Famitsu reveals Tactics Ogre: The wheel of fate (PSP)

Famitsu promised a huge surprise for this week’s issue, and this seems to be it. Classic strategy title Tactics Ogre is being revived for release on the PSP. The new game, “Tactics Ogre: Ring of Fate” (or possibly “Wheel of Fate”) promises a “re-imagining” of gameplay systems, making it into a new game.

The staff of the original are returning for the PSP release. The staff list includes Hiroshi Minagawa as director, Yasumi Matsuno as game designer, Akihiro Yoshida and Tsubasa Masao as character designers, and Hitoshi Sakimoto and Iwata Masaji on music.

Square Enix fan site FF Reunion has little bits and pieces from an interview with the Tactics Ogre team that’s featured in this week’s Famitsu.

Here are a few points from the FF Reunion summary:

• Even though it may look like the game’s visuals haven’t changed much, they have been improved over the original. They’re trying to keep the Super Famicom-like look of the game.
• They’d actually be proud if people would say that it’s the same as the original.
• You can change the angle to view the action from above.
• The height-based play and other basic elements of the original remain in tact.
• They’re adding a number of new elements for the game parts and battle parts. The battles will be greatly changed.
• The game will have a variety of new skill-based gameplay features.
• There will be new classes.
• The battle maps character count has increased from the 10 vs 10 of the original to 12 on your side vs 18 on the enemy side, for a total of 30 characters on screen.
• This is not a “Tactics Ogre Perfect Version,” but a “rebuilding” of Tactics Ogre. It doesn’t fit within the framework of a “remake.”
• You won’t be able to use your strategies from the original for the sequel.