The history of Happinet Corporation‘s Brigandine franchise goes back nearly 30 years to the original PlayStation, but it’s just now picking up steam with its third and all-new entry—the Adglobe-developed strategy RPG Brigandine Abyss. Published by NIS America, Brigandine Abyss aims to be a modern revolution of the Brigandine series with more characters and content than ever before. With a completely new setting, Brigandine Abyss also aims to please both newcomers and returning Brigandine fans can get into. Thanks to NIS America, Final Weapon was able to get an early look at some hands-off gameplay of Brigandine Abyss ahead of launch.
For some background context, the staff behind Brigandine Abyss is no stranger to some of the most revered strategy RPGs out there. Makoto Yamamoto, who previously worked on Sengoku Basara, is directing the game with supervision by Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance director Masayuki Horikawa. Suikoden and Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes character designer Junko Kawano and Fire Emblem Heroes character designer Niji Hayashi are designing the game’s characters, and Fire Emblem: Three Houses composer Rei Kondoh composes the music. Sengoku Basara writer Izuru Matsuno is also writing the scenario, so there’s quite a bit of pedigree behind this title.
The story details are scarce, but there are a few tidbits to set the stage. Brigandine Abyss is set hundreds of years after the Abyssloa Empire was stopped by the arcane Brigandine. A new Abyssloa Empire has finally arisen to conquer the world, and it’s up to players in the story mode to confront this threat, manage resources, rally your allied monsters, and take a stand against the empire in six story campaigns. The story Brigandine Abyss is fully voiced in Japanese, so there’s going to be a lot of memorable performances across those campaigns. Along the way, you’ll make important decisions that determine the outcome of the campaign, so this is a RPG that’s dense in replay value.
Brigandine Abyss Retains and Expands Brigandine’s Core Experience
Although it’s a completely new game in the series, the core functions and gameplay of Brigandine is intact in Brigandine Abyss with some tweaks. Alongside the story mode, you can head into Mission Mode and choose one of 24 different factions with all sorts of characters and win conditions in the fray. Mission Mode is more of a traditional Brigandine experience with gameplay as its focus, but gameplay in both Mission Mode and Story Mode is largely the same.
Gameplay in this new turn-based strategy RPG is facilitated over the course of seasons with three phases: Organization, Attack, and Invasion. Organization is the standard pre-battle phase where you organize your troops and resources. You can swap your units, change their equipment and classes, and adjust any other applicable settings in order to be well-prepared. You plan out your attack plans against enemy strongholds in the Attack Phase before heading into the Invasion Phase.
In the Invasion Phase, you give orders to your units across the map, which uses a hexagonal grid. Similarly to Fire Emblem and other strategy RPGs, you can tell each unit where to go and which skill to unleash on an enemy within range. Skills will level up with use over time, and there are also status effects, elemental attributes, and terrain advantages and disadvantages to consider in combat. If you’ve played strategy RPGs before, you know exactly what to expect here.
Brigandine Abyss also has some new features worth noting, including the Rally mechanic. You can rally a monster from your squad to the leader to gain some substantial buffs. Flying and ranged units can especially benefit from Rally if you take height differences into account as well. Monsters can also move independently from their squad leaders, and you can also employ mercenaries to take on quests while your main troops carry out your commands.
Brigandine Abyss Aims to be an RPG Full of Battles and Content
This preview was somewhat limited, but the gameplay and modes of Brigandine Abyss are already looking promising, especially for those who already enjoy strategy RPGs. I’m interested in seeing how story paths will unfold and converge across the different campaigns, and the strategy RPG systems offer a fun gameplay loop from what I’ve experienced in the hands-off slice. I’m also interested in the characters, since there are so many factions with their own ambitions and goals. Brigandine Abyss should be a real treat for those who enjoy strategy RPGs like Final Fantasy Tactics and Fire Emblem, and I’ll get the full picture in my upcoming review.
In the meantime, a free demo for Brigandine Abyss is available now on PC via Steam, and the demo will be available on Nintendo Switch 2, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S on July 30. Although save data doesn’t transfer to the full game, the demo includes the first two chapters of the Gran Dragnica and Scarlet Will story modes, so you can get a good idea of what Brigandine Abyss offers before making a purchase.
Brigandine Abyss will launch on August 26 for Nintendo Switch 2, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC via Steam in the west.
