Shadows of Valentia is more than just that, given that while it is super-faithful to Gaiden's ideas, the gameplay concepts were given a number of modern touches, from the handling of the dungeons and town exploration to the introduction of a mechanic that rewinds actions and whole turns. It does a lot of things that are mechanically unique for Fire Emblem, even if the map designs are basically the same as they were in 1992.Awakening has better characters. They're one-note joke characters, mind, but I found them fun enough.
Conquest's (I dunno about Birthright) story is trash but the gameplay and maps are legit the best in the series.
Echoes is fine but it's the worst of the three. It's an excessively faithful remake of an old famicom game, when the series was still trying to nail the gameplay, and does virtually nothing to improve on the outdated gameplay aspects. The main reason some people champion it is because it's a callback to a time when FE was less "anime," and fair enough I guess.
Shadows of Valentia is more than just that, given that while it is super-faithful to Gaiden's ideas, the gameplay concepts were given a number of modern touches, from the handling of the dungeons and town exploration to the introduction of a mechanic that rewinds actions and whole turns. It does a lot of things that are mechanically unique for Fire Emblem, even if the map designs are basically the same as they were in 1992.
Fates, collectively, is the greatest Fire Emblem entry of all time. The story in Birthright is great and the story in Conquest is great too aside from the ridiculous plot-driver. All three games have support conversations that are even better at breathing life into the characters than Awakening, and I cried at the ending of all three.Hottest take on Birthright... But I definitely thought Conquest was great and the story wasn't as bad as people say it is even if it's not great. Fates is indeed worth playing and honestly I don't care that much about story with FE (although Path of Radiance proves FE can be fantastic at it when it wants to be) because the gameplay is always very fun and music is usually good too.
I'd definitely recommend trying the Classic mode. Permadeath adds an extra layer to the game and makes you consider your moves more carefully as you're afraid of losing characters you're attached to.I hadn't thought terribly much about it, but it seems like Classic mode is the way the game is intended to be played so I'll start with that unless FE fans suggest otherwise.
Fates, collectively, is the greatest Fire Emblem entry of all time. The story in Birthright is great and the story in Conquest is great too aside from the ridiculous plot-driver. All three games have support conversations that are just as good as Awakening, if not better, and I cried at the ending of all three.
Prove me wrong! :P
But Echoes has awful maps :P.I love Fates.
But Fates' story and writing is about as good as Echoes' maps.
Most people play FE with permadeath and restarting if they really fuck up/get unlucky. No permadeath means all strategy goes out the window and you can just lemmings rush every map without consequence.I hadn't thought terribly much about it, but it seems like Classic mode is the way the game is intended to be played so I'll start with that unless FE fans suggest otherwise.
But Echoes has awful maps :P.
To have a serious conversation, I always forget the reasons why people attack Fates' story. Revelations was literally written by the Senran Kagura writer. And there is one major thing in particular that makes Conquest's plot stupid. But what is wrong with Birthright's story? I loved it. The characters are great, the conflict was painful, and I was bawling my eyes out at the two key character deaths.
Yes, that is the fatal flaw of Conquest's plot. It is fair to opine that it ruins the whole thing, because it kind of does (though I would argue it doesn't make the two suicides near the end any less shocking and poignant). But the characters are just as great and well-realized as their Hoshidan counterparts; from the ones who are decent people just trying to survive in an oppressive and militaristic regime, to those who are somehow both warm and friendly to those they know and absolutely psychotic killers to everyone else.I can't speak to Birthright, but Conquest had that weird thing where after every battle in the first half Corrin would go on some long monologue about how proud they were that their band of bloodthirsty psychopaths (like holy cow half the characters are serial killers) merely wounded all the bad guys, for some reason. And there was that angsty guy with a pineapple head. And the entire plot hinged on everybody not realizing that the obviously evil king was evil.
I did like how cartoonishly evil Iago was though. He was Conquest's Emperor Palpatine. Iago just had loads of fun being evil, I wish I could've played as him. Also the bodybuilder lady was fun.
Maybe in your mind.None of the changes improved it though.
The game is faithful where it counts, which is the basic gameplay and maps, and Gaiden is near-universally derided as the worst game in the series when it comes to that. Gaiden had the worst maps in possibly any SRPG ever created, and they're basically ported over 1:1. The gameplay is as abysmal as it was on the Famicom, but I guess there's dungeons now, so yay?
But Echoes has awful maps :P.
To have a serious conversation, I always forget the reasons why people attack Fates' story. Revelations was literally written by the Senran Kagura writer. And there is one major thing in particular that makes Conquest's plot a little stupid. But what is wrong with Birthright's story? I loved it. The characters are great, the conflict was painful, and I was bawling my eyes out at the two key character deaths (especially "the duel").
I mean, I'm assuming that once he takes off the lobster suit he's a little harder to spot :P. I'll admit I don't remember every detail of the plot anymore though. There could definitely be some silliness there. But I still loved it.Birthright's story is ehhh it's not great but as bad as Conquest's plot. The first half is a bit dumb considering Ryoma and Takumi go missing one chapter after choosing Hoshido, The whole traitor subplot is awfully tacky. Ryoma somehow manages to go uncover despite being the next line to rule and the crown of his current. Hoshido somehow manages to fight a losing war against Nohr for most of it. Wolfskin chapter is really stupid.
It's an ok game but not a great fire emblem
The best part of it being Ryoma going undercover is that both of his retainers are ninjas. Why not send Kaizo or Kagero instead to do sneaky undercover stuff? It's their whole thing, they're ninjas, after all.I mean, I'm assuming that once he takes off the lobster suit he's a little harder to spot :P. I'll admit I don't remember every detail of the plot anymore though. There could definitely be some silliness there. But I still loved it.
Because he's a hands-on kinda leader? :PThe best part of it being Ryoma going undercover is that both of his retainers are ninjas. Why not send Kaizo or Kagero instead to do sneaky undercover stuff? It's their whole thing, they're ninjas, after all.
I'd say that this is terrible advice. You're either recommending the most challenging branch of Fates with arguably the worst story (Conquest) to a newcomer, or games that predated Awakening and don't have the quality of life features that make the modern entries more appealing to so many people. A lot of modern fans were (or would have been) scared off by the mandatory permadeath alone.I personally think Awakening is a subpar Fire Emblem game that also started a terrible direction for the series (yes I know it "saves" the franchise, but that doesn't excuse how it introduces bad fan service to the series). For all the shit people gives Fates, at least one of them somehow manages to be a masterpiece in the gameplay department (Conquest). Newcomer or not, I wouldn't ever recommend Awakening as a Fire Emblem game. Do yourself a favor and start with another Fire Emblem not on 3DS instead, like the FE7 on GBA, or FE9 on GC. If 3DS is your only option for system, just play Conquest and skip the rest.
Someone didn't watch the Three Houses trailer.
Military academies are a thing that exist.It looks like it takes place in some kind of school setting right? I saw the trailer but haven't followed up on it. School setting doesn't really scream FE to me haha. Screams, every other cliche anime trope incoming. I'm hoping I'm way off base though, because the armies fighting around the battles looks fantastic, among other things.
I dont buy into the notion that being a newcomer means they should just play an easier or more accessible game. Everybody is a newcomer at some point. Every game (unless direct sequel) in this series is designed so that anybody new to it can play it as they are standalone. Yeah old games have fixed permadeath, but it can't be denied that Fire Emblem is fundamentally designed around it, and it's not like FE7 or 9 are that difficult. They start fairly easy and ease beginners in well.I'd say that this is terrible advice. You're either recommending the most challenging branch of Fates with arguably the worst story (Conquest) to a newcomer, or games that predated Awakening and don't have the quality of life features that make the modern entries more appealing to so many people. A lot of modern fans were (or would have been) scared off by the mandatory permadeath alone.
Like it or not, Awakening is currently the best entry point for newcomers, just in terms of being a more accessible game with a flawed but interesting and relatively competent story, and a structure that's more akin to other FE titles than Shadows of Valentia.
That honestly doesn't matter. I have friends that stayed away from even the idea of playing Fire Emblem because permadeath mechanics give them anxiety. One friend of mine started playing Fire Emblem with Heroes. I gave her a copy of Awakening, and she enjoyed it. If I had given her Blazing Blade or Path of Radiance, she probably wouldn't have even started them.I dont buy into the notion that being a newcomer means they should just play an easier or more accessible game. Everybody is a newcomer at some point. Every game (unless direct sequel) in this series is designed so that anybody new to it can play it as they are standalone. Yeah old games have fixed permadeath, but it can't be denied that Fire Emblem is fundamentally designed around it, and it's not like FE7 or 9 are that difficult. They start fairly easy and ease beginners in well.
I understand that people who hated permadeath, the newer games are certainly more welcoming to them. I'm mainly referring to people who are indifferent. People who just want good games. I don't condemn casual mode, it certainly has its place. I was just arguing that 7 and 9 are perfectly acceptable/good places to get into the series, so long as they can deal with permadeath.That honestly doesn't matter. I have friends that stayed away from even the idea of playing Fire Emblem because permadeath mechanics give them anxiety. One friend of mine started playing Fire Emblem with Heroes. I gave her a copy of Awakening, and she enjoyed it. If I had given her Blazing Blade or Path of Radiance, she probably wouldn't have even started them.
If people feel comfortable enough to take the challenge, they can switch from Casual to Classic mode, with or without upping the difficulty. The point is, modern FE games give players options that make the very idea of playing them more palatable to more people. And if that insults you in some way, then tough luck, my dude. Not everyone enjoys jumping into the deep end without a life vest.
That honestly doesn't matter. I have friends that stayed away from even the idea of playing Fire Emblem because permadeath mechanics give them anxiety. One friend of mine started playing Fire Emblem with Heroes. I gave her a copy of Awakening, and she enjoyed it. If I had given her Blazing Blade or Path of Radiance, she probably wouldn't have even started them.
If people feel comfortable enough to take the challenge, they can switch from Casual to Classic mode, with or without upping the difficulty. The point is, modern FE games give players options that make the very idea of playing them more palatable to more people. And if that insults you in some way, then tough luck, my dude. Not everyone enjoys jumping into the deep end without a life vest.
I personally think Awakening is a subpar Fire Emblem game that also started a terrible direction for the series (yes I know it "saves" the franchise, but that doesn't excuse how it introduces bad fan service to the series). For all the shit people gives Fates, at least one of them somehow manages to be a masterpiece in the gameplay department (Conquest). Newcomer or not, I wouldn't ever recommend Awakening as a Fire Emblem game. Do yourself a favor and start with another Fire Emblem not on 3DS instead, like the FE7 on GBA, or FE9 on GC. If 3DS is your only option for system, just play Conquest and skip the rest.