Even after more than two decades, Brigandine: Legend of Forsena remains one of my favorite tactical RPGs of all time. While it never reached the same level of popularity as classics like Final Fantasy Tactics, Tactics Ogre, or Fire Emblem, it deserves to be mentioned alongside them.
I’ve completed this game countless times over the years, and every playthrough feels different. Between its six playable nations, branching storylines, memorable characters, and monster collection system, Brigandine offers incredible replay value that few strategy games can match.
If you’re a fan of tactical RPGs and have never played Brigandine, you’re missing one of the PlayStation’s hidden gems.
Warning: This review contains story spoilers.
Story
The game takes place on the continent of Forsena, where six kingdoms compete to unite the land under one banner.
Unlike many strategy games, you aren’t forced to follow a single storyline. Instead, you choose one of the six nations at the beginning of the game, and each offers its own perspective, allies, rivalries, and ending.
This simple design choice makes Brigandine highly replayable. Every campaign feels unique because you’re constantly seeing the war through different eyes.
Gameplay
At its core, Brigandine combines turn-based tactical combat with kingdom management.
You’ll:
- Recruit new Rune Knights.
- Summon powerful monsters.
- Capture enemy castles.
- Train your army.
- Upgrade classes.
- Expand your kingdom across Forsena.
Every month is divided into organization and battle phases, requiring you to carefully balance troop management with military expansion.
The battles are straightforward enough for newcomers while offering plenty of strategic depth for experienced players.
The Six Nations
One of Brigandine’s greatest strengths is that each nation feels completely different.
New Almekia
This is the nation I recommend to first-time players.
Led by Prince Lance, New Almekia offers a balanced roster and a beginner-friendly campaign. Although Lance starts at a relatively low level, he quickly becomes one of the strongest Rune Knights in the game.
Characters like Gereint, Melegant, and Coel provide a solid foundation for your army.
Iscalio
Iscalio, ruled by King Cai, is my personal favorite.
Cai is an incredibly powerful Rune Knight during the early game, and when supported by characters like Dinadan, he can dominate battles with ease.
Although Iscalio starts with fewer Rune Knights than some nations, its aggressive playstyle makes it one of the easiest campaigns once you understand the game’s mechanics.
Leonia
Leonia offers one of the most unique experiences in Brigandine.
Led by Queen Lyonesse, the nation focuses more on healing and support than raw offense. You’ll rely heavily on Angels, Unicorns, Gryphons, and other utility monsters instead of overwhelming enemies with brute force.
It’s one of the more challenging nations but also one of the most rewarding to master.
Caerleon
If you enjoy aggressive gameplay, King Dryst is hard to beat.
His kingdom starts with several powerful monsters, including Dragons, Demons, and the mighty Bahamut. Combined with strong Rune Knights like Iria, Caerleon is built for players who want to conquer the continent through sheer military strength.
Dryst also has one of my favorite personalities and battle themes in the entire game.
Norgard
Ruled by King Vaynard, Norgard begins with the largest military.
With numerous experienced Rune Knights and a large monster roster, you’ll have no shortage of options when organizing your armies.
The challenge comes from defending multiple borders early in the game, forcing you to think carefully about where to deploy your strongest forces.
Esgares Empire
The Esgares Empire is easily the most difficult nation to play.
Located in the center of the map, you’ll constantly find yourself surrounded by enemies from every direction.
Although powerful Rune Knights like Zemeckis and Cador help offset the challenge, this campaign is best left until you’ve completed the game at least once.
Rune Knights and Monsters
Another reason Brigandine remains so enjoyable is its progression system.
You’re never limited to the characters you start with.
Throughout your campaign, you can:
- Recruit new Rune Knights.
- Discover hidden characters through quests.
- Convince defeated enemies to join your kingdom.
- Capture enemy monsters.
- Summon entirely new creatures.
The class evolution system adds even more depth.
Rune Knights can advance into multiple specialized classes, while monsters evolve into stronger forms depending on the choices you make.
For example, Dragons can evolve into powerful forms such as Bahamuts, Salamanders, or Fafnirs, allowing you to customize your armies differently in every playthrough.
Replay Value
Replayability is where Brigandine truly shines.
Because each nation has:
- Different starting armies.
- Unique story events.
- Exclusive characters.
- Different strategic positions.
- Alternate endings.
You’ll naturally want to replay the game multiple times.
Even after years of playing, I still discover new strategies and team combinations.
Very few tactical RPGs offer this much variety.
Graphics and Sound
While Brigandine clearly shows its PlayStation-era graphics, its hand-drawn artwork and battle sprites have aged surprisingly well.
The soundtrack deserves special mention.
Each kingdom has its own memorable theme, and several battle tracks still stick with me years later. Caerleon’s music, in particular, remains one of my favorites.
Pros
- Excellent replay value.
- Six unique playable nations.
- Deep tactical gameplay.
- Fantastic monster evolution system.
- Memorable soundtrack.
- Great cast of Rune Knights.
Cons
- Dated interface.
- Slow pacing compared to modern strategy games.
- Limited tutorials for new players.
- Some balance issues between nations.
Final Verdict
Even today, Brigandine: Legend of Forsena remains one of the finest tactical RPGs ever released on the original PlayStation. Its combination of strategic combat, kingdom management, monster collection, and branching campaigns creates an experience that’s still enjoyable decades later.
While modern strategy games may offer better graphics and quality-of-life improvements, very few can match Brigandine’s replay value. Every nation feels like a completely different campaign, giving players countless reasons to return to Forsena.
If you’re a fan of classic tactical RPGs—or you’re looking to experience one of the PlayStation’s hidden gems—I can’t recommend Brigandine enough.
Rating: 9.5/10
