Action RPGs where I cannot effectively dodge tick me off (FF12 is very, very guilty of this). I also dislike it when you're punished severely for not dodging (as seen in many of the recent CastleVania games, where you often die in under 10 hits). And I hate guard actions that are fixed-animation and can only be activated when no other actions are going on (Kingdom Hearts, anyone?). I also hate hitstun with a passion; it should either be done away with or adapted so you don't have your current action completely canceled by it (ie. just slightly change how your current action works instead). And damn it, a 1HP hit to a character with 9999 HP should NOT hitstun them! Add some damned checks to see if the damage is even a reasonable fraction of their life, because I can't see anybody being made unable to act for 2 seconds just because they took the equivalent damage of getting gently poked by a blunt needle.
What I like in action RPGs is when the action really is fluid (especially nice is when it's possible to still move while attacking, though this is sadly quite rare), when the dodging mechanics actually work (ie. enemies don't have a ridiculously huge range of attack with a blind spot roughly the size of a quarter; Curse of Darkness, I'm lookin' at you), and when the guarding function is use-anytime, cancels your current action, and works instantaneously.
Sky Render - Sanity is for the weak.
