Hello, gentle readers, and welcome to the RPG Reload, the regular feature where our battles to the death are usually turn-based. In each of these columns, we take a look at some aspect of RPG gaming on iOS. Often, it's in the form of a replay or a retrospective, but today I want to try out something new. In the last couple of months, we went through the history of tactical RPGs, from Dungeons & Dragons to Fire Emblem Echoes. Although I felt that was finished with the end of the historical line, so to speak, I got to thinking this week that these trips through history present us with an opportunity to do something that is often requested of us here at TouchArcade: lists of the best examples of each gaming genre. Consider this, then, your starter set for tactical RPGs on iOS. Are there other excellent ones? You bet! This is just my opinion, after all. But this gives you a place to get started in the genre with some assurance of reasonable quality.
One caveat: I'm only including games that include 64-bit support at the time of writing. The deadline for 32-bit apps is coming up in a few short months, so this list wouldn't have much in the way of legs if I included those. Unfortunately, this means leaving out some of the most popular and well-liked games in the genre like Final Fantasy Tactics [$5.99 / $7.99 (HD)] and XCOM: Enemy Within [$9.99]. It is saddening that such amazing and beloved games are currently on the chopping block, and I can only hope I'll have an excuse to add them to this list in the near future.
I've limited myself to 10 games for this list, and rather than go through the headache of trying to rank them in a particular order, I'm just going to list them alphabetically.
Banner Saga
Banner Saga, $9.99 Banner Saga has outstanding production values given the size of its developer, but it's more than just a pretty face. With an emphasis on softening up multiple enemies rather than focusing on killing them off one by one, the battles in Banner Saga have a tempo all their own. The game also features some interesting simulation game elements, as you need to manage your caravan as it makes its way across the land. There are also some larger-scale battles that use a different gameplay system, which helps to break up the regular battles. All of that is wrapped up in a dark, well-told story where bad things can and do happen at any time. The sequel is also excellent.
Demon's Rise
Demon's Rise, $0.99 You won't find much of a story to speak of in Demon's Rise, but you will find a great tactical RPG toy box. There are tons of potential party members to choose from for your team, and you can find and buy all sorts of equipment to enhance them. The main campaign is fairly lengthy, and there's a healthy amount of side missions, too. The battle system mechanics draw heavily from Western TRPGs, with elements like cover and mental state being critical considerations if you want to win. The off-beat party options are the biggest thing that separate Demon's Rise from the pack, though. There are so many interesting, viable parties to play around with that it's hard to pick. The sequel is also worth checking out.
Fire Emblem Heroes
Fire Emblem Heroes, Free Even with me being as big a Fire Emblem fan as I am, I probably wouldn't have even considered the launch version of Fire Emblem Heroes for this list. But I have to hand it to Nintendo, DeNA, and Intelligent Systems. They've been listening to fans and making great additions and changes to the game in the last several months, implementing rules and modes that require good strategic thinking to win. While it's nowhere near as involved as, well, any of the normal Fire Emblem games, I can certainly appreciate the game's attempt to shrink a traditionally long-winded genre into bite-sized sessions.
Heroes of Steel RPG
Heroes of Steel RPG Elite, $3.99 While it leans a little more heavily into the RPG genre than some of the others on this list, the tactical battles in Heroes of Steel make up the bulk of its gameplay and should be quite familiar to anyone who enjoys the TRPG genre. Since you have a relatively small party of four characters to work with here, the battles are of a slightly smaller scale than some other games in the genre, but with lots of opportunities to build your characters as you see fit, there are enough options on the table to satisfy. This is a very long game that is still being added to by its developer, so there's plenty to do, as well.
Princess and Knight
Princess And Knight, $4.99 Princess And Knight is probably the least-flashy title on this list, and may well be the least-known, too. If you're looking for a no-muss, no-fuss TRPG in the vintage Japanese style, you'll probably enjoy this one a lot. It looks and plays like something from the Genesis era of console gaming, and until SEGA gets a Shining Force game back up on the App Store, it's a great choice for those looking to fill that particular niche. The gameplay is meat-and-potatoes, but some quality mission design sets it above some of the other games that aspire to homage this period of gaming. A sequel was planned but its Korea-based developers seem to have gone quiet, unfortunately.
Steamworld Heist
SteamWorld Heist, $4.99 Okay, SteamWorld Heist isn't exactly a conventional TRPG, but that's part of what makes it so brilliant. You take your team of space-bots through a bunch of side-scrolling stages of turn-based action. When it's time to start shooting, you'll have to line up your shot yourself. Aim well and you can do some pretty spiffy ricochets. The fresh gameplay combined with tons of humor and charm make this a must-own for TRPG fans.
Swords of Anima
Swords of Anima, $2.99 Swords of Anima is a little rough around the edges, but its simple, straight-forward gameplay will appeal to those who don't want to fall too deep into the details. The cast of characters is pretty strange, but there's something kind of amusing about them. It's a solid game from a good developer who took a lot of feedback into account and made some great changes and improvements after launch. The default difficulty is a little easy, though, so if you're a veteran of the genre, you might want to kick it up a notch from the get-go.
Tactics Maiden
Tactics Maiden, Free I will never, ever stop extolling the virtues of Tactics Maiden and its sister series Kingturn. These are fantastic TRPGs that use a lot of conventional elements but feel completely different from the usual thanks to their strong focus on taking and holding certain checkpoints on each map. It makes every battle feel like a tug of war. The story's pretty good, too. There's a ton of content in this one, and you can even try it out for free before buying the rest. Hard to argue with that.
Templar Battleforce RPG
Templar Battleforce RPG Full Game HD, $9.99 While I was making a concerted effort to try to keep developers to one entry each on this list, I feel like Templar Battleforce is different enough from Heroes of Steel to merit both of them being on here. Clearly inspired by Games Workshop's Warhammer 40K universe, Templar Battleforce manages to one-up that series's own high-quality TRPG entry in terms of overall quality. Space marines, high-powered weaponry, and enough aliens and ne'er-do-wells to shake a (boom)stick at. What could possibly go wrong?
Warhammer Quest
Warhammer Quest, $2.99 Let me tell you all, friends, I am so happy to be able to put Warhammer Quest on this list. It just got a 64-bit update the week before I wrote this, and I honestly wasn't expecting it to. Rodeo Games has made a lot of excellent turn-based strategy games, and this Hero Quest-inspired entry might be the best of the lot. As with Heroes of Steel, there's quite a bit of standard RPG mixed in here, but the battles and scenarios are truly grand. Keep in mind that this game has a healthy amount of IAP add-ons, but it's all generally worth picking up provided you enjoy what's in the base set.
Again, this is just my personal list. If something you really love is missing, it's possible I forgot it or that I've ruled it out as a tactical RPG for one arbitrary reason or another. For example, Ravenmark [$9.99] is an incredible strategy game, but there's no leveling up or gathering of experience points involved. That said, if you want to make the case for anything in particular, please leave it in the comments below. There's a good chance I'll be revisiting this list in the future to update it now and then. Hopefully with Final Fantasy Tactics and XCOM, nudge nudge Square Enix and 2K Games. NUDGE NUDGE.
That's all for this week. I'll be back next week with a Classic Reload. A gentle reminder that the June 2017 RPG Reload Play-Along is now the June-July 2017 RPG Reload Play-Along so that players could have a little extra time to clear Final Fantasy 5 [$14.99]. That means it's not too late to join in on the thread if you want to play with everyone! Oh, and if you're wondering what happened to the RPG Reload File on Anodyne that I mentioned last week, I've had to postpone it to a later date. Somebody was playing Fire Emblem Echoes all week in his free time. Very naughty. Sorry about that, and thanks for reading!
Next Week's Reload: Punch Quest [Free]
The Best Tactical RPGs for iPhone and iPad - An RPG Reload Ranking posted first on http://ift.tt/2k0LiGW
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