Matrix Software's Brigandine: The Legend of Runersia, sequel to the 1998 cult classic Brigandine: The Legend of Forsena, is a game of surprising depth. It's not something that reinvents grand strategy games or RPGs and its features and gameplay are not really all that different from its predecessor. But the amount of detail, complexity and straight up intense fun is enough to result in an experience that showcases everything this genre gets right when it's firing on all cylinders. Considering the amount of fervent love that fans showed and continue to show the original Brigandine, it's not a stretch to imagine that something similar could happen with Brigandine: The Legend of Runersia.

Much like the original game, Brigandine: The Legend of Runersia starts by introducing players to the various nations within its fantasy world, specifically six of them. This title takes place in a completely different setting than the former game, with new characters, nations and motives. Nation selection depends on player preference and how much they're into the roleplaying aspect of the game. Each nation also has its own inherent difficulties and unique storylines. This is just one area where the incredible depth of the game shines through and, depending on playstyle and player interest in replays with different nations, Brigandine: The Legend of Runersia is something that could be played for 100 hours or more. The possibilities are nearly endless.

It also helps that the strategy system in Brigandine: The Legend of Runersia is so open and flexible. Every turn has different phases: one for shuffling troops and summoning monsters using the game's complex mana system, and one for initiating attacks on other nations if one so chooses. Players will want to organize their troops efficiently here, ensuring they have a higher combat rating than their opponent or at least a firm grasp on the combat system before they lunge into attacks right off the bat. Like most things in the game, it's a strategy system that's easy to learn but hard to fully master, depending on difficulty choice.


When players do decide to attack an enemy nation, they'll be moved into a third person top-down map area, with hexagonal grids filling the map. Each player's unit will occupy a space and be allotted so many moves before their turn ends. Players can occupy a map with several different squads or just one, depending on how equipped the enemy is or if they're attacking or defending. Squads are made up of human commanders and the soldiers are monsters that require summoning and upkeep through mana. The battles themselves very much play out like something from a well-designed tactics game and it's a nice counter to the Risk-like board game quality of invading other countries outposts or having one's own outposts and castles invaded.

All of this would be enough to fill up a game with enough content to last dozens of hours, but Brigandine: The Legend of Runersia takes it a step further and injects a full blown story into the game. There are dialogue cutscenes that play out between enemies and friends alike, and even random encounters where the player's chosen protagonist can recruit commanders into their army. Each character is fleshed out with personality and dimensions that shape who they are. These commanders and their troops can be sent on (non-playable) quests to earn exp and gather equipment on their journey to capture every nation and their powerful runes.


There are issues, however, but most of them stem from translation errors. The story can be hard to follow sometimes simply because the Japanese to English translations are not always handled the best way to make dialogue or instructions entirely clear. There are also times where scenes of dialogue simply go on far too long, which can have the effect of leaving nothing up to the imagination. For those who like their roleplaying games to be dense with worldbuilding but light on non-player-created plot, this probably isn't a game that will appeal to them. Each nation has their story and Brigandine: The Legend of Runersia has a certain way it wants to tell that story.

These are very minor complaints, because during the game's dozens upon dozens of hours of offered gameplay, the balance between fun and frustration is very much tipped in favor of the former. Brigandine: The Legend of Runersia is a tightly made, complex and dense strategy RPG that is as addictive as it is boundlessly fun. Mega fans of the original will very much feel at home here with the game's embrace of its roots on a better designed game engine, even if it won't do much to win over the critics who had a divisive response to that first game. But considering how fondly Brigandine: The Legend of Forensa is remembered now, perhaps that won't be an issue after all. Either way, Brigandine: The Legend of Runersia is a delightful experience that respects its audience enough to know that sometimes change isn't necessary for quality to shine through.

Brigandine: The Legend of Runersia is available on Nintendo Switch.