Fire Emblem barely made it out of the 2000s alive. While its 90s entries were received well, the game had trouble staying relevant as every Japanese developer put out their own tactics-style strategy RPG. One of those competitors was Langrisser, an Emblem-style game that never really caught on internationally. Bundled together, fans can try Langrisser 1 + 2, and likely find a lot to love about this well-crafted strategy RPG game from NIS America.

What is Langrisser 1 + 2 About?

Langrisser 1 + 2 follows the story of Ledin, a prince whose castle is under siege from an evil force searching for the ever-powerful Langrisser sword. A lot of the joy of these fantasy games is the storytelling, but Langrisser 1 + 2 is fairly bland. The story is cookie-cutter but doesn’t really get in the way of the game. I guess the good news is, nothing in the narratives of these two games is cringe-worthy, just sort of boring.

You do have the option to make decisions that impact the game. That means you can play each game a few times while making different choices to get different experiences. I think the variations between paths are substantial and well worth replaying, which is huge for strategy games. Langrisser 1 + 2 nails the impact of making the player feel like they actually control the experience.

Langrisser 1 + 2 Gameplay – Is This a Fun Game?

I think the gameplay of Langrisser 1 + 2 is on par with any strategy RPG. You have characters with different weapons classes, each of which has power advantages and disadvantages over one another. You also have commanders, who are the important characters in the game’s story. Instead of always putting their lives on the line, you can hire mercenaries to fight for them, earning the commander XP without doing anything. It’s possible to lean too heavily on the mechanic, but I think it’s a fun take on battle strategy.

Other than cutscenes, battle animations are cut to a minimum for expedited play. That means as you progress through each battle, divided into chapters, you can focus on the fight instead of impatiently waiting to see your soldiers battle. I don’t really care much for cutscenes, but I actually love the included scenes in Langrisser 1 + 2. The games honestly caught me by surprise by how well all visual elements are presented. Let’s talk more about that for a moment.

Langrisser 1 + 2 Graphics and Visuals – The Game’s Selling Point

I’m a huge fan of art styles, especially in RPGs and tactics-style games. Langrisser 1 + 2 seriously nails it in the art department. What could be a simple, straightforward strategy RPG is actually increasingly enjoyable thanks to great in-battle sprite-style characters and beautiful cutscenes and visuals. If you want to enjoy the modern updates to the art, don’t do anything, however, in the settings, you can reduce things back to their 90s sounds, music, and art styles.

Famous artist Satoshi Urushihara designed the original character art, which is accessible as well as old map designs, chiptune music, and other original elements of Langrisser 1 + 2. For the modern updates, Ryo Nagi redesigned things. The artist is best known for the mech-manga and anime Heavy Object and is truly a talented artist.

Final Thoughts on Langrisser 1 + 2

I think some people will skip over Langrisser 1 + 2 out of unfamiliarity. I think it’s safe to say if you like tactics RPG games like Fire Emblem you will find a lot to love in these games. With both bundled together, there’s at least 30 hours of action included in your FIRST run-through. Add that to the tons of replayability waiting for you after one round, and I highly recommend Langrisser 1 + 2!

A Nintendo Switch review copy of Langrisser 1 + 2 was provided by NIS America for this review

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Langrisser 1 + 2

$49.99 USD

9

Score

9.0/10

Pros

• Great bundle of two wonderful games
• Great artwork, with options for modern or classic style
• Plenty of paths to take with in-game decisions

Cons

• Story is a little stale
• Only for tactics/strategy RPG fans