birthright is basically carried by fates gameplay, which imo is the best out of the fe games i've played bar none. even in a game with fairly bland map design, the core fates gameplay experience combined w/ the fairly novel hoshidan classes make for a game that's, at the very least, really really fun to play even if it doesn't come close to the heights of conquest. combine that with an uninspired but benign story, which is apparently the bar to clear in Fire Emblem: Fates, and you have a game that somehow manages to eke out a win as the only fates game that's decent across the board.

incredibly charming! probably one of the best worlds to immerse yourself in out of the fe games i've played, which is helped immensely by hidari's stunning art direction, full voice acting, and a world + characters that feel both lived in and straight out of a fairy tale. on the other hand.... there's the gameplay. which is fine at the start and generally alright on alm's route, but celica's route feels borderline unplayable once you get to the desert + swamp maps. really enjoyed playing it the first time, but probably won't go back to it