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Final Fantasy X (2001)
8.8/10on IGDB
Released
If you want to think at your own pace, start here. The turn-order panel shows who is about to act, and you can change the active party during a battle. Bring in the character who solves the immediate problem before the enemy gets another turn.
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Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King (2004)
8.7/10on IGDB
Released
For a traditional party adventure on PS2, this is an easy place to start. You can give up a turn to raise Tension and then hit harder, but an enemy that cancels the setup makes the delay costly. This is the original console version.
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Shadow Hearts: Covenant (2004)
8.1/10on IGDB
Released
Use the Judgment Ring to time hits as the needle crosses each target zone. Covenant also lets characters link their attacks into combos, giving you a reason to plan who acts together instead of treating each good hit as a separate event.
More about Shadow Hearts: Covenant4
Disgaea: Hour of Darkness (2003)
8.5/10on IGDB
Released
Try the original PlayStation 2 game for tactical battles where you can lift allies or enemies and throw them elsewhere on the map. Geo Panels change the rules on colored squares, so it pays to look at the map before chasing the closest enemy.
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Persona 3 FES (2007)
8.8/10on IGDB
Released
Knock down an enemy by hitting its weakness, then spend the extra action on another target or prepare an All-Out Attack. Choose FES for The Answer after the main story and expect to give your teammates tactics instead of issuing each command yourself.
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Persona 4 (2008)
8.8/10on IGDB
Released
The original release lets you choose your teammates' commands directly. Exploit weaknesses to knock several enemies down in succession. How you spend days in Inaba affects the allies you can create for the next dungeon.
More about Persona 47
Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne (2003)
Released
Choose Nocturne if you want an enemy's weakness to change the length of your turn. A good matchup can give you an extra action, while missing or attacking into an immunity can cost one. Recruit and fuse demons to bring the skills you need.
More about Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne8
Breath of Fire: Dragon Quarter (2002)
8.9/10on IGDB
Released
Learn to fight in cramped spaces before relying on the dragon form. Where you stand affects who an attack can reach, and using dragon power pushes the D-Counter higher. Restarting can open additional scenes, so a fresh run can have a purpose.
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Final Fantasy X-2 (2003)
6.6/10on IGDB
Released
For faster commands, the Active Time Battle gauges keep the party moving. Change dresspheres during a fight to swap jobs, and learn to time actions close together to make a chain. Try it after Final Fantasy X if you want the combat to put more pressure on your timing.
More about Final Fantasy X-210
Shadow Hearts (2001)
8.0/10on IGDB
Released
The first Shadow Hearts gives each attack a Judgment Ring target, so getting the input right matters alongside your stats. Listen for the early lessons in Sanity Points, which limit how long a character can fight safely.
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Shadow Hearts: From the New World (2005)
5.4/10on IGDB
Released
This Shadow Hearts entry keeps the Judgment Ring and gives you Stock to spend on extra actions and combos. Save some for the next turn or cash it in while an opening is available. It starts with a different lead and setting from Covenant.
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Okage: Shadow King (2001)
7.2/10on IGDB
Released
Follow a boy whose shadow has fallen under the control of an old evil king. Readiness affects when a character acts, and attacks can be combined. Choose it if the usual RPG party is part of what you want to see the story make fun of.
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Legaia 2: Duel Saga (2001)
Released
Choose this if you want a turn-based attack to feel like a move you have learned. Instead of giving a single basic attack command, assemble directions into strings that trigger Arts. Choosing how to spend the space in an input sequence can matter as much as finding a more powerful weapon.
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Magna Carta: Tears of Blood (2004)
Released
Magna Carta mixes commands with timed inputs. Match the Trinity Circle during an attack and pay attention to the Chi available to use a technique in that part of the battlefield. Choose this if you want a hybrid that asks you to learn the pace of a move as well as the command that starts it.
More about Magna Carta: Tears of Blood15
Shin Megami Tensei: Digital Devil Saga (2004)
8.7/10on IGDB
Released
Bring the right elemental attacks to make use of Press Turn, then build the party's abilities through its Mantra system. The crew transforms into demons in battle, so much of the planning is learning skills for a fixed group.
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Shin Megami Tensei: Digital Devil Saga 2 (2005)
8.5/10on IGDB
Released
Continue the story after the first Digital Devil Saga. The sequel puts Mantras on a grid, so you can look ahead and work toward an ability that would fix a weakness in your party. Elemental affinities still make or break an extra turn.
More about Shin Megami Tensei: Digital Devil Saga 217
Xenosaga Episode I: Der Wille zur Macht (2002)
7.5/10on IGDB
Released
Use normal attacks to build points you can spend on a stronger technique. Boosting can move a character up the action order, so learn when to interrupt a dangerous turn before the next command comes around.
More about Xenosaga Episode I: Der Wille zur Macht18
Xenosaga Episode II: Jenseits von Gut und Böse (2004)
7.7/10on IGDB
Released
Stock actions before committing to an attack string that hits a foe's break zones. The second episode rewards learning the target before spending the party's biggest turns. Play it after the first episode for the story.
More about Xenosaga Episode II: Jenseits von Gut und Böse19
Xenosaga Episode III: Also sprach Zarathustra (2006)
9.0/10on IGDB
Released
The third episode makes enemy Break gauges another way to set up a payoff. Foot and mech battles call for different parties and tools. This is the end of the trilogy, so save it until you've played the first two if the story matters.
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Suikoden III (2002)
8.0/10on IGDB
Released
Pick Suikoden III if you like fighting in pairs. Formation matters because each pair shares a command decision and characters move to act. The three lead perspectives also let you get to know different groups before they meet.
More about Suikoden III21
Suikoden IV (2004)
7.1/10on IGDB
Released
Build around a four-character party in standard fights and expect naval battles when the story takes you to sea. Rune choices and which allies can use a Unite Attack give you something to plan before sailing into unknown water.
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