more likeSoul Calibur.
2The Vagrant
Steam Score: 9/10
It could be argued thatJade Empire’s third-person punch-ups are more inspired by beat ‘em ups than fighting games. It wouldn’t be the only one if so, as the likes ofDragon’s CrownandOdin Spherelooked more towardsGuardian HeroesandDungeons & Dragons: Tower of Doom. But if an RPG’s combat suddenly goes into combos, charge moves, and specials, it has some fighting games in its DNA.
For example,The Vagrant(orSword of the Vagranton consoles) sees Vivian use those skills and more against her foes in her quest to reunite her family. She can collect weapons and gear to switch up her moves and boost her stats one way or the other. Which she’d need as the bosses would use its intuitive AI to test players on how well they knew the gameplay. They had to know how one strike moved into the other to get ahead.
Still, just because a game speeds up the action doesn’t mean it speeds up the pacing.Legend of Legaiastood out from the crowd by taking fighting game mix-ups, where a player mixes high, mid, and low attacks to break their opponent’s defenses and convert them into turn-based RPG combat. Basically, players build up combos by selecting high, low, left, and right strikes per turn.
The more the player levels up, the more they can string these combos together. Then certain combinations could produce special attacks called Arts, some of which could link into other Arts. It made the combat more technical, and more akin to 3D fighters at the time. But as innovative as the gameplay was, it wasn’t exactly quick, andwas arguably slowerthan just selecting attacks from a menu screen.
