Tactics Ogre: Reborn

As others have said, the level cap is a bit annoying. I'm ok with having a totally OP team and having the option to train a bit if needed. I Just about scraped through the last fight but it wasn't an easy win. Sometimes is just nice if a game pats you on the shoulder and says - "you know what, you are really just awesome". I got that with FFTA which was good (my sniper was soooo OP it was great :D), this feels a bit slow and like hard work in comparison, though the attacks, voicing and effects are nice so kudos to the team for those. Its a good game, its just a bit hard by design.

Disclaimer: I’m recommending this game only because I love the fantasy turn-based tactics genre — not because I think this game itself is great. It’s fun, but it feels very outdated. If you’ve already played modern turn-based tactics games like Divinity: Original Sin 2, Baldur’s Gate 3, or even older but more refined titles like Final Fantasy Tactics Advance or Advance 2, this game will likely feel very frustrating due to its shallow RPG elements. For example, each character can only bring four skills or spells for the entire game. There are about ten classes, plus some “special” characters with unique classes — but honestly, they aren’t special at all. They’re just basic mixes of existing classes. Another big issue is the progression system. Every time you change classes, you have to retrain weapon proficiency from scratch, and character levels are capped in each stage. This forces you to grind repeatedly, keeping you busy without providing meaningful rewards. There are many systems like this where the game demands a lot of time, but the return simply isn’t worth it. If I keep going, I’ll probably start to hate the game — so here’s my conclusion: If this is your first-ever turn-based tactics game, you might enjoy it and give it an 8/10. If you’re already familiar with the genre, it’s more like a 6/10. Instead, I strongly recommend trying Divinity: Original Sin 2 (which is often cheaper), or playing Final Fantasy Tactics Advance or Advance 2 using a GBA or NDS emulator. Don’t waste your money on this game.

Update after additional 160 hours: I actually like combat and constant high difficulty facilitated by level caps. Fights can last up to an hour, but they are always challenging and engaging. I don't like the story and right now I'm especially don't like wheels of fortune. After spending 130 hours doing everything in chapter 4 (including all 100 floors of the POTD dungeon (most of my play time, I went there with fairly bad team for the job but decided to finish it anyway), shrines ets.), the game saying to me to do it all again, because my ending is not good enough for post game. And it is not good enough because one particular character died in a dialog with two very vague choices (which I apparently pick wrong). Wheels of fortune allows me to save this worst character ever, but at a cost of 100+ hours of redoing everything in chapter 4. It will be faster this time, but point is - I need to do that instead of paying postgame when and where I want to. And honorable mention to the final boss: WTF game? I can solo him with lord Deneb to whom I gave all charms from all over the game, but only because he is LORD (and have access to defense and retaliation talents needed) and have a very high stats. Any characters I could bring with me - will die (and made a fight much harder to add insult to injury). Unprepared and/or unaware people will be stomped hard at this point. Overall I like the game but it is very "not for everybody" and has enough flaws to not recommend it in general. Fist impressions (original review): Just don't. Game balance make everything a painful endless slog. Damage calculation make you hit exponentially harder the more your damage outpace enemy defense. And since enemies will always have higher stats than you (hello from story progression level caps), every enemy will hit like a truck and take little to no damage. Have fun! Even when speed up, fights are still to slow. Giving command of your units to the in game IA (to speed things up some) would be bad even with good balance, but it is a suicide with how things actually are. The only place it is viable is training (non story battles to level up) which is another very bad design choice in this game - you basically required to do them any time level cap increased to make story missions a little bit more bearable. So, instead of leveling up during story like in any normal game, you have to do a dull grind to somehow compensate for a game poor balance. And my units movement will be haunting me in nightmares - it is poor as is (3-4 squares per turn) and then the game will constantly throw at your levels with tile properties or simple height difference that slow or even completely stop you from moving. Even more fun! My list of complaints is really long and there is nothing worthy of a praise here (except maybe voice acting). If you don't have a nostalgia for this game or love for old school clunky TRPGs, you will have a better time playing almost any title from recent decade or two.

The AI of of the guests is moronic. Of course a priestess is going to run head first into the fray all by herself...

「タクティクスオウガ」を初めてプレイする人にとってはまぁこう言う難易度のゲームもあるよね、程度。 過去にプレイした事のある人にとってはバランス調整を放棄し思い出に泥を塗りたくって台無しにしたクソゲー。 ・良い点 ストーリー関連については文句の付けようがないし、リメイクのお手本にして良いレベル。 SFC版から変更した点はほぼ存在しない上、リメイクにありがちな追加ストーリーやキャラクターが台無しにする事もなく、寧ろ追加イベントやキャラクターの存在はストーリーをより深く理解し味わう為には必須と思えるほど丁寧に作られている。 ・悪名高いバフカード 本作をクソゲーに至らしめた諸悪の根源。 戦闘中マップのランダムな場所にランダムな内容のカードが出現する訳だが、何故かボスキャラは最初から保有限界の４枚を所持している。 百歩譲って各マップの固定の位置に固定のカードが存在しているのであれば戦略性が生まれたものの、ランダムなのでSRPGでありながら肝となる戦略性が完全に失われている。 ・レベルキャップ制 本作はゲームの進行度によってレベルに制限がかかるが、敵のレベルはその限りではなく常にこちらのレベルキャップよりも高い為、序盤から中盤にかけて難戦を強いられる。 特に序盤はステータスを底上げする手段が存在しない為、バフカードも相まってボスの魔法で体力の半分以上持って行かれる事も珍しくない。 ・対策はないのか？ 状態異常や敵のステータスを下げるアイテムや魔法は存在するし、HPが高く行動頻度も高いLサイズユニットを活用する事でバフカードを完全に無視したプレイであってもこれらの搦手をフルに活用すれば問題なくクリアは可能だ。 更にSRPGでは珍しく、チャリオットと言う行動を遡ってやり直せる要素があるので、ミスや戦闘不能＝マップの最初からやり直しとまでは行かない。 が、このチャリオットのせいかアイテム収集にとんでもない欠陥をもたらす事になった。 ・レアアイテム収集の難しさ。 これは本作ではなく前作であるPSP版からのクソ要素である。 リメイク版までは敵のドロップは固定だった為、特定の敵を倒しさえすればレアアイテムは確実に手に入ったが、PSP版以降のリメイク版は完全ランダムドロップとなった。 そのせいで敵を倒す→ドロップ品を確認→目当てのものでなければチャリオットで倒す前に戻す→乱数変更のため１マスずれて攻撃して倒す→ドロップ品を確認…の作業を延々繰り返す羽目になった。 あからさまなプレイ時間の嵩増し要素であるし時間の無駄でしかない。 総評としては本作は紛うことない駄作でありクソゲーである。 SRPGとしては運が絡みすぎるし、難易度も理不尽に片足を突っ込んでいる。 ただ、上に上げた要素はどれもMODによって改善出来る。 MODの導入を前提とするのであれば是非ストーリーを体験する為にもプレイしてみて欲しい。 (バフカード削除、ユニオンレベル削除、100％ドロップそれぞれMODがある)

Weird changes that restrict player choice. I play a ridiculous amount of tactics RPGs and I can't even finish this because of the restrictions they put on player agency. The restricted unit customization and any semblance of achievement for grinding/playing. The game essentially forces you to be equal level every fight, regardless of how you want to play. It is just strange. It makes the game feel like less of an RPG, and more of a puzzle. I do not like the puzzle sub genre of tactics. I value player choice/customization/agency over almost any other game play mechanics.

턴제 SRPG를 정립한 게임으로 알고 2025년에야 플레이해봅니다. SFC로 접했을 땐 너무 어려운 조작과 일본어라 하나도 알아들을 수 없어서 플레이를 안 했는데 30대중반이 들어서서 플레이해보니 깊이감도 있고 재미있네요. 니가와 전략으로 귀결될 수 있는 플레이를 카드 드랍으로 전진하게 만든 것도 그렇고 옥신각신하며 플레이하는게 밸런스는 제법 잘 맞다고 생각합니다. 그리고 그 시절 감성이라 그런지 스토리가 정말 깊이감이 있고 비장미 넘쳐서 스토리 보는 맛도 훌륭하네요. 캐릭터 도트만 2025년 느낌으로 리뉴얼 했으면 훨씬 더 판매량이 좋았을텐데 그것만 아쉽습니다.

Compared to FFT (TIC): Too slow, battles too long and boring. Elemental system is useless, who switches the whole party up before battles because of it. Teams are too big. UI is confusing and bloated. Item slots limited per unit wtf? So much more