Fire Emblem Kakusei / Awakening Review [3DS] review

[kryss]

It is beautiful. From the opening to the animated cut scenes, to the mildly deformed characters (where are their feet!?!?), Fire Emblem Kakusei is a visual treat.

The system is like the last DS incarnation, with a choice between "casual" and "classic" modes, where in classic mode, characters are actually killed rather than just out of the battle for the duration. Attachment to characters is what affects the player then, the struggle to keep their team alive despite the odds again them weighs heavily. This is in opposition to similar games like the Advance Wars and Super Robot Taisen series', where no one really dies.

Yes, ok, I'm playing casual mode. I don't need the emotional distress right now!!

Odd beginning, with you and Chrome fighting some old sorcerer, then you waking up with no memory and technically meeting Chrome for the first time. Oh yes, it's the old "protagonist with amnesia" opener. Well anyway, we soon end up proving ourselves in battle and are invited to join Chrome's band of vigilantes. Sweet, got my Casey Jones outfit ready to rock.

One thing Nintendo is trying out with this is paid DLC...FFS WHY!!! The retail price of the game is 4800yen, with there being 3600yen worth of DLC available at the time of writing. Ok, so the first set was a free download until May 31st (and I managed to get it literally by a few minutes), but still. I hope they smarten up with their pricing and realise we're not all made of money. Incidentally, the in-game shop where you buy the DLC is only unlocked after completing Chapter 4.

Bitching about DLC aside, FE Kakusei is true to form and a pleasure to play. There's not anywhere nearly as much text to read through as SRW games, which is a big plus in my book (I love SRW don't get me wrong, but that's a lot of read and not that much gaming sometimes).

Loving it, loving it, loving it.

[briareos_kerensky]

How does it play compared to other Fire Emblems?

[kryss]

On par I would say. Doesn't really mess with the FE formula much. I don't remember being able to pair units up before though.

[dreamylittledream]

The units have to die for good - defeats the whole point of the game otherwise...

[briareos_kerensky]

(where are their feet!?!?),

I think there are clipping problems and they disappear beneath the ground.

Awakening is very well done and doesn't feel as rushed as Shadow Dragon (the FE1 remake for the DS) and I can compare it to FE7 (GBA, the first released outside Japan) in terms of polish and addiction it can create.
It's possible to choose between three difficulty levels (easy, hard, maniac) and wheter units die permantently or not; hard is advertised for series veterans, but I think it requires way too much knowledge of Awakening's game system, it's way too punishing, and allows for very few mistakes. On the other hand, easy is way too easy...I would have liked something in between, but at least easy mode is allowing me to play other games along it, or I would spend hours just to clear a single map. Permadeath is on, or it wouldn't feel like Fire Emblem.

Pairing up is something new, as it is interaction with nearby characters when fighting: not only they give a small boost to stats, but they can also do follow-up attacks or even deflect damage...it's particularly beatiful to see someone attack one of your character, who is supported by an archer or a mage, and see the enemy being attacked by the defender and then by the supporter.

Many things have been reworked for the best: now support conversations are only unlocked by having two nearby units act together and not by simply placing them nearby; random enemies spawn on the map allowing to level up everyone; previous maps can be accessed for unique shops; the game doesn't hold your hand for too long; battles don't feel as cumbersome as in Path of Radiance/Radiant Dawn; the graphics are a thousand times better than Shadow Dragon and Shin Monsho no Nazo (3DS, unpublished outside Japan) and battles can also be appreciated through different point of views. All units look good, though I still miss the sprite animations of FF7 and FF8...but Awakening looks much better than the GC/Wii games and the previous DS games.

The story isn't really anything different from any other Fire Emblem (except for Path of Radiance): there's the Fire Emblem, dark dragon, end of the world, blah blah blah. Also characters are a bit on the stereotypised side, and for some reason, the more useful they are, the more I don't like them.
But still, between this and the EO4 demo, it's hard to put the 3DS down.

[kryss]

My day off tomorrow will basically be spent playing through this to unlock the other world gate and get the first DLC while it's still free.

[Briareos]

Quick question for the series vets, I?ve played advance wars and final fantasy tactics, in the former you can keep building units mid mission (in most cases) and in the latter you are set with the units you started with, I take it fire emblem does not allow units to be built mid mission? I don?t do very well in games like Advance Wars where you build the army mid mission as I always end up building a ship when i should be making a plane etc. If the units are fixed are there non story missions you can do to level them up?

[kryss]

There is no unit building. You play with the characters you start with, although infrequently interactions with neutral (green) characters can be "turned" to your team. There are

->Open Spoiler<-

zombies that pop up after Marth joins you that let you revisit areas for another battle, plus the DLC can be played multiple times (i think)

.

[Synthesthesia]

I think there are clipping problems and they disappear beneath the ground.

The models don't have feet. That's what I've read/seen a pic of.

[The Mole]

Not sure i can wait till June for this, i am in the USA next month i think its about time i treated myself to a US 3ds

[briareos_kerensky]

The models don't have feet. That's what I've read/seen a pic of.

They don't. Though, in few occasions, their non-feet slip into the ground due to clipping.

If the units are fixed are there non story missions you can do to level them up?

Random encounters pop up from time to time and there are items to force enemies appear, but most of the progress is done through story missions. New units are recruited during story missions (if you don't kill them first), via DLC, or through special means.
I've found myself betting heavily on my character (mage) and Sumia (Pegasus Knight)...with A support and paired up the two get 24% critical with a normal weapon, and if Sumia is the leading unit, they can fly around and pick on essentially any unit.
In fact, I'm forcing myself not to use them because they are at level 15 when the rest of the team is barely around 10...but I've always loved flying units. Can't wait to have a Wyvern Rider in my ranks.

[briareos_kerensky]

Awakening's translation is well done and there are more than a few snickers here and there, and Nintendo promotes during St. Valentine:

http://www.siliconera.com/2013/02/14/fire-emblem-awakening-characters-celebrate-valentines-day/

The second is hilarious...

->Open Spoiler<-

and strangely well timed, cleared chapter 9 right now :P

Talking about relationships, I'm hooking up the loli dragon girl and the swordmaster terrified by women. Couples in Awakening tend to be much more prone to comedy than in ant other game of the series.

[zeroboo]

anyone know if it is possible to repair a weapon? seems odd that you can spend a fortune forging a weapon but the option to repair a weapon is no where to be found.

[briareos_kerensky]

You can buy a (very) rare Hammerne staff, which repairs an ally's equipped weapon. The staff is worth 2000GP (IIRC) and has only one charge.

[zeroboo]

You can buy a (very) rare Hammerne staff, which repairs an ally's equipped weapon. The staff is worth 2000GP (IIRC) and has only one charge.

Hm... Seems a bit pointless to forge weapons then.