Bad game mechanics are just a part of life when it comes to playing video games. But that doesn’t mean we have to like them! Let’s take a little break and vent over some terrible decisions on adding bad features and mechanics into some of our most beloved games.
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JRPG Battle Systems
It’s true that some battle systems in Japanese RPGs have gotten better over the years. There are still some really nasty ones out there. Remember a few years back on Final Fantasy XIII? Probably one of the most convoluted battle systems to ever grace consoles. Not only did the player have to choose an action, not all enemies reacted to certain hits– which is normal for many games– but a confusing and down right sensitive Paradigm Shift was put into play. The Shift would change the characters’ roles and give them completely different attacks/defenses. Paradigm Shifts came preset or custom so the player could invent a set of moves on a deck. Very confusing, right? As we all know, Final Fantasy games have pretty powerful enemies and boss battles and finding the correct Paradigm Shift before the character is wiped out could be a heavy challenge.
