Alright, so I decided to try my hand at one of the most highly rated 3DS games of all time. What caught my attention was not because I'm a hardcore follower of the series, but because of the MARRIAGE SYSTEM. Yes, I'm shallow I know. But how many JRPGs have a marriage option? And oh goodness, you get to choose who you want to be with?
Anyway, moving on. Honestly, I didn't know what to expect with Fire emblem awakening. It was my first ever fire emblem game, and served as a gateway into the franchise. Fire emblem games are notorious for their perma death and difficulty level, and that was the only part which kept me from getting this game. Until I found out about the casual mode, that is. For a beginner like me who stumbled through FE:A, it still lasted for a solid 20 hours give or take.
Story wise, nothing I haven't seen before. It starts of well, and keeps you intrigued until you get through at least half of the game and realize: Oh wait. Is this what i think it is? It made the ending predictable, but I still enjoyed the game immensely. Thus, plot gets a 7/10. I'm sure anyone who ever played a JRPG knows how it goes. Main character is the destined one who would slay evil and or help to put an end to the time of evil bla bla bla and even finds love along the way, I didn't think the story was anything special, but it was barebones enough to keep me going to the end.
Gameplay gets an 9/10. Despite not being a huge fan of tactic games, I found that the causal mode helped immensely. The great thing about the game is that, you're not just controlling your main character. You are also responsible for each move your 'group' members make, and ultimately, are responsible for their deaths. On casual mode, you just get upset and move on since they'll be back after the battle anyway; but playing on normal mode, it takes a certain amount of planning and cunning to win. Not to mention, you'll be having emotional backlash when your favourite character gets killed off by a stupid decision.
The large cast of characters allows you to experiment with different weapon types. There is also a weapon triangle which allows you to take advantage of the weakness in different types in order to give you more advantage in battle. What I loved were the cutscenes that were shown whenever your characters engage in battle with the enemy. You don't merely just see the picture of the enemy get cut down! It plays out right in front of you!
The music of FE:A was fabulous. The background music during support conversations change according to the mood. A catchy little jingle is played when the interaction is humorous, a somber tune is played when the mood turns serious as the characters speak about their painful past. The battle scenes were accompanied by intense, fast paced music and differs between the places/continents. There is alot of thought put into this, and I for one wholly appreciate how well done the music really is. It deserves much of the praise it has received. 9/10
Animation gets 8/10. I wasn't a fan of the particular sprite style the game used, because it made the characters less than lifelike. I mean, it was good, but not so good that I couldn't take my eyes off of it. But I can't blame the game, since it's has to work on a hardware like the 3ds. It's obvious that the limitations of the console play a factor in this. But still, there were no lack of wow moments whenever they showed the animated cutscenes and introduced new characters with splendid artwork and managed to display them up to their knees at least. Many a waifu was born that day, and I'm sure fans of the game had their favourites.
Recommended to everyone who enjoys JRPGs and tactical, turn based combat. It's suited for a more wider variety of players due to the addition of casual play, and almost everyone will be able to enjoy it. It is a definite must have for the 3DS console. Doubtless, Fire emblem Awakening is a timeless gem that has been capturing the hearts of players ever since its release. 5/5
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