Games - Limit Break

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	Games - Limit Break

Limit Breaks (sometimes shortened to Limits) are powerful combat moves featured in Squaresoft's Final Fantasy
series. The term itself is an allusion to the limit of abuse a character can withstand before they reach their breaking point.

Limit Breaks generally occur when a character has taken a large amount of damage in combat, and offers the possibility of dealing large amounts in return. Subsequent games in the series have used similar mechanics with different names. 'Limit Break' has been popular slang for similar attacks or abilities in other role playing games. Several other games have adopted systems similar to the Limit Break mechanic.

The term Limit Break was first used in Final Fantasy VII, though the same sort of move was first introduced three years prior in Final Fantasy VI. In the Japanese versions of the Final Fantasy series, FFVII is the only one to use the term Limit Break. It is only outside of Japan that Limit Break has become a generic and all encompassing term for this sort of move or action in the Final Fantasy series and other RPGs. This fact serves as a very telling reminder that Final Fantasy VII was the first game in the Final Fantasy series to become extremely popular in North America, Europe, and Australia. They are also compared to the super combos in fighting games such as the Street Fighter series.

Limit Breaks in Final Fantasy VI

Final Fantasy VI featured a precursor to the Limit Break in its "Desperation Attacks". If a character was at very low HP (enough to make him or her have to drop to a knee), there was a 1 in 16 chance that they would use a Desperation Attack when the normal Fight command was issued.

In the Japanese version of Final Fantasy VI, these attacks were called "Hissatsuwaza", for which the literal English translation is "Certain Kill Technique", and is often translated as Deathblow. However, a significant amount of text had to be omitted from the English version of the game, including a line where one of the instructors in Narshe gives the player this information. "Desperation Moves" and "Desperation Attacks" are fan-coined terms.

Terra
: Riot Blade
Locke
: Mirager
Edgar
: Royal Shock
Sabin: Tiger Break
Cyan
: Back Blade
Shadow
: Shadow Fang
Celes: Spin Edge
Setzer
: Red Card
Strago
: Sabre Soul
Mog
: Moogle Rush
Relm
: Star Prism
Gogo
: X-Meteo

Limit Breaks in Final Fantasy VII

In Final Fantasy VII, each character has a Limit Break meter that fills up as the character takes damage. When the bar is full, the character can unleash a powerful attack. Not all limits have damaging effects; Aerith Gainsborough's Healing Wind for example, will heal the party.

Limit Breaks are divided into four levels. The first three levels contain two limits, while the fourth level only contains one limit. Each character starts with their first Level 1 Limit Break. By performing the limit eight times, the character will obtain the second Level 1 Limit Break. When the player has killed a set number of enemies (60 for Cait Sith or Vincent, 80 for anyone else), he or she will learn the first Level 2 Limit Break. The process then repeats. The only exception is the Level 4 Limit, which must be learned by obtaining a special item for each character, usually in a side-quest relating to that character.

The player must choose outside of battle which level of Limit Break they want to use, but within battle all limits from that particular level are available. Higher-level limits are stronger, but require the absorption of more damage to charge the Limit Bar fully. Once obtained, the Limit attack may be saved for later, but as the Limit option replaces the Attack option, the character's repertoire is limited to magic-based attacks, summon monsters and any command materia that they have equipped.

[ Visit the complete Wikipedia entry for Limit Break ]

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