The New Classics #63: Langrisser 1 & 2

 

The Backstory: The Langrisser series is very much a product of the ’90s. Not only does it feature distinctive character art by Satoshi Urushihara, who was ubiquitous at the time, but it also had its heyday on a slew of 16-bit and 32-bit platforms, from the Megadrive to the Saturn — without forgetting incursions on the Super Famicom and the PC Engine. I knew nothing of Langrisser before remakes of the first two entries popped up on the 3DS and the Switch; but being the greedy curious gamer I am, I obviously had to give it a go.

 

 

The Game: Well, curiosity kills the cat sometimes — and empties the wallet. Look, I’m not gonna beat around the bush: I knew right away that things were not going to work. This is an archaic SRPG that even updated character art and a thick layer of phone-gamey shine cannot make enjoyable to my finicky palate. It’s slow as heck and complicated to boot; and while I have no doubt that an SRPG aficionado with a perverse taste for retro will lap it up, I couldn’t bring myself to even finish the first battle.

 

 

The Verdict: Well, that was fast! Instant dislike of a game can be a thing indeed, just like instant love. More time saved for potential New Classics, hooray!