What is Ogre Battle?

Ogre battle is an excellent war game first out for the Super NES, then for the Playstation. The playstation version is virtually the same as the SNES version, save for some name changes, a few minor dialogue changes, and a new celtic text font. The biggest difference between the two versions is the ability to save within a stage in the Playstaion version, whereas you can only save between stages in the SNES version. To me this does seem redundant, but I was able to pick up a strategy guide for it because of the Playstation's late release. The game itself revolves around your main unit beginning a rebellion against the evil Zetegenean Empire. You choose a name and sex then answer a few questions to determine what type of army you will be leading. The questions asked are determined by the random "drawing" of tarot cards by the "seer" Warren. Then you actually start your game. The game cannot really be classified, because it doesn't fall within the parameters for a role playing, except that it uses combat to gain experinece and levels to show strength of your soldiers. I would consider it a cross of RPG and war simulation.

How do I play?

In the game you utilize your forces by making them into groups of up to five different characters. You can have any combination, but you also have access to large monsters that take up two spots in your squad. Every squad must have a leader, and the skills of every member should be taken into account when making your forces. Once an army is made, you manipulate your forces by moving them around a map liberating towns and temples, and fighting against enemy forces.

What about combat?

Combat takes place in rounds. Every time one of your units meets an enemy unit, you enter a battle scene where everyone delivers a set number of hits, and then the winner is whoever did more damage. In this way, it is unlikely you will kill a group upon first encounter. The losing group is pushed back from the site of combat, or in the event of a tie, both groups are pushed back.

The good stuff.

Now that the intro is over, I'll move right into the game. If you have never played it, I recommend spending some time actually enjoying it. The game isn't hard to learn, even though it may seem like there is a lot of information to digest and virtually impossible to master. Don't be overwhelmed, it's not too difficult to pick up. The variety of actions that can be taken is huge, and you can get one of twelve different endings, so replay is a big plus. Now I'll cover the basics.

Characters

First of all, you have a number of soldier types to choose from. You begin with a few specialized units (wizards, clerics, knights, samurai, valkyrie) and a whole gob of generic units (fighters and amazons). Squads are designed from this pool of warriors,and then you go forth into an area and fight the enemy. If you are new to the game, you can upgrade your characters as they reach new plateaus of levels. A fighter has the largest possibilities, with amazons next, then monsters and others are limited in their choices.

The world

The game itself is divided into 25 different areas, with five hidden areas to explore. In each area, you have the main goal of fighting to the base and killing the boss, as well as a number of side goals that can add to your chances of a better ending. Each area has different terrain, and the enemy forces that are present are different for every level that you fight on.

Now I'll break it up into different sections for you to look at to help your game play experience.

Helpful tips and insights

• Helpful hints and tips - Some tips to help you win, and the name codes for the game
• Deep, dark secrets - Here is where you go to find out how to get the really hidden stuff
• Hidden towns, temples, and treasures - A complete list of all this stuff
• Endings - A list of what you need for the different endings in the game
• Boss List - the list of all the bosses in the game, with info about them

Character information

• Normal Characters - You get my ideas about every normal class in the game. Enjoy.
• Special Characters - Includes description of the Lord, and the powerful characters
• Class upgrades - Here's the list to decide what to make your characters
• Recruiting List - The list of which leaders can recruit which types of characters
• Attacks - Here is a list of what everyone does from their position in the squad

Basic game mechanics info

• Tarot List - Here is the complete list of tarot cards and their effects
• Items list - where to find it and what they are
• Equipment list - what it is and what it does, all the weapons and armor

Walkthroughs and FAQs

• FAQS - does it really need an explanation?
• The high road - Here is the stage by stage to get the best ending you can
• The low road - You guessed it. This is the way to get the worst ending

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