Demiath's Unboxing, Part #20 - Tactics Ogre Premium Edition
8It might be true that war itself never changes, but that it can have a profound effect on people even far outside the actual conflict zone is demonstrated in an unusual and poignant way by Tactics Ogre (1995), which is loosely based on the bloody civil war following the breakdown of the Republic of Yugoslavia. The game's intricate, non-linear narrative has often been praised as one of the best and most mature storylines ever seen in a video game, and Tactics Ogre's status as a true classic is further reinforced by the fact that it almost singlehandedly invented a notoriously hardcore subgenre, the so-called SRPG.
Considering that designer Yasumi Matsuno was directly inspired by contemporary events on the continent, it's ironic that Tactics Ogre was never officially released in Europe (even the US had to make do with a subpar Playstation 1 port). With the release of the highly acclaimed PSP remake, it's nice to see that Square Enix not only sells the game here but also bothered to produce a Premium Edition which is exclusive to the region.
The big selling point of this (very reasonably priced) edition is the 40+ page art book, which includes a healthy dose of the game's wonderful character art. Also included is a sample disc of the equally great soundtrack and, weirdly enough, a discount voucher for Vagrant Story on the Playstation Network.