In a world where technology and mythology are one, a young rebel and his ragtag crew are unwittingly drawn into a holy war being waged by the bloodthirsty General Faulkner and his mercenary forces. Guide the charasmatic Bastion as he realizes his destiny to lead the rebellion against the Junaris Kingdom, and to save the people of his world from an eternity of oppression. Lead powerful squadrons of robotic warriors into battle and take complete command of their actions. Smite your foes with cleaving swords, piercing spears, and sizzling magic spells. Use the terrain to your advantage and maneuver your forces into superior combat positions. Witness the results of your tactical decisions in glorious 3D combat sequences.
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(terminei só a rota "principal")
ritmo ótimo, boa proporção entre batalhas e cutscenes, vibes inexplicáveis
perfeito para jogar num emulador portátil, a duração de cada capítulo é muito boa para sessões de curta duração
ritmo ótimo, boa proporção entre batalhas e cutscenes, vibes inexplicáveis
perfeito para jogar num emulador portátil, a duração de cada capítulo é muito boa para sessões de curta duração
I haven't played many SRPGs... When I was a kid I managed to do the worst possible run of FE7 anyone has ever seen. I got stuck on chapter 18 or something and was forever saddened that I had wasted hours dedicated to an unsalvageable run. Ever since then I've shuttered at the idea of playing SRPGs with railroading progression. History has changed though, as I have finally done what I have been scared to do my entire life and finished a playthrough of an SPRG.
The story is nothing special, but it's executed very well. It's an RPG war plot where you have to build a team to go fight the evil empire. Nothing crazy there of course, although the characters were definitely the driving force for me to care about it. They're tropey, but it's satisfying to see their developments play out. They feel like they're all great friends too; kind of gave me some Lunar vibes as far as that goes. Working Designs did good with the localization this time too. I think they added more life into a would-be dull story. Their signature "humor" is present here while they still know how to have their serious moments in the story too. They got a few laughs out of me this time around, but it was equally paired with some cringey moments as well. I have Working Designs Stockholm syndrome though, so I'm biased. There's also different story routes you can take with exclusive characters, maps, and so on. I eventually want to go back for a replay to see the other content since it seems interesting.
The gameplay is different from the SRPGs I've played. You characters pilot "All Terrain Armored Combatants" also known as "Mechs!" Upon entering battles it loads in a new environment as you watch the 3D mech battles play out. They look cool, however I usually like turning this stuff off as I have difficulty remembering my strategies when I have to pause and watch what are essentially cutscenes in-between my movements. One of the most notable things to me at least is that there's very limited ways to heal your team, so you'll have to minimize taking damage in any way you can. I know that's like a "no shit" for video games, but.. yeah. The way you do this is by flanking the enemy from behind so they're not able to counter-attack you and so you do more damage. You're also able to pick a direction upon moving so you can hopefully prevent getting flanked yourself. I was happy to find out upon playing that this game does not have perma-death. If a unit dies they'll just be out of the game until the next chapter. There's no way to bring them back in the current battle, but at least I didn't have to reset constantly when I got RNG fucked a few times. When leveling up you're also able to distribute a few stats to your character. This is a cool layer of customizability since you can dump a bunch of points into a stat that a character is currently struggling with. There's also special moves characters can learn when they reach enough points in certain stats. I wish that was touched on better since I had no idea when I was playing, so just keep that in mind I guess... or don't. There's a bunch of nuances to the combat but I'll let y'all figure out the rest for yourselves. It's fun stuff.
When I was forced to manage EXP better, it did make the experience very engaging. I basically completed the game in a day since I was having so much fun with it. I don't think this game is very beginner friendly though. I was definitely getting my ass beat at the end and thought I wouldn't even be able to finish it. Luckily, from some God-given miracle, I was able to pull through. Vanguard Bandits is definitely worth giving a go despite the challenge. I might just be ass at video games, but even so... put on your thinking cap when you're playing this one.
The story is nothing special, but it's executed very well. It's an RPG war plot where you have to build a team to go fight the evil empire. Nothing crazy there of course, although the characters were definitely the driving force for me to care about it. They're tropey, but it's satisfying to see their developments play out. They feel like they're all great friends too; kind of gave me some Lunar vibes as far as that goes. Working Designs did good with the localization this time too. I think they added more life into a would-be dull story. Their signature "humor" is present here while they still know how to have their serious moments in the story too. They got a few laughs out of me this time around, but it was equally paired with some cringey moments as well. I have Working Designs Stockholm syndrome though, so I'm biased. There's also different story routes you can take with exclusive characters, maps, and so on. I eventually want to go back for a replay to see the other content since it seems interesting.
The gameplay is different from the SRPGs I've played. You characters pilot "All Terrain Armored Combatants" also known as "Mechs!" Upon entering battles it loads in a new environment as you watch the 3D mech battles play out. They look cool, however I usually like turning this stuff off as I have difficulty remembering my strategies when I have to pause and watch what are essentially cutscenes in-between my movements. One of the most notable things to me at least is that there's very limited ways to heal your team, so you'll have to minimize taking damage in any way you can. I know that's like a "no shit" for video games, but.. yeah. The way you do this is by flanking the enemy from behind so they're not able to counter-attack you and so you do more damage. You're also able to pick a direction upon moving so you can hopefully prevent getting flanked yourself. I was happy to find out upon playing that this game does not have perma-death. If a unit dies they'll just be out of the game until the next chapter. There's no way to bring them back in the current battle, but at least I didn't have to reset constantly when I got RNG fucked a few times. When leveling up you're also able to distribute a few stats to your character. This is a cool layer of customizability since you can dump a bunch of points into a stat that a character is currently struggling with. There's also special moves characters can learn when they reach enough points in certain stats. I wish that was touched on better since I had no idea when I was playing, so just keep that in mind I guess... or don't. There's a bunch of nuances to the combat but I'll let y'all figure out the rest for yourselves. It's fun stuff.
When I was forced to manage EXP better, it did make the experience very engaging. I basically completed the game in a day since I was having so much fun with it. I don't think this game is very beginner friendly though. I was definitely getting my ass beat at the end and thought I wouldn't even be able to finish it. Luckily, from some God-given miracle, I was able to pull through. Vanguard Bandits is definitely worth giving a go despite the challenge. I might just be ass at video games, but even so... put on your thinking cap when you're playing this one.
Great game stays as a childhood memory
Fun & strategic game with good 80/90's storyline and vibes, but if you play normally you will ALWAYS end up with bad ending unless using a guide. What the game won't tell you is that there are certain affinity levels in the game required to unlock the good ending or other endings.
Langrisser 1 with Mechs
A massive SRPG where instead of fantasy soldiers you have...Knight Mechs. Fairly entertaining with three completely different storylines, going from one where you can lead a real rebellion and have a huge selection of mechs fighting others, to a smaller group that has some dating sim elements...?
Probably my favorite Working Designs game. Not sure how well it'd hold up nowadays without any ability to quickly speed up battles though.
The MC really needed pants though. I have no idea why some games think a protagonist with shorts was acceptable.
Probably my favorite Working Designs game. Not sure how well it'd hold up nowadays without any ability to quickly speed up battles though.
The MC really needed pants though. I have no idea why some games think a protagonist with shorts was acceptable.