Strategy RPGs have received a big boost in recent years due to the phenomenal success of Fire Emblem, which is really one of the only names around anymore. In the 90s, however, there was another series that tried to take the mantle from Nintendo, at least in Japan.
Langrisser is a strategy-RPG series that never really caught on in the West, despite having success in Japan. It takes direct inspiration from Fire Emblem, and in turn, Fire Emblem has taken a bit of inspiration from Langrisser.
The series has been mostly absent for the last twenty years, but it's about to come back with the remastered package of Langrisser I & II, and Fire Emblem fans should take note.
The first Langrisser released in 1991 on the Sega Genesis (known as the Mega Drive in Japan. It released the same year in the West and had clearly taken inspiration from Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon and the Blade of Light, which released roughly one year before Langrisser.
Langrisser uses the same grid-based style and an affinity system where certain units are strong against others, like how fliers are strong against soldiers but weak against archers. Fire Emblem would influence the further development of this affinity system when it invented the weapon triangle. Langrisser iterated upon previous titles by having commander units that lead soldiers into battle. Each battle would let you hire more units, and battles are generally on a much larger scale than something like Fire Emblem.
Despite releasing in the US much earlier than Fire Emblem, only the first Langrisser title would ever be released in the West, mostly because the first title simply didn't find a market. The last main game, Langrisser 5, was released in 1999, four years before the first Fire Emblem game would be released in the US. This is the biggest reason why no one but the strategy genre enthusiasts knows much about Langrisser, as it'd take nearly a decade for Fire Emblem to even find a fanbase in the west.
In Japan the two series would release in tandem, using very similar features and mechanics over the years. Langrisser also uses a job change system that lets heroes transform into higher classes, and both series revolve around medieval fantasy worlds torn apart by war. The two franchises each even have a mythical sword, with Falchion in Fire Emblem and the Langrisser in said series. The similarities between the two are uncanny at times. For example, both series introduced relationship systems in their respective games in 1996; Genealogy of the Holy War for Fire Emblem, and Langrisser 3. Fire Emblem would even come to use a system similar to Langrisser's core idea of hiring units for commanders. Fire Emblem: Three Houses introduces a battalion system that works similarly, with army units attached to each character that have their own HP.
The strategy-RPG genre has, traditionally, been fairly niche, but the success of Fire Emblem has opened it up to more fans than ever before. While Langrisser lay dead and unused, Fire Emblem introduced thousands of fans to that brand of strategy. Langrisser traditionally has a bigger focus on fan-service than the serious medieval settings of Fire Emblem games, but the aesthetics and worlds of the two series have obvious similarities.
These days Fire Emblem is one of the only games done in its grid-based tactical style. Other developers have dropped their own series, like Square Enix with Final Fantasy Tactics and Front Mission. Langrisser I & II, if successful, represents a chance for the strategy series to once again broaden its horizons. Fire Emblem is more popular than ever, and will probably continue to be, but there's not a lot for fans to choose from in between its releases. On top of that, it'd be interesting to see another series forward the idea of what a modern tactical strategy game can be. Langrissser I & II is a fairly straight remake that updates visuals, music, localization, and a few small story changes. However, if there was ever a chance for Langrisser to attract fans in the US, this is it.
Langrisser I & II releases on March 10, 2020, for PS4, Switch, and PC.
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