Whatever milestone had been reached recently was announced by Square Enix, sending the lovers of strategy RPG into bubbles of joy; today marks the 30th anniversary of the glorious methodical grid-based tactical masterpiece called Tactics Ogre. Hence the team invites everyone to join the gala by playing Tactics Ogre: Reborn on PlayStation 5, PS4, Nintendo Switch, and Steam anytime from here on.
Immediately after the official Square Enix tweet went about, a reaction wing of players from all parts of the world came out with some pure old-school nostalgia and some interesting… demands for future projects. While most were celebrating this iconic moment together, some really strong opinions about how to realign the franchise up to the current times and what fans perceive as the project that really matters came the fore.
Okay, what precisely is Tactics Ogre? If you missed out on the original days back in the twentieth century, then basically, it is the grandpa of the Tactical RPGs that had games such as Final Fantasy Tactics drawing inspiration from it. The franchise has seen many re-releases over time, with Reborn being the newest form featuring updated visuals, remixed gameplay style, and several quality of life improvements for modern platforms.
The replies did offer more spice. MartinLG42 stated, “Ok, that artwork is insane,” applauding the anniversary art. However, the demands for comments almost followed immediately. A bold yengmat_1 says, “Make new Ogre Battle series, not Tactic Ogre..” which is, of course, an entirely different discussion.
The Ogre Battle vs. Tactics Ogre debates are real in the comments section. Particular mentions of Ogre Battle 64 were introduced by pethorpan, demanding, “Ogre Battle 64 is required,” while Profiteroles12 followed-up with, “I want an Ogre Battle March of the Black Queen remaster and sequel. The original auto battler.” So apparently there’s that whole side of the fanbase that would want Square Enix to go back to the origin stories of this franchise rather than push the tactical stylings forward.
Now the complaints about difficulty will come rolling in. User Dusker84 said, “Good game till u c that’s level capped and with some nearly impossible battle. Let people have fun…” while Blueblade131 added, “Very good game. Just wish it wasn’t so balls to the wall hard. Lol.” Level caps in Reborn is especially painful, with HiddenMemeSite calling it, “The worst idea in this game,” and mastercuk saying,”level caps is the most stupid idea.”
More controversy is brewing, however. User jevnaj was referring to some very weird questions about changes for modern audiences, including one allusion to the hiring of an “ANTIFA” translator? The thread went wild with accusations about removing gender variables from zodiac compatibility systems. Some users, however, were simply begging for physical collector’s editions and wondering about a possible Switch 2 release.
There have been repeat comparisons to Final Fantasy Tactics, with Doechiiistrash stating, “At least you get playable dark knight type of character, you took away dark knight from fft,” showing how invisible players have placed the two giants of Square Enix tactical.
On the topic of discussions, dano989 bluntly said, “Great day to announce an Xbox version!” Meanwhile, NeverGoonReborn noted, “One of the few Switch 1 games that has mouse and keyboard support btw.” Clearly, the Steam version is holding some unique control options that have been well received.
Mixed reactions were witnessed concerning the quality of the Reborn version itself. User hua445 commented, “I would but it’s nowhere near as good as the PSP version so I’ll just play that instead,” so not everyone is happy with the changes made in the latest edition. dave_hev, however, vehemently disagrees, stating that “The only thing I’ve seen done right by a AAA studio in idk how long. Well done @SquareEnix.” So conflicted.
Most fascinating is how many users jump at this anniversary announcement as an excuse to push for completely different games. TikaruTE took this opportunity to rant about, “Give us Final Fantasy VII Remake Part 3 and Final Fantasy 9 Remake. Kingdom Hearts 4 and fuck the rest okej?” Like hey, they’re trying to celebrate Tactics Ogre here, not asked for every franchise under the sun.
The artwork got universal praise with many users commenting on how wonderful it looks. And TacticsMacchi was grateful that “SE Global mention Tactics Ogre 30th Anniv!” showing that international recognition does hold weight for the fanbase.
Obviously, what all these reactions really go to show is that, through the last 30 years, Tactics Ogre has maintained a devoted following while some players had agonized debates about which direction should be taken next for the series. The legacy formed by deep tactical gameplay along with mature storytelling praised by victoriquedesu saying, “I wish you were making more games with mature story like this,” and branching narrative paths is something that continues in the hearts of strategy RPG fans.
In its full celebration, suddenly one wonders that this franchise has paved the way for tactical games longer than some present-day gamers have been alive. Being a first dive into Reborn or triggering the nostalgic flame for the PSP version, there is no denying that Tactics Ogre has gone ahead to make a mark and has done so fairly. While the discussion still runs deep as to what will become for the Ogre franchise, today is all about glory for 30 years laid out in grid-based tactics.
