Many people think of Fire Emblem when it comes to tactical RPGs, but there’s actually a series that predates it. That series is Langrisser, and it’s sadly a bit obscure outside of Japan. Even though the series had quite the heyday back in the 16-bit and early-3D eras, most of its games never got English localizations and it kinda just went dormant entirely until about 2016 and then again until 2020 (and that was just a re-release of Langrisser I & II). Now, though, the series continues at last with Langrisser: Sea of Sword!

Those who’ve been keeping up with tactical RPGs might notice a passing resemblance to Unicorn Overlord, but the style seems to be referencing Langrisser Mobile, which released in 2019. As for what to expect, it seems that the folks over at Black Jack Studio (not the original developer by the way) are seeking to strike a balance between what Langrisser is at its core and new innovations aimed at freshening the experience up a bit.

In Langrisser: Sea of Sword, two important changes are being incorporated into the overall design. One is the incorporation of more strategy RPG elements, which to me sounds like more decisions to be made at a macro level instead of making progress purely through combat encounters. The other big change is a new two-hero system that’s replacing the old one-hero model.

This new system allows two heroes to be grouped together, which also combines their troops into a single hybrid unit. What exactly that unit and its heroes can do depends on which hero is leading and which is providing backup. Heroes also get different skills in both positions and can even perform special “unity” skills depending on the situation. Oh and their positions can be “flexibly” adjusted on the battlefield (so you can switch them on the fly, perhaps?).

The world is also continuous instead of being broken intto stages; things like terrain and height advantages come into play; battlefields are destructible, and plenty of familiar faces are set to make their return, no doubt to the delight of long-time fans. All this is to say that Langrisser: Sea of Sword is already looking like the full tactical RPG package! Here’s hoping it’s able to deliver!

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Have you played any of the Langrisser games? How does sound in comparison to games like Fire Emblem?

Image from the Steam page