For nearly three decades, Pokemon has featured one of gaming’s most recognizable combat systems. The turn-based formula introduced in Pokemon Red and Pokemon Blue still works because it is accessible, strategic, and easy to understand while still offering depth. Yet, a part of me grows tired of this system because battles often move too slowly, animations interrupt pacing, and combat encounters outside competitive play rarely force players to adapt. Game Freak has experimented with changes through mechanics like Mega Evolution, Dynamax, and Terastallization, but the core structure remains largely untouched.
As the franchise moves toward Generation 10, I think Pokemon Winds & Waves needs to take a far bigger risk with combat. Pokemon Legends: Arceus and Pokemon Legends: Z-A, but another franchise shows exactly how modern turn-based combat can evolve without abandoning strategy: the Like a Dragon series. Games like Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth and Yakuza: Like a Dragon transformed classic menu-driven RPG combat by allowing characters to reposition themselves during battles, line up attacks, and react dynamically to environments. That hybrid approach could be exactly what Pokemon Winds & Waves needs to refresh its gameplay while still keeping the turn-based identity that defines the series.
The original Pokemon combat system succeeded because of its simplicity. Players could immediately understand type advantages, status conditions, and move selection. That accessibility helped the series become a global phenomenon across multiple generations of hardware. Even now, competitive battles still showcase impressive strategic depth when experienced players build teams around prediction, synergy, and resource management.
The problem is that the standard single-player experience has not evolved enough alongside modern RPG design. Most mainline Pokemon games still rely heavily on static encounters where trainers stand in place and exchange attacks through menus. While new mechanics appear every generation, the flow of combat itself rarely changes. After hundreds of battles, especially in longer campaigns, encounters can begin to blend together.
Don’t get me wrong, I love Pokemon and the strategic depth it can offer, but it feels like mainline games never fully invest in this. The strategic foundations still hold up, but the pacing feels slower compared to modern RPGs that emphasize positioning and dynamic movement. That is one reason Pokemon Legends: Arceus and Pokemon Legends: Z-A felt refreshing. Wild Pokemon could directly attack the player in the overworld, battles flowed more naturally, and the changes made the tempo feel fresh. It was not perfect, but it showed Game Freak understands the current formula needs evolution.
When Sega shifted the Like a Dragon franchise from action combat to turn-based RPG mechanics, many fans expected backlash. Instead, Yakuza: Like a Dragon became one of the most praised entries in the series. A huge reason for that success was how developer Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio modernized traditional turn-based gameplay without removing its strategic core. As someone who prefers turn-based combat, this shift is what finally convinced me to try the series.
Characters in Like a Dragon move around battlefields dynamically during combat. Positioning matters because players can line up enemies for area attacks, knock opponents into environmental hazards, or chain attacks together depending on where characters stand. Battles still operate through turns and menus, but movement creates constant visual energy and tactical variation. The result feels far more alive than classic, stationary combat systems, and this concept could fit Pokemon remarkably well.
Imagine battles where trainers can reposition Pokemon slightly each turn to influence attack range, terrain effects, or combo opportunities. Flying Pokemon could avoid certain ground attacks by shifting elevation. Water Pokemon could gain advantages near environmental hazards like rivers or rain zones. Double battles could become far more strategic if positioning mattered beyond simple move selection. This has already been implemented in Pokemon Legends: Z-A, but in a real-time format, showing it could work.
Pokemon Winds and Waves has an opportunity to create a hybrid combat system that combines the accessibility of traditional turn-based gameplay with the energy of action RPGs. The key is balance, as the series should not abandon menus or strategic planning entirely because those elements remain essential to Pokemon’s identity. Instead, Game Freak should expand battles with controlled movement and environmental interaction.
A hybrid system could also solve pacing problems that affect modern Pokemon games. Battles would feel more active if trainers and Pokemon moved naturally during encounters instead of remaining mostly stationary. Even minor movement changes could make battles visually engaging over the course of a forty-hour RPG. Faster transitions and interactive arenas would help the series feel more modern without alienating longtime fans.
There is also enormous competitive potential here. Positioning mechanics could add another strategic layer to multiplayer battles without replacing type matchups or team building. Competitive players already think several turns ahead while predicting switches and attacks. Adding battlefield placement would deepen the strategy even further. It could also make spectator battles far more exciting for streaming and esports audiences.
The Switch 2 hardware makes this change feel even more possible. Nintendo now has the technology to support larger environments, smoother animations, and more reactive battle systems than previous handheld generations allowed. Other RPG franchises have already modernized turn-based combat successfully, and Pokemon risks falling behind if it refuses to evolve alongside the genre. For years, fans have debated whether Pokemon should stay turn-based or become fully action-oriented. I do not think the answer needs to be extreme either way, but a combination of the two.
What do you think? Leave a comment below and join the conversation now in the ComicBook Forum!
