Tactics Ogre: Reborn might look like another one of those easy remakes but don’t be mistaken by its classic looks, this is one for the hardcore fans. If you’re into strategic RPG games, you’ll have a blast with this balanced remake but you better prepare to learn some new rules. Wondering if it’s worth the trouble? Let’s jump in!
Way back in 1995
The original Tactics Ogre: Let Us Cling Together released way back in 1995 on the Super Famicom and was later on ported to Sega Saturn, PlayStation 1, and PlayStation Portable. The new version, Tactics Ogre: Reborn, is coming to PC, Switch, and PlayStation and isn’t just another direct port. As the name already suggests, the game is reborn for the new generation of gamers and tweaked a lot of things for the better. If you ever played the original, you already know that the game isn’t that easy to play. With a lot of statistics to keep an eye on and a lot of different strategies, the original game was hardcore pur sang. The Reborn version does balance things out a bit but don’t expect a walk in the park, this game clearly is aimed at the more veteran RPG player so keep that in mind before you rush to the store.
When it comes to the actual combat, this game does things a bit differently. Instead of controlling your entire party in one turn, you’re only allowed to move certain characters at a certain time in combat. When you move your first character, your opponent will be able to move two characters, and after that, you’re able to move three characters. It’s similar to Triangle Strategy, which isn’t a surprise if you look at the origin of Tactics Ogre but this does mean the strategy on the battlefield goes a lot deeper than your standard RPG. Moving your units around and trying to find weaknesses in your enemy’s strategy reminded me a lot of a game of chess, which I consider a huge compliment for a game like this.
Learn the hard way
Tactics Ogre: Reborn is one of those games that takes time to truly understand. During your first hour in the game, you’ll be bombarded with tons of options, items, explanation screens, and extra powers for your characters. It’s all a bit overwhelming and if you fail to pay attention or read those specifics, you’ll quickly get defeated. I must admit I was rather frustrated during my first couple of minutes, I thought I knew what to do and I thought I could easily win the battles without paying attention to all those statistics. Boy, was I wrong. If you want to become good, you’ll need to understand the strengths and weaknesses of your team and the ways to improve your skills in combat. In order to improve this, you’ll need to read and understand a lot about the items and gear you can use. The game doesn’t really explain this, after the first couple of fights, it just throws you out there and you’re on your own to learn all those crucial details and strategies. It’s a hard way of learning and it’s classic for older games but even for the old standards, this one surely offers a rather steep learning curve, and yet, it still manages to keep you motivated.
Even though I lost almost all of my battles at the start, I kept wondering how I could become better at it. I quickly recognized certain patterns in the way the enemies attack my team and although the AI is very clever and always goes for the higher ground and often targets my weaker characters first, there are a couple of things you can do to prevent another defeat. Sending troops as bait or using certain objects to buff your attacks or heal more units are just a couple of examples but in all honesty, the game will ask for a personal approach from the player for sure. There are a lot of potential winning strategies and they will all result in entirely different battles, which is pretty insane for an older game like this. I love how the developers managed to balance things out without reducing the amount of work you need to put into it. It might look like one of those traditional isometric games but it’s far more than just that. If you compare it to the more modern games, it’s crazy how many great features are cut in modern iterations. Tactics Ogre: Reborn really gave me the feeling I was on the battlefield and I could lose all of my units in mere seconds which made every victory special and worth my time in the end. I didn’t expect to like the game as much as I eventually did but you better prepare to get defeated a couple of times before you can really get into it.
A deep story
Just like the original game, the story is extremely deep and detailed. It’s all about the power struggle for the Valerian Isles and everything that comes with it. I won’t spoil a single thing here but the story will be packed with intrigues, misdirections, and a lot of different choices. Just like the original release, your choices will have a drastic impact on the advancement of the story and the eventual ending of the game. You’ll be able to walk several paths during the story, all leading towards a different faith for you and your surrounding. You play as Denam, a young man who will determine the future of the Valerian Isles, or at least, he hopes to have some kind of influence. During my first mission, I was asked to make a couple of choices, these all seemed rather straightforward and not really important but everything you do will eventually impact your progression. I’m really impressed with the layering of the story. It’s also a nice bonus that all dialogue is voiced in both English and Japanese so it’s not just reading the dialogue in silence. Adding voice acting really elevates the immersion and you automatically pay more attention to the story, which will be of high importance if you want to understand everything that’s going on.
This in combination with the improved visuals and soundtrack really makes for something unique and fun to play. I love how well the developers managed to translate a classic style to modern standards without going too extreme.
Conclusion:
Tactics Ogre: Reborn is an impressive game and one of the best in its genre. There’s nothing mainstream about it but if you’re willing to invest a couple of hours to master the steep learning curve, you’re certainly in for a treat. By far one of the best releases in the genre this year!
