Langrisser Mobile preview - Seminal TRPG series conquers touchscreen territory
Langrisser Mobile is set to finally break the revolutionary TRPG franchise's 20 year silence when it finally makes its way to touchscreens the world over at the end of the month.
The original Langrisser game (known as Warsong in the west) debuted on the Sega Mega Drive in 1991 and went on to spawn sequels on SNES, PC, Sega Saturn and PlayStation 2. However, none of those sequels ever received an offical release outside of Japan, so for many western gamers Langrisser has remained an unknown entity. Until now...
Set to land on iOS and Android devices on 22nd January, Langrisser Mobile is a pocketable spinoff that aims to bring an uncompromised TRPG experience to the palm of your hand. Here’s why fans should be pumped-up about its arrival on phones and tablets.
A storied history
Tactical role-playing brands don’t come much bigger than Langrisser. The franchise is easily one of the most influential in the TRPG genre and it’s made a number of major contributions to it over the years. Just for starters, Langrisser is credited with introducing soldier systems and class transfers to this gaming category.
Although the franchise has towered over the TRPG space for generations, it hasn’t reigned unopposed. Rival series Fire Emblem has been an ever-present challenger to the throne, and the war between these two genre titans is about to spill over into a new arena: mobile.
Nintendo launched Fire Emblem Heroes for iOS and Android almost two years ago, giving it a head start, but the ongoing battle for TRPG supremacy should be interesting since Langrisser Mobile will provide a fully-fledged TRPG experience on tablets and smartphones.
The full Langrisser experience on mobile
With large-scale battles, broad character customisation options and an original story to tell, Langrisser Mobile aims to be a console-quality TRPG on mobile. Developer ZLONGAME has shown plenty of ambition here, and that’s reflected in the game’s turn-based combat.
Players will have a cluster of classic TRPG units types at this disposal, including cavalry, infantry, lancers, archers and fliers, and learning the strengths and weaknesses of each one, as well as their ability to counter one another is the key to victory. For example, your cavalry units are adept at defeating infantry, but cavalry are in turn vulnerable to lancers. If you find yourself under aerial bombardment from fliers, archers can level the playing field.
In Langrisser Mobile, battles are all about tactical planning and learning the theory behind each unit type, but there are other variables you will need to take on board too, such as the terrain type. Some units, for instance, are better suited to fighting against a forest backdrop, while specialist reinforcements will be called for if the skirmish is taking place on water.
A class of its own
One of the secret weapons in Langrisser Mobile’s arsenal is class transfers and transfer trees, giving it a tactical edge over Fire Emblem Heroes, which omitted these features.
All 80 of the game’s heroes are backed by their own class trees and this allows players to develop them based on their preferred playstyle. For example, if you want your army to cover lots of ground quickly, you can develop units into High Riders, and if you’re struggling to hold strategic positions effectively, a Marshal could be just what your army needs.
One of the main benefits of having a class tree is that you can take always take a step backwards if you’re not happy with the way your character has progressed. Want to change a Magic Knight into a High Lord? No problem! And they won’t lose any of their attributes.
Langrisser Mobile will be released for Android and iOS on 22nd January. Players can pre-register for the game now by heading over to Google Play or the App Store.
This article is sponsored as part of Steel Media Preferred Partners.