Have you ever been playing Fire Emblem Heroes and thought to yourself, “You know, mobile tactical RPGs are my jam, but is there something that references a ton of game lore just like this but has even more story and more anime influence"" Thanks to Langrisser (Free), the answer to your query is now a definitive “Yes."
See, Langrisser is based on a long-running video game series as well, one that dates back to the pre-internet Dark Ages of 1981.  Only in recent years were some of the prior console and PC releases localized, and the fact that it can now be played on your phone or tablet qualifies as A Big Deal in certain circles.
Getting lost in the lore is part of the fun, so we won’t get too heavily into the story here. Suffice it to say that the setting is fun but not too terribly different from ones you’ve seen before, and that you’ll receive bonus points for figuring out just who or what Langrisser is before the story tells you. (Note: Sorry, but bonus points can’t be redeemed for anything in-game or IRL. Good job, though.)
The game also leans heavily on references to the overall series even while spinning a new tale, and has a very FEH-esque excuse for shoehorning in all of your favorites if you’re a longtime fan. Despite that, you don’t need to know anything about the franchise to enjoy the game, but you might want to understand what it’s all about and how to play free as long as possible, so let...