I can really appreciate a game series as dense as Fire Emblem finding a comfortable home on Nintendo’s premiere handheld platform, giving players an opportunity for more intensive experiences between the more bite-sized games most conducive to portable play. There was actually a number of RPGs which flourished on the Gameboy Advance, so it seems only natural now that Fire Emblem would see similar success, despite not yet having been tested in the west. Hindsight has demonstrated now that the series has actually performed best on handheld systems over here, between the still-treasured reputations of the two localized GBA titles, the series’ resurrection from imminent death in Awakening, and now two smash hits on the Switch. But Fire Emblem 7 (or, the Blazing Blade) really started it all, in the west anyway. The earlier entry on the system remains a Japan exclusive title, but it may have been for the best that way, as it left room for Intelligent Systems to learn first how to make the series work on a handheld platform, which then allowed for refinement and a more structured introduction to the series to be produced with a follow up prequel title consciously geared towards introducing new players to the series.
FE 7 is especially strong in this way, without hampering the experience for veteran players in the process. All the mechanical developments and evolutions the series has thus far introduced remain here, and are methodically tutorialized through a prologue section of the game (which can be skipped in subsequent playthroughs on harder difficulties). There isn’t a great deal of challenge in these early chapters, and it comes with a distinct lack of consequence for shoddy positioning as the permanent death feature the series is known for doesn’t occur in earnest until after these initial ten chapters have been completed. For new players this is a great way to slowly learn the mechanics and stakes of the series without getting overwhelmed or overly punished out the gate, and for experienced players it’s a mostly harmless easy mode to start with. This lengthy segment of the game might have ended up feeling tedious if the story and characters weren’t strong enough to compensate for the very basic gameplay and difficulty early on, but thankfully FE7 grabs you quickly with an eclectic cast of endearing character archetypes and stunning design work radiating with personality. The animation and character portrait work are perhaps FE7’s most astonishing feature. Battle animations especially stand out as dynamically exciting and impactful expressions of the skirmishes playing out on the battlefield. When they’re not shaking the screen to simulate an earth-shattering blow they’re often humorous and cheeky, building off a character’s established personality and further distinguishing them from other tactics games’ generic infantry analogue.
Where FE7 falls short is less in its overt flaws and more in its lack of outstanding strengths measured against its peers. Solely from a gameplay perspective, FE7 doesn’t bring anything especially of note that other entries in the series had not already or did not go on to provide in equal measure. The main element that sets it apart from other Fire Emblem games is its role as an introductory game for the franchise, which it accomplishes quite admirably. It never sacrifices vital components of the series’ identity in doing this, including the famed difficulty often associated with the games. After the cakewalk tutorial section the gloves come off and the player is forced to be a lot more methodical in their unit deployment and placement. There’s a touch of mechanical difficulty for players used to later titles in which enemy ranges can be turned on and off to view throughout the battle, as that particularly useful function has yet to be implemented here. It’s advised, then, to be extra cautious in one’s consideration of enemy movements, as it’s much easier here to make a tragic mistake, and without the rewind features of more recent entries, these costly errors can be especially devastating. Although the difficulty of the series remains a fixture of FE7, it is disseminated rather sporadically. There’s a pretty natural spike in challenge about five or six chapters before the endgame, but then the difficulty mellows out again right up until the last chapter, where the game ratchets up to an astronomical degree. It’s not so imposing as to be insurmountable, however, and in a way it felt properly epic to have my strategic skills tested to the limit as the ultimate obstacle to completing the game.
Much like the refined, exemplary, yet undistinguished gameplay, the story of FE7 is servicably terrific. One of the foundational appeals of the series since its inception has always been the medieval setting and design of its world and characters, with just a sprinkling of fantasy elements thrown in for a sense of spectacle. FE7 executes this philosophy flawlessly, presenting a cast and conflict that is distinctly appealing but which falls short of being especially memorable. The continent of Elibe isn’t sketched in quite enough detail for me to properly envision it as an interconnected world with a rich history as other Fire Emblem games have achieved, but the primary characters of the narrative and their complementary dynamics fill in some of the blanks left by the bigger picture storytelling going on in the grand scheme. The central villains of the game being a dark cult seeking to harness an all-powerful magic is a nice, relatively grounded conflict compared to where the series has gone since this entry, and a reminder of how a simple story can remain engaging by means of deft execution and strong presentation. Those dual facets are ultimately the indefatigable ethos of FE7: a strong iteration of the iconic and unparalleled tactical RPG franchise that makes up for its lack of innovation through sleek refinement and winning personality. It’s easy to see how it became a fan favorite, as even beyond being the first game for many in the western hemisphere, its qualities have stood the test of time and revealed but a few flaws the series has continued to refine away since this quintessential title was first placed into our hands.
FE 7 is especially strong in this way, without hampering the experience for veteran players in the process. All the mechanical developments and evolutions the series has thus far introduced remain here, and are methodically tutorialized through a prologue section of the game (which can be skipped in subsequent playthroughs on harder difficulties). There isn’t a great deal of challenge in these early chapters, and it comes with a distinct lack of consequence for shoddy positioning as the permanent death feature the series is known for doesn’t occur in earnest until after these initial ten chapters have been completed. For new players this is a great way to slowly learn the mechanics and stakes of the series without getting overwhelmed or overly punished out the gate, and for experienced players it’s a mostly harmless easy mode to start with. This lengthy segment of the game might have ended up feeling tedious if the story and characters weren’t strong enough to compensate for the very basic gameplay and difficulty early on, but thankfully FE7 grabs you quickly with an eclectic cast of endearing character archetypes and stunning design work radiating with personality. The animation and character portrait work are perhaps FE7’s most astonishing feature. Battle animations especially stand out as dynamically exciting and impactful expressions of the skirmishes playing out on the battlefield. When they’re not shaking the screen to simulate an earth-shattering blow they’re often humorous and cheeky, building off a character’s established personality and further distinguishing them from other tactics games’ generic infantry analogue.
Where FE7 falls short is less in its overt flaws and more in its lack of outstanding strengths measured against its peers. Solely from a gameplay perspective, FE7 doesn’t bring anything especially of note that other entries in the series had not already or did not go on to provide in equal measure. The main element that sets it apart from other Fire Emblem games is its role as an introductory game for the franchise, which it accomplishes quite admirably. It never sacrifices vital components of the series’ identity in doing this, including the famed difficulty often associated with the games. After the cakewalk tutorial section the gloves come off and the player is forced to be a lot more methodical in their unit deployment and placement. There’s a touch of mechanical difficulty for players used to later titles in which enemy ranges can be turned on and off to view throughout the battle, as that particularly useful function has yet to be implemented here. It’s advised, then, to be extra cautious in one’s consideration of enemy movements, as it’s much easier here to make a tragic mistake, and without the rewind features of more recent entries, these costly errors can be especially devastating. Although the difficulty of the series remains a fixture of FE7, it is disseminated rather sporadically. There’s a pretty natural spike in challenge about five or six chapters before the endgame, but then the difficulty mellows out again right up until the last chapter, where the game ratchets up to an astronomical degree. It’s not so imposing as to be insurmountable, however, and in a way it felt properly epic to have my strategic skills tested to the limit as the ultimate obstacle to completing the game.
Much like the refined, exemplary, yet undistinguished gameplay, the story of FE7 is servicably terrific. One of the foundational appeals of the series since its inception has always been the medieval setting and design of its world and characters, with just a sprinkling of fantasy elements thrown in for a sense of spectacle. FE7 executes this philosophy flawlessly, presenting a cast and conflict that is distinctly appealing but which falls short of being especially memorable. The continent of Elibe isn’t sketched in quite enough detail for me to properly envision it as an interconnected world with a rich history as other Fire Emblem games have achieved, but the primary characters of the narrative and their complementary dynamics fill in some of the blanks left by the bigger picture storytelling going on in the grand scheme. The central villains of the game being a dark cult seeking to harness an all-powerful magic is a nice, relatively grounded conflict compared to where the series has gone since this entry, and a reminder of how a simple story can remain engaging by means of deft execution and strong presentation. Those dual facets are ultimately the indefatigable ethos of FE7: a strong iteration of the iconic and unparalleled tactical RPG franchise that makes up for its lack of innovation through sleek refinement and winning personality. It’s easy to see how it became a fan favorite, as even beyond being the first game for many in the western hemisphere, its qualities have stood the test of time and revealed but a few flaws the series has continued to refine away since this quintessential title was first placed into our hands.