If you're jonesing for some more Fire Emblem-esque action, Langrisser has you covered

I'm not going to pretend to have played Langrisser games in their 90s heyday, though I will admit to being vaguely familiar with them. They're the epitome of 16-bit exotica, with only the 1991 original making its way out of Japan, and even then only doing so in North America and under the not-quite-so-striking title Warsong. After that the series remained in the east, where it built up a reputation as a solid alternative on Sega's platforms to Nintendo's burgeoning Fire Emblem series.

Given the rise in popularity of Fire Emblem in recent years - and especially after last year's breakout hit Three Houses introduced a whole new audience to the appeal of strategy RPGs - it makes perfect sense that publisher NISA and developer Chara-Ani would try and repeat the trick with Langrisser, and the recently-released remakes of original developer Masaya's first two games does a fine job of it too. This is a luscious package, presented with care and thought.

And they present two very robust takes on the genre, admirably untouched by more modern concerns. Which is a polite way of saying these are two very old school takes on the genre, with few of the flourishes you find in contemporary Fire Emblem - something which I'm sure many will take as a blessing. There's no tending to a curriculum, or taking time out for tea - this is purely the serious business of battle (although it's worth nothing that Langrisser 2 does introduce branching paths in its story).

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