Top 8 Tactical RPGs with the Hardest Learning Curves

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Summary

  • Tactical RPGs combine strategic combat with roleplaying elements, requiring a careful balance of team composition and resource management, leading to unique gameplay flavors.
  • Fell Seal: Arbiter’s Mark, Front Mission 5, and Battle Brothers offer complex tactical RPG experiences, emphasizing team balance and making strategic decisions crucial for success.
  • Divinity: Original Sin 2, Darkest Dungeon, and The Legend of Heroes: Trails In The Sky The 3rd provide challenging tactical RPG gameplay, with strategic combat requiring puzzle-solving and thoughtful team composition.

Tactical Role-Playing Games (TRPGs) are a specific type of role-playing game that emphasize tactical, turn-based battles and the correct deployment of characters for various tasks. These games share similarities with real-time strategy games and frequently incorporate additional elements like survival, exploration, and map control.

As a gamer, I’ve found that tactical RPGs offer an exciting blend of strategy and roleplaying elements. You’re not just fighting battles, but also leveling up your units, selecting skills, and carefully managing your team. The result is a unique gaming experience where each combat feels fresh. Plus, the turn-based gameplay lets you control the pace. These games on the list are ranked based on their learning curve, which can range from being complex simulations to requiring fine-tuned micromanagement. However, the primary factor in the ranking is how challenging it is to assemble the perfect team with the right skills to tackle various tasks effectively.

8. Fell Seal: Arbiter’s Mark

Inspired By Final Fantasy Tactics

Fell Seal: Arbiter’s Mark is a fresh, contemporary version of the tactical role-playing game genre, drawing heavily on past titles, particularly Final Fantasy Tactics. The game can become intricately detailed as players select from numerous character classes and hundreds of skills to create a well-rounded team.

To excel at “Fell Seal: Arbiter’s Mark”, players will need to grasp the art of forming harmonious, collaborative teams that complement each other. This is even more crucial during boss battles, as the composition of your team can determine whether you have an effortless victory or a disastrous defeat.

7. Front Mission 5: Scars of the War

Tactical Mech Warfare

In the not-too-distant future, we find ourselves immersed in “Front Mission 5,” a strategic role-playing game with an intriguing twist. Unlike traditional games where you command biological troops, here you take charge of mechanized behemoths, known as Wanzers. This shift in control leads to a unique progression system, as players must strategically select from a myriad of weapons and Wanzer components to construct their unit, always mindful of weight, mobility, and power constraints.

In this game, the narrative stands out because it heavily relies on player decision-making. The path you take depends on your choices, leading you down various threads of the primary storyline. Compared to other tactical role-playing games, mastering this one is particularly demanding.

6. Phantom Brave (PC)

Asian-Inspired Tactical RPG

  • Platforms: Microsoft Windows
  • Released: 2016
  • Developer: Nippon Ichi Software, Inc.
  • Genre: Tactical RPG

As a devoted fan, I can’t help but appreciate the profound influence of Asian culture in the captivating world of Phantom Brave. From its manga-esque graphics to its adorable animations, it’s truly a visual delight. However, it’s regrettable that there might be gaming enthusiasts who would overlook an outstanding tactical RPG due to their disconnect with this particular aesthetic style.

This game, Phantom Brave, found its place on this list thanks to its engaging summoning mechanism. Instead of having units readily available, you must call upon them by targeting objects on the game map. Once summoned, these characters are only active for a predetermined number of turns. This battle system encourages players to strategize and plan ahead, deciding when it’s optimal to summon particular units in order to accomplish their objectives effectively.

5. XCOM 2: War Of The Chosen

Saving Humanity From Alien Domination

  • Platforms: Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Microsoft Windows, Xbox One, macOS
  • Released: August 29, 2017
  • Developer: Firaxis Games
  • Genre: Turn-based tactics

As a gamer, let me tell you, XCOM 2 is an outstanding tactical RPG, but it’s the War of the Chosen DLC that truly takes it to another level. This expansion brings a whole new dimension to the strategic gameplay, allowing me to form alliances with various alien factions and wage war against each of the three Chosen. It’s an exhilarating experience, one that I can’t get enough of!

In the game XCOM 2: With War of the Chosen, it’s crucial that players carefully place their troops during battles. A small error could result in the entire team being wiped out and the mission failing, which can have detrimental effects on the global strategic situation.

4. Darkest Dungeon

Tactical RPG Meets Roguelike

In my perspective, “Darkest Dungeon” is a remarkable game that masterfully blends different genres into an extraordinary experience. At first sight, its integration of roguelike mechanics with tactical RPG elements might seem unconventional, but it’s executed so flawlessly that it creates a gameplay dynamic that’s not only engaging but also demanding.

Instead of enhancing units traditionally in RPGs by gaining levels, they acquire characteristics reminiscent of roguelikes, which can include detrimental traits like phobias and peculiarities. Consequently, each playthrough varies due to these unique traits. The exploration of dungeons is challenging because the player must vanquish formidable bosses with minimal supplies at their disposal.

3. Battle Brothers

Mercenary Management Game

In some instances, the game Battle Brothers can be quite harsh, as players strive to control and enhance their group of medieval soldiers for hire. The harshness is evident in the form of lasting injuries or fatalities of crucial characters when mistakes are made by the player.

In combat situations, it’s crucial for the player to consider numerous factors to perform effectively. These elements encompass the range of the weapon a unit is wielding, the remaining stamina they can expend, and the condition of their equipment and armor. The game excels in strategic depth, pushing the player to manage funds, supplies, and armaments for their mercenary group, all while overcoming challenging scenarios like battling massive undead armies.

2. Divinity: Original Sin 2

Tactician Mode Transforms The Game

It might come as a shock to some that Divinity: Original Sin 2 appears on this list. Yet, once played in tactician mode, it transforms into an incredibly difficult strategic RPG game. Battles and encounters force the player to solve puzzles, figuring out the optimal way to utilize the game map’s elements to accomplish their strategic objectives.

Coordinating party dynamics is crucial, though it may take some time to get the hang of, given the flexible class system resulting in highly specialized characters. It’s important to create a character that functions effectively within a team, as a poorly synced character can put the player at a substantial disadvantage during the most challenging fights.

1. The Legend of Heroes: Trails In The Sky The 3rd

One Of The Most Challenging Tactical RPGs

  • Platforms: GeForce Now, Microsoft Windows, PlayStation Portable, PlayStation 3, PlayStation Vita
  • Released: June 28, 2007
  • Developer: Nihon Falcom
  • Genre: Role-playing Video Game, Adventure game, Strategy Video Game

Regardless of its peculiar title, “Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky the 3rd” earns the top spot on this list because it poses a substantial challenge even for seasoned gamers. The game’s combat necessitates managing numerous factors and employing strategies like positioning and turn order manipulation to secure an edge.

In this game, the makeup of your team plays a significant role because buffs and debuffs are not just beneficial but essential for performing optimally during the most challenging encounters. The dungeons in “Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky the 3rd” can be quite tough, so ensuring you assemble the right team is absolutely vital to succeed.

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2025-03-27 21:01