This is an interesting review...
very detailed. I never played Langrisser 1 for the Genesis, only it's sequel, Langrisser 2 on the SNES...and since
I like classic videogames a lot, I might consider trying it.
What I like best about your review is that you try hard to be a fair judge and argue your pro's and cons.
^^ Thank you for taking your time to write this.
Langrisser tv Review
Story & Characters
This is all in reference to the first Langrisser game for the Genesis, as there was no option to specify between all of them.
Alright, the story of this game is, to be honest, fairly under developed, but it really has a lot to do with one of the game play factors. It’s a fairly stereotypical good vs. evil style story. The characters are very unique in theory, and they all have a decent place in the story. But, as I said, that is all in theory. This is due to the death factor of the game. In this game, as soon as someone joins your team permanently, they can die permanently. Because this was an early genesis game, they didn't think to make alternate storylines taking into account dead characters. To avoid this, they completely removed any and all plot significance or speech that a character might have. So that means, once they join your party, they lose their very essence. The character's backgrounds and prejoining personality are fairly original for such an early game, but this death flaw really hurts them. Also because of this, the main character gets way too much screen time. If the main character dies, its game over, so there is no risk of not having him, so he is the only safe bet for storyline development. Hence, Garrett(Ledin in the Japanese) speaks no less than 60% of the game's lines, and that is quite a bit. Another 20% could go to a generic soldier who appears every time plot development occurs so that it doesn't seem like Garrett is talking to himself. Aside from all this . . . I think the story is very good, and the "could have been" greatness of the characters gives at least a bonus to the score I am giving it, a 5.
Rating:
Art
This game suffers from a lack of technological advance, not a lack of good art. The game's art was drawn by Satoshi Urishihara, famed hentai artist. No, this game is not hentai, but if you look at any of the official art, most of the girls are a bit . . . scantily clad, you could say. Unfortunately, this was the early Genesis, and the facial art suffers some blockiness due to having to cope with this graphics level. The in battle graphics are small and basic, but nonetheless pleasing, especially when it comes to your own characters, who are relatively more appealing looking than the enemies. As early as it is, the effects that accompany the attacks of your characters are decent eye candy. The level map art is basically the same as that of the battle graphics, so no more need be mentioned there. I give this a 6, mostly because it was very good for its time, though it lacks overall in comparison to anything modern.
Rating:
Sound
This game has one thing that always stands out to me . . . incredible music. It has some of the most catchy and addictive music I have ever encountered. The three Player's Turn themes as well as the three Enemy's Turn themes are all fairly well done. The Last Scenario music is good, and I have a special liking for the Ending Credits. The sound effects, though basic, tend to get the point across without being overly annoying. The exception to this is female screams, which are the most terrifying thing if you have the music up loud. Unfortunately, and yet again due to the quality of the Genesis and of its time, the music and sound quality are lacking, and they tend to be made up of primitive, mildly grating noises that can hurt your ears if you have the music up to loud. But, aside from this, the music quality in this game is incredible, and I give it an 8.
Rating:
Presentation
This game isn't the only one of its kind, that is for certain, but its one of the first. Its a tactical RPG, similar in style to the Fire Emblem and Advance Wars games. It shares with Advance Wars that your commanders have troops underneath of them, while it shares a general genre with Fire Emblem, a medieval, swords and magic, monsters and dragons kind of deal. The game carries with it a hidden sort of humor . . . watching your tiny insignificant troops die in flames can be very amusing, but other than that, it lacks much in game humor. I learned how to play the game by watching my friend play it, I found it very interesting to observe. The game is very playable, it doesn't take long to learn all of the rules, but it takes quite a while to get used to the actual tactics and maneuvers that an expert would need. In regards to difficulty . . . this game can be very hard. If any of your commanders dies at any time, you lose them permanently. If the main character dies, its game over, obviously. The enemies get a huge bonus over you in strength and numbers, and since there is a limited amount of experience in the game, it may take you a while to succeed in beating it. Of course . . . there is always the level skip cheat. I don't normally believe in cheating, but in this game, I find it very fun to level up my commanders to their maximum level, so I allow it in this game. I highly recommend this game to anyone who doesn't mind classic gaming, and who likes tactical RPGs.
Rating:
Final Verdict
6.3333 (average)
Reviewed by IrvineTomoe, Dec 07, 2004
Comments
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Stigma Dec 07, 2004
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adragoneatsyou Dec 10, 2004
The story gets a LOT better after the first game.
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nainoi Oct 19, 2009
very well written review.
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