Part of FE’s idenity is the combo of team building and strategy present throughout the series.
Experimentation is also a big part of FE’s identity to me, as both players and the games themselves can experiment with different styles, making each game unique.
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[Good] Fire Emblem is when I can adhere to the default, comfortable state of play for the entirety of the game and get told that my precious babies had a happy ending. [Bad] Fire Emblem is when the game makes me think about stuff that I haven’t been primed to think about
Oh, and insincere platitudes about peace awkwardly tied to a heck of a lot of unexamined imperialism. Sprinked with extremely inept allusions to racism and class struggle that are only discussed when a pretty character needs them as part of their tragic backstory
I second the fixed damage being the real fire emblem distinguishing factor.
If you want a JRPG with loads of characters set around military conflicts between at least three major fantasy countries (and also has a ton of high quality waifus), with each game featuring a magical item macguffin of import, you can…play Suikoden, which for bonus points usually has 108 total blue units (although only around 60-70 fieldable), an actual plot, a silent MC you control that ascends to a role of great import without being a blatant power fantasy, and character development for more than four characters that doesn’t rely on a support system.*
But if you want a JRPG that allows you to meticulously plan your turns to achieve the exact desired result, you have Fire Emblem…and Paper Mario.
*Disclaimer: Only played the first two Suikodens, natch.
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Welp, looks like the next game’s gonna be a dungeon crawler.
Simply put:
A tactical RPG that has a large army of different genders of people in different army positions and also sometimes different races with each character supposed to have a unique character.
Other than that there have not been too many trends I have seen that IS has continued to follow in the FE series.
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Interactive chess pieces with stats that I can force to bone for more stats/new pieces that break the game.
One thing I’d like to add: changing or rearranging key mechanisms of the game between entries.
What I mean by this is there is little standardization in Fire Emblem when compared with other major Nintendo franchises.
The stat calculations, story setting, game mechanics, and gimmicks all change between games.
Where in something like Pokémon you can transfer Pokémon between games, or Zelda where the stories line up with each other (or even Mario where you have the same moves) Fire Emblem experiences a fruit basket upset and identity crisis with every new game to the series.
The number scale ranges wildly, the story staples are inconsistent, the damage calculations change.
If permadeath is FEs unique trait then why casual mode? If linear progression then why FE8/11? Weapon triangle doesn’t exist until like 5 games in, and neither do supports.
Marriage is only in about half the games, and so are dragons.
The fire emblem itself changes to something different every game and I think that’s one of the best representations of the series.
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Permadeath. I think this is the most fundamental aspect to FEs design and what makes it stand out against others in the genre.
Transparency in numbers. It’s never too hard to math out individual turns and attacks. The numbers are small and the calcs are consistent.
6 Likes
Games that are officially NOT FIRE EMBLEM GAMES (according to community consensus):
-FE1 (can’t see HP during battle, Aum Staff, arena grinding)
-FE2 (grinding, can’t see HP during battle)
-FE3 (Aum Staff)
-FE4 (Valkyrie, arena grinding)
-FE5 (hidden skills, arena grinding)
-FE6 (arena grinding)
-FE7 (arena grinding)
-FE8 (Tower of Valni, skirmishes, arena grinding)
-FE11 (arena grinding)
-FE12 (casual mode, arena grinding)
-FE13 (casual mode, probably grinding idk I never played it)
-FE14 (casual mode, skirmishes in Birthright/Rev, Bifröst)
-FE15 (casual mode, grinding, turnwheel negates permadeath)
-FE16 (casual mode, grinding, divine pulse negates permadeath)
Please return to your daily schedule of playing the Tellius games and BSFE.
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Well I think we all knew 9/10 are the pinnacle of “true” fire emblem. They do have Ike after all.
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I don’t remember who it was made by, but I remember watching a video claiming that FE’s biggest appeal is tension. The uncertainty of random battles being played out + the ever looming threat of permadeath creates a very tense atmosphere late into a chapter, when you’ve triggered every reinforcement zone and are barely fighting to stay alive.
Do I entirely agree? Not really, if tension was the only thing FE had going for it, we wouldn’t see permadeath and randomness being toned down in the more modern games, which have extra focus on character growth/relationships.
I think if a game wanted to be classified as a full fledged, triple A, mainline FE game and not some weird spinoff that’s oddly similar to the mainlines, it should have grid based, turn based combat with a moderate sized cast of active, playable units. Idc if they suddenly add classes that act like advanced wars indirect attackers, or put the game on a hexagonal grid.
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When Nobugaga gets his blue eyes white dragon and sings Fiah Emblem Something Something Something and then Rean Trails says
Rean…
Idk never played Fire Emblem I only romhack it
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I don’t remember interracting with permadeath in a meaningfull way honnestly
I think the idea of a personalized story for each player driven by the mechanics is the heart of every single FE game, something both the older and newer games tackle in their own way, but something they each tackle nonetheless. Such a philosophy really covers nearly every aspect of FE, from the huge cast of units the player has to make us of, to the weapons they use, to how the player responds to perma death, to who supports who by the end, to how the player tackles a map given the unique circumstances of their run and so on.
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lords with swords
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Isn’t that rock-paper-scissors tho?
In every FE minus FE5. Why, Kaga, why?
I’ve never thought about Pokemon as RPG, but, yeah, it’s one if you think about it.
Still, I see a worrying tendency to limit the cast in newest FE games. Let’s hope it doesn’t go away.
It’s much more absract, most RPGs limit weapon usage based on your strength and so on. FE is just simpler in this regard.
Ah, a stample of the series. It always feels weird playing the first games. Characters just feel so much more… bland.
It’s the part of FE. Please, don’t remove it, IS.
You’re choices really matter
you see there’s a difference between liking FE fates and liking the FE fates characters and supports. (why aren’t there more than one Reina support? Reina is such a good character that could’ve been expanded on so much)
I will list mine
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SRPG, obviously it has to be one.
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Actual characters, no random recruitables like Disgaia or FFT.
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Supports, fleshes out the characters you use. Encouraging replay and what not.
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Strategy through map design, no garbage back attack mechanics in Fire Emblem.
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Permadeath, has to at least be an option. Gives the feeling of actual consequences for your actions.
That’s it for me
You have been visited by dissatisfied Unil.
2 Likes