10 Awesome Features In Truly Terrible Video Games
4. Mixing Job Combat System - Final Fantasy XIII
The Final Fantasy series has always set the bar when it comes to JRPGs; engagingly complex plots, compelling characters with emotional depth, vast worlds to explore, and compelling combat.
So why does Final Fantasy XIII struggle to do almost all of this? It's a totally linear experience (apart from a small portion of semi-open exploration) with characters ranging from bland to flat to irritating, trudging through a completely uncommitted plot.
However, the fighting system is a blast.
As the last game in this series with something close to a rotational battle mechanic, the key innovation of Final Fantasy 13 is essentially to let you mix and match your party's jobs during battle. Nearly every session is based on the right skills and the challenge is to find the combination while remaining alive; the person you control receives a limited number of damage attacks.
The purpose is to eventually bring an opponent into a state in which they are staggered and where massive quantities of damage will start growing.
Even the bigger games that came after, Final Fantasy XV and VII Remake had battle systems that were more akin to the Kingdom Hearts series rather than something wholly original.