Brigandine: The Legend of Runersia

 PlayStation 4
User Score
8.1

Generally favorable reviews- based on 13 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 11 out of 13
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 13
  3. Negative: 2 out of 13
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  1. Traygus
    Jan 4, 2021
    10
    Though not without my critiques of the game, it's a must have for Tactical RPG fans.
  2. Clound12
    Jan 15, 2021
    10
    One of the best Tactical RPG games of all time with a good gameplay system, and when it comes to artwork, aesthetics, and sound, all of those are pretty good. Cutscenes are generally 2D artwork with some minor animations, same as legend of forsena, and the art itself is very good! Definitely recommend this game if you wish to try it!
  3. LazersGoPewPew
    Jul 23, 2021
    10
    In general, absolutely love it!

    1 ). Game description (to go straight to my verdict, skip to Number 2 below) In this game, there are 6 different nations at war for territory on a large continent. Each nation starts with its own territory, Ruler, Rune Knights (generals) and Units (monsters). The monsters have to be paired with the knights to be brought to battle. Each knight can bring    In general, absolutely love it!

    1 ). Game description (to go straight to my verdict, skip to Number 2 below)

    In this game, there are 6 different nations at war for territory on a large continent. Each nation starts with its own territory, Ruler, Rune Knights (generals) and Units (monsters). The monsters have to be paired with the knights to be brought to battle. Each knight can bring multiple monsters depending on their Magic Pool (monster-controlling capacity). Naturally, more powerful monsters require more portions of the knight's capacity pool.

    Imagine Final Fantasy Tactics, but each Knight is also a pokemon trainer, and your 6 pokemons go to war with you side by side--kind of.

    Both Knights and Monsters have different classes (such as wizard, archer, paladin,etc for Rune Knights; centaurs, hydras, unicorns, etc. for the monsters). They can level up and gain more powerful forms (e.g. unicorn evolve to pegasus at lv.10, Mage can change class to Wizard at lv.20) and can be equipped with items.

    Finally, you then command the Knights to battle for other countries's territory, and with each territorial gain, you gain more Mana each turn (the currency), which will be used to feed the monsters you have (called Upkeep) and summon new monsters, as Monsters can die if defeated in battle. You finish the game when you conquer the whole continent, and each Nation's storyline unfolds as your territory grows.

    2 ). VERDICT:
    a. Gameplay: 10/10
    b. Story: 7/10
    c. Music: 8/10
    d. Visuals: 8.5/10

    3 ). Verdict description:
    a ). Gameplay (10/10)
    Very intense strategy gameplay! If you are new to the series, you will, most certainly, learn the ropes the hard way. Expand recklessly and you will spread yourself too thin to defend your territory. In battle, your generals will get focused and injured. Precious monsters will die or even be captured by the enemy (idk which one is worse!). However! once you manage to figure out the knacks of each monster type, each knight class, and their abilities; it would get much better. You will then be able to customize your own roster of knights & monsters depending on your playstyle, and you will thoroughly enjoy "strategizing" and thinking as a general would, which is exactly what a good SRPG Gameplay should be!

    In terms of gameplay, there is no other game like it, which is insane considering it has been 20+ years since its original release! The Brigandine games could very well be their own genre, just like the way Pokemon is. It is a medieval/fantasy-themed war simulation game at its finest.

    Suggestion:
    - Add more depth to the tutorial to ease newcomers to play (e.g. tutorial for each monster type?)

    b ). Story (7/10)
    Unfortunately, the story falls short when compared to other RPG Games. It is an improvement from the 1998 game but still not enough depth, and the "twist" comes too late and we don't really care with the parties involved for it to make enough impact.
    There is another layer of the story which are hidden behind the "flavour-text" description of each Rune Knight (which are awesome by the way), but they rarely come to life through cutscenes or interactions.

    Suggestion:
    - More engaging whole story
    - Make the "flavour-text" more alive, maybe add more stories when questing certain knights together, or make it possible for the questing knight to meet their relative at another country if they are also currently on a quest. RPGs are centered around the characters. Good RPGs often go through painstaking ways to deeply show each character's story. Brigandine has 100 characters, so adding more side stories to more characters would be very very welcome!

    c ). Music: 8/10
    Great music, but they can't hold candles compared to the original. Sorry. The original (TLOF, not GE) are just so good, so maybe the bar was set too high here, thus 8.

    d ). Visuals: 8.5/10
    Wonderful art design for each character, designed by an experienced character designer. Beautifully drawn and NOT overly sexualized. The knights' clothing wonderfully match their country of origin, so we can get a feel of a country's character from the way the knights look.

    The map is more detailed compared to the original game, and it beautifully reflects the terrain of the battlefield; and what kind of quest would be available at each base. There are no longer cutscenes during attack/magic, but they are replaced by beautiful short animations which reduces loading time.

    Some people say that the characters are too sexualized but I disagree... Except for the shinobis (which I guess are just the way they are designed..they are a tribal society after all), the women actually have layered and covered clothing common to the medieval/fantasy genre.

    Suggestion: Is it too much if I ask for cutscenes during attack/magic just like the original? It can make the monsters and knights more "alive".

    Overall, still 10/10 because to me SRPGs are more about the gameplay!    … Expand
  4. watergazing
    Aug 14, 2021
    10
    I don't expect the game critics would understand. Brigandine is a game that gets better as you play more of it, as you understand the playable nations' different situations, motivations, and struggles. Moreover, the game mechanics are definitely not in the realm of "instant gratification" like so many games nowadays.

    Thus it requires many many hours (we're talking at least tens, to    I don't expect the game critics would understand. Brigandine is a game that gets better as you play more of it, as you understand the playable nations' different situations, motivations, and struggles. Moreover, the game mechanics are definitely not in the realm of "instant gratification" like so many games nowadays.

    Thus it requires many many hours (we're talking at least tens, to hundreds) just to understand and appreciate, which I don't expect most casual "gamer" critics could do sadly, I expect they just go in and play like, half a run using 1 country...? just to understand the mechanics and "criticize" the game.

    But considering these limitations, I'd say this game has done well enough!    … Expand
  5. Yakushi
    May 16, 2022
    10
    i didn't know this game was on PS4 but damn i have so much fun playing PS1 one but now i buying this on PS4 and steam so the game get more support. i gonna play this gam e for awhile too i don't care if people like it or not since is not an AAA game or whatever but they missing out good game
  6. brachypelma44
    Feb 26, 2021
    9
    I'd give Brigandine an 8.7, which rounds up to a 9. I really enjoy this game a lot, because it lets you customize so many things and play it the way you want to. Adjust various gameplay settings that make things easier or harder. Start out as whichever ruler you want. Summon/capture and level up only the monsters that you want. Build teams of 3 commanders and configure their monstersI'd give Brigandine an 8.7, which rounds up to a 9. I really enjoy this game a lot, because it lets you customize so many things and play it the way you want to. Adjust various gameplay settings that make things easier or harder. Start out as whichever ruler you want. Summon/capture and level up only the monsters that you want. Build teams of 3 commanders and configure their monsters exactly how you want. You can choose which class each commander becomes, and retain some of the skills from their previous class. Send people on quests for gear, or have them train to level up. Find new commanders in some areas via the quests. Equip gear on both commanders and monsters however you like. The only thing I wish they'd included is for you to decide what to do with the commanders on the other side once you destroy their empire (currently, they always join your side and you have no say in the matter.)

    The graphics could have been done on a PS2, but that's not the point of the game. Conversations between characters are done with still illustrations and (Japanese) voice-overs, which is fine, although an English option would have been nice, since this version is releasing in the USA. Music is pleasant but not anything amazing...I turn the music off, but leave the sound FX and voices on, and then play my own background music by jumping out of the game and using the PS4's media player, and then jumping back into the game.

    I ended up waiting too long to pick this game up, and the physical version for the USA region became rare. Paid $100 for it, and have no regrets. If you like SRPGs at all, you'll probably have a blast with this game.

    P.S: Get Fell Seal: Arbiter's Mark while you're at it, another really good SRPG.    … Expand
  7. VxPASSIONE
    May 20, 2021
    8
    The name Brigandine didn’t appear out of nowhere, it has a long history behind it. In 1998 was released Brigandine: The Legend of Forsena, also known as Brigandine, simply. This video game was a turn-based strategy game for the first PlayStation. In the game, it was possible to control one nation out of six and fight the others, using armies with a human commander and monstrous troops.
    It    The name Brigandine didn’t appear out of nowhere, it has a long history behind it. In 1998 was released Brigandine: The Legend of Forsena, also known as Brigandine, simply. This video game was a turn-based strategy game for the first PlayStation. In the game, it was possible to control one nation out of six and fight the others, using armies with a human commander and monstrous troops.
    It wasn't a unique concept, but it was a good addition to the turn-based strategy genre. A genre, in fact, that has always been quite niche. Strategy games in general are products that, sometimes, achieve a good success, but are strongly sectorialized. In the case of real-time strategy, this happens due to the great coordination and micro/macro management required to be competitive. On the other hand, turn-based strategies are similar to chess: each piece has its own peculiarities and you have to use them correctly, in order to win the game. These video games are also easily hybridize with role-playing components.
    A cited comparable for Brigandine is the Fire Emblem series, where the player doesn’t just have units to create, but heroes and fighters to upgrade and develop. Another touchstone is the Heroes of Might and Magic series, which has spanned a long time span with varying fortunes. HoMM is closer to the logic of the strategic, with its massive production of creatures and soldiers to be used in battle. Even in this case, however, there is a large component of character growth, with heroes who level up, obtain new equipment and enhance their physical, magical or leadership skills.
    So, the genre of turn-based strategy games is configured as a peculiar niche. Precisely for this reason it’s interesting to observe the arrival of Brigandine: the Legend of Runersia. After a hiatus of more than twenty years, in fact, the sequel to the original Brigandine was released. The new video game arrived first on Nintendo Switch, in summer 2020, and more recently the PlayStation 4 version has also been made available.
    The adventure is set on the continent of Runersia, a place rich of mana, where territories are disputed by different nations. In the campaign, the player can take control of one of these nations, with the aim of leading it to victory. This initial choice generates a series of differentiations in the game’s narrative, which ensure a certain replayability.
    Outside of dialogue and narration, the game is roughly divided into two alternating phases. There’s a tactical planning phase, in which the troops move and prepare for the fight, followed by the combat phase. Planning does not consist of simply moving between different game menus. Especially at the highest difficulties it’s necessary to distribute the troops in the best possible way, to protect sensitive areas and fight enemies who try to recapture that places. There is, in fact, a limit in the number of ‘rounds’ available, if you play on the higher difficulties, so you have to think not only about the attack but also about the defense. Otherwise, time will be lost in vain to regain territories that had already been conquered.
    It’s possible to upgrade both the knights and the monsters that accompany them. The evolution of the knights is much more ramified and allows access to numerous classes and specialization. The monsters, instead, evolve in a more linear way.
    During these tactical phases it’s also possible to send heroes in secondary missions. These extra missions can be used to upgrade a certain character or to obtain new items and recruit new knights.
    The combat phases, on the other hand, require a different approach. In this case, the troops must be positioned in the best possible way. The roles of knights and monsters are different and a large number of factors come into play. There are units focused on combat and others rather weak but with excellent support powers (from spells that increase the accuracy of allies to healing spells). There are monsters that are ideal for close combat and others that can (and must) strike from afar. There are creatures that inflict less damage, but that can hit the enemy with some malus (such as poisoning).
    So, the fights have their own internal organization, but their effectiveness is also determined by what has been done in the previous phases, because an optimal composition of armies is often the key to victory. This general principle is sometimes modified by the number of turns. When attacking an enemy territory, in fact, certain objectives must be achieved within a set time, or the victory will be awarded to the defenders. So a very aggressive disposition of your troops can be rewarding, with monsters and knights designed to inflict as much damage as possible.
    There are also some minor tactical details, which however are not always exploitable, such as the encirclement of enemies.    … Expand
  8. Sidneywolf
    Apr 4, 2023
    10
    I love playing turn based strategy games, and this is one of if not the best games that I’ve played. The variety of monsters and classes give a lot of opportunities to tweak strategies and attack styles. The variety of maps make you think about which units to attack with to take advantage of the land. The stories of the different leaders and countries make the game have great replay value.I love playing turn based strategy games, and this is one of if not the best games that I’ve played. The variety of monsters and classes give a lot of opportunities to tweak strategies and attack styles. The variety of maps make you think about which units to attack with to take advantage of the land. The stories of the different leaders and countries make the game have great replay value. Add on the challenge mode and this is a game that you can play for a long time and still feel fresh.… Expand
  9. TianLong1
    Mar 31, 2023
    8
    The gameplay overall is satisfying and all the different classes of monsters and knights really make you want to try every one of them until you find the best formation. Also, each monster and knight can evolve to a higher tier, more powerful and badass. My only problem with this game is, the maps are way too simple and repetitive, after a few battles. The background story of each factionThe gameplay overall is satisfying and all the different classes of monsters and knights really make you want to try every one of them until you find the best formation. Also, each monster and knight can evolve to a higher tier, more powerful and badass. My only problem with this game is, the maps are way too simple and repetitive, after a few battles. The background story of each faction is unique and really interesting and makes you want to try them out, since each factions gets unique knights with their own abilities. It is more of a sandbox game and there is no linear story, you just learn new bits of lore battle after battle.… Expand

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
71

Mixed or average reviews - based on 9 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 6 out of 9
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 9
  3. Negative: 1 out of 9
  1. Meristation
    Apr 5, 2021
    78
    Brigandine: The Legend of Runersia tries to bring back the feelings that old RPGs had, resulting in title mixing combat and organization with the intriguing story of the clash of six nations.
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  2. RPG Fan
    Mar 31, 2021
    68
    I did get moments of enjoyment from the game in a few of the tactical battles and the strategic movement of my armies around the map, but felt unengaged with a lot of the game’s system and honestly not as connected with my units as I would be in other tactical RPGs where permadeath can feel more odious. For those who are willing to overlook some of these flaws, it could be a fun experience to play a campaign once. Replay value is there for those who want it, given you can play other nations and that upon beating Normal mode you unlock additional challenges, but I would not expect each playthrough to be wildly different aside from new story angles.
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  3. TheSixthAxis
    Mar 8, 2021
    70
    Brigandine: The Legend of Runersia is a complicated beast. It’s a vastly detailed strategy game that demands a lot of players. For those up to the challenge, there're hours and hours of content on offer here, in what is an impressive strategy titles. However, if you aren’t versed in strategy games, you are going to struggle to get on with Brigandine: The Legend of Runersia as it offers new players very little help.
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