It's already been quite an exciting month in the world of video games, and if Sonic and Pokémon weren't already enough Square Enix has also today released Tactics Ogre: Reborn, based on the classic series of the same name.
We've already had some positive early impressions and now we've got a round up of the reviews covering all versions of the game. Our own Nintendo Life review will be showing up in the near future as well. So keep an eye out for that!
Our sister site Push Square, focused on all things PlayStation, gave the game eight out of ten stars:
"The strategy RPG genre owes a lot to the Tactics Ogre franchise, which is filled with lesser titles trying to recreate even a fraction of its winning formula. The experience that lies at the heart of Tactics Ogre: Reborn has stood the test of time admirably and, thanks to the swathe of intelligent tweaks and quality-of-life improvements introduced, will likely remain at the head of the pack for years to come."
Another one of our friends VG247 said this new version was "even better", awarding it 5/5:
"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."
Mako Reactor awarded the game an outstanding 9.5 out of 10 stars, also highlighting how good the system felt on a certain other handheld platforms (we're sure it'll translate well to the Switch then):
"Tactics Ogre: Reborn on PC is an essential for tactical RPG fans with its deep gameplay, tons of customization, superlative soundtrack, and with how amazing it feels on Steam Deck. It took Square Enix a long time to bring Tactics Ogre back, and I'm glad we got such a great version of it."
Our pals at Eurogamer called it a "terrific revival" and praised the latest version:
"Even if you don't play this version, it's a game you should definitely play."
And the folks at RPGFan were just as taken with it - awarding the title 9.5/10:
"Tactics Ogre: Reborn is hugely successful in its goals to modernise an admittedly old game...it’s a pleasant surprise to see Square Enix putting so much delicate attention into every facet. Think of it like an old house. It needed dusting; it has original period features that require a specific wood stain, so it doesn’t rot. Square Enix has given this house a thorough renovation, using the correct tools for every job and restoring the lustre you remember it having when you were young(er). In the context of this game, it’s a big victory, but it also makes me wish they’d put so much effort into other recent remasters."
Will you be adding this game to your own Switch collection? Tell us in the comments.
Please note that some external links on this page are affiliate links, which means if you click them and make a purchase we may receive a small percentage of the sale. Please read our FTC Disclosure for more information.
Comments 63
Price is still brutal
@Yanina 50 bucks isn't that brutal. Just wait for a price if you can't afford that
Will wait for your review on the Switch version, consider me interested.
Sounds good. Might pick this up, I have fond memories of Final Fantasy Tactics Advance and this does seem pretty similar.
@Yanina They have done loads to it. I don't mind paying for that. My copy is on the way. Can't wait.
A rare preorder for me.
I loved Knight of Lodis for GBA and have been hoping for the series to come back ever since.
This release really snuck up on me but I did have a copy preordered and it arrived today so good to see it's reviewing well. Might be stuck in the backlog for a little while but looking forward to checking it out eventually.
Tactics Ogre is still the gold standard for what an SRPG should strive to be
Still hoping Ogre Battle 64 shows up either via a remaster or just on Nintendo Switch Online
SOLD! To the monkey with the big ears.
Good stuff. Looking forward to it.
I am not sure the relevance of a Push Square review of the PlayStation version of a game for switch owners but I do look forward to their views on the new Pokémon game. For all the screen shots of the game I have seen there appears to to a pixel smoothing filter being applied is there an option to turn it off?
@liljmoore What a silly comment. You just assume someone can't afford something because they don't agree with a price?
You could have just said 50 isn't brutal and left it at that. The last part is you just being rude.
Price is silly for just an upscale of the psp game…
@Vexx234 I mean “wait for a sale” is a practical suggestion if someone has a problem with $50
@Vexx234 like Arawn said. Suggesting waiting for a sale isn't rude but the most logical response. Sorry if I offended you
I am definitely playing this game, but since I haven't touched my copy of Triangle Strategy due to a lack of time, I will probably pick this up at a later time during a discount.
I got this game on Super NES (via repro), PS1, and on PSP already so I knew it's that good and will definitely be picking this up for Steam (digitally only) and Switch (physical and digital) tomorrow. My hope is that by contributing to the dev, maybe we'll get Final Fantasy Tactics and/or Ogre Battle 64 remasters next.
@croz Ha the PSP version itself was also upscale from the original 4:3 pixel versions (SFC, Saturn, PS1). Reason why they use the PSP version was cause it's the only widescreen version and the easiest to update. Not sure why anyone is disappointed by this though, you want the game in HD and widescreen so you got it.
@Serpenterror Yeah I always buy 2 Big Macs when I can only eat one, just to support McDonald's. I throw the extra one away because I have money to burn. /s
@Serpenterror I literally own every Ogre game produced, normally I’d be buying this day one, but I just can’t see what value HD brings on this one, this game already looks awesome on psp and vita.
Price is justified. Much new content has been added. Rebalancing is done. Some new content was added. No spoilers.
I will say there are at least 5 new classes now. But there are more.
The remaster is more than just a re-release. @croz
Wicce is still broken I bet though. In a positive manner.
@croz Time to get that platinum trophy on the PS5 version
Nice, never played this originally so definitely picking this up now. Switch has been getting some great strategy games this year(Triangle Strategy, Sparks of Hope, Tactics Ogre) and Fire Emblem is two months away. Good stuff.
@shineget64 maybe
Perfect for Switch! Runs at 1080/720p 60 fps and looks and plays great. I having a blast. Well worth they money. Full voice acting makes for much more immersion (and it is good).
price is brutal, it's still a remake of a remake so as much as I like the genre per se and as much as they have apparently done a great job they are bringing back stuff that already existed, not creating something anew.
i don't question how much work you put into stuff, i observe that most square remakes come out at 20/30 euros...
I may give this a go. I’ve really only played the 64 game many years ago. I remember struggling with that game in some parts but liking it. I really hope this one has the guy saying fight it out at the start of each battle, that line always got me motivated.
I was set to buy this because I loved triangle strategy, but no difficulty options and permadeath was the difference between picking it up today or never buying it, obviously I'm going with the latter.
Options are good, they don't hurt the hardcore players but they allow more people to enjoy the game.
Pre-ordered! I feel happy supporting Square-Enix by paying full price for this one, as this is obviously one for the old-school fans, and they clearly worked hard on this remaster.
Now we just need Vagrant Story and Xenogears! C’mon, SE!
Picking it up todaaaaaay!
Gonna look at reviews some more. Triangle strategy was more exposition and story then actual game. I want something more akin to final fantasy tactics where I can tweak classes, stats and load out obsessively.
Some of you are gonna say "disgaea!" but no. Disgaea just wants you to grind ad nauseam and it'll soon loose all challenge.
I'll stick to the original. It's $60 cheaper.
Always found the story pretty lackluster compared to other comparable SRPGs anyway. Felt like a muddied down FFT.
Also I find it very amusing when people add in the system they played it on like the guy did with Steam Deck. Always cute when they toss in a self brag about something that literally has NOTHING to do with the game nor should be mentioned in a review. Kind of like how people do here with the OLED.
@Serpenterror That is my hope as well.
Glad Square managed to get at least one thing right this year - they've got a pretty ropey track record with their remasters.
@SteamEngenius Whoa, you can get the old version for -$10? Better buy all the copies you can!
@croz they made a number of QoL changes as well.
I adore strategy games and it seems like this one hit the bullseye on excellence. I hope SE makes a brand new entry. That would slay so hard!
As soon as I finish some illustrations, this is how I'll spend my weekend!
This will be such a treat.
Been wanting to play this game for a long time! Cannot wait!!!!! Here's hoping for a FFTactics remaster too! Or better yet...new entries in both series!!
Pre-loaded a few days ago, will dive in tonight. Price was no problem for me given the stellar treatment, additions, upgrades, etc. To echo everyone else, bring on FFT: WotL! (but make Dark Knight easier to get)
@Skoffo Yes the game did exist in some form before this but if you're new to gaming would you really want to go out in the wild to search for the last few versions of the game? Finding the PSP version means you also had to go find a working PSP and since the PS Vita close shop you probably won't be able to download it there. Trying to find the PS1 version is also rare and even if you found it there's no guaranteed the disc will still even work as good as it was when it's new. You could get the SFC original provided you don't mind playing it in SD or any of the clone consoles and knew Japanese or you could go the unofficial ways and get them repro which likely had bugs. Just be glad you get an official version that you could understand which came with better graphics, contents, and could be bought easily.
nintendo life missed the mark on what this game is about strategy and not about it's graphics the game has a 85 rating on metacritic..
Loving it so far. I've been wanting to play this series for a long time thanks to Peer Schneider always plugging it on NVC.
I don’t know why people is complaining over the price it’s almost 200 hours of content and to remake all that content like they did and also add voice to every dialogue is reasonable. Skyrim comes out with a new version every 6 months and charges full price. Also to say it’s an updated psp game I’m sorry but that means 3 quarters of console players never played the psp version
@Vexx234 I think your comment is rude. He only said if you don’t like the price wait for it on sale. But compared to other games that are way more expensive with not even quarter the content or even voice dialogue to say it’s not worth the price is just a lie. Almost 200 hours of content all dialogue voiced, huge quality of life features and updated graphics. If your argument is it’s just an updated psp port that’s not true and even if it was true that would also mean 3 quarters of console players never played the psp version. If you compare to other games it’s definitely worth it. So if someone is saying there not buying because of price it’s probably safe to assume they can’t afford it. I also can’t afford lots of full priced games and got to pick which ones I do but to say it’s not worth the price is just not true
@Serpenterror i get your point and I agree, absolutely: i'm planning on getting that game once I finish mario + rabbids SOH - games like these are an addiction to me!
that being said, the point i was making is about the price compared to many other more or less revamped franchises which came out on the switch in the past years: most of them have been reasonally priced within the 30e limit while TOR comes out at day one priced almost twice as much, even those who have a well consolidated IP behind (FF7/8/9).
all I can guess is that other franchises had a more capillary distribution on other systems as well which made them more accessible and therefore allowed for lower starting prices.
maybe older games which have been worked on recently take less work to be updated to a more recent version.
there may be many reasons and I don't know enough of what's behind the game cartrige itself to make assumptions.
honestly, can't wait for the price to go down or for someone to give it to me as present!
@Bwight33 @liljmoore @Arawn93
I think what @Vexx234 was getting at was the presumption in the original comment of it being unaffordable for @Yanina just because they disagreed with the price. People can afford a lot of things they may not feel like paying for. Value is often very subjective. There’s nothing wrong with suggesting perhaps waiting for a sale, but let’s not assume people can’t “afford” something simply because of their opinion.
Positive vibes and happy gaming to everyone!
.. Wun can only hope.
@solidox you can't turn it off. It's unfortunate. Still one of the best.
@johnedwin punctuation.
@michellelynn0976 I have zero faith that current Square could make a new entry.
@SteamEngenius That's your own insecurity, bud. The Steam deck doesn't play every Steam game.
Also this game looks GREAT on my OLED Switch!!!
@johnedwin I'm being literal. If you use punctuation, people can understand you better.
@LikelySatan How sad is that? You may be right.
@michellelynn0976 it's hard to tell. On one hand you have the SE that puts out Triangle Strategy, LiveAlive, etc...then you have the SE that is trying to grift with NFTs and turning their older IPs into action games.
@LikelySatan I know. That's why when Square Enix said they want to westernized Dragon Quest, I screeched in horror.
@michellelynn0976 I'm very interested in seeing the next game. I hope it is interesting. I don't know how they could make a better traditional JRPG than XI.
@LikelySatan I hope DQ12 don't become like westernized Final Fantasy.
@michellelynn0976 yeah, like I said I'm just not sure how they could make a better traditional JRPG. I don't care where the influences come from, so long as the game is fun. I'm much, much more interested in western RPGs (unless they are tactical), because I like to shape the world and story I am playing and not just the class of my characters. I also just don't want to play as teenager, like...ever again.
@LikelySatan I like JRPGs better myself, but to each their own. I'm not nto western ones that much. I did kind of like Skyrim, Witcher 3 was OK, and I don't care for Fallout, Cyberpunk stunk and I don't know many more westerns RPGs after that. Lol
@michellelynn0976 I've tried a million times with Skyrim. I own the Witcher 3 but have only played a small bit of it. I decided to wait for the next gen update coming up in a week or so. Cyberpunk was definitely not for me. Western RPGs that I adore are more like Baldur's Gate, Planescape, Deus Ex, STALKER, Mass Effect 1 and 2, Divinity OS 1-2 and Divine Divinity, Outer Worlds, Fallout New Vegas, etc etc.
@LikelySatan I love Mass Effect.
Tap here to load 63 comments
Leave A Comment
Hold on there, you need to login to post a comment...