I've played Final Fantasy Tactics as well as a bunch of games in the Shining Force series, so I figured that this was a good time to dip my toes into the Fire Emblem franchise - a series I was tentative about getting into thanks to one particular mechanic.
Well, if you have any familiarity with the series you'll already know I'm referring to permadeath; once a unit is defeated, that's it for them - they're unusable for the rest of the game! As it turns out, I have to give Fire Emblem credit for balancing the game around this mechanic pretty well for the most part. However, there was definitely the need to make the difficulty level err on the side of 'easy'; some of my favorite moments from the Shining series and FFT were the frenetic balls-out stand-up chaotic brawls where the only hit point that mattered was the last hit point of your last unit standing. Obviously, with the spectre of permadeath perpetually looming over the game, there were no such moments to be found here. However, Fire Emblem's own brand of gameplay is very effective in its own right.
You see, permadeath is not the only scary mechanic this game has. It also has breakable weapons, limited access to shops, almost no opportunities to grind, and every map is played once which means every item and recruitable character is permanently-missable. Each of these mechanics are potentially a turn-off on their own, but combined together, they create a very compelling whole; a picture of fighting with limited resources against overwhelming odds. War is messy and ugly after all, and having to take care of your units and finances and supplies without knowing exactly what lies ahead adds a weight to your every decision that the other TRPGs I've previously played don't have. The permadeath mechanic also works quite well with the themes of this game, essentially forcing you - the player - to be the foil to the villains of this game. Where they callously use and discard comrades and family in their quest for power, you need to value and treasure each one of your limited pool of allies in order to be victorious.
My only real complaint with this game is that because every one of your decisions carries so much weight, the game drags on just a bit too long. The final act in particular is a Real Bloody Slog TM, with far too many large maps with mechanics I'd already seen before, and a sharp increase in bullshit (like a boss that can OHKO-snipe your units from behind a fog-of-war) which led to lots of resets and nearly burnt me out.
In the end, there is a lot to love about this game. Even though I personally prefer the more casual-friendly style of the Shining series, I would definitely give the other Fire Emblem games a shot soon!
Well, if you have any familiarity with the series you'll already know I'm referring to permadeath; once a unit is defeated, that's it for them - they're unusable for the rest of the game! As it turns out, I have to give Fire Emblem credit for balancing the game around this mechanic pretty well for the most part. However, there was definitely the need to make the difficulty level err on the side of 'easy'; some of my favorite moments from the Shining series and FFT were the frenetic balls-out stand-up chaotic brawls where the only hit point that mattered was the last hit point of your last unit standing. Obviously, with the spectre of permadeath perpetually looming over the game, there were no such moments to be found here. However, Fire Emblem's own brand of gameplay is very effective in its own right.
You see, permadeath is not the only scary mechanic this game has. It also has breakable weapons, limited access to shops, almost no opportunities to grind, and every map is played once which means every item and recruitable character is permanently-missable. Each of these mechanics are potentially a turn-off on their own, but combined together, they create a very compelling whole; a picture of fighting with limited resources against overwhelming odds. War is messy and ugly after all, and having to take care of your units and finances and supplies without knowing exactly what lies ahead adds a weight to your every decision that the other TRPGs I've previously played don't have. The permadeath mechanic also works quite well with the themes of this game, essentially forcing you - the player - to be the foil to the villains of this game. Where they callously use and discard comrades and family in their quest for power, you need to value and treasure each one of your limited pool of allies in order to be victorious.
My only real complaint with this game is that because every one of your decisions carries so much weight, the game drags on just a bit too long. The final act in particular is a Real Bloody Slog TM, with far too many large maps with mechanics I'd already seen before, and a sharp increase in bullshit (like a boss that can OHKO-snipe your units from behind a fog-of-war) which led to lots of resets and nearly burnt me out.
In the end, there is a lot to love about this game. Even though I personally prefer the more casual-friendly style of the Shining series, I would definitely give the other Fire Emblem games a shot soon!
7 Comments
Hmm I'm not entirely sure actually! If this game is any indication, the series is something I'll have to take in small doses rather than binge - I'll start thinking about the next game a couple of months down the road, but do you have any recommendation for order?
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If you want to see where it started with our boy Marth, Fie Emblem shadow dragon for the ds might be a good one to go next. It's the upgraded version of the first FE game. It's also the most simple one mechanic wise and the blueprint of the series storywise. It also has a sequal on the ds (the better game of the two). I always love to do series in their original order to see how the game developed over the years, but that's just my personal preference. If you want the sequal of the story you did here, it would be FireEmblem binding blade for the gba against Zephiel. But that game is one of the more unforgiving titles difficulty wise, and has mixed reviews. If you want the easier ones out of the way, the ones without permadeath could be an option.
This series if for me what you have with Shining Force ( i was addicted to this game when it originally came out in 2003) so i have a personal weakness for this series. You should definitely take your time with them and not binge ^^
This series if for me what you have with Shining Force ( i was addicted to this game when it originally came out in 2003) so i have a personal weakness for this series. You should definitely take your time with them and not binge ^^
I would say you might want to consider Awakening and Three Houses, they do have a non-permadeath mode if you feel like it, and they're both some really good games. Three Houses has a lot of extra stuff to do that can help make the experience smoother or a switch-up in a SRPG marathon, for better or for worse.
The fire emblem series is honestly one of those franchises where you can jump into almost any entry that isn't a sequel to a previous one, so whatever suits your fancy is a pretty good starting point.
Though if you're looking for an entry point without the jank of the NES games Shadow Dragon on the DS is widely considered the definitive way to play the first game. It's not only short but has a ton of replayability too thanks to its numerous difficulty options that unlock one playthrough after the next.
Though if you're looking for an entry point without the jank of the NES games Shadow Dragon on the DS is widely considered the definitive way to play the first game. It's not only short but has a ton of replayability too thanks to its numerous difficulty options that unlock one playthrough after the next.
From my personal experience and opinion, all FEs sadly have a bad habit of some late to end game maps throwing lots of enemies (or larger maps without adding new interesting mechanics) and having more BS than the usual. Still good times for sure but I wouldn't expect most final acts to be free of that burn out you've experienced here with Blazing Blade.
I think you should definitely play next whatever interests you the most. though if I had to give personal reccomendations I think Sacred Stones or Path of Radiance are good next games coming from Blazing Blade.
I think you should definitely play next whatever interests you the most. though if I had to give personal reccomendations I think Sacred Stones or Path of Radiance are good next games coming from Blazing Blade.
Thanks for the recommendations everyone! I miiiight go with Shadow Dragon next since it looks like a nice next step in terms of cutting my teeth with the series. I've heard lots of good things about Three Houses too, so I'll play that if I ever get myself a Switch.
Rensie
2 years ago