To say I used to be excited to play Ways Ogre: Reborn is an understatement. I’ve been a long-time fan of the unique in addition to its 2010 remake, having performed each extensively. Once I was given the chance to play Ways Ogre: Reborn just a few days forward of its launch, I used to be keen however cautious nonetheless. The advertising behind it largely touts Reborn as an up to date model of the PSP model but in addition guarantees revised battle mechanics and different adjustments like full voice performing and a remastered soundtrack.
After spending loads of time and ruminating on the general expertise, I’m happy to say that Ways Ogre: Reborn is a remaster worthy of its title as a brand new spin on a beloved Sq. Enix traditional, and a beautiful entry level for newcomers. Nonetheless, as a lot as I loved Reborn, I feel it’s essential to notice to these extra acquainted with the unique video games, very similar to myself, would possibly discover the mechanical overhauls barely much less engaging for a revisit.
The very first thing to notice is that the story stays largely unchanged except for a spanking new translation. Ways Ogre: Reborn follows a youth named Denam who works in an area resistance group trying to combat in opposition to the occupying powers that threaten his life within the war-torn kingdom of Valeria – solely to fall additional and additional in a story of political battle and the forces that gas the battle. These conflicts deliver up fascinating views on the varied ideologies that inhabit the world. It’s due to this intimate method to the narrative that I’ll chorus from spoiling as most of the plot beats as attainable. Belief me, a lot of the gravitas in its narrative revolves across the participant expertise that stepping into blind is the very best method.
Initially, I used to be apprehensive after I heard a brand new script for the remaster was being developed given how strong the unique PSP model already was. Nonetheless, after an intensive period of time with the sport, I’m pleased to say the unique script’s sentiments and tone have largely been preserved with some components from the unique merely being reshaped or left alone totally.
It’s a pleasant approach of brushing up on some extra awkward localization selections within the authentic launch in addition to respecting the unique materials with some lovely renditions of iconic moments featured a lot later within the story. As for its accuracy with the Japanese script, there are just a few liberties taken right here in an effort to match extra in with the dense prose of its predecessors, however the tone and intent are effectively sufficient preserved that just a few odd traces actually don’t detract from the general expertise. For these taking part in with the Japanese voices and know at the least some Japanese although, it would create a little bit of a disconnect at occasions given the nuances and difficulties of rendering Matsuno’s intricate writing right here.
With that in thoughts, fairly probably the very best addition this remaster brings is fully-voiced dialogue. I alternated voice choices all through my playthrough and never solely does the voice performing selections for each languages create gratifying performances however the vocal route within the later components of the story renders some already memorable moments all of the extra fascinating.
Regardless of being very choosy over the audio facet of video video games, the therapy the soundtrack has obtained has additionally been stellar. Underneath the supervision of its authentic composer, Hitoshi Sakamoto, and the proficient workers at BASISCAPE, the sound of Ways Ogre: Reborn has been given new love in addition to some further tracks that really feel seamlessly built-in together with the story. The unique soundtrack has been fully rerecorded by way of reside instrumentation and the blending particularly is great. This all permits for the wealthy vocal textures of its intricate instrumentation to be re-experienced in a contemporary new approach that remained a significant spotlight for me all through.
Earlier than I transfer on to the gameplay, I’d prefer to first deliver up the second most contentious a part of the expertise for returning followers: the visuals. I used to be apprehensive initially upon booting up the sport because of the pattern screenshots trying like large texture smoothing. Nonetheless, after going by way of the whole lot of the sport correct, I’d say for probably the most half Ways Ogre: Reborn seems to be fairly good. Extra importantly, it’s constant all through its environments, menus and character fashions. There are components right here and there do look a bit awkward with the colour adjustments however these are far and few in between the extra notably retouched environments. The menus and textual content all have nice readability – which helps contemplating how text-heavy the sport is.
However I digress, it’s time to handle the elephant within the room: the gameplay. That is most likely probably the most contentious half for returning followers resembling myself and to place it merely, Ways Ogre: Reborn is a a lot simpler recreation than its predecessors. On one hand, you do have new enemy AI that’s much more aware of variations in terrain and participant motion patterns, however on the opposite, you might have a ton of different adjustments that make it way more handy for the participant leading to a system that’s far more forgiving of errors.
So as to add to that, random encounters are totally eliminated. Of their place are coaching battles at particular places on the world map which assist the leveling course of simply with out the consequence of items being killed in motion. The opposite two main additions are charms and buff playing cards. The previous permits extra participant management over particular person unit stats. These charms can go even so far as to affect particular person unit parts, stage and stats.
The latter nonetheless might be the largest change to the circulate of Ways Ogre: Reborn. The simplest technique to describe these buff playing cards is that they fully flip the problem of fights on their head. Every of those playing cards offers quite a lot of results resembling elevated important probability, however the situation with these playing cards, past the truth that they don’t put on off till the battle is over, is that every unit can carry as much as 4 without delay. This stat enhance can show monumental at occasions and fully trivialize encounters. There’s a sense of threat to them contemplating aiming for playing cards places you in direct battle way more incessantly, however given how good these stat buffs are it’s virtually at all times price it to go for them anyway.
Different quality-of-life options embody tools necessities being eliminated totally which makes gearing a better course of. Whereas Ways Ogre: Reborn does embody a large number of adjustments on a smaller scale just like the changes to social gathering stage and store enhancements, I felt it was extra essential to focus on these particular adjustments attributable to how a lot of an affect they’ve on the quick gameplay. For these although, these smaller adjustments embody issues like bonus goals giving further rewards, simpler battle setup configurations, and updates to ending strikes in addition to a lot extra.
Whereas these adjustments do drastically shake up the gameplay circulate in that battles are a lot faster and snappier, I’ve to emphasize that these adjustments don’t detract from the general expertise. Returning followers who loved the finely tuned issue of the unique won’t discover that right here to each the profit and detriment of the general expertise because it’s actually made this revisit quite a bit breezier comparatively.
In the long run, Ways Ogre: Reborn is a loving touch-up of an RPG traditional and total, a enjoyable and accessible entry level for newcomers with some mechanical changes which may detract from the expertise for older followers. But regardless of it being a a lot simpler expertise, I did discover that the general tradeoff was price it in the long run attributable to plentiful quality-of-life enhancements that drastically enhanced my enjoyment of this long-awaited remaster. I feel followers each new and outdated will discover quite a bit to like on this rekindled traditional whether or not it’s in its deeply gripping narrative or its participating gameplay. The return of Ways Ogre is one I’ve been patiently ready for and Ways Ogre: Reborn is an excellent return to type that satisfies that itch and extra.
Model Reviewed: PC (Steam)
Disclaimer: Evaluate code supplied by the sport’s writer Sq. Enix.