Langrisser Mobile: 5 things it does better than Fire Emblem Heroes

Across the generations, the Langrisser series has done battle with Fire Emblem for control of the tactical RPG throne, and this war is about to spill over into the mobile arena.

Almost two years on from the debut of Fire Emblem Heroes on iOS and Android, developer Zlongame has taken the fight to the Nintendo franchise with the release of Langrisser Mobile in closed beta following a successful soft launch in China during the summer.

The game marks the mobile debut of this tactical RPG titan and it’s pulled out all of the stops in a bid to trump its rival on touchscreen devices. Here are five ways it succeeds…

Bigger maps than Fire Emblem Heroes

Fire Emblem Heroes is great to play in short bursts. The Nintendo title’s pint-sized, 8x6 maps were designed with brief sessions and mobile devices in mind, but they don’t cater for players who like to wire themselves in for lengthier strategy campaigns.

Langrisser Mobile doesn’t suffer from this drawback as the game boasts much larger maps with the kind of scope you might find in a console title. There are more than 300 of these expansive maps and an epic story about the birth of a new hero plays out across them.

There are multiple opportunities to shape and steer the narrative through the choices you make, and if that isn’t enough, there are also side stories which explore the lives and character development of Langrisser Mobile’s supporting heroes to play through.

Classic battles make a comeback

Although Langrisser Mobile is brimming with new content, the game also draws on the franchise’s rich history by revisiting classic battles from its past. Fan-favourite skirmishes including ‘Escape From the Capital’ and ‘The Revived Alhazard’ are back in force, and fans can relive them again and again thanks to the special Time Rift feature. Fire Emblem Heroes brought back classic characters from games past, but did not revisit classic battles.

Deeper combat mechanics

While Fire Emblem Heroes took the blueprint of its console predecessors and scaled it down into a mobile-friendly package, Langrisser Mobile’s ambitions are different. Zlongame’s aim is to bring an in-depth tactical RPG experience to tablets and smartphones. The game captures the sophistication and complexity of the Langrisser titles on home platforms.

In Fire Emblem, battles come down to how powerful your units are. Each map involves sending out a unit to take down another while avoiding the enemy’s defences. There’s little more to it than that, but Langrisser Mobile features much broader combat mechanics.

Players are forced to think about more than unit stats as terrain type can also dictate the course of skirmishes. Some units thrive in specific terrain, while others struggle, and the lay of the land is not the only thing you will need to consider. Unit combinations are also vitally important, as the way your army complements each other will also turn the tide of battle.

Every hero has a class tree

One feature which adds a meaningful layer of depth to Langrisser Mobile and gives it a tactical edge on Fire Emblem Heroes is the inclusion of class transfer trees. Nintendo and Intelligent Systems ditched this feature to make the game more streamlined, disappointing hardcore tactic RPG fans.

Langrisser Mobile makes no such concessions as the series’ class tress have been carried over from the console instalments with a touch-friendly makeover for mobile.

Class transfer trees underpin all of Langrisser Mobile’s 80 heroes and you can tweak them to suite your preferred playstyle and create an infinite number of battle combinations. For instance, if you want your troops to be able to cover a lot of ground quickly, you can train them up as High Riders, while the Marshal class is the one to choose if you need them to hold their positions more effectively.

Superior presentation

Although Fire Emblem Heroes sports a charming, no-nonsense graphical style, Langrisser Mobile goes above and beyond with its visuals. You’ll encounter details environments, from lush forests to imposing fortresses, all with striking shadow and lighting effects.

Langrisser Mobile pulls off more technologically impressive feats, and this extends to the sound. Specifically, the game comes with full voice acting (unlike Fire Emblem Heroes) so players become fully immersed in its story.

Langrisser Mobile’s closed beta is now underway on iOS and Android devices. Details about how to take part can be found on the game’s official website and Facebook page.

This article is sponsored as part of Steel Media Preferred Partners.