Summary
RPG fans are used to controlling multiple characters in turn-based games. For example, the main character inFinal Fantasy 10is Tidus, who they control on the map, but in battle, players can control him, Yuna, Lulu, Kimahri, Auron, Wakka, and Rikku. It’s a standard for RPGs, but some games allow players to switch control directly in battle, like for action combat.
Also, some RPGs let players have even more control with different party members on the map for both aesthetic choices and because they control differently. Let’s run down some of the bigger examples and rank how well their switching systems are implemented.
Mario & Luigi: Superstar SagagaveMario and Luigi one big RPG franchiseof their own on the GBA. In battle, players controlled both brothers but with different buttons. A was for Mario, and Luigi was tied to B, which applied to the overworld map too, which is where the switch gameplay came into play for puzzle solving.
Whoever was the leader determined the exploration power. For example, if Luigi hit Mario with a hammer, Mario would shrink, and if the opposite happened, Luigi would go underground.
Cat Quest 2was a top-down action RPG that gave players control of a dog anda cat heroinstead of just a cat, like most entries. Both fuzzy companions started with different magic and could evolve as the adventure went on.
Beyond magic, players could make their heroes similar or as diverse as they wanted, like a quick rogue build for the cat and a tank-like knight build for the dog. Players could switch between them whenever they wanted, and another player could take control of the other character for local co-op, too.
Lunar Knightswas the fourth and final game in theBoktaiseries, whichHideo Kojima helped produce. In this finale, players could swap freely between Lucian and Aaron. Lucian was empowered by the night and used melee weapons like swords.
Aaron harvested the power of the sun for his weapons, which were guns. Both characters were powerful against the right type of enemies, and learning how to use each in combat was a learning exercise in this short DS action RPG.
There have been multiple Castlevania games with multiple protagonists, butCastlevania: Portrait of Ruinwas the firstbig Metroidvania entryto include a swap system. Players could switch between Charlotte and Johnathan at any time to control separately, or they could control both as one body and mind.
The swap system led to some puzzle segments, like having Charlotte stay on a switch while Jonathan flipped a lever somewhere. There was co-op, too, but it was limited to a Boss Rush mode even in the updatedCastlevania Dominus Collection.
ThefirstDark Cloudhad six characters to play with, but the sequel shrunk the size down to two: Monica and Max. Max was a mechanic who used tools as melee weapons and guns, plus he could summon a mech to control.
Monica was gifted in magic, allowing her to shoot fireballs and turn into monsters that she copied beside her mastery of the blade. Both were central to the time-traveling plot and could be swapped in dungeons, making their bond grow over time.
Wild Arms 2lets players choose who they want to start with between Ashley, Brad, and Lilka. Eventually, they met up as the first three party members, but the group grew even bigger over the course of the RPG adventure.
Each character started with a Tool that could be used in dungeons to solve puzzles. Lilka could use fire magic to light torches, for example, giving this turn-based RPG some of the best-designed puzzle dungeons in the genre.
Since the dawn of the PS2, it seems like a birthright to getsome sort of Musou gameat launch for a console.Samurai Warriors: Chronicleswas that for the 3DS, which some ignored because it was a spinoff, but it added an innovative mechanic that later influenced games likeSamurai Warriors 4.
Samurai Warriors: Chroniclesallowed players to take four characters into battle, tell them which way to go on the map, and then they could freely swap between all four at any time. It made playing missions alone an easier task, and inSamurai Warriors 4, this was leveled down to just two characters, but it was still a useful mechanic. Overall, it’s also a better game with a bigger roster of characters.
Genshin Impacthas been dominatingthe free-to-play marketsince it debuted in 2020. It skyrocketed from the success ofThe Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, asGenshin Impactalso has a stamina climbing meter and a glide ability.
It does something better than most open-world games, though, as players can map four characters to their D-Pad to switch between them on the fly to create combos. Four-player co-op is also possible, making this the best switch system to date, as the elemental power of characters is good in combat and while exploring.
