Tactics Ogre

"The True Begining of Strategy Games , A True Classic"

Tactics Ogre was to many the proverbial foot in the door of strategy RPGs. Being first produced in 1995 on the Super Nintendo system it is not expected to be the best looking game but the combat system and character development system set the stage for future strategy RPGs such as Final Fantasy Tactics and Hoshigami.

Graphics - 8

For the time the game was produced the graphics are decent. The graphics may turn some of the new age gamers away with the 2d sprites and less than detailed environments. I personally enjoyed the graphics and the cartoony feel they gave to the game. The colors of the characters and stages melded very well and was very easy on the eyes. Of course after playing games like Final Fantasy Tactics I can't give the graphics a 10 but overall they aren't that bad.

Story - 6

The story was probably one of the weaker points of the game. At points I actually forgot why I was playing and what the battles were about. I even admit I don't remember much about the story but the basic idea of it is that you try to avenge a few dead villagers which evolves into a complex plot where your choices determine your ending. The story wasn't great but it wasn't horrible...

Sound - 7

The sound is very very very repetitive. The songs don't inspire any feelings when your battling and play over and over on about a 20 second cycle. The character sounds are quite amusing though, at least to me anyway. They add to the cartoony feel that I enjoyed in the game. If you are looking for realistic sound effects, you won't find them here.

Gameplay - 10

This is the best part of the game by far. You choose 10 party members and enter the battle. I personally liked the 10 party embers instead of the 5 party system in Final Fantasy Tactics. There are also a wide variety of classes for your characters to advance through. Both male and female characters have their own personal set of classes to choose from. There is also a wide variety of storyline characters to choose from and recruit as well as multiple sidequests that should keep you busy for some time. The actual battles can sometimes become tedious but you can always save during battle if you just can't take anymore. Overall the gameplay is very addictive and fun.

Replay - 8

There are actually 8 different endings to this game but to get that doesn't require a lot of diversity in the route you choose during the game. I only got 3 endings and that was enough for me. Playing through the game once is very time consuming let alone 8 separate times.

Overall I enjoyed this game very much. It was the first strategy RPG I ever played and got me hooked on the genre. It offers hours and hours of gameplay without bordering on the edge of an eternaly boring insanity *cough* Beyond the Beyond* cough. This game is a MUST to any playstaion owner's collection or someone who wishes to relive the past glory of strategy RPGs.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 03/13/03, Updated 03/13/03