Tactics Ogre: Reborn sees the return of a classic strategy RPG that is over two decades old. The game started out as a Super Nintendo game in Japan in 1995, Tactics Ogre: Let Us Cling Together, before getting re-released several times. It’s as close as tactical RPG fans are going to get to a remaster of Final Fantasy Tactics at this time.
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Both play similarly with players choosing a squad of class-based characters and then playing matches on a grid. Players take their turn, move their heroes around, attack, and so on. That’s the basic gameplay hook of Tactics Ogre: Reborn, but there is so much more to cover in this handy beginner’s guide.
8 No Difficulties Means A Level Playing Field
Tactics Ogre: Reborn is not going to be an easy strategy RPG on many levels. There are no difficulty options in the game, which is strange for a modern tactical RPG, even if this is a remaster. Battles can be brutal, with the risk of comrades falling in battle forever if players aren’t careful. If a hero is incapacitated, they will drop with a number three above their bodies. Once three turns pass, they die, so be sure to be aware of the consequences.
7 The Tarot Card Questions
Players will get bombarded with a series of questions similar to some setups in the Persona series. The first is about birthdays, the second has players choose some options with tarot cards, and the last assigns an element.
The birthday and elementals can align the hero character, Denam, with certain attributes. No birth date or elemental sign is better than the last. As for the tarot cards, answering them will grant Denam stat bonuses, but none of the answers, thankfully, take away boosts. The simple answer, then, is to choose from the heart and not worry about this setup too much.
6 Leveling Up Tips
Besides no difficulty options, Tactics Ogre: Reborn is harder than most strategy RPGs because players have a level cap. This cap will unlock the more players progress through the campaign. Before jumping into campaign missions, be sure to train on random stages to max out levels.
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This should ensure players are well-prepared for story content. In training, players also don’t have to worry about losing allies as they just disappear from that battle alone if they should fall.
5 Battle Tips
When facing large numbers, it’s important to take out the weak points first when possible. Be sure to take out healers followed by other magic users, which is a strategy that fits most RPGs. These classes tend to be weak defensively, but their support is unreal. That’s why they have to drop fast along with any other type of ranged enemy.
On the subject of ranged attacks, be sure to figure out where arrows and spells will land. If need be, rotate the map to make sure the projectiles will not hit the ground or an ally.
4 Let Them Come To You
Depending on the map, it might be a good idea for players to stand their ground at the starting line. Let enemies come toward the battle group if players are resting in a big open area.
One of the worst things that can happen to a player in a strategy RPG is getting bottlenecked into tight pathways. This can make it hard for allies to work around each other and attack. Standing still will give players advantages beyond belief in Tactics Ogre: Reborn, but they must have patience.
3 Diversify Your Party
Tactics Ogre: Reborn has a class-based system similar to most strategy RPGs. Once players can form their party, be sure to diversify the group. It can be hard to do so at first since classes are locked away.
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Overall, don’t fill a team up with more than one type of class unless there is no other option. Also, be sure to pay attention to skills once they unlock or level up. Finally, in the prep phase, make sure every hero has a healing and revival item.
2 Making Choices
There are dialogue choices and branching paths in RPGs, and then there is this game. There are so many paths to go down in the game that making a choice can be daunting. The game has a lot of replay value, and the nice thing about these branching paths is that players can easily access them.
Don’t worry about which answer to say at first. Like the tarot card setup, go with the heart because there are ways to go back if players aren’t satisfied. Tactics Ogre: Reborn, in this way, is sort of like a time travel game.
1 Saving Tips
The game tells players this early on, but be sure to save often. There are castle keeps that will have players fight battles in succession. Players can’t back out of these castles until they are completed, either. Save outside of any story mission on the map, and also be sure to keep that file separate from others. If things prove to be too rough, players may have to revert to an old save. In general, it’s always a good idea to save manually as often as possible in an RPG and to diversify these files.
Tactics Ogre: Reborn was released on November 11, 2022, and is available on PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
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