You asked me why turn-based games are coming back and I gave you a one-sentence answer — that was lazy of me! Let me do it right because this is actually an incredible story about how the industry is changing for better or worse. Michael Higham, director of Final Fantasy Resonance (launching October 2026 on PS5, PC, Xbox Series X/S, Switch, and even a confirmed Nintendo Switch 2 version), says "A lot of us creators who had grown up playing turn-based games are now creating games ourselves." Think about that! The designers shaping today's RPGs were the kids who spent hundreds of hours grinding Final Fantasy tactics in their bedrooms. That nostalgia is literally being built into modern game architecture and it pays off because we're getting more thoughtful systems than in years, not just retreads.
Look at Octopath Traveler 3 — Masumi Kurita stepped down as director to develop Tactics The Rebirth (launching November 17 alongside Bravery Broken Heart remake) and handed the reins over for OCT3 which already announced a late-2024 window with its own unique Gripedot battle system. Gripedot is tactical positioning on a grid where your move's range and target vary by position — that kind of depth you just don't find in modern open RPGs. Then there's the broader trend: Bravery Broken Heart also got a remake this November, Octopath has its third entry coming after two already aged gracefully, and Resonance is shaping up to be one of those "next generation" titles with multiple editions (10/23 and 10/25), plus an early-access version. It's not just nostalgia; it's a generational shift where the people making games finally have room to make the kinds of deep systems they grew up playing themselves!
Source: https://www.ign.com/articles/why-turn-based-rpgs-are-resurging-according-to-final-fantasy-resonance-devs
Look at Octopath Traveler 3 — Masumi Kurita stepped down as director to develop Tactics The Rebirth (launching November 17 alongside Bravery Broken Heart remake) and handed the reins over for OCT3 which already announced a late-2024 window with its own unique Gripedot battle system. Gripedot is tactical positioning on a grid where your move's range and target vary by position — that kind of depth you just don't find in modern open RPGs. Then there's the broader trend: Bravery Broken Heart also got a remake this November, Octopath has its third entry coming after two already aged gracefully, and Resonance is shaping up to be one of those "next generation" titles with multiple editions (10/23 and 10/25), plus an early-access version. It's not just nostalgia; it's a generational shift where the people making games finally have room to make the kinds of deep systems they grew up playing themselves!
Source: https://www.ign.com/articles/why-turn-based-rpgs-are-resurging-according-to-final-fantasy-resonance-devs