The phrase “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” can apply to a lot of different game genres. Lots of games released in the past few years heavily build upon the foundation that’s been laid by games from the 90s and 2000s, while refining and tweaking mechanics introduced back in those days and making them feel even more fluid and much smoother to play. One of the finest examples of this is the strategy RPG.
While they aren’t all the same, each SRPG adds its own flavor and unique twists to the already rock-solid formula that retro SRPGs introduced so long ago. That’s why I want to write about 5 of my favorite retro strategy RPGs that you absolutely need to play if you’re a fan of this genre. In fact, you can check out my top 3 favorite SPRGs in another post.
DISCLAIMER: The term “retro” is pretty subjective. But I think it’s fair enough to consider anything released prior to the past 15 years as retro. ALSO, these are not in any specific order.
Valkyrie Profile: Covenant of the Plume
Nintendo DS (2008)
This one will really test your patience. While all strategy RPGs come with a decent amount of challenge, Covenant of the Plume can be a real bastard.
Covenant of the Plume acts as a prequel to the original Valkyrie Profile, with the main protagonist, Wylfred, swearing vengeance against Lenneth (the main protagonist of the first game) for taking his father after he falls in battle. Wylfred himself dies and is resurrected by the goddess Hel, who gives him The Destiny Plume. If Wylfred is able to bathe the plume in enough sin and blood, he will be granted the power to destroy Lenneth.
When you start a battle, you will be tasked with collecting a certain amount of Sin. You’ll collect Sin either by using the Destiny Plume in battle or by overkilling enemies - the more damage you do to an enemy after their HP reaches 0, the more Sin you’re rewarded with. If you do not get enough Sin by the end of the battle, you’ll need to defeat an incredibly powerful enemy in the next battle - many of which pretty much require you to use the Plume in order to defeat.
If the Destiny Plume is used in battle, you’ll be able to give a gigantic stat boost to an ally, killing nearly anything in sight with a single attack. The drawback to using the Plume is that that ally permanently dies after the battle, leaving behind a skill book with a powerful skill that an ally can learn. The number of times you use the Plume heavily affects the story.
The actual combat and the way you attack enemies is very unique to this series. When you initiate combat, the character that started the attack and any adjacent allies (including allies with ranged attacks) will attack the enemy at the same time. Each ally will be assigned a different face button to use for their attacks, and if you time each character’s attacks perfectly and build up your meter at the bottom of the screen, you’ll perform a Soul Crush - a gigantic super move that does a gigantic amount of damage and provides other benefits.
This game can be pretty difficult, but the satisfaction you feel after a particularly challenging battle is worth it. The story is very dark and deals with a lot of death and grief, but has plenty of twists to keep you glued to the game. There are also different endings that are tied to the amount of times that you use The Destiny Plume.
Shining Force II
Sega Genesis/ Mega Drive (1993)
Shining Force II is the oldest game on this list and, without a doubt, paved the way for future strategy games. It took everything that the original game did and improved it tenfold.
While Shining Force II doesn’t offer much in terms of story, it’s still one of the most addictive strategy games ever created. Taking place on an overhead grid, you’ll move your team (named The Shining Force) across the battlefield and defeat every single enemy you come across. When you attack an enemy, you’ll be treated to a sweet combat animation between your party member and the enemy. The combat is simple yet meaty, and packs a lot of strategy using the numerous amounts of character classes. When characters reach level 20, they can be promoted to a more powerful version of their class - many of which offer a second choice of class that requires a special item in order to be promoted.
One thing that really sets Shining Force apart from the rest of the pack is the overworld exploration. When not in battle, you’ll explore various towns and traverse the gigantic world to new areas in order to progress the story. There’s lots of hidden characters to recruit, NPCs to talk to, and optional places to explore that offer some awesome rewards for doing so. You can even visit your Shining Force HQ in each town and talk to your party members and see what they’re up to.
If you haven’t yet played this, go check it out on Nintendo Switch Online via the Expansion Pack, or on Sega Genesis Classics!
Vandal Hearts
PlayStation (1997)
Vandal Hearts is a game that I just recently tried out for the first time, and I’m so glad that I did.
Vandal Hearts’ story is all about uncovering a government conspiracy that’s been helping the rich get richer while keep the poor as poor as possible. The main protagonist, Ash, leads an army to revolt and overthrow this corrupt government and bring peace.
While Vandal Hearts doesn’t do anything very different with combat, its map design is exceptional. Each battlefield feels like one small chunk of a much larger area. Quite a few battles take place out in the wilderness, with lots of trees and varying levels of elevation, streams, and occasionally a suspension bridge. There are some battles taking place in a town, where you’ll need to rush to an area, pull a lever, and lower a drawbridge to continue. One of my favorites is a cave with boulders that you can push that’ll then crash into enemies to deal tons of damage.
Not every mission in Vandal Hearts requires you to defeat every enemy. Quite a few require you to rescue a certain character or reach a certain point on the map in order to win, and those are very refreshing after going two battles in a row where you need to annihilate everyone.
There is a Saturn port that offers some additional cutscenes and characters, but it’s only in Japanese. While there is a fan translation available, you won’t miss a single thing by playing the PS1 version.
Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones
Game Boy Advance (2004)
Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones was the first Fire Emblem game that I’ve ever beaten. I remember have a hell of a time beating the final boss and eventually lending the game to a friend and never seeing it again.
The Sacred Stones has two different paths to play through, each led by one of two protagonists: Eirika and Ephraim. Each protagonist leads a party of different characters, allowing for tons of different strategies and numerous support conversations between party members.
There are quite a few optional characters to recruit, so long as you have a certain character talk to them before the battle ends or before killing them. There are also lots of different ways to customize your party, with the ability to select one of two classes when advancing a character.
Another one that you definitely need to check out on Nintendo Switch Online via Expansion Pack.
Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor 2
Nintendo DS (2012)
This whole spin-off series really deserves a comeback. You don’t need the second screen at all, so it’s very surprising that there hasn’t been a third Devil Survivor game.
Like most other Shin Megami Tensei games, this one takes place in Tokyo, with the main characters discovering an app called “Nicaea”, which shows the deaths of people close to them, as well as a demon summoning app. Shortly after, Tokyo comes under attack by otherworldly beings called “Septentriones”, which are neither angel nor demon. You’ll work together with other summoners to defeat the Septentriones and prevent as many deaths as possible. There are lots of different endings and ways to affect the story, so each playthrough feels very fresh.
Combat in this game is very different from others in the genre. Each character commands a party of 3 demons, called a “squad”. You’ll recruit demons via the Demon Auction app or by fusing two demons obtained from the auction app. During combat, you’ll issue commands to each demon, gaining an extra turn if you strike an enemy’s weakness. As demons level up, they’ll learn new skills, with different demons learning different skills. There’s also the “Skill Crack” mechanic that allows a demon to learn a certain ability from an enemy demon so long as that specific demon is the one to defeat that specific enemy before battle ends.
While this game was remade on the 3DS as Devil Survivor 2: Record Breaker, but the DS original is still worth playing and is a lot cheaper.
Honorable Mentions:
