Langrisser one and two are the first two titles in the Langrisser series, they have had a complete overhaul on visuals and they’ve had their combat systems balanced. At face value, Langrisser one and two can’t really do too much wrong, considering the classic games are regarded so highly already the collection could have definitely hurt the series reputation, but that’s not the case here. Each game tells a self-contained story of a mighty sword named Langrisser. Players can quickly jump into either game first and still have a good idea of the story. The developer did a great job of making the two titles share similar mechanics and systems whilst also introducing additional characters and classes.
Langrisser one tells the story of Ledin, a young prince who has just had his kingdom overrun, forcing him to escape. Throughout the game you will learn more about Langrisser as you fight to reclaim his lands and avenge his loved one. The developers have also updated the story with optional paths.
Langrisser two follows Elwin, a former prince who finds himself in the middle of a heated fight against Leon of the Blue Dragon Knights. This leads him into leading the resistance against the empire. Given that he was just pulled into this, he does have some leeway on which faction he lends his aid too. However, it is possible to go back check out other factions within the story at a later point.
Both games are tactical RPGs where players move one unit at a time. At the beginning of each campaign, players can buy units that will surround the commanding character. These mercenaries aren’t strong but using them correctly will get the job done. In the later parts of the game you will have access to more units, but you are only able to hire one type of unit for each commander.
These units do affect the battles since some units are stronger against others, so if you’re going up against a group of spear enemies and only have horse units on the field you will probably end up losing. Understanding these unit types and making the best of them is key to victory. The enemy units are aggressive, but the same can’t be said for your units. Relying on the Auto move and fight options don’t work as some units will move next to an enemy before ending their turn. Other times, AI units make strange choices like attacking random units. This doesn’t happen that often, but when it does, it can be annoying.
I will say that the environments are vast and add to the layer of strategy that players will use in a mission. However, both games have similar designs, and they don’t change much between each game. Given the amount of time between each game, I would have like to see the environments change to reflect the difference in time, but they just look like the same game with different main characters.
Langrisser one and two on switch is a faithful remaster that brings two of the most important titles in the history of tactic RPGs into the here and now. The update to the visuals and illustrations make it easy for new players to get into and enjoy, but the mechanics stay loyal to the originals for originals fans. I would have enjoyed a bit more of a differentiation between the two games. Regardless, this is a great game that can offers hours of fun with unique characters and story’s that is affected by the choices you make. I would give it a: