is most definitely a video game. If you'd like to know more, here it goes:
Langrisser IV was originally released for the Saturn in 1997, but it was later bundled with
Langrisser V and released for the PS1 in 1999. The game was developed by Masaya and it received a
fan translation. I know the PS1 port changed a few things in the gameplay department so that it would play more like
Langrisser V, but I can't really comment on what was changed or which version is better. The game also features full voice acting - the voice work is admittedly high quality stuff, but I turned it off after a little while because I prefer to read dialog at my own pace - fast - without waiting for the VA to say their line.
The character design is once again immediately recognizable and top notch - courtesy of Satoshi Urushihara. The graphics themselves are entirely 2D, so it's nothing groundbreaking but they are pleasing to the eye. The music is a mixed bag seeing s, aside from a few remixed tracks from the previous games, it didn't really stand out to me. As for the gameplay, well, while the core mechanics from
Warsong made it all the way here and that's good, Masaya really did their best to make them as dull and tedious as possible. Look, I take no joy in saying this as I've just spent 20-30 yours playing this game, but the new gameplay felt clunky and subpar
from the first to the last mission.
Let me tell you what changed. The game no longer follows the Your Turn -> Enemy Turn -> Your Turn -> Etc. order, instead now each character has a Judgement score - action points of sorts - that determine when they're going to be able to partake in the battle. Once their turn to act comes and you don't move or attack with said unit and their retinue, then their action bar will remain full and they'll get to act again relatively soon. This is useful if you're waiting for a mage to boost/heal this unit or weaken the enemy. Unfortunately, it's patent that this system was specifically conceived to nerf mages - who now need to prepare their spell before casting it next time they get a chance to act -and, most importantly, mounted units. Mounted units are obviously faster than anybody else and they're also the strongest units in the game. Masaya tried to counteract this by giving them the lowest Judgement score in the game, meaning that after moving or attacking with your mounted units, you'll have to wait
several years before you get a chance to use them again.
That translates into enemy mages and archers getting to act
twice and bombard my knights with magic and arrows before I could even retaliate. It's ironic this system was created with better balancing in mind, because not only is
Langrisser IV still fairly broken and easy like its predecessors, this time around the gameplay just isn't as nearly as fun. There is no flow to it, it's jerky, cumbersome and slow.
It also seemed to enjoy wasting my time in ways that its predecessors didn't. Thanks to the new system, now stationary enemy units get a chance to act the
entire time since they won't move or attack until my units approach them. This means each time their turn comes up, the AI would wait no less than 5 seconds and
then decide 'nah, I guess I'll just chill for this turn.' This happens dozens and dozens of times during most battle. If that wasn't enough, battle animations can't be completely turned off. Fighting Generals will automatically send you to a battle scene. Thank you, Masaya, for giving me the option to turn them off in the menu and then completely disregarding my preferences.
Unfortunately, the story and characters also leave much to be desired.
L4 is set 200 years after
L2, but it feels more like a soft reboot rather than an actual sequel - and a weak one at that. You've still got the bad guys trying to obtain the twin swords Langrisser and Alhazard and summon the God of Chaos, while the Descendants of Light want to prevent that. Much like
Der Langrisser, there are three story paths you get to pick halfway through the game. You can only enter some of said story paths if you gave the right answers to certain questions and if the main hero has a high enough love index with his various love interests. Well, you're actually supposed to pick just one. Out of the three main girls, two of them are lolis... one of them being your younger sister - not blood related,
of course. I went for the third, supposedly legal option myself. Not that it truly mattered, as I had to murder them all after going for the evil path. Harems are more trouble than they're worth anyway.
Even with the excellent voice acting, I thought the characters really fell flat and didn't have the little quirks and ebullient personalities from the
L2 cast that made each of them, even the secondary characters, stand out. I didn't hate the game, because the gameplay is still kind of fun despite Masaya's best efforts. But I expected much more. I probably won't play through the two remaining story paths since that would require approximately three years of my physical life and - while not terrible - the game is not good enough to warrant the effort and time. Weak
L2 reboot/sequel.
I give this game 6 Descendants of Light out of 10.