Strategy RPG revamp Tactics Ogre: Reborn is coming to PC exclusively for Steam on November 11th, confirming earlier leaks. This “crown jewel” of tactical role-playing, according to Square Enix, is being updated with enhanced graphics and sound, fully-voiced cutscenes and a redesigned battle system. Watch the announcement trailer below and pretend it’s 1995 again.
Tactics Ogre: Reborn seems to be building on the original and 2010 PSP versions of the game. Squenix say that Reborn is based on the PSP iteration, with some weighty tweaks to the game’s battle system such as unit-by-unit levelling and more reactive AI. Characters and backgrounds are all now in high-definition, and the UI has been redesigned to be more easily understood and managed. They’ve also popped in full Japanese and English voice acting. Oh, and composer Hitoshi Sakimoto has re-recorded and added new tunes to the soundtrack with a live orchestra.
The long-running Ogre Battle series that Tactics Ogre’s part of hasn’t ever found its way to PC before. It’s got a fairly hefty history on the ol’ Sony and Nintendo boxes though. Graham reported on leaked info about Reborn at the start of last week, but it wasn’t known then whether the rejigged game would make the journey to the tops of desks and laps. Which is good news, to my mind, because SRPGs are generally pretty awesome and we could always do with more classics on PC.
Tactics Ogre: Reborn will be available on Steam from November 11th. It’ll be on the PlayStations too, if you prefer to sit on your sofa while making strategic decisions. You can have a read of how the game’s changing for yourself at Squenix’s site over here.