After several leaks and teases, Square Enix has finally unveiled Tactics Ogre: Reborn. You don’t have long to wait to play it, either, as the strategy RPG is coming to Switch, Steam, and PS4/5 on November 11.
Based on a pre-existing 2010 remake that came to the PSP in the form of Tactics Ogre: Let Us Cling Together, Reborn features a redesigned battle system that has a unit-by-unit level system, battle AI overhaul, and playability improvements – quicker pace of battle, auto-save, and a complete overhaul to the controls. You’ve also got some neat quality-of-life improvements like high-definition characters and backgrounds, a fully updated user interface, and sound improvements.
Tactics Ogre is set in the fictional Valerian Isles, which has long been seen as the centre of navel commerce. So it goes in strategy-like games that tell the tales of war; the isles’ personal history is that of people struggling for dominion over her shores. The islands find themselves divided between the Bakram and Galgastani in an uneasy alliance as we join them, but we all know that isn’t lasting.
Fans have been expecting the Tactics Ogre remaster for some time now. We first caught wind of the RPG when it was named in a now-infamous NVIDIA leak that features oodles of unannounced titles, many of which have gone on to be confirmed. The game has also appeared in various trademarks and storefronts.
So why do people care so dang much about Tactics Ogre? The game's history is a wee bit complicated, so bear with us. Tactics Ogre initially kicked off in 1993 with The March of the Black Queen – released in North America in 1995. It was a grand RPG with real-time tactics, though it wasn't until Tactics Ogre: Let Us Cling Together in 1995 that we got the isometric perspective, turn-based battles, pixel art, and branching story with multiple endings. That was the game subsequently remade in 2010 for the PSP under the same name and what serves as the basis for Tactics Ogre: Reborn.
The game has somewhat of a link to Final Fantasy, too, as director Yasumi Matsuno went on to join Square Enix and create Final Fantasy Tactics – essentially, Tactics Ogre but Final Fantasy.
Will the classic RPG hold up against today's standards? You've only got a few months to find out.
Don't fancy the wait? Here are the 25 best RPGs you can play to keep you busy.
