Following a couple major leaks by PlayStation itself (one of which was first reported upon by us), Square Enix has officially announced Tactics Ogre: Reborn with a November 11, 2022 release date on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, and PC via Steam. It is a “massively enhanced edition” of the 2011 PSP strategy RPG, Tactics Ogre: Let Us Cling Together, which was itself a remake of a Super Famicom / PlayStation 1 release. It will retail for $49.99 (yikes) and notably receive a physical release on consoles. PS4, PS5, and PC will also receive a Digital Premium Edition of Tactics Ogre: Reborn for $59.99, which includes a mini soundtrack. Ahead of the release date, preorders for Tactics Ogre: Reborn are already available digitally on consoles, with Steam to follow soon.
Tactics Ogre: Reborn sees several changes over the PSP release, some of which are surprising. For starters, all the characters and background art have received an HD makeover, which in this case unfortunately just means putting on a so-so filter that smears all the pixel art. (The characters don’t look so great, but the backgrounds look okay.) The UI and controls have also been upgraded to fit modern platforms, and full English and Japanese voice acting will be available for dialogue. Additionally, composer Hitoshi Sakimoto recorded the entire soundtrack over again with a live orchestra, which should make for a pronounced upgrade.
The battle system in Tactics Ogre: Reborn has seen the most surprising changes, as enemy AI has been completely redone to take better advantage of landscapes and react to the general flow of the battle. Additionally, units now level up individually instead of as a collective class, which might please those who were unsatisfied with the system in the PSP version. (Personally, I think I liked it the PSP way.) The general flow of battle has been sped up as well, and there is some sort of auto-saving now. It remains to be seen if these changes will make the game easier or just even more difficult than it already was, but Square Enix is hoping this will be the most accessible version of the game to ever release.
Lastly, aside from the audio upgrades, it sounds like the story will be the same as ever in Tactics Ogre: Reborn — an utterly stellar war story with heavy political intrigues and moral decisions that can wildly change the story at a few key moments. If you enjoyed Triangle Strategy, then playing this game will probably feel like a graduation to something more complex in every way.
Likewise, if you have never played Tactics Ogre, it will likely be totally worth it to drop 50 bones on it upon its release date this November. Veterans might opt to wait for a sale though.
Update: The Square Enix Store is exclusively selling an accompanying tarot card set. It too is $49.99 (yikes).
A Square Enix Store exclusive! This tarot card set is otherwise only available in Japan as part of the Tactics Ogre: Reborn collector’s edition!
The three-piece set includes a deck of tarot cards with imagery from the game, a storage pouch, and a mat. https://t.co/9PNpJWkfg7 pic.twitter.com/sXJxKJwqC3— Square Enix Merchandise (North America) (@SQEX_MD_NA) August 4, 2022
