Game Review: Fire Emblem Awakening
I'm just going to put this out there to start it off, I've had an interesting/frustrating history with the Fire Emblem franchise. My first introduction was from Super Smash Bros Melee with the hidden characters Marth and Roy. Which then followed up to the introduction of Ike in Super Smash Bros Brawl. I then after some time has passed, decided to pick up Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn for the Nintendo Wii which was the second game (if I'm correct) that featured Ike as one of the playable characters. Throughout playing I easily got attached to the variety of characters so when they died and subsequently died for good (as how the game goes) I got frustrated and upset and never touched that or any other game in the franchise.
At least until now.
Fire Emblem Awakening for the Nintendo 3DS has gotten lots of acclaim and praise for offering more to the series as well as a fantastic story. You yourself take an active part in the story as you create your own avatar. From there you join up with Chrom, the Prince of Ylisse and leader of the Sheperds. It's not long until you are thrown into this giant war with nations and cities all with 1 goal in mind, to possess the Fire Emblem (which at the time I had NO idea that this was an in game item and not just a fancy title for the franchise) and the power to slay a god.
How a battle looks in gorgeous 3D. |
The game then takes you to a screen where the battle takes place and it can either match the predictions, or go completely different, when throwing in Critical Hit chances, and missing attacks. Some units can attack from several spaces or diagonally (this is usually for those who throw Axes, Archers and Mages). You can also have a unit pair up with someone for stat enhancements or position yourself next to another unit. This can increase your chances of winning and added bonuses such as extra hits from your partner or them actually coming to your aide and preventing damage altogther.
How moving around works |
The story and voice acting is definitely top-notch |
So many characters! |
Should you Play this Game?
Absolutely! Fire Emblem Awakening deserves all the praise it has gotten up to this point. The story is absolutely touching and comes close to the storytelling found in other RPG's like Final Fantasy, well to me at least. The gameplay is addicting and the cast of characters is truly a delight!