The influence of terrain on combat is often subtle, but it's very important-the type of ground your cleric is standing on could mean the difference between being able to cast a life-saving healing spell or being felled on the spot by a ruthless enemy. Weather effects, like rain that can cause water levels to rise unexpectedly, change the look of the battlefield and have a direct bearing on the gameplay. A height advantage will increase the range of bows and make your attacks more powerful, while the varying terrain types affect everything from movement range to the effectiveness of magic. This serves to highlight the diverse topography of the maps, which feature diverse terrain types and varying elevation. The color palette seems to be specifically tailored to the Game Boy Advance, lending the environments a clean and detailed look. The little details are great-the trajectory of archer's arrows is clearly depicted, and characters will strike upward or downward at foes if they're not on equal footing. Battles take place on an isometric 2D playing field that does a great job of simulating three-dimensional terrain, with the exception of the fixed perspective. Tactical combat is the focus of Tactics Ogre. Your decisions throughout will determine your path and lead you to one of several different endings-but you'll never get that far without proving yourself in the heat of battle. You begin with a straightforward objective, but the path that lies before you isn't simple. As a young knight and member of the Order of the Sacred Flame, you are part of a small detachment of troops sent to the island nation of Ovis on behalf of the Holy Lodis Empire. Rather than act like a completely original game, Tactics Ogre for the Game Boy Advance is more of a side story in the Ogre Battle saga. Tactics Ogre has a rich, interesting story. This is a complex idea, but the gameplay of Tactics Ogre truly shines, and the Game Boy Advance is a capable platform for it. The action focuses on the turn-based management and strategic command of a small group of soldiers. Like those other games, this handheld version of Tactics Ogre is very easy to recommend-its depth is comparable to that of its predecessors, making it almost unequalled for a handheld game. Descended from a noble lineage, The Knight of Lodis follows in the grand tradition of the original Tactics Ogre for the SNES, as well as the now-classic Final Fantasy Tactics for the PlayStation.