In 2022, Ways Ogre: Reborn jogged my memory why I like turn-based technique video games

There are a handful of classics that I am going to at all times replay when given an opportunity. Ways Ogre is among the causes I fell in love with turn-based technique video games like BattleTech, the Disgaea sequence, or my all-timer Remaining Fantasy Ways. About each two or three years since round 2001, I dig out my copy of Ways Ogre on PlayStation and dedicate about 60 hours to a world stuffed with morally grey political intrigue, magic, battle crimes, and flying bird folks. 

Ways Ogre: Reborn is the remastered model of the traditional 1995 turn-based technique Ways Ogre: Let Us Cling Collectively, initially launched on the Tremendous Famicom in Japan. It made its manner stateside in 1998 on the PlayStation. Nonetheless, most individuals obtained their style of the game in 2010 when it was the PSP, the platform I performed it on essentially the most.

I first realized about Ways Ogre after I performed Remaining Fantasy Ways in 1999. I did not know on the time, however the game director of FFT, Yasumi Matsuno, was additionally the game director of Ways Ogre, which is sensible since quite a lot of story themes and even game mechanics show up in FFT. 

The story in Ways Ogre: Reborn stays unchanged for the reason that authentic game. You management a younger insurgent, Denim, and his crew of medieval fantasy fighters attempting to free their land from an oppressive invading empire. It is commonplace medieval fare up till the top of the primary chapter, when the marketing campaign makes a tough flip towards “shit simply obtained actual.”. Minor spoiler: you are requested to do a horrible factor for the great of your nation, which you’ll flip down, which cascades right into a sequence of extra equally anxious choices for the remainder of the game.

Preempting video games like Mass Impact that popularized branching storylines, Ways Ogre has a number of factors where the story will department off dramatically based mostly in your choices that in flip have an effect on your function on this planet and the characters who be part of you. The game has three ‘routes’ your selections will take you down; Lawful, Impartial, and Chaotic. And yep, which means three endings.  

Except for up to date graphics, Reborn additionally has revamped its fight (no extra random battles), expertise system, and AI for extra balanced fights. Nonetheless, essentially the most outstanding factor concerning the remaster is the inclusion of fully-voiced dialogue for each line within the game. It provides a little bit of gravitas and seriousness to the Fireplace Emblem-Esque character portraits and sprites spouting the dialogue. 

One of many extra attention-grabbing new options of the remaster is the Tarot Card system. Briefly, it is a mechanic that allows you to rewind a handful of turns in battle. Fights can final lengthy, making it simple to lose observe of the ten troopers, wizards, and lizardmen you are controlling at any given second. Within the authentic game, straying one tile too far might price you the battle you spent over half an hour preventing. I do not know if it was intentional, however this redo characteristic is one thing we noticed in our 2018 GOTY, fellow turn-based technique game Into the Breach. 

When you beat the game, you will even have the choice to return to key pivotal story moments and make new choices in these truncated playthroughs with out having to replay the complete game or handle a billion save information. It is an effective way to see the stuff you missed, and I would like this characteristic in each game with a branching narrative. 

Ways Ogre: Reborn nonetheless has issues, like an overcomplicated expertise and sophistication system, and a few of the battles are nonetheless flat-out unfair. Nevertheless it’s well-written, the fight is enjoyable, and it has sufficient quality-of-life modifications and enhancements to suggest to people who do not have a historical past with this game. 

Ways Ogre: Reborn releasing on Steam actually makes it simpler to play than attempting to run it on an emulator or monitoring down a replica on eBay for PSP. Now, I simply want a Remaining Fantasy Ways remake, as was hinted at by the huge Nvidia leak virtually a yr in the past.