Opinion: Ogre Battle 64: Person Of Lordly Caliber’s Revolutionary Heart Still Burns Brightly

Has it truly been 25 years? Indeed, my seasoned companions, it has. Back in the year of our lord 2000 (or 1999 if you hail from Japan), if you weren’t still recovering from the aftermath of Y2K (still can’t believe nothing came of it) you may have been utterly engrossed in one of the few genuinely remarkable RPGs on the Nintendo 64. Because you are an individual of noble status. A top-of-the-line model. No compromises on the premium components in your recipe, champ.

Ogre Battle 64: Person of Lordly Caliber, apart from boasting an outstanding title, is also a game that had me — and I’m certain numerous other veteran N64 players as well — fixated on my CRT display when I ought to have been at the club dancing to…well, an S Club 7 remix or something similar.

This real-time strategy gem from Quest (which merged into Square Enix in 2003) sees players invade the Holy Lodis Empire, where a group of villains is subjugating the populace. It’s your responsibility, through some delightful combat, to raise the banner of revolution and fight back for the people’s welfare. Hey, we should consider doing that in real life sometime!

The N64 had a scant few exceptional RPG offerings of this kind for players to relish, and certainly in comparison to other consoles of that era, so it’s fortunate that Quest knocked it so far out of the park we ultimately awarded it a 10/10 here at Nintendo Life. Heck, that’s one more than we rated the inaugural game, 1993’s Ogre Battle: March of the Black Queen, and the same score we assigned to the illustrious Tactics Ogre: Let Us Cling Together (both evaluations for the Virtual Console iterations, of course).

There’s a fantastic blend here of a first-rate narrative and a combat system that excels. In fact, having devoted some hours to reacquaint myself with it recently, it remarkably remains highly engaging and enjoyable even today, despite its distinctly vintage Nintendo 64 aesthetics and sounds. Perhaps that’s a positive!

For an adventure that features no voice acting (as per Nintendo, it was already the second-largest N64 title, so luckily they didn’t attempt to cram that in) while presenting its surprisingly impactful story entirely in-game rather than through clunky cutscenes, Ogre Battle 64 thrives because it wisely chooses to stay grounded. Well, as grounded as something named Ogre Battle can be; its narrative remains relevant, addressing political matters and issues that are still of consequence today. It is direct, it gets to the heart of the matter, and it complements the action flawlessly.

Set in the mining settlement of Palatinus, the game unfolds the saga of individuals who have been mistreated and forced into labor under dreadful conditions to the extent that they eventually rebel against the empire that’s oppressing them. Magnus (that’s the character you control) is initially sent as part of a force dispatched to suppress revolutionary unrest. However, things don’t quite go according to the Military’s blueprint…

From this point, there are ample twists and turns to maintain your interest, and it’s quite remarkable to witness how adeptly some of the more challenging subjects are addressed. The narrative keeps things realistic without sugarcoating, providing an emotional core that keeps everything running smoothly.

All of this is tied to thrilling battles of the Ogre Battle kind. The real-time skirmishes here involve dispatching your petite little troops (up to 50 men, women, and creatures total by the conclusion), composed of the usual assortment of classes, to locations to collect treasures, conquer settlements, and engage in combat along the way. You organize your troop selections into a unit or “legion,” positioning class-types that perform best at the front and back, and designating a leader. These legions then clash with enemy factions.

Once you’ve received your commands at the commencement of each mission, you’ll embark on accomplishing an objective, and the game is quite free-spirited in allowing you to reach this in your manner. Battles commence spontaneously as you encounter foes, the action unfolds automatically, and it falls upon you to ensure your units are arranged in a manner that gives them the best opportunity to prevail.

There’s substantial depth here, with numerous tactics and abilities to exploit against your adversaries; you don’t even necessarily have to physically defeat the foe, just exert enough force to push them back and prevent them from gaining any ground, as you strive to capture strongholds and control the map you’re inhabiting by taking over towns and so on. The reality that battles are in real-time adds a sense of urgency, and you can feel the tension as you endeavor to keep elements moving in your favor. This is further enhanced by an astute ‘Alignment’ system, where your choices and actions determine one of three endings that you encounter.

Are you a person of integrity who spares a defeated enemy, or are you a touch of a bloodthirsty rogue? Alignment even affects the towns and settlements you conquer, as each possesses its own alignment rating. When you match this, you’ll be perceived as having liberated the inhabitants, rather than merely having captured them through force.

This contributes substantial replay value and thoughtful deliberation to proceedings, especially for individuals who genuinely immerse themselves in the story. And immerse yourself you ought to, because, alongside the enjoyable combat, it’s truly the narrative and its approach to political themes that keeps this title at the pinnacle as a classic. Ogre Battle 64 doesn’t shy away from contentious issues; it encourages you to ponder morals, and consequently, it has much more to convey politically than many contemporary efforts seem concerned with.

Is it still worthwhile to experience today? Absolutely. If you can overlook the slightly aged visuals and underwhelming audio, there’s a lot to endorse here, with captivating gameplay and a story that ignites the old revolutionary spirit. Not that you’d require much assistance with that these days, most likely.

Played Ogre Battle 64: Person of Lordly Caliber? Share your thoughts about it! (If you can still recall)