I would hesitate to call the story of Conquest functional. Every character is one-dimensional or a complete moron, the way they respond to plot events tends to make very little sense, and the entire conceit is wasted with shallow writing that's so incongruent with what you're doing in the gameplay that it's honestly hard for me to believe this got published as-is. It's truly baffling in every respect.
Despite this the actual gameplay is really well done. I've previously only ever played the GBA Fire Emblem games (and Echoes but I never finished it) so all the new mechanics were overwhelming at first, but rewarding to gain a deeper understanding of as I played. The different pair-up stances add much more immediate depth to even the simplest of skirmishes, especially when trying to align specific units together to build support. This game provides various methods of reclassing, giving you abundant freedom to customize units as you see fit based on many different parameters, which become even more layered as you take into account what skills and classes to pass down onto a child unit and how you want them to grow. It's so much to play around with and provides a near-infinite amount of options for repeat playthroughs. I was skeptical of the changes to weapon durability at first, and while I feel certain aspects are a bit overtuned (basically no reason to ever use a Silver weapon), it clicked when I started seeing them more as aspects of a unit's build as opposed to resources to be passed around and used up like in previous games. I do also enjoy the addition of hidden weapons and the consolidation of magic into one category for the sake of weapon triangle simplicity, as I always felt light and dark magic were too underdeveloped compared to anima for it to stand as any kind of equal balance.
The maps are also a major highlight, as they tend to utilize gimmicks that make battles clever and interesting without coming off as too obtrusive (for the most part, the fox illusion one is pretty bad). The Dragon Veins that facilitate many of these gimmicks add even further strategic elements to each map, as choosing when and how to activate them for best increasing your advantage while hampering the enemy adds a unique flair to every fight that never feels too far removed from the core gameplay experience. The design in both a gameplay and aesthetic sense is astounding, with a variety of different environments being employed in tandem with their respective gimmick that create a wide assortment of unique and memorable gameplay experiences. I don't think I've played another Fire Emblem game where I can immediately recall so many maps from memory after only one playthrough.
As boring as it may be I ultimately agree with the consensus regarding Conquest. I plan to play it again on a harder difficulty at a later date, using what I've learned to be much more optimal and plan out more diverse builds for each unit, but even for a particularly vanilla playthrough I still had a good time with the game. Just not when any characters were talking.
Despite this the actual gameplay is really well done. I've previously only ever played the GBA Fire Emblem games (and Echoes but I never finished it) so all the new mechanics were overwhelming at first, but rewarding to gain a deeper understanding of as I played. The different pair-up stances add much more immediate depth to even the simplest of skirmishes, especially when trying to align specific units together to build support. This game provides various methods of reclassing, giving you abundant freedom to customize units as you see fit based on many different parameters, which become even more layered as you take into account what skills and classes to pass down onto a child unit and how you want them to grow. It's so much to play around with and provides a near-infinite amount of options for repeat playthroughs. I was skeptical of the changes to weapon durability at first, and while I feel certain aspects are a bit overtuned (basically no reason to ever use a Silver weapon), it clicked when I started seeing them more as aspects of a unit's build as opposed to resources to be passed around and used up like in previous games. I do also enjoy the addition of hidden weapons and the consolidation of magic into one category for the sake of weapon triangle simplicity, as I always felt light and dark magic were too underdeveloped compared to anima for it to stand as any kind of equal balance.
The maps are also a major highlight, as they tend to utilize gimmicks that make battles clever and interesting without coming off as too obtrusive (for the most part, the fox illusion one is pretty bad). The Dragon Veins that facilitate many of these gimmicks add even further strategic elements to each map, as choosing when and how to activate them for best increasing your advantage while hampering the enemy adds a unique flair to every fight that never feels too far removed from the core gameplay experience. The design in both a gameplay and aesthetic sense is astounding, with a variety of different environments being employed in tandem with their respective gimmick that create a wide assortment of unique and memorable gameplay experiences. I don't think I've played another Fire Emblem game where I can immediately recall so many maps from memory after only one playthrough.
As boring as it may be I ultimately agree with the consensus regarding Conquest. I plan to play it again on a harder difficulty at a later date, using what I've learned to be much more optimal and plan out more diverse builds for each unit, but even for a particularly vanilla playthrough I still had a good time with the game. Just not when any characters were talking.