Tactics Ogre: Reborn is a remake of the PSP game, Tactics Ogre: Let Us Cling Together. Tactics Ogre: Reborn is based on one of the most comprehensive and riveting turn-based strategy to come out in decades, and is considered to be the spiritual predecessor of Final Fantasy Tactics. What makes this game so special is the story. Players have to make several extremely difficult decisions, and unlike many games, player choices here do matter.
Tactics Ogre: Reborn is all about customization and player choice. This is most evident in the game’s story. The player makes several key decisions that dictate the course of the campaign. The choices that players make as Denam will affect everything from the game’s narrative, to the characters they can recruit, to the endings they can get. The most important of these choices are outlined below. Obviously, there will be major spoilers ahead for the game.
4 Jeunan: A Question Of Morality
Jeunan is a recruitable character in the game’s lawful route. Not only is he one of the best playable units in the game, but he’s also unique in that his recruitment leads directly to another. Jeunan is needed to recruit the elusive Ravness, who is one of the best units in the game
After conquering Brigantys castle, the player encounters Jeunan. When he asks the player a question, make sure to answer correctly. While the answer may seem pretty obvious to some, many players miss this. When Jeunan asks Denam if the Hierophant’s enemies are his, Denam must answer to the contrary (the second choice). Otherwise, they will not be able to recruit Jeunan.
3 Catiua: An Unbreakable Bond
Catiua is Denam’s supposed sister, and as players of the original game would know, she goes through quite a few ordeals. So, it’s completely fitting how hard it can be to save her life or even to recruit her. One wrong dialogue selection can seal her fate.
In Chapter 4, when Denam is asked whether he can fight his own sister, the player can make either choice. However, each option opens up different dialogue trees later. Depending on the earlier decision, Denam’s later conversation with his sister differs when he finally takes Phidoch castle. Without spoiling too much, the choice here is extremely important. If the player chooses the less compassionate answers early on, Catiua will not have a happy ever after.
2 Siding With Leonar?
This choice appears if Denam is taking the Chaos route of the game, which happens if the player refused their orders at the end of Chapter One. The final battles of Chapter Two of the chaos route can get quite story heavy. At its climax, Denam finds himself at the gates of Almorica, ready to wage war on his childhood best friend.
After an exciting but difficult duel with Vyce, Leonar shows up with news. Leonar had previously ordered Denam’s death, but circumstances have changed. Rhime had fallen and a Bakram invasion is imminent. Denam is offered a proposal: to join Leonar, Vyce, and the Duke and combine their forces to save the homeland from invasion.
This is a difficult choice given that these very characters have been hounding Denam and his troops for the entirety of the chapter. Should the player join Leonar, the neutral route ensues and Vyce goes off the deep end. Otherwise, the status quo remains the same. The player continues on the Chaos route and fights war on basically every front.
1 Will There Be Blood On Denam’s Hands?
The most important and game-defining choice comes to the player at the end of Chapter 1. This choice is what makes this game special. Denam, Vyce, and his merry band have been part of the Wallister Resistance and seemingly making good ground. This all changes at Balamusa. After another successful battle, Leonar finds the celebrating party and presents Denam with some horrifying news.
The Duke believes that despite all of Denam’s success, they don’t stand a chance in the war against Galgastani. They need popular sentiment on their side, and they need droves of volunteers. This news is all the more relevant, considering Vyce’s earlier attempts to get the people of Balamusa to join them fail tremendously. The duke devised a plan to slaughter all the residents of the village and pin it on the Galgastan, believing this would turn the war. Hence, Denam is ordered to kill them all.
The player is presented with this order as a choice. Should Denam agree, the players go on the Lawful route of the game. Should the player disagree, the chaos route commences, Denam and company separate from the Duke and Vyce, and set out on their own path. This choice is the epitome of this game. The tragedy of war is introduced as a reality to the player, setting off a sequence of difficult choices and harsh truths. It's a big part of what makes this game so good.
Tactics Ogre: Reborn is available now for Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 4, and PlayStation 5.