Fire Emblem: Awakening

 

So this last week I played the latest Fire Emblem, finishing it after 50-60 hours of gameplay on Normal Classic mode (meaning the easiest setting with "if a character dies it gone forever" mode). So, what did I think? It was a fun game, had that Fire Emblem feeling to it that makes you play all night and whispering "just one more turn" or start over and over each time one unit dies. The core mechanic is the same and works as good as the other games in the series (you can  read my thought on the western releases here). Graphically it's probably the best of them. You have beautiful anime cut-scenes, the battle 3d models is probably the best with distinguishable features on the characters and the character portraits looks alive. Musically, it's pleasant and work fine all around. Best is when you battle an epic boss fight and this choir starts chanting and music rises making you feel as it's now or never. Strangely enough it part of the opening scene. Doesn't beat the opening of the first western Fire Emblem though.

Gameplay wise, what's the difference between this one and the others? The easiest one to notice is that we once again have a world map which hasn't been seen since The Sacred Stones. And with it follows skirmishes against the undead as an easier way to gain exp and support between the characters. And the support system is probably the most important feature in this game, not only do you get bonuses between the characters and flesh out the story and characters, you also have an incentive as you gain new characters with it when certain supports lead characters to marry and have children together (which is a mechanic they used in one of the earlier Japanese-only releases). And now the best improvement of all, you can have more than 5 support conversations, the only restriction is 1 S-support per character. Finally. Also, a new feature to speed this process up is the pair-up system in which to character joins up in attack and defence. It seems also that this feature replaced the rescue ability.

Story then, the most important part of games like these. It starts with you (our your self-customed avatar, a more in depth character than your tactician from the first western released game) and a man named Chrom attacking this almost devil-like person on his throne. You kill him of, cut-scene and you get hurt as you show Chrom away from the final attack. As he stands over you saying it's finally over a dark power comes over you and you stab Chrom with magic. As he falls he says that it isn't my fault and that I should escape this place. Blackout and I awake in a field with this girl looking over me (throwback again to the first Fire Emblem released in the west?) and her brother... Chrom. As you can guess this entry contains time-travel. This makes the focused moral of this story, can we change our fates? Or are we predestined that trying to avoid the future it will always steer us back? A lot less social commentary also, except that war is bad, but sometimes the sacrifice is necessary. I think it also discussed why people follow leaders and different types of leaders. Charisma, fear or undying "love"/belief. Also, this game is set in the same world as the first Fire Emblem, be it with different countries and names on the dark dragon. The proof is that they mention Marth, Cain and Abel as well having one of the characters still living, Tiki. Main story a bit short with only 25 chapters, but there is enough side stories if you can unlock them and apparently a lot of downloadable content. So you probably will have your fill. The ending then after battling through a mad neighbor, a megalomaniac emperor and the devotees of a dark god is... interesting. There is two possible endings based on one answer to you as one of the main characters. I took the one I perceived as the most noble and it was emotional,  but I'm a bit sad they didn't have a "true good" ending if you did for example get all A-supports with your character. I will not say any more so that I don't spoil it for anyone. Well worth a play and it really pushes the one thing that makes it stand out among this genre, the characters. Don't know if this is better than the first Fire Emblem due to my nostalgia love for that game, but if GBA games doesn't get available on the 3DS then this game doesn't have anything to fear if I want a Fire Emblem dose.