Langrisser II
Langrisser II is a tactical role-playing video game developed by Masaya and published by NCS for the Sega Mega Drive, originally released in Japan on August 26, 1994.[1][2] As the sequel to Langrisser (known internationally as Warsong), it features turn-based strategy gameplay where players command armies of units led by generals, managing troop recruitment, equipment, and tactical movements across grid-based maps to achieve scenario objectives.[3][1] The game's narrative centers on a young knight named Elwin who uncovers a conspiracy involving ancient swords and imperial conquests in a fantasy world plagued by war, with multiple branching story paths influenced by player decisions that affect alliances, character development, and endings.[3] Notable for its innovative unit-based combat system—where battles occur automatically between opposing forces but can be influenced by spells and positioning—Langrisser II emphasizes strategic depth and replayability through its scenario designs and class promotion mechanics for characters.[3][4] The game received a Super Famicom remake titled Der Langrisser in 1995, which included adjusted difficulty, additional scenarios, and new artwork while retaining the core gameplay.[5] A high-definition remaster of Langrisser I & II, developed by Chara-Ani and published by NIS America, was released worldwide for PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, and PC on March 10, 2020, featuring updated visuals, re-orchestrated music, and quality-of-life improvements like auto-battle options.[6][7]Gameplay
Battle system
Langrisser II employs a turn-based tactical combat system played on grid-based maps, where players alternate turns with the AI opponent to maneuver units and engage in battles. Each map features varied terrain that impacts movement costs, defensive bonuses, and attack ranges; for example, forests provide a +20% defense bonus while costing 1 movement point for foot units and 3 for mounted units, whereas rivers offer 0% defense and higher movement costs (3 for foot, 4 for mounted), and mountains grant +25% defense with 2 movement for foot and 3 for mounted. Flying units ignore terrain effects entirely and receive a consistent +25% bonus.[8] Unit deployment occurs prior to each scenario, with limits determined by the protagonist Elwin's leadership capacity, which begins low and increases as he levels up, alongside available gold funds that restrict the number and types of mercenaries hired. Commanders, including Elwin, can deploy up to a set number of mercenary squads within their command radius, typically 2-5 spaces, where proximity grants attack and defense bonuses to those units (e.g., +3 attack and +1 defense from Elwin early on). Mercenaries must remain adjacent or within range to benefit from these buffs, and losing a commander causes their attached units to disband.[8][9] Combat resolution incorporates a weapon triangle among troop types, where spears gain +10 attack and defense against mounted units like cavalry, soldiers (infantry) receive +5 against spear units, and horsemen hold +5 against soldiers, creating a rock-paper-scissors dynamic that encourages diverse army composition. Class matchups further influence outcomes, such as archers gaining +10 attack against fliers or monks +10 attack and defense versus dark units. Damage calculations factor in these advantages, unit health, and commander HP, with weakened commanders dealing reduced damage (e.g., full-health maximum of 10, dropping to 5 at 1 HP). Scenarios include multiple branching paths determined by player choices during deployment or mid-battle decisions, such as allying with factions or pursuing objectives, which alter enemy spawns, reinforcements, and available routes without affecting core combat rules.[8][9] The magic system integrates elemental spells accessible via specific classes, including offensive options like Meteor (8 MP cost, 10 range, high area damage scaling with caster level) and supportive spells for healing or status effects, with damage mitigated by magic defense gear like robes. Summoning mechanics allow eligible classes, such as summoners, to call neutral units like golems (high attack power) or dragons using MP and special items (e.g., Iron Array for elementals), providing temporary allies with stats like 22 attack and 20 defense that fight independently but require maintenance. These elements tie into class progression, where experience from kills or spell casts enables upgrades.[8][10]Character progression and classes
In Langrisser II, characters progress primarily through experience points earned during battles, where defeating enemy units grants EXP to participating commanders and their troops. Upon accumulating sufficient EXP, characters level up, resulting in automatic increases to core stats such as hit points (HP), attack (AT), defense (DF), magic points (MP), movement (MV), and command range (CR). These enhancements scale with the character's class, providing gradual improvements in combat effectiveness and tactical versatility.[11][12] The class change system allows characters to evolve into more advanced roles at predetermined levels, typically around level 10 for initial changes and higher thresholds for subsequent tiers, up to a maximum of five class levels. This progression features branching paths that diversify unit capabilities, such as a basic Fighter advancing to Knight and then to either the light-aligned Paladin for enhanced healing and anti-demon prowess or the chaos-aligned Dark Knight for aggressive melee damage. Class changes are permanent and retain equipped items, but they alter available troop types and stat growth rates, emphasizing strategic planning for long-term army composition.[11][13] Recruitment expands the roster beyond initial allies, with additional commanders joining through predefined story events or by player choices during branching paths, integrating them into the player's forces. Neutral mercenaries can also be hired using gold currency earned from victories, selected from a menu before each scenario for temporary deployment; these units, such as soldiers or archers, cost varying amounts (e.g., 40 gold for basic infantry) and provide flexible support without permanent commitment.[8] The game's alignment system divides progression into Light, Chaos, and Neutral (including Imperial and Independent) paths, determined by key player choices that lock in narrative branches early on. This mechanic profoundly influences class evolution, with Light alignments unlocking holy and guardian-summoning roles, Chaos enabling demon-pacted and dark magic classes, and Neutral offering balanced or imperial-themed options; it also gates certain recruitable characters and leads to distinct endings, such as a Light victory focused on purging evil forces.[14][15] Equipment plays a crucial role in fine-tuning stats and abilities, with weapons, armor, and accessories directly boosting parameters like attack or magic resistance while being restricted by class compatibility. Among these, the holy sword Langrisser enhances light-aligned wielders with abilities to summon protective guardians, whereas its dark counterpart Alhazard empowers chaos users by channeling destructive mana and demonic forces, often providing superior raw power at the risk of alignment conflicts.[15]Plot
Setting and lore
The world of Langrisser II is situated on the planet Gaia, a habitable realm resembling Earth but marked by dual moons, Crimzo and Pelia, and a history of divine conflict between light and chaos. This ditheistic cosmology centers on the goddess Lushiris, deity of light and creation, worshipped primarily by humans, and Chaos, the god of destruction embodied by demons and dark forces. The narrative unfolds centuries after the events of Langrisser I, on the continent of El Sallia, where the once-mighty Kingdom of Baldea—former seat of the light's champions—has faded into legend and ruins, leaving a power vacuum filled by ambitious human empires and resurgent demonic threats.[16][17] Central to the lore are the twin legendary swords: Langrisser, the holy blade forged by light's descendants to counter chaos, bound originally to the soul of Sieghart, the first king of Elthlead (later Baldea), and serving as an avatarial tool for Lushiris; and Alhazard, its dark counterpart, a weapon of immense destructive power controlled by Chaos through demonic proxies and fallen souls like Böser. These artifacts symbolize the eternal struggle, with Langrisser granting dominion over light forces and Alhazard empowering the demon tribe, perpetuating cycles of war across Gaia's lands. The post-Langrisser I era sees lingering instability from the defeated Dalsis Empire, as imperial ambitions—exemplified by the expansionist Rayguard Empire—clash with demonic incursions, while regions like the peaceful dukedom of Salrath and allied kingdoms such as Kalxath resist annexation and seek to safeguard ancient prophecies.[16][17] Factions in this world divide along ideological lines, with human societies split between loyalists to emerging empires like Rayguard, which pursues unification through conquest, and independent holdouts preserving local autonomy amid the ruins of older powers like Baldea. The demon tribe, led by Chaos's avatars, represents an existential threat, allying opportunistically with human betrayers to reclaim Alhazard and unleash widespread devastation. Overarching alignments—light (devoted to Lushiris and the Langrisser lineage), imperial (aligned with empire-building human rulers), independent (neutral forces prioritizing balance or self-preservation), and chaos (pacts with demons for power)—shape geopolitical dynamics, allowing divergent paths that influence alliances, betrayals, and the continent's fate without a singular heroic mandate.[16][17]Story summary
Langrisser II follows the journey of the protagonist Elwin, a wandering swordsman and descendant of light, who begins his adventure by defending a village in the Dukedom of Salrath from the forces of the Rayguard Empire seeking a young woman named Liana.[8][17] This encounter draws Elwin into a larger conflict, where he must navigate alliances and oppositions with Emperor Bernhardt, the ambitious leader of the Rayguard Empire, as they confront invading demon forces threatening the continent.[18] Throughout the narrative, Elwin's choices early in the story determine one of four branching paths—Light, Imperial, Independent, or Chaos—each leading to distinct alliances, betrayals, and endings, with the Chaos route involving pacts with demonic entities.[19] The main arcs revolve around the empire's aggressive conquests of neighboring nations, assaults on the demon realm to stem otherworldly invasions, and interventions by the goddess Lushiris, who provides divine guidance or engages in subtle manipulations depending on the route.[8] Key conflicts center on Elwin's evolving relationship with Bernhardt, who can serve as a mentor in the Imperial path or a formidable rival in others, while Lushiris influences events tied to the holy swords Langrisser and Alhazard, whose unification or opposition drives the plot's climax.[18] These elements culminate in epic battles over the swords' power, shaping the world's fate amid imperial ambitions and supernatural threats.[19] The original game features over 35 scenarios across its paths, with additional secret maps unlocked through specific conditions such as alignment choices or completion of certain routes, expanding the narrative's replayability and depth.[8]Characters
Playable characters
Elwin serves as the protagonist and central commander in Langrisser II, a young swordsman descended from the lineage of light who wields the sacred sword Langrisser, which influences the game's alignment paths through his moral choices.[20] Beginning as a Fighter class, Elwin exhibits strong attack growth with base stats including 23 ATK and +1 attack growth bonus, allowing versatile progression to advanced classes like Highlander or Sword Master, ultimately reaching Hero for enhanced leadership and troop command abilities such as Resist and Blast spells.[21] His background involves avenging his father's death while uncovering a destiny tied to preventing the demon lord Bozel's resurrection, making him the key decision-maker in branching narratives.[20] Hein, Elwin's steadfast childhood companion from a peaceful village, functions as the primary early-game mage with a focus on dark sorcery.[20] Recruited automatically in the first scenario, he starts as a Warlock with high MP and enabling rapid access to elf troops and powerful offensive spells like Meteor and Blizzard upon advancing to Archmage or Zarvera.[20] Hein's loyalty drives story-specific dialogues that reinforce alliances, and his quick learning curve provides essential magical support against undead and demonic foes.[20] Leon, an honorable cavalry commander leading the Blue Dragon Knights of the Rayguard Empire, represents imperial loyalty and strategic depth as a recruitable ally exclusive to the Empire alignment path.[20] He joins automatically if the player chooses the Empire path at the end of Scenario 7, bringing knight-class expertise with high mobility and defensive bonuses, ideal for mounted charges and spells like Blizzard.[22] His background as a warm-hearted tactician adds narrative weight to choices involving imperial forces, emphasizing themes of redemption and honor.[20] Riana, a compassionate cleric and twin sister to the antagonist Larna, offers vital healing and support as an early-game recruit in Scenario 2.[20] Starting with cleric classes, she features MP-focused growth and abilities like Charm and Teleport, paired with angel or monk troops for restorative roles.[20] Her recruitment involves protecting her during the escape objective in the Besieged Manor scenario, and her dialogues highlight familial bonds influencing light-aligned resolutions.[8] Scott, the son of a noble tactician, acts as a reliable frontline tank with cool-headed demeanor and political insight.[20] Joining early in Scenario 2, he begins as a Fighter with balanced stats and prefers knight progressions to Royal Guard, granting Protection spells and phalanx troops for defensive formations.[8] Scott's unique traits include enhanced endurance against infantry, making him indispensable for holding positions in varied terrains.[20] Other notable allies include Sherry, a tomboyish princess of Kalxath who joins in Scenario 3 as a versatile fighter with +1 attack growth bonus and progression to Silver Knight for aerial command; Aaron, her elderly mentor recruited alongside her, specializing in magic knight hybrids with high endurance; Keith, Sherry's aerial captain ward, offering dragon rider mobility and healing support from Scenario 3; Lester, a harsh guardian of the Raar River joining via light paths with serpent knight defenses (+2 defense growth bonus); and Jessica, an ancient summoner historian recruited in Scenario 14 for meteor-level magic and elemental summons via light-aligned paths.[20] Larna, Riana's mind-controlled twin, becomes playable post-rescue with cleric-to-agent advancement emphasizing teleportation and meteor spells.[20] Recruitment in Langrisser II varies by alignment route, with light paths favoring holy descendants like Sherry and Aaron, empire routes unlocking Leon and imperial knights, and chaos paths potentially allying demon-influenced units such as dark variants of Larna or monster commanders, though core protagonists like Elwin and Hein remain constant.[20] The original Mega Drive version features 11 core playable characters with gender and class diversity, including male knights, female mages, and mixed support roles, with additional route-specific ones bringing the total to around 18; remakes retain a similar roster of named playable characters, with expanded scenarios but no major increase through branches or mercenaries.[20][23] Each character's preferred classes and stat growth rates, such as Elwin's leadership or Hein's spell potency, interact with story dialogues to shape route outcomes without altering base mechanics.[20]Non-playable characters
Kaiser Bernhardt serves as the primary human antagonist in Langrisser II, depicted as the charismatic emperor of the Rayguard Empire who ambitiously seeks to acquire the holy sword Langrisser and its counterpart Alhazard to dominate the continent.[24] His leadership drives the imperial forces in their conquests, often positioning him as a formidable rival or temporary ally depending on the player's chosen path, while commanding loyalty from elite officers who execute his strategic visions.[17] The Goddess Lushiris embodies the divine force of light, guiding protagonists along the path of order and peace but intervening sparingly in mortal affairs, which lends her motives an air of ambiguity as the story unfolds.[24] As the guardian deity associated with the Sacred Sword Langrisser, she influences key events through visions or blessings, representing the overarching theme of light versus chaos in the series' lore.[6] Among the demonic forces, Bozel acts as the central demon leader and avatar of Chaos, portraying a cruel and chaotic dark prince who orchestrates invasions with unrelenting malice to plunge the world into destruction.[24] His subordinates include a mysterious girl, a powerful sorceress who commands demonic legions, as well as recurring threats like dark elves and summoned beasts that serve as elite foes in boss encounters and advance the narrative of infernal conquest.[24] The Chaos God itself, worshipped by demons as a deity of stagnation and ruin, manifests during pivotal moments to escalate the conflict between light and darkness.[24] Supporting the imperial storyline are minor non-playable figures such as route-specific imperial officers, including the honorable Blue Dragon Knight Leader, the cunning Black Dragon Mage Leader, the proud Ice Dragon General, and the brave Flame Dragon General, who provide exposition on military tactics and occasionally offer quests that reveal deeper lore about the empire's ambitions.[24] Village leaders and captured commanders appear sporadically as neutral or adversarial NPCs, delivering dialogue on regional conflicts or serving as temporary obstacles that highlight the war's impact on civilians, though many such encounters tie into broader plot progression without direct player control.[17] These non-playable characters collectively fulfill roles as antagonists in intense boss battles, lore expositors through interactions, and drivers of the branching narrative, emphasizing themes of ambition, divinity, and infernal temptation without overlapping into controllable allies.[24]Development
Original development
Langrisser II was developed by Team Career, an internal development team at Masaya Games—a publishing label of Nippon Computer Systems (NCS)—specifically for the Sega Mega Drive console. The project was directed by Shinjiro Takada, who oversaw the expansion of the series' core tactical RPG framework established in the original Langrisser. Masaya's prior strategy titles, such as Elthlead and Gaia no Monshou, served as foundational influences, with key designer Masayuki Suzuki contributing to game systems, character designs, story elements, level layouts, and overall balance.[25][26][27] As a direct sequel, Langrisser II aimed to deepen the tactical elements of its predecessor by enhancing unit-based combat and strategic depth, responding to positive reception of the first game's strategic depth, as evidenced by its strong magazine scores in the 80s range and awards like "Best Strategy Videogame" in 1992. The game featured a larger cast of characters, including returning figures from earlier Masaya projects, and introduced new unit types like summoners to diversify combat tactics.[27][8] Technical constraints of the 16-bit Mega Drive hardware necessitated sprite-based graphics for units, resulting in super-deformed soldier animations during battles and enhanced character portraits compared to the original Langrisser. The title features 27 main scenarios in a linear structure, with 4 additional secret scenarios unlockable under specific conditions. These elements emphasized strategic decision-making over linear progression.[18][8][28] Development challenges centered on achieving a high difficulty level to heighten tactical engagement, with the original version noted for its punishing balance that demanded precise unit management and foresight, in contrast to subsequent adaptations. The game targeted the Japanese market exclusively, forgoing Western localization owing to the perceived niche appeal of tactical RPGs abroad at the time.[18][27]Remakes and ports
The first major remake of Langrisser II came in 1995 with Der Langrisser for the Super Famicom, developed and published by Masaya.[29] This version significantly reduced the original's high difficulty level, making battles more accessible while preserving the core tactical RPG mechanics.[18] It introduced branching narrative paths based on protagonist Elwin's moral choices, allowing players to align with factions like the Descendants of Light, the Rayguard Empire, the Demon Tribe, or form an independent group, which added replayability and addressed the original Mega Drive release's linear storyline.[29] Graphics saw slight enhancements, including improved sprite details and animations compared to the 1994 original, along with an alignment system tracking player decisions to affect unit recruitment, class progression, and story resolution.[18] In 1996, Masaya released Der Langrisser FX for the PC-FX, a direct port of the Super Famicom remake that leveraged the console's CD-ROM capabilities for superior audiovisual presentation.[29] This version retained the branching paths and reduced difficulty but added animated cutscenes, full voice acting for dialogue, and enhanced CD-quality audio tracks, providing a more cinematic experience than its predecessor.[18] Higher-resolution character portraits and reduced lag during battles further improved performance over the Super Famicom edition, though core gameplay remained faithful to Der Langrisser.[30] An unlockable "hard mode" after completion rewrote dialogues in a comedic, drunken style for added variety.[18] Subsequent ports in the late 1990s focused on compiling Langrisser II with its predecessor in enhanced collections, emphasizing quality-of-life improvements without overhauling the remade structure from Der Langrisser. The 1997 PlayStation release, bundled as Langrisser I & II Dramatic Edition, incorporated graphics and branching paths from the Super Famicom version while adding voice acting to story sequences and a new orchestral soundtrack.[31] It introduced save states and faster battle animations as minor tweaks for modern hardware.[31] The 1998 Sega Saturn port, also titled Langrisser: Dramatic Edition, mirrored these features but expanded Langrisser II's narrative with two additional storylines, alongside rewritten dialogues for deeper character interactions.[30] Finally, the 1999 Windows port of Langrisser I & II closely resembled the PC-FX edition in visuals and audio but omitted some CD-based music tracks, prioritizing compatibility with PC hardware and including save functionalities.[31] These adaptations maintained fidelity to the 1995 remake's innovations, influencing later series entries by popularizing choice-driven storytelling over the original's rigidity.[18] In 2019, Chara-Ani developed a high-definition remaster of Langrisser I & II based primarily on the Der Langrisser versions, incorporating updated 2D visuals, re-orchestrated music by the original composer Noriyuki Iwadare, and quality-of-life features such as auto-battle, rewind functionality, and adjustable difficulty options to make the games more accessible to modern players while preserving the branching narratives and tactical depth.[23][32]Release
Original and early ports
Langrisser II was initially released exclusively in Japan for the Sega Mega Drive (known as the Mega Drive/Genesis in other regions) on August 26, 1994, by NCS (Nippon Computer Systems), with no international versions produced at the time.[33][3] The game saw its first port in 1995 as Der Langrisser for the Super Famicom (SNES), released on June 30 in Japan, which featured enhanced graphics and additional scenarios compared to the original.[34][29] This version became notable among international fans for being the basis of the first English fan translations, available through community patches starting in the early 2000s.[35] A further port, Der Langrisser FX, arrived for the PC-FX on April 26, 1996, also Japan-exclusive, incorporating animated cutscenes and voice acting, though its distribution was limited by the console's niche market and short lifespan.[36][29] Subsequent releases bundled Langrisser II with the first game in compilations. Langrisser I & II launched for the PlayStation on July 31, 1997, in Japan, featuring remastered visuals. Langrisser: Dramatic Edition followed for the Sega Saturn on February 26, 1998, adding new routes and updated artwork while remaining Japan-only.[30][37] A Windows port of Langrisser II for Windows 95/98 was released in 1998, supporting Japanese, Chinese, and Korean languages, with high-resolution graphics but a reduced soundtrack; it was included in later PC collections but stayed regionally limited.[3][38] All early releases of Langrisser II were confined to the Japanese market, with no official localization or distribution outside Asia until the 2019 remake, contributing to its cult status among strategy RPG enthusiasts through imports and fan efforts; specific sales figures remain unavailable, reflecting its niche appeal.[39]| Platform | Title | Release Date | Region | Publisher | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sega Mega Drive | Langrisser II | August 26, 1994 | Japan | NCS | Original version; ¥9,800 retail.[33] |
| Super Famicom (SNES) | Der Langrisser | June 30, 1995 | Japan | NCS | Enhanced port with new scenarios.[34] |
| PC-FX | Der Langrisser FX | April 26, 1996 | Japan | NCS | Added cutscenes and voices; limited production.[36] |
| PlayStation | Langrisser I & II | July 31, 1997 | Japan | NCS | Compilation with remastered graphics. |
| Sega Saturn | Langrisser: Dramatic Edition | February 26, 1998 | Japan | NCS | Compilation with additional routes; ¥6,300 retail.[30] |
| Windows 95/98 | Langrisser II | November 20, 1998 | Japan/Asia | NCS | Multilingual support; high-res graphics.[38] |