Langrisser / Warsong

[The Dog of Zahan 213]

Greetings Denizens!

Any RPG fan who had a Sega Genesis should surely have heard of the Tactical RPG Warsong.

Known as Langrisser in it's native land, It's like a larger-scale version of Fire Emblem.  You have a small retinue of commanders you can deploy, and you use your in-game money to buy not new weapons, but to hire 10-man units of mercenaries to fly your banner and fight for you, up to 8 units per commander.  Each commander is the equal of many mortal mercenaries, and most trash mobs fall hopelessly to the lords if they lack the terrain or type advantage needed to win.  commanders also convey stat boosts within a certain radius of spaces to their merc units, which means you must fight cohesively and not range your hirelings too far afield, or lose the investment.  Commanders accrue XP for any units their soldiers kill, or those they kill themselves, and, like Fire Emblem, death means DEATH, and that commander is lost for the rest of the game.  I admit Warsong is hard to get into at first.  The game starts up with very little explanation of how you fight or how to escape the hopeless fall of your kingdom that serves as the game's first chapter, but the music is amazing and the graphics serve fairly well, especially when you see your forces clash to hilarious clinks and clanks, and equally hilarious death screams (hey, it's the 16-bit days).  Even more entertaining is to watch enemy troops fall helplessly to the shockwave from your commander's sword as they challenge your lords in open combat.

I bring this up because the game has been announced recently under Nintendo Life.  The first two games are being remade by the original team for PS4 and Switch in the coming year.  I'm quite excited, and hope that the game is released here in the states. It would be the first time in decades any Langrisser game made western shores, not counting Langrisser Re:incarnation Tensei (a 3DS entry, which was a sad shadow of the franchise that birthed it).

[Plattym3 2,373]

Give it a listen: https://rpgamer.com/2018/04/rpg-backtrack-episode-187-were-going-to-war/

[The Dog of Zahan 213]

14 hours ago, Plattym3 said:

Give it a listen: https://rpgamer.com/2018/04/rpg-backtrack-episode-187-were-going-to-war/

thank you! I gave it a listen for a good half hour so far.  I've also made an account on that site, now, as well.  It's DogOfZahan no spaces, with my retro-screencap pic.

[Plattym3 2,373]

thank you! I gave it a listen for a good half hour so far.  I've also made an account on that site, now, as well.  It's DogOfZahan no spaces, with my retro-screencap pic.

It's a good site for RPG info, I chat with the host of that show quite often as he's from where I live and we have many retro likes. Sadly the website editor passed away from cancer this morning. I'm actually applying to write for them. We'll see how that goes.

[The Dog of Zahan 213]

2 minutes ago, Plattym3 said:

5 minutes ago, The Dog of Zahan said:

thank you! I gave it a listen for a good half hour so far.  I've also made an account on that site, now, as well.  It's DogOfZahan no spaces, with my retro-screencap pic.

It's a good site for RPG info, I chat with the host of that show quite often as he's from where I live and we have many retro likes. Sadly the website editor passed away from cancer this morning. I'm actually applying to write for them. We'll see how that goes.

Yeah, I just put my notice of condolences in that thread.  It does seem like a nice site.  Hope you get the writer job, Platty.

[Fates 266]

31 minutes ago, Plattym3 said:

33 minutes ago, The Dog of Zahan said:

thank you! I gave it a listen for a good half hour so far.  I've also made an account on that site, now, as well.  It's DogOfZahan no spaces, with my retro-screencap pic.

It's a good site for RPG info, I chat with the host of that show quite often as he's from where I live and we have many retro likes. Sadly the website editor passed away from cancer this morning. I'm actually applying to write for them. We'll see how that goes.

Yeah, came across that on twitter. RIP.

[The Dog of Zahan 213]

Langrisser remakes are due out February 2019, as this article outlines:

http://www.siliconera.com/2018/08/29/langrisser-i-ii-remake-launches-february-7-2019-with-new-scenario-new-heroine-and-more/

No word yet on plans for a western launch, but that would make a great birthday present if it did happen.

[Fates 266]

Pretty nice of them to keep the original art in there.

[The Dog of Zahan 213]

On 9/6/2018 at 7:21 PM, Fates said:

Pretty nice of them to keep the original art in there.

I'm hoping for 3 things:

A) A US Release date.

B) Most of the game's original systems kept intact (specifically the large scale of the battles, with as many as 24 units per side).

C) Quality remixes / remasters of the original music for each game.

[The Dog of Zahan 213]

Okay!  About a year and a half later, I finally have the Collector's Edition of this game's US release!

I haven't kept up with this topic in a while, but I figure I might resurrect it in celebration of it being delivered yesterday.

The scale of the battles is slightly downgraded, but it still has dozens of units (heroes and their mercenary squads) on the field at any given time.  what changes they made to the systems of the games make it easier to parse, and easier to learn.  Less cumbersome than the original versions.  Being one who prefers Fire Emblem Shadow Dragon for DS by miles over the Famicom original for the same reason, I approve.  Old games are awesome, and I love popping them in for a nostalgia hit, but I appreciate when a remaster that sands off the roughness appears as well.

I love the remasters of the soundtrack for the most part, and the inclusion of classic and redone art is a great plus, as is the inclusion of the original Mega Drive versions of the music in the game as a toggle option in the settings.

[cprmauldin 435]

Sounds like a pretty freaking cool game. 

 

Yeah, I think a US release date would put this game on my wishlist. 

[YangustheLegendaryBandit 3,439]

2 hours ago, cprmauldin said:

Sounds like a pretty freaking cool game. 

 

Yeah, I think a US release date would put this game on my wishlist. 

There’s a recent collection that came out for Switch. It features Langrisser 1 and 2 and it has several customizable options for the player. There’s a demo for the game on the eshop. I played through Langrisser 1’s portion of the demo and it was pretty good. It’s old school Fire Emblem like (in a good way) and allows you to choose what the type of generic units works with your main characters. The demo was only a few chapters, but it gives a solid impression on the game. It’s definitely one I’d like to pick up the full game down the road.

Edited March 24 by YangustheLegendaryBandit

[cprmauldin 435]

3 hours ago, YangustheLegendaryBandit said:

There’s a recent collection that came out for Switch. It features Langrisser 1 and 2 and it has several customizable options for the player. There’s a demo for the game on the eshop. I played through Langrisser 1’s portion of the demo and it was pretty good. It’s old school Fire Emblem like (in a good way) and allows you to choose what the type of generic units works with your main characters. The demo was only a few chapters, but it gives a solid impression on the game. It’s definitely one I’d like to pick up the full game down the road.

Oh okay, I'll take a look.