fire emblem
i have dedicated my life to this mid ass series (mainline only + kaga sagas)
21 Games
insane game. there is little emphasis on stats as enemies are generally weaker than your units. rather each battle comes down to if you can out bullshit the game's bullshit with your own. and i love it for that, its so fun and it does a fantastic job at using its gameplay to tell the story of a naïve teenager's struggle to reclaim his homeland from an evil empire. most units have an average of 3 lines and yet they're so memorable because of how they distinguish themselves through gameplay. if you've played several FE games already please play this stupid fucking game.
1
so fun. very polished and smooth gameplay that takes a different approach to strategy than most FE games. i think it tells a good story for FE standards, very much enhanced by the stellar presentation, art direction, and voice acting. also has one of the best cast of characters in the series, everyone is so distinct in both personality and gameplay.
i am an insane person who likes swamp maps btw.
i am an insane person who likes swamp maps btw.
2
like 3H this game is very ambitious but unlike that game i think radiant dawn executes it all fairly well. it keeps FE9's approach to gameplay but without the sluggishness, making this a real blast to play through. unit balance is all over the place but i think this actually enhances the story radiant dawn wants to tell. the dawn brigade, for example, is a ragtag group of rebels fighting a large occupying empire, they SHOULD feel weak and they do. this game is one of the best at using its gameplay to tell its story, which is a good continuation to FE9 that generally balances its multiple perspectives well, even if there is some room for improvement.
the game nosedives a lot at act 4, however, both in writing and in gameplay. unfortunate but i still think this games pretty great.
the game nosedives a lot at act 4, however, both in writing and in gameplay. unfortunate but i still think this games pretty great.
3
i love this game, i also dont think they should do this ever again. engage works very well as an anniversary title celebrating the series' 30 years of history by not just bringing back past protagonists and maps from their games but also by simply being a culmination of fire emblem as a whole. you can see a bit of every game at some point in the narrative or maps and i like that a lot.
this game is very fun, the maps are unique without being overly gimmicky, the combat is smooth and satisfying, and the overall depth of strategy is fantastic.
the story, however, burned my crops and fucked my wife so i HATE IT. in all seriousness i dont think the story is offensively bad, its boring at worst and stupidly enjoyable at best. its not good but it doesnt deserve the hateboner some people have for it. also i like the cast of characters, they're simple and unique, enjoyable for the role they play as disposable side characters. yunaka and zelkov irreparably altered the way i spoke for some time.
overall i hope the next FE game keeps the quality strategy gameplay this one brought and uses it to tell an actual story.
this game is very fun, the maps are unique without being overly gimmicky, the combat is smooth and satisfying, and the overall depth of strategy is fantastic.
the story, however, burned my crops and fucked my wife so i HATE IT. in all seriousness i dont think the story is offensively bad, its boring at worst and stupidly enjoyable at best. its not good but it doesnt deserve the hateboner some people have for it. also i like the cast of characters, they're simple and unique, enjoyable for the role they play as disposable side characters. yunaka and zelkov irreparably altered the way i spoke for some time.
overall i hope the next FE game keeps the quality strategy gameplay this one brought and uses it to tell an actual story.
4
used to be my favorite, after a couple replays i can see this game's issues, namely the slooooowwww gameplay flow. the writing is also... good but not a highlight. ike and elincia are great leads, ashnard and the black knight are great antagonists, but lets not pretend this game says anything meaningful about racism and prejudice (especially while devdan exists).
that aside its a fun game with a great cast of characters. i also really like the base system and bonus exp and i would like to see it return in future entries. this game is also pretty newcomer friendly if you're patient enough and have no trouble emulating (or if u have money to splurge on a physical copy on ebay because wow)
that aside its a fun game with a great cast of characters. i also really like the base system and bonus exp and i would like to see it return in future entries. this game is also pretty newcomer friendly if you're patient enough and have no trouble emulating (or if u have money to splurge on a physical copy on ebay because wow)
5
NOT a fire emblem like it is so different from the main series but in a good way. so many crazy ideas that are stupid and shouldnt work but it somehow does. it also did a lot of stuff before FE did, like it has FE3H's structure and a lot similar plot points to tellius. kaga truly did it first...
6
underrated. unlike the famicom games this one has aged quite well and aside from a few maps is a lot of fun to play, with a great balance between unit building and tight strategy. its still a bit basic but overall a great game.
7
i think if this wasnt my first FE game it would rank much lower, but it was my first and what a special playthrough that first run was. this is a deeply flawed game, always either piss easy or unfair depending on the difficulty setting chosen, with absurd map design that encourages having a few superunits who destroy everything rather than any actual strategy.
the emphasis on dating sim elements to appeal to a broader audience is also very apparent. i, like the proper kaga elitist i am, dont think the draw of this series should be as a shipping simulator. get owned stupid casual babies ahahahaha.
jokes aside, in spite of all its flaws this game has a lot of heart, i can see that the team behind it wanted to go out with a bang in case this was the last FE game, and i think that heart is why it resonated with me so much. i like the game.
the emphasis on dating sim elements to appeal to a broader audience is also very apparent. i, like the proper kaga elitist i am, dont think the draw of this series should be as a shipping simulator. get owned stupid casual babies ahahahaha.
jokes aside, in spite of all its flaws this game has a lot of heart, i can see that the team behind it wanted to go out with a bang in case this was the last FE game, and i think that heart is why it resonated with me so much. i like the game.
8
the most fire emblem game of all time. i think because its such a median for the series its probably the best game for newcomers. like FE8 it doesnt excel at much but the core gameplay loop is quite good and it really solidified what the series is about for future entries.
9
ugliness aside this game is a lot of fun. the simpler maps of FE1 lend themselves well to this game, which is quick and snappy and satisfying to play. marth rocks
10
a fire emblem game in all but name. pretty fun. has tanks (they suck).
11
cool game. i'm not a big fan of the game's approach to map design, the pairing/inheritance system, the inventory system, and the arena grind but i can see why others would like it. gen 1 is a decent tragedy story, gen 2 is kind of bland IMO. overall its solid
12
after playing FE3 i feel like FE3's maps are very much made for that game, all the gameplay changes made in DSFE dont really mesh well with what the original was trying to do. this is still a fun game but i think shadow dragon is a better remake. also kris sucks and makes the story significantly worse than the original. my self insert do not steal OC was not marth's bestie who actually carried him through the game.
13
i dont think any part of this game is "bad" but also nothing about it stands out to me. an ok story with ok maps and an ok soundtrack. good game but i have no desire to revisit it. also this game's color pallet is worse than the other GBAFEs. uglier colors.
14
for a famicom game it has aged decently all things considered. its still slow and clunky and pretty damn easy but playing it after most FE games it was quite charming to see where it all started.
15
the most irritating game to me. so much of it had the potential to be great but the execution was so bad that i get frustrated thinking of what this game could have been. mucho texto ahead.
i dont like the games approach to units being major investments which you get only a few of, especially when the class selection is so weak. every unit feels samey and lacks a unique identity, which does no favors for the bland map design. i also do not like the calendar system and the monastery is a huge drag, especially in part 2.
having the house you choose at the beginning determine your side in a war is a cool concept that the game did not do well. there is very little different about each route. even in part 2 which is supposed to be where things are different, you end up repeating a lot of maps and story beats. the golden deer (the best house) didn't even get a unique route at all. at the center of this sloppy, unfinished story is non-character protagonist of all time, byleth, who is so important to the events of the plot and each character's development despite being a blank slate who speaks entirely in dialogue options.
theres a lot more i want to say but ill leave it at that. despite all my complaints i like this game, i had fun with it for most of my first playthrough, but the more i played it the more i saw all the unrealized ambition that could have made this game great and that makes me sad.
i dont like the games approach to units being major investments which you get only a few of, especially when the class selection is so weak. every unit feels samey and lacks a unique identity, which does no favors for the bland map design. i also do not like the calendar system and the monastery is a huge drag, especially in part 2.
having the house you choose at the beginning determine your side in a war is a cool concept that the game did not do well. there is very little different about each route. even in part 2 which is supposed to be where things are different, you end up repeating a lot of maps and story beats. the golden deer (the best house) didn't even get a unique route at all. at the center of this sloppy, unfinished story is non-character protagonist of all time, byleth, who is so important to the events of the plot and each character's development despite being a blank slate who speaks entirely in dialogue options.
theres a lot more i want to say but ill leave it at that. despite all my complaints i like this game, i had fun with it for most of my first playthrough, but the more i played it the more i saw all the unrealized ambition that could have made this game great and that makes me sad.
16
the earlygame is a lot of fun, very satisfying and well designed maps, but the more it goes on the worse it gets and i honestly despise the lategame maps. it has the best story by virtue of being the funniest. they really wanted you to feel like this shit is morally grey
17
this game is so stupid that it loops around to being sometimes good. frustrating to play but weirdly fun at the same time.
18
this game is trying to be more newcomer friendly while also trying to be thracia 776. you cant do both. not fun and boring.
19
not much better than rev. extremely boring game. the setting of fates is really cool and unique and i really wish the game did anything interesting with it but alas.
20
trainwreck. not even laughably bad just bad. anthony/10
21