Action-RPG Combat Meets Turn-Based Combat in FAREIDOLIA
It's always interesting playing a still-in-development game at Tokyo Game Show, as you never quite know what you're going to get. But at TGS 2026, I had the distinct pleasure of trying the demo for FAREIDOLIA by Nexon Games' IO Division. And while what I played was light on story, the demo shined during combat.
The game is a turn-based RPG but not in the way you might think. You're placed in a confined battlefield where the combatants, both playable and non-playable, have unrestricted freedom of movement. No grid or distance cap is restricting you, only the edge of the battlefield. On your turn, you can move the active character around the battlefield in third person and position them for an optimal attack during their turn.
What separates FAREIDOLIA from the typical turn-based tactics format is that enemies will keep moving during an active playable character's turn. In other words, the active playable character and enemies can move freely, but the non-active playable characters are in a fixed position. It's not the most important aspect of battle, but you must nonetheless pay attention to the enemies' ever-changing positions for hitting optimal attacks.
This came into play as I worked through the demo. During combat, I wanted to utilize as many area-of-effect attacks as I could to maximize damage across several enemies. But as soon as I would position the active playable character and begin to select an attack, the enemies would move in such a way that I could only hit one or two enemies at once. At the same time, I would have to be cognizant of my characters' final positioning to ensure they weren't clumped up as well. It's a fun little system that keeps players engaged throughout combat.
The enemy AI in FAREIDOLIA's current build is not that complex. They tended to clump together, making area-of-effect attacks easy to use, and maintaining distance from them was not difficult. Hopefully, upgrades to FAREIDOLIA's combat AI will be made as development continues.
As for the story, the TGS 2026 demo of FAREIDOLIA doesn't have much. However, the three playable characters and one NPC I played around with had distinct personalities and designs, but that's all I can say for the moment.
To say the combat in FAREIDOLIA is fun is an understatement. The fusion of action-based and turn-based RPG combat and the constant movement of the enemies during a player's turn makes combat highly engaging. And with the three playable characters filling unique roles, you have more than a few options for tactical play. Hopefully, though, the enemy AI is improved for later builds because, as it stands, it's a bit easy to beat them. But if you get a chance to try FAREIDOLIA demo, be sure to try its unique take on RPG combat.
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