Tactical RPGs used to be one of the major genres of the past with classic titles such as Fire Emblem and Shining Force being a stable for Nintendo and Sega’s first party lineup during the console wars. Even famed JRPG publisher Square Enix released games such as Final Fantasy Tactics and Tactics Ogre.
Yet outside of the aforementioned Fire Emblem, which has now become one of Nintendo’s biggest franchises, the genre seems to be more relegated to niche audiences and remake/remasters of classic titles.
Dream Tactics might not become a major mainstream hit, given its small indie status. However, it’s got a lot of heart in its presentation from a team of members who left major company to pursue making a title they wanted to make. So the big question is, were their sacrifices worth it?
It’s evident from the start that Dream Tactics is supposed to be what’s considered a cozy experience. The simple artwork and presentation doesn’t bombard the player tons of shiny things and gameplay is slow as expected from a tactical RPG.
This is also nothing compared to the like of Fire Emblem when it comes to the weight of the situation and tone from the characters. It’s very much appropriate and targeted towards a younger audience when it comes to presentation.
The clear goal of making a game of this style also bleeds into the gameplay, at least on the default difficulty that I played on. There was never a time I felt concerned about losing a battle or member of the party from bad positioning.
Most people will likely be playing at this level, given that it’s considered the standard for those who would be trying Dream Tactics for the first time. Which could be a problem in boring the player as games of this genre need to force players to make tough decisions in the hopes they’ll succeed.
Of course, veterans to the genre might consider playing on a higher difficulty because of this. In fairness to the developers, that much is mentioned when selecting the difficulty. There’s even a hardcore mode for a real challenge.
When it comes to combat engagements, it’s more akin to a game like the Legend of Heroes franchise with their smaller scale compared to the grander scale of other titles. During our preview, much of it was walking through the limited area as I progressed to the next engagement.
That brings me to the draw of Dream Tactics, which is the card system where characters draw a hand of cards which determine the moves they can perform for that turn. There’s a reroll feature that aids against the inevitable RNG, but having a bad hand or not having the right card was rarely a problem.
This is the part that showcases the game’s tactical potential compared to its competitors. If you’re a fan of games like Yu-Gi-Oh!, Hearthstone, and other trading card games, then the deck building aspect will interest you.
Given this was an early preview demo, the options were limited. However I could tell from the cards shone that they likely have plans on allowing you to build each character’s decks to have unique builds that’ll prove interesting on the battlefield.
Yes, each card is specifically meant for a certain character, but Dream Tactics allows some level of mixing to add something for someone else that could prove useful. I hope the developers lean hard onto this aspect because it’s both interesting and will add tons of replay value for players.
I’ll admit the presentation might be a bit too fluffy for my tastes. Though it does give a nice nod towards the classic titles found on the Game Boy Advance. However it’s gameplay is looking to be deep enough for hardcore fans and their range of difficulty settings means this is looking to be a game that anyone new and old to the genre can enjoy.
Dream Tactics was previewed on PC via a code provided by Spectra Entertainment. You can find additional information about Niche Gamer’s review/ethics policy here. Dream Tactics is launching sometime in Q1 2024 for Windows PC (via Steam).
