If you’re going to ask me to name a game that I’ve repeatedly played for the past years, then I would straight up tell you it’s Brigandine: Legend of Forsena. It didn’t receive the same hype as some famous Tactical role-playing games like Final Fantasy Tactics were able to get through, but it doesn’t mean that it is not worth playing. I can say that it is one of the greatest games to ever grace the Playstation 1 console. A sequel, Brigandine: The Legend of Runersia, will also be launching exclusively for Nintendo Switch this June 25, 2020, so I think this is the right time for us to look back.
It has all the things that I’m looking for in a Tactical role-playing game: the story, gameplay, variety of characters, and difficulty. What makes it more appealing to me is that I can play it again and again without it being repetitive. It lets you decide which path you will take in the game so you’ll have different endings and cutscenes.
This article contains spoilers in the game, but this is a classic so I doubt that you haven’t played this game or even hear about it.
Characters
The characters did it for me in this game. I love how diverse and unique they are to each other.
Lance
The first nation that I’ve played is New Almekia. I think it is the most common choice for players who just started to play the game because, duh, he is the poster guy. His story is easy to play too because you’re going to ally with Cai (spoiler alert) unless you try to attack him. The only downside of choosing his storyline is you’ll be starting Lance with Level 1. But don’t worry, you have Gereint, Melegant, and Coel at your disposal.
The consolation prize of you choosing him is you’ll get a level 20 Salamander. Lance’s base stats are also good and leveling him will make him OP as hell.
Cai
My favorite character to be honest and in my opinion, Iscalio is the easiest nation to play. He is OP in the early game together with Dinadan. You need to be a little patient with Merriot though, be she’ll get stronger soon! I also like the idea of wiping the enemy team just by using Kai and surrounding him with monsters and warriors to defend him.
He has the lowest count of warriors at the start and you’ll have limited opportunities to summon offensive monsters on his domain but having Lance as your ally will negate all that.
Lyonesse
The character that is probably one of the most difficult to play together with Esgares Empire. She starts at level 3, two levels higher than Lance but unlike him, Lyonesse doesn’t have powerful attack-oriented monsters or warriors at the beginning. Don’t get me started with her Phoenix because I don’t find it useful compared to Dragons. In choosing Leonia, you also start with utility monsters such as Unicorn, Angel, and a lot of Gryphons and Rocs.
But that’s why this game is amazing, it doesn’t have the same premise as other characters or nations so you need to have different strategies and ways for each country.
Dryst
Attitude-wise, no doubt my favorite character. The ruler who just wants to fight. He uses the situation to conquer the continent to prove how strong he is. His comrades also suggested allying with other nations but denied the idea. I think Iscalio is the exact opposite of Leonia because you’ll be starting with offensive-minded monsters and warriors. You’ll be having your right hand Iria at Level 20 together with a lot of monsters such as Bahamut, A level 10 Gigas, Demons, and Dragons. Did I mention that I love the soundtrack whenever you choose to play his nation?
Vaynard
The largest nation and number of warriors. He also has 2 white dragons on his side at the start so it is very reassuring. You have the highest number of warriors at 13 initially and are kinda strong considering most of them are above level 10. The hard part of playing Norgard is you’ll be defending yourself from 3 nations at the beginning.
You’ll also get the highest number of monsters at 44 so the only thing that you need to do is to strategize wisely at the start.
Zemeckis
The hardest nation to play, story and geography-wise. You are in the center of the map so you are vulnerable to all attacks from other nations from the start. You also need to use a cheat code for Esgares Empire to be playable.
Though I mention that it’s hard to play, you’ll have Cador and other strong warriors at the beginning to compensate for it. Zemeckis is strong too so you will not have problems protecting him. You can almost 1 hit a weak character using Power and Tempest Bow.
Warriors and Monsters
Another good thing about the game is you are not limited to the warriors that you have. You can get new warriors by sending them to a quest and they might be bringing back a companion. Defeating a nation will also force some of their warriors to join you.
It doesn’t end there, because you can go different paths with warriors and monsters. The warriors at your disposal can evolve into different classes that make the game more exciting. The same applies to monsters too. One example is you can choose to evolve your dragon into a Bahamut, Salamander, or a Fafnir and that is just the tip of the iceberg.
Acquiring monsters is also not limited to summoning them. By defeating a warrior that controls them in the battle, there’s a chance that the monster/s will leave their current master and join you. Invading a castle that has monsters in its storage is also a way of getting it on your side.
Difficulty
If you still haven’t played this awesome game then I suggest you give it a shot. You can start by going easy with the difficulty and then after finishing it, challenge yourself by going insane and choosing medium or hard.
Verdict
I’m going to say it again, this is a game that I can play over and over again without getting sick of it. The gameplay is brilliant and the story is a good complement to it. It has a good variety of characters and monsters making it very unpredictable and enjoyable.
I’m 100% certain that I will try the Sequel, Brigandine: The Legend of Runersia on Nintendo Switch. The trailer is amazing and I’m excited for the new breed of characters and monsters.
Have you played the game when you were a kid? Tell us your experience with it!
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