Hoot6785

Let me start off by saying the original Tactics Ogre is on my top 5 favorite games of all time -- And the remake is even better. If you are a fan of Strategy RPGS, BUY THIS GAME. The story is by far my favorite of any SRPG. When I first heard about a remake, I figured it was going to be like all the other remakes and have very little new content. This game feels almost completely different, with tons of changes, additions, and notably the removal of the training mode. This review will focus mostly on the changes. One of the most noticeable changes is the fact that you level jobs instead of individual characters. So what I always did was have 1 character per job so that you can keep all your jobs leveled. Because of this change and the fact that there is no training mode, I found the first couple battles (after your training buddies leave you) very difficult. Also, experience is gained throughout the battle and at the end it's divided up through all your characters. This is great, because when you begin leveling a new job they can basically stand in the back at level 1 and not risk getting killed. Another change during battle is the fact that you can retrace your "steps" or character moves. If you've played the original you understand the fact that sometimes these battles can last an hour, and one wrong move can cost you the battle and lose a vital character. So in order to aleviate a lot of the frustration you are now actually able to backtrack to any move you want (up to 50 moves) by pressing and holding the "L" button. A lot of people will consider this cheating, but this is just an option, and if you're a die hard fan -- just ignore it. Another important change is the fact that you can customize each individual character by buying spells and abilities. This feature resembles Final Fantasy Tactics and the use of Job Points. The difference is that you are only able to hold a specified number of skills and abilities. Because of that, each character is unique -- sorta. This feature was probably the first feature I did not like. It grew on me as the game progressed, but originally I felt like I was basically buying the same skills for my melee and the same skills for my mages. The act of trying to make unique characters ended up just being repetative for the first few chapters. The fact remains that these skills are crucial. Without knowing what you're doing, the first few battles were difficult to me until I mastered the purchasing of these skills. Probably the most important change to me is the fact that you can replay the game by going back to specific points where you have to make game changing choices and pick a difference choice to see the other outcome. Now die hard fans like me, already did this on the original but this was done by restarting a new game and losing all your hard work. In this remake you can take your party of characters and go back to those important moments. This basically allows you to recruit all those members you were unable to get to form the perfect party. One other sidenote is the music. The music and sound effects are AMAZING. I remember when I was a little kid, whenever I heard music from FFVII or Xenogears it would have a great effect on me. I would get so excited to play it, and even to this day there's a sense of nostalgia. This game has THAT type of music. Although this game isn't for anyone, if strategy rpgs like Final Fantasy Tactics, Disgaea, Advanced Wars, Jeanne d'Arc, etc. are appealing to you, then you have to try this game. And if you loved the original, but you're still debating about buying the PSP remake, just remember -- It feels like a new game, plus there's characters you always wanted to recruit in the original, that you can get in the remake. I won't give it away in this review, but a simple Google and you should be able to find it.