Games of the Year

RPGFan Games of the Year 2024: Best Combat

Final Fantasy VII Rebirth - Best Combat of 2024

Winner: Final Fantasy VII Rebirth

Writeup by Zek Lu

Final Fantasy VII Rebirth has one of the richest combat systems I’ve ever experienced in any action RPG, period. Designed by the legendary Teruki Endo, the combat director of Monster Hunter: World, there is an unprecedented level of freedom around developing and controlling your characters. The expanded roster adds a layer of complexity and depth, and each character has different abilities that are incredibly rewarding to master. The updated materia system is also more balanced and less overpowering than the previous game, which serves to augment rather than replace the nuances between characters.

Finally, the game’s Hard mode and Brutal/Legendary VR challenges truly highlight the importance of fully utilizing these systems. There are at least a dozen optimal strategies with different character configurations for each challenge, and if you’re confident with action RPGs, you could even forgo all strategy and simply focus on your execution. This is, hands-down, the most exciting combat system of 2024.


Runner-Up: Metaphor: ReFantazio

Writeup by Zach Wilkerson

Metaphor: ReFantazio‘s Press-Turn system, where you manipulate the number of turns you or the enemy get in combat, has always been a blast in the Shin Megami Tensei series, but here it truly flourishes. With the ability to mix and match different abilities from the brilliant job system to further augment your kit, you always have the skills at hand to be successful in any battle. The hints about the skills you need to be successful in battle help mitigate the “trial and error” that the Press-Turn system often frustratingly leads to. The fact that it’s all done with such style and panache is just a nice bonus, making this the finest combat system Atlus has ever put together.


Readers’ Choice: Best Combat of 2024

Winner: Final Fantasy VII Rebirth (30.3% of votes)

Runner-Up: Metaphor: ReFantazio (26.8% of votes)

Zach Wilkerson

Zach Wilkerson

After avidly following RPGFan for years, Zach joined as a Reviews Editor in 2018, and somehow finds himself helping manage the Features department and running our Retro Encounter podcast now. When he's not educating the youth of America, he can often be heard loudly clamoring for Lunar 3 and Suikoden VI.