Summary
- MMO combat in single-player games can add depth and strategy with abilities and cooldowns.
- White Knight Chronicles and Dragon Age: Origins offer engaging combat systems with auto-play options.
- Final Fantasy 12 and Xenoblade Chronicles showcase unique AI-based combat mechanics for added strategy.
MMOs, on paper, sound like a lot of fun. A giant world open to friends and family, all mingling in one area with near-endless quests. However, not everyone has access to a stable internet connection, can afford subscription fees to justify the time they have to spend, and some simply don't like multiplayer games.
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They may, however, enjoy MMO-style combat, which typically has characters engage enemies through automatic attacks. Battle systems can liven things up with abilities that run on cooldowns, too. While MMOs use this type of combat the most, some s ingle-player RPGs have used MMO-style combat, too, and a few even have multiplayer options. With that in mind, let’s rank these RPGs based on how good their MMO-like combat systems are.
6 White Knight Chronicles
Medieval Mechs
White Knight Chronicles
- Released
- December 25, 2008
- ESRB
- T For Teen Due To Mild Language, Use of Alcohol, Violence
- Genre(s)
- JRPG
Level-5 developed White Knight Chronicles, and while they usually make popular hits, these two games flew a bit under the radar despite having some neat ideas. Players could explore the world and enter combat whenever an enemy approached. White Knight Chronicles 2 is the recommended game of the two console versions because it includes an improved version of the original in the package, which was nice, but it’s always best to start with the original.
Players could let the battle auto-play, initiate abilities, or even transform into a giant knight, which was more like a mech than anything else. There was also an online co-op mode, adding more to the MMO factor. It’s a shame these games didn’t get the attention they deserved on PS3, and they haven’t received a remaster yet, either.
5 Dragon Age: Origins
Remembering Where It All Began
Dragon Age: Origins
- Released
- November 3, 2009
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M for Mature: Blood, Intense Violence, Language, Partial Nudity, Sexual Content
- Genre(s)
- RPG
It’s hard to believe that Dragon Age: Origins had such a vastly different combat system from its sequels, which were more action-focused. The RPG elements were also a lot deeper in this one, between character customization, classes, where players started in the world, and so on.
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While exploring a dungeon or field, players could target enemies to initiate the auto-battle sequence. They could gain a series of abilities depending on their class, which ran on cooldowns to initiate whenever they wanted, along with items like potions. AI companions accompanied players, too, which is typical of a BioWare game.
4 Pillars Of Eternity
A Throwback To The Golden Age Of PC RPGs
Pillars of Eternity
- Released
- March 26, 2015
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M For Mature 17+ due to Blood, Sexual Themes, Strong Language, Violence
- Genre(s)
- RPG
Pillars of Eternity was a major success for Obsidian Entertainment, as it was a throwback to PC RPGs of the 90s. While it was possible to play on consoles, it was a much easier experience to engage with on a PC thanks to the presentation style. Players could customize their character from looks to class and start with a relatively simple story, moving from bandit-infested camps to monster-filled dungeons.
When enemies were encountered, things would automatically pause, and players could set up how they wanted their party to engage their opponents. Once that was done, they could unpause, and things would play out automatically. At any time, they could also pause again to get a lay of the land, adjust their tactics, issue commands to their party members, and so on.
3 Star Wars: Knights Of The Old Republic
One With The Force
Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic
- Released
- July 15, 2003
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- T for Teen: Violence
- Genre(s)
- RPG
Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic is another BioWare game, and one more fondly remembered than Dragon Age: Origins, which is saying something. However, it’s hard to argue with a franchise as storied as Star Wars, as more people have heard of it. Set thousands of years before the original trilogy, this game gave BioWare more leeway with its story.
Players could create their character and become Jedi, or they could be more roguish. The game definitely favored Jedi abilities, though, as that’s where the story wanted to progress. Combat was engaged when enemies were encountered, and players could use abilities and party members to aid them. Players choose which abilities or attacks to use, then watch them play out automatically.
2 Final Fantasy 12
Relying On Gambits
Final Fantasy 12
- Released
- October 31, 2006
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- T For Teen due to Alcohol Reference, Fantasy Violence, Mild Language, Partial Nudity, Suggestive Themes
- Genre(s)
- JRPG
Final Fantasy 12 came right off the heels of the franchise’s first MMO, Final Fantasy 11, so it made sense why Square Enix would continue this MMO style of combat. There was a twist to the combat though, and it’s much different than any of the two Final Fantasy MMOs out there. Players can set up AI commands called Gambits when they engage monsters in the world of Ivalice.
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This would cause party members, even the one players were directly controlling, to act on a set of parameters. Players could have them focus on healing, ranged attacks, magic, and so on. It was a good level of strategy for those who didn’t want to mess with pause menus during combat, although that was also an option.
1 Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition
Believe In The Monado
Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition
- Released
- May 29, 2020
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- T For Teen Due To Blood, Mild Language, Partial Nudity, Use of Alcohol and Tobacco, Violence
- Genre(s)
- RPG
Xenoblade Chronicles is still the best game in the series, striking a good balance between combat, story, and world-building. Players begin with a humble mechanic, Shulk, who then gets swept up in a war over mechanical creatures kidnapping humans and turning them into slaves. The massive world that ran relatively well on the Wii was impressive at the time and was seamless to explore.
When players entered combat, they got access to a hot bar full of abilities, and what made this MMO interface better than others was how abilities could combine with others to create a wide variety of synergies. For example, an ally’s attack could help Shulk break through an enemy’s defenses. It’s a bit hard to grasp at first, but it becomes second nature with time. Xenoblade Chronicles is best experienced with the latest Switch version, but the Wii and 3DS versions are good too. Plus, all the sequels are worthwhile and have similar combat systems.
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