Langrisser II on the Genesis is one of those deep, old-school strategy RPGs that somehow still holds up. You start off picking a hero—I went with Elwin, the sword-wielding protagonist—and immediately get thrown into a battle where positioning matters way more than you'd think. One wrong move and your archers get swarmed by knights, or your mage gets sniped before casting a spell.

The class system is wild—your units can branch into totally different roles, like turning a basic soldier into a paladin or a dark knight. I remember wasting way too much time agonizing over promotions because, surprise, some choices lock you out of others later. The story’s got that classic '90s anime vibe, with betrayals, ancient weapons, and a war that spirals way bigger than you expect.

It’s not forgiving—enemies hit hard, and the maps get brutal fast—but that’s part of the charm. If you like Fire Emblem but want something with more customization and bigger battles, this is it. Just save often unless you enjoy replaying 45-minute fights from scratch.