Tactics Ogre: Reborn Review - Improved in Every Single Way

For many who started gaming in the ‘90s, Tactics Ogre will likely have been their first exposure to strategy RPGs. This title inspired various similar games in the coming years, making it one of the most iconic games to come out for the Super Famicom. It was then released on the PlayStation soon after. That release was then remastered for the PlayStation Portable in 2011, but there haven’t been any new games in the franchise… until now. Square Enix has revived this classic once again for modern platforms in the form of Tactics Ogre Reborn. But were they able to retain the magic everybody experienced over 27 years ago?  

Mostly the same old Tactics Ogre I remember

In short, yes – in bringing back a classic like Tactics Ogre, this is absolutely the best version they could have come up with. Tactics Ogre Reborn isn’t just another remaster, as significant changes were done under the hood while retaining the game’s unique pixel design. As a result, the game is simply palatable to the eyes, whether you choose to play on your Switch or on a bigger screen. The absurd power struggle narrative remains unchanged, as well as the choices you make that will determine which of the game’s multiple endings you’ll encounter. Each path plays out just as it did in the original, but this time, each line of dialogue — from cutscenes to in-battle conversations — is now fully voiced. 

Though the overall story did feel dated in the sense of being a high-fantasy yarn filled with now-typical tropes, it was easier to take in this time around thanks to the performances of the voice actors, and some lines were altered slightly in order to better suit the vocal performances. Let me say that the voice actors did a fantastic job of bringing each key character to life. 

Each of these cutscenes are then accompanied by the original soundtrack of the classic game, now re-recorded for Reborn. This honestly gave me goosebumps, as I haven’t heard this kind of high-fantasy score in a long time. Fans will appreciate how the visuals and sounds remain intact and ready to be taken in all over again.

Streamlined, yet still satisfying, progression

The major changes to Tactics Ogre Reborn can be found in progression and gameplay. It felt as if the concept behind Reborn was that they wanted the game to be streamlined and easier to play as you handle multiple units. Comparing it to the PSP version of the game, each unit or class no longer has a long list of skills to navigate through, as class customization is less convoluted now.  Each class has a set of skills, consumable items, and finishing moves that a unit can equip at any given time. It doesn’t feel like a chore to go through the many skills and items, which originally left me feeling overwhelmed at all the choices.

As for leveling up, Tactics Ogre Reborn introduces a Union Level system. How it works is that your characters have a level cap that’s based on your current Union Level, which increases as you progress through the main story. This makes difficult encounters more interesting as you can no longer brute force through them by overleveling your units. 

Positioning is more vital than ever in this version of the game, thanks to the introduction of buff cards that now randomly appear in the battlefield. These cards buff attacks, make passives trigger more frequently, permanently increase a unit’s stat, or increase your crit chance. These cards can really turn the tables in a fight, so I purposely handle certain encounters in order to make sure that my units are positioned to not only make a defensive/offensive stance, but to secure certain buff cards, as enemy AI are smarter this time around. 

They will go for these buff cards if it’s safe and advantageous to do so, and they will prioritize applying pressure to your back lines by attacking your healers, spell casters, or archers. There’s a lot to consider in the battlefield – should I apply pressure and deal damage now, or move to secure the buff card? But if I move, they can move in and attack my healer. The improvements in AI can make a single decision trigger a snowball effect that, left unchecked, can make or break a battle. 

This makes unit composition more valuable in Tactics Ogre Reborn. It’s not all about a higher level, but in how you interpret the incoming battle and bring in the right units for a better chance at winning with no one dying in the process. Bring more flyers or archers for a more magic-heavy opposition, or bring debuff effects to weaken tougher enemies or have some crowd control if it looks like you can be overwhelmed with their numbers. By the 20th hour of Tactics Ogre Reborn, I was equipped with multiple team compositions designed to answer specific encounters, all thanks to the new scout feature that lets you see the enemies you’ll face in the encounter before picking which units you will deploy with.

Modernizing lessens the grind

Grinding feels less prevalent now, as earning the Union Level cap is easy thanks to the reintroduction of Training mode, which allows you to earn a hefty amount of experience by simply participating in these safe encounters, which you can even automate by making the game’s AI control all of your units. The addition of Training replaces the random battles which were added in the PSP version, which I prefer, as I can freely go from one place to another and focus on what’s important to me instead of being distracted by an encounter I didn’t want to be a part of. You can also double the speed of combat in case the normal speed isn’t quick enough. 

The best way to bring back a classic to the modern era

Equipment requirements removed, voice acting added in, a re-recorded soundtrack, the removal of Technical Points, the addition of Charms, Buff Cards, improved AI, revamped progression system; all of these changes make this my favorite version to date. Even if it’s your tenth time playing Tactics Ogre, the improvements make it worth going through Denam’s journey all over again.

Replayability still holds in this version as well. Finishing the game for the first time gives you the ability to revisit previous chapters with your current roster and sync older encounters to my current level, retaining a sense of challenge, though you can turn off level syncing if you’re up for steamrolling older content.

The fact that the developers implemented so many quality of life changes while simultaneously maintaining the game’s charms with such finesse makes Tactics Ogre Reborn stand tall and easily become one of the biggest surprises this year, as I didn’t think I would have so much fun with a strategy RPG released over 25 years ago. Anyone who hasn’t played the original and appreciates a game like it will have a blast for what it has to offer.

They did such a good job with this version of the game that I wouldn’t be surprised if an entirely new game for the series is now in the cards at Square Enix. This title revived my appreciation of the subgenre, and though this year we have seen a sudden surge of great strategy RPGs, I hope the trend continues on, as I'm in for more games like Tactics Ogre Reborn.

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9/10 (Buy)

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Highlights

Pros

• Revamped unit progression and customization

• Fantastic soundtrack, re-recorded

• Previous chapters can be replaced after finishing the game the first time

• AI definitely improved for the better

Cons

• Story didn’t age very well

What I Played

• Played 58 hours of the game and got at least one ending

• Did a few rounds of Palace of the Dead

• Went back a couple of times to experience different paths of the story

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