History VideoGame / OgreBattle

''Ogre Battle'' is a series of games created by Creator/YasumiMatsuno. The first game, ''VideoGame/OgreBattleTheMarchOfTheBlackQueen'', came out in Japan for the Super Famicom, and was later brought to the United States by Enix to the UsefulNotes/SuperNintendoEntertainmentSystem. Later was re-released and touched up a slight bit for the UsefulNotes/PlayStation by Atlus, in a "Limited Edition" package, which was ironically more numerous than the earlier SNES version.

This game was very popular in Japan for its story and well-executed, if different, gameplay. Its reception in the West was a little poorer, though; the original SNES version was skipped and was instead released on the [=PlayStation=] in the wake of Matsuno's next game, the rather-successful ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyTactics'', and was perceived to be a shallow copy of a game which was, in actuality, its own CreatorDrivenSuccessor. A [[VideoGameRemake remake]] for [[UsefulNotes/PlayStationPortable PSP]] was announced in July 2010, re-subtitled ''[[TarotMotifs Wheel of Fate]]'' in Japan but keeping 'Let Us Cling Together' in English. Its original release achieved cult status at best in America, but the re-release is thus got great reviews, with some even preferring it to ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyTactics''. A multi-platform remaster has been announced with added voice acting, entitled ''Tactic Ogre Reborn''.

The third game in the series was ''VideoGame/OgreBattle64'' for [[SuperTitle64Advance (you guessed it)]] UsefulNotes/{{Nintendo 64}}, also known as ''Ogre Battle: Person of Lordly Caliber, Episode VI''. Going back to the roots of the series, [=OB64=] featured a similar form of gameplay as ''Ogre Battle''. The hero of the game is a platoon leader named Magnus who at first works for a puppet government until eventually joining a rebellion to stop the expansion of the Lodis empire present in ''Tactics Ogre'' and mentioned in ''Ogre Battle''. Along the way, he meets (and possibly clashes) with the protagonist of the first Ogre Battle game (Now called Destin). The game ends with a very large CliffHanger; stating that the villain from the first game is about to come BackFromTheDead.

A pair of side games were also released: ''Ogre Battle: Legend of The Zenobia Prince'' for the UsefulNotes/NeoGeoPocket (in Japan only) and ''VideoGame/TacticsOgreTheKnightOfLodis'' for the UsefulNotes/GameBoyAdvance.

%% * ThreeAmigos: The Three Dragoons.

* BrickJoke / ChekhovsGunman:
** The mercenary Xapan shows up in chapter two of ''every'' version. In the lawful chapter two, he's on your side and offers to join. If you refuse, you then go separate ways...and then in chapter four, he comes back being hired to fight against you.
** The dragoon Jeunan had a DarkAndTroubledPast. Well it seems to have been behind us now...and in chapter four, it then comes ''right'' back to haunt him.

* GenderRestrictedAbility In most Ogre Battle games, each gender has it's own set of classes, with no overlap. In the Tactic Ogre games, there is some overlap.

This game was very popular in Japan for its story and well-executed, if different, gameplay. Its reception in the West was a little poorer, though; the original SNES version was skipped and was instead released on the [=PlayStation=] in the wake of Matsuno's next game, the rather-successful ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyTactics'', and was perceived to be a shallow copy of a game which was, in actuality, its own SpiritualSuccessor. A [[VideoGameRemake remake]] for [[UsefulNotes/PlayStationPortable PSP]] was announced in July 2010, re-subtitled ''[[TarotMotifs Wheel of Fate]]'' in Japan but keeping 'Let Us Cling Together' in English. Its original release achieved cult status at best in America, but the re-release is thus got great reviews, with some even preferring it to ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyTactics''. A multi-platform remaster has been announced with added voice acting, entitled ''Tactic Ogre Reborn''.

This game was very popular in Japan for its story and well-executed, if different, gameplay. Its reception in the West was a little poorer, though; the original SNES version was skipped and was instead released on the [=PlayStation=] in the wake of Matsuno's next game, the rather-successful ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyTactics'', and was perceived to be a shallow copy of a game which was, in actuality, its own SpiritualSuccessor. A [[VideoGameRemake remake]] for [[UsefulNotes/PlayStationPortable PSP]] was announced in July 2010, re-subtitled ''[[TarotMotifs Wheel of Fate]]'' in Japan but keeping 'Let Us Cling Together' in English. Its original release achieved cult status at best in America, but the re-release is thus far getting great reviews, with some even preferring it to ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyTactics''.

* MortonsFork: [[spoiler: Denam ''really'' can't win if he becomes ruler of Valeria. Chaos frame too low? Someone assassinates him. Chaos frame high? Then Lodis invades and takes over Valeria.]]

** ''Knight of Lodis'' is a little better about keeping the named characters in focus due to its much smaller cast in general as well as how there are fewer variations on the story. (ie, it's either Path A or Path B - in ''VideoGame/TacticsOgre'', you had two chapter twos and three chapter threes) However; there are still a bit of variations on the two endings if certain pairs of characters survived or not. [[spoiler: You get a special scene if Rictor and Ivanna survive - I bet you didn't know that, did you?]]

* RageAgainstTheHeavens: [[spoiler:The fallen angel Shaher's agenda in The Knight of Lodis]]

** In ''Person of Lordly Calibur'': [[spoiler:Dio]] if you lose him from your team, [[spoiler: though you must be a complete bastard to do so, making him more of a rival turned good]]. [[spoiler:Yumil]] no matter what.

--->'''Catiua''': ''I overheard him talking once. [[StarWars Search your feelings, Denam. You know it to be true...]]''

* FalseFlagOperation: [[spoiler: In Tactics Ogre, whether or not Denam takes part in this determines his path through the rest of the game. Somewhat surprisingly, choosing to slaughter the town is the ''lawful'' choice.]] [[spoiler: It's lawful because you're upholding the rules of your government. Therefore, the choice here is between LawfulNeutral and ChaoticGood.]]

* AscendedExtra: Some generic enemy leaders are given Warren Report entries in the PSP remake, most prominently Mordova (previously a witch, now a Necromancer), and Hektorr (originally named Didario, this was his first name, and he's now linked further with Nybeth's story).
%% * TheAtoner: The Dragoon Jeunan in Tactics Ogre.

* TheAtoner: The Dragoon Jeunan in Tactics Ogre.
* BlackKnight: The class "Evil One" is also translated as "Black Knight."

* BloodKnight: Eurynome Rhade from 64 is this a bit.

* BrickJoke / ChekhovsGunman: The mercenary Xapan shows up in chapter two of ''every'' version. In the lawful chapter two, he's on your side and offers to join. If you refuse, you then go separate ways...and then in chapter four, he comes back being hired to fight against you.

* FakeUltimateMook: The Golem units in most of the games. They have inherently high strength (and, in the front row, deliver three crushing punches) and can easily withstand most physical damage. However, they have pitiful HP, and are easily slain by one or two Fire-elemental spells.
** They make nice platforms to get your troops to higher ground in the Tactics games.
* FalseFlagOperation: [[spoiler: In Tactics Ogre, whether or not Denam takes part in this determines his path through the rest of the game. Somewhat surprisingly, choosing to slaughter the town is the ''lawful'' choice.]]
** [[spoiler: It's lawful because you're upholding the rules of your government. Therefore, the choice here is between LawfulNeutral and ChaoticGood.]]

* HotBlooded: Dio
* KarmaMeter: Three kinds: a meter that sums up your army's overall reputation with the people, and the "alignment" and "charisma" stats for individual units. Alignment goes up (tending towards the just and holy) when a character defeats a lower-aligned enemy (tending towards the brutal and wicked), and vice versa. Charisma, meanwhile, goes up by killing higher-leveled foes - who doesn't love an underdog?
** This does make the high-CHA, low-ALI classes difficult to qualify for: most "evil" units will breeze through battles by slaughtering fairies and clerics, quickly outleveling the enemy armies and making themselves look like bullies in the process.

* MagicIsMental

* MeaningfulName: Sirius.

*** Justifiable with Shiven, see FridgeBrilliance above.
* OrderVersusChaos

* {{Pun}}: [[http://www.history-matters.com/archive/contents/wc/contents_wr.htm Warren Report]].

* ShoutOut: Yasumi Matsuno loves the band Music/{{Queen}}. Both "Ogre Battle" and "March of the Black Queen" are the name of Queen songs, and the stage "The Rhyan Sea" is a reference of the Queen song "Seven Seas of Rhye". The subtitle of Tactics Ogre, "Let Us Cling Together", is another Queen song (it's the subtitle of "Teo Toriatte").

* SquishyWizard: Wizard units deal excessive amounts of damage, but tend to die easily.
** Depending on the game, in ''Knight of Lodis'', they aren't entirely that good. ''Sirens'', on the other hand...

* StoryBranching: ''VideoGame/TacticsOgre'', ''Ogre Battle'', and ''VideoGame/TacticsOgreTheKnightOfLodis'' all have branching stories that terminate a single ending, though ''Ogre Battle'' gave you an additional ending based on your alignment and actions.

* ThoseTwoGuys: Mirdyn and Gildas in Tactics Ogre
* ThreeAmigos: The Three Dragoons.

* BlackKnight: The class 'Evil One' is also translated as 'Black Knight'.
** Carth from Videogame/OgreBattle64.

* ElementalRockPaperScissors: Videogame/OgreBattle64 added the Earth element to oppose thunder, and renamed the evil element "Bane".

* MultipleEndings : A staple of the series. Videogame/OgreBattle64 seems to indicate that the real ending of the first game [[spoiler:is the 100% good one, with your character giving the throne to the rightful heir.]]

* StoryBranching: ''VideoGame/TacticsOgre'', ''Ogre Battle'', and ''VideoGame/TacticsOgreTheKnightOfLodis'' all have dranching stories that terminate a single ending, though ''Ogre Battle'' gave you an additional ending based on your alignment and actions.

* TookALevelInKindness: Deneb, who became less evil with every game. In ''VideoGame/OgreBattleMarchOfTheBlackQueen'' she was an absolutely evil witch, known for kidnapping and torturing people ForScience and so utterly horrible that ''not'' killing her in cold blood was considered an act of ''evil''. In ''[[VideoGame/TacticsOgre Tactics Ogre: Let Us Cling Together]]'' she was just a servant of Nybeth, probably a bad guy but not given nearly as much emphasis on it. By ''VideoGame/TacticsOgreTheKnightOfLodis'' she was an eccentric but non-evil and even quite charming witch (oh, excuse us, "Witch♥") who ran a traveling magic shop, a role she reprised for the PSP remake of ''Let Us Cling Together''. Interesting to note that Knight of Lodis took place decades before Ogre Battle.

* ShoutOut: Yasumi Matsuno loves the band Music/{{Queen}}. Both "Ogre Battle" and "March of the Black Queen" are the name of Queen songs, and the stage "The Rhyan Sea" is a reference of the Queen song "Seven Seas of Rhye". The subtitle of Tactics Ogre, "Let Us Cling Together", is another Queen song.

The series's next installment, ''[[VideoGame/TacticsOgre Tactics Ogre: Let Us Cling Together]]'' (Episode VII), was the final game made by Matsuno before he left for other pastures. ''Tactics Ogre'' differed widely from ''Ogre Battle'': it was far less open-ended, it did not take place on Xenobia, it was a TurnBasedStrategy and focused on a much smaller group of people. ''Tactics Ogre's'' story followed Denam, his sister Catiua, and his friend Vyce as they joined a rebellion against a totalitarian regime run by Cardinal Balbatos. They soon were caught in the web of political intrigue, and forced to make unimaginable sacrifices for the freedom of their kinsmen. The storyline has multiple branches, and the choices Denam makes affect the state of the world around him, and the fates of him and his friends. It touches on the themes of class warfare, democratic reform, et cetera, and continues in the direction throughout, unlike its many counterparts which swerve into the direction of Magic Stones.

This game was very popular in Japan, for its story, and well-executed, if different, gameplay. Its reception in the West was a little poorer, though; the original SNES version was skipped and instead it was released on the [=PlayStation=] in the wake of Matsuno's next game, the rather-successful ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyTactics'', and was perceived to be a shallow copy of a game which was, in actuality, its own SpiritualSuccessor. A [[VideoGameRemake remake]] for [[UsefulNotes/PlayStationPortable PSP]] was announced in July 2010, re-subtitled ''[[TarotMotifs Wheel of Fate]]'' in Japan but keeping 'Let Us Cling Together' in English. Its original release achieved cult status at best in America, but the re-release is thus far getting great reviews, with some even preferring it to ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyTactics''.

The third game in the series was ''VideoGame/OgreBattle64'' for [[SuperTitle64Advance (you guessed it)]] UsefulNotes/{{Nintendo 64}}, also known as ''Ogre Battle: Person of Lordly Caliber, Episode VI''. Going back to the roots of the series, [=OB64=] featured a similar form of gameplay as ''Ogre Battle''. The hero of the game is a platoon leader named Magnus who at first works for a puppet government until eventually joining a rebellion to stop expansion of the Lodis empire, present in ''Tactics Ogre'' and mentioned in ''Ogre Battle''. Along the way he meets (and possibly clashes) with the protagonist of the first Ogre Battle game (Now called Destin). The game ends with a very large CliffHanger; stating that the villain from the first game is about to come BackFromTheDead.

The series's next installment, ''[[VideoGame/TacticsOgre Tactics Ogre: Let Us Cling Together]]'' (Episode VII), was the final game made by Matsuno before he left for other pastures. ''Tactics Ogre'' differed widely from ''Ogre Battle'': it was far less open-ended, it did not take place on Xenobia, it was a TurnBasedStrategy and focused on a much smaller group of people. ''Tactics Ogre's'' story followed Denam, his sister Catiua, and his friend Vyce as they joined a rebellion against a totalitarian regime run by Cardinal Balbatos. They soon were caught in the web of political intrigue, and forced to make unimaginable sacrifices for the freedom of their kinsmen. The storyline has multiple branches, and the choices Denam makes effect the state of the world around him, and the fates of him and his friends. It touches on the themes of class warfare, democratic reform, et cetera, and continues in the direction throughout, unlike its many counterparts which swerve into the direction of Magic Stones.

What made this game different from other Strategy {{RPG}}s of the time, such as ''VideoGame/FrontMission'' and ''Franchise/FireEmblem'', was a RealTimeStrategy presentation, as well as its open endedness. One started out as a leader of a rebellion against an evil empire, who with the help of a seer named Warren tries to save, or conquer Xenobia. Depending on how one plays the game, one's reputation can have him be seen as evil - and he can create a kingdom far worse than the empire he toppled. On the opposite spectrum, he can also be seen as an example of pure good, and even go as far as to give up the throne to its rightful heir.

* FourIsDeath: The Four Devas (Debonair, Figaro, Previa and Luvalon) plays this straight. Subverted in the Four Sisters because they're not bad guys per se, except that Sherri starts out as an enemy.

* CharacterAlignment: [[invoked]] Usually, the Lawful-Chaotic axis is present in most games. In the first game, it's more Good-Evil, and measured on a KarmaMeter both for your individual units and for your revolution as a whole.