In a world where we've seen Square Enix fall down with remasters (examples include the lacklustre Final Fantasy Pixel Remasters and the egregious Kingdom Hearts on Switch), Tactics Ogre: Reborn highlights something special – a change of the guard, so to speak, that bodes remarkably well for the rest of the publisher's classic RPG oeuvre.
Tactics Ogre Reborn has been an excellent title since its original release, and the current version is an excellent remastering that molds an old classic with modern qualities, making it the definitive version of this excellent game.
Great remake, no doubt about it.
Sure, old timey, but this should be expected and should be considered in rating (you should not judge a fish by their climbing abilities).
Well done, please do more of these remakes!
This is an amazing remake of an already amazing game. Everything from the characters to spells, weapons and items, everything has been given am update. This is a perfect balance of nostalgia from the original while giving players what feels like a whole new game. Really, this is the gold standard of what all remasters should aspire to in the future.
Although several decades have passed since its debut on the market, Tactics Ogre continues to be one of the best exponents of the strategic genre and the new re-edition packaged by Square Enix has been able to greatly increase the smoothness of the experience. Although with some exceptions, the tricks made to the playful dough have been able to rejuvenate the title with an old-school flavor, making it palatable even in the eyes of the new generations. On the flip side, however, the technical sector does not defend itself as well. Our advice is therefore to use it on the small screen of the Nintendo Switch, which thanks to portability will be able to partially mask the age of a milestone like Tactics Ogre.
Tactics Ogre Reborn is the best overall way to enjoy this classic game. Some may prefer the older versions keeping the original pixel art, while this version smooths out the rough edges in ways that may not be for everyone. The addition of voice acting helps tell the story and give it a greater sense of pathos and it’s good work overall. The story is a serious one and no one plays anything for laughs. Reborn offers up a new way to enjoy a legendary title and shows off just how perfectly-crafted it was to begin with. It’s a minor shame that the original game isn’t included here for historical purposes, but what we have here is largely the best way to play it outside of the filtered pixel art. Tactics Ogre Reborn is a remarkable tactical RPG and a landmark entry in the genre over 25 years after its original release.
Tactics Ogre: Reborn is a unique opportunity to please a very specific niche of RPG fans. It was made to please old time fans without tarnishing the masterpiece from 30 years ago. I assure you this is one of the best games of this genre, even bringing just a few reasons to those who already have experienced this adventure in the past. In any case, I loved revisiting Valeria and I know a lot of that feeling is just pure nostalgia.
For all its murky mechanics and slow pace, Tactics Ogre: Reborn still blends satisfying combat with a top-tier story in a way that few games can match. If you’re a fan of the tactical RPG genre and want a serious challenge, there’s simply no reason not to play this game. But newcomers may want to start with something more approachable, or at least keep waiting for that Final Fantasy Tactics remake we’re all hoping for.
Decent game that still left me underwhelmed. I never played the original so I went in kind of blind. I was a fan of many SRPGs over the years but admittedly it has been a very long time since one really captured me. It’s tough to review this game without drawing parallels to Triangle Strategy. The combat, the story, the voice acting, and the music all feel superior to Triangle Strategy, which felt like a very watered down SRPG designed to be more approachable to a wider audience. So there is a lot to appreciate about this game. The era of SRPGs is over and the formula feels rather dated, and given that this is a remake, it really created very few waves. What I’m realizing is that this type of game appeals to a very small niche market, so you will either love it or hate it. I just was not enjoying it, although I can appreciate what it offers.
I love Ogre Battle 64, but this just drags. I gave up when I went into a series of forest levels, unable to progress at all with my characters there because of the level cap, no story there, just grinding for what?, and if you leave all your progress is deleted??? Apparently the PSP version had important items in there, but even then it would be a **** mechanic.
Excellent reviews in the specialist press, excellent memories of Final Fantasy Tactics: that was all it took for me to buy Tactics Ogre. And yet the disappointment is there. Mediocre graphics, outdated gameplay, uninteresting storyline, no replayability, a certain difficulty which forces you to farm while training the units. I like tactical RPGs, but I didn't enjoy this one
A good game whose patently unfair difficulty level is holding it back from being great. I missed Tactics Ogre in its original iteration, and it really filled the hole in my heart left by Final Fantasy **** a point. As much as the game satisfies, it eventually tests your capacity for monotonous, insurmountable punishment.
There is a level cap for your party, designed to prevent you from becoming over-leveled and making the content trivial. This would have been a good design choice, if not for the mid-to-late game where every enemy out-levels you and has access to spells you cannot get. This is especially frustrating because you can't even grind to get on par with the enemy--instead you have to rely on luck, or, worse, look up the one very specific strategy that will result in victory. It is really frustrating for the game to plainly tell you in clear numbers that it is cheating and there is nothing you can do about it. The boss will one-shot three of your units with a single attack. The outcome of the entire battle will largely depend on whether you hit on a crowd control spell with a 31% chance of success. You just need to sit there and take it, wishing you could get your money back. This is not fun.
There are games that are hard, and there are games that don't respect your time. This game is the latter. I know this is a remake of an older game, and it looks and sounds fantastic. But this is 2023, and gamers have different expectations now. They want to learn the rules and successfully apply them in creative ways, not beat their head into the game until it breaks by brute force. Honestly, if brute force level grinding actually worked, the game would be better. If I get 50 hours into a game and come to a wall in progress that can't be scaled without outside research or blind luck, I will just not finish that game.
It's a shame, because Tactics Ogre: Reborn is so good, until it really isn't.
SummaryBased on the 2010 release, the game features improved graphics and sound, as well as updated game design, bringing to life a new Tactics Ogre that remains true to its roots. Tactics Ogre veterans will experience a game that surpasses their fondest memories, while players new to Tactics Ogre will discover a game unlike any they've ever pl...