1. plasticEGO

   10

   Finally, the game everyone's been waiting for! Though most are still impatiently waiting (due to shipping issues), some have proceeded to download the digital copy and immediately thanked themselves, among other unspeakable things. This is definitely the much needed scratch for the strategist's itch. From the intuitive battle system, beautiful music scores and masterfully written dialogue, this game is easily another must have for anyone even slightly interested in the genre. The battles have never been more intense, as you've never felt more of a connection with the characters. Each characters flowing with personality. Some charming, some annoying, some lovable, and ALL capable of being turned into cannon fodder, should you let your guard down (or if you're conspiring). Top it all off with enthused, well spoken voice overs that never overstep their purpose and vivid cut scene videos that never fail to impress. All in all, this game is a MUST HAVE for anyone seeking to exercise wit and is even tailored to newcomers in the new Classic mode. I'm slightly bummed out at the limitations of online mode. Should a DLC for online battles be released, I'd change my score to a perfect 10. I highly recommend picking this one up, even if you're slightly interested. I know a couple of people who recently purchased the 3ds for this game alone, if that tells you anything. "9 out of 10" plasticEGO… Expand

   • Helpful? 2 of 2 users said Yes.
2. Cloppers

   8

   The game is good, refreshing; yet still brings back memories from earlier games. The new support function is amazing, and being able to marry characters together is a long wanted feature.
   
   The biggest problem with the game is the huge gap in difficulties. Hard mode is ridiculously easy for veterans of the game, yet Lunatic is nearly impossible without hours of grinding particular units.… Expand

   • Helpful? 0 of 0 users said Yes.
3. RyanA

   6

   This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I don't mind the story mode, the graphics, the music, the cutscenes, and most of the story. What I find stupid is that there seems like a lack of different types of character, then therefore, the weapons usable by each character; I liked Radiant Dawn, they weren't as general as characters in this game, instead of a paladin, there are ax paladin, sword paladin, lance paladin, even bow paladin. This added a layer a strategy, so that you had to have one character attacking a specific other one, making sure that it is a good idea after that. In Awakening, you can beat a large number of enemies with one character because of the number of different weapons this character can use. This isn't a problem for most of the game, until you need to get Priam, which you need 30 characters leveled up. This brings me to my next problem with this game, leveling up, boring and tedious, realizing more effective ways to level up characters all of the time, eventually using one character at a time. This is when I sometimes get annoyed to find the best level for the specific characters, sometimes finding the weakness of your character, forcing to search more. I say that it is tedious and boring because you have to kill every single one of them. I may be the only one that thinks this way, but in call of duty and most other first person shooter games, you learn how to go into the fray of a battle and shoot to kill whatever comes in sight. In this game, for this part of this game at least, you have to kill everyone on screen, so you're trying to find the best way to kill your opponent. A counter argument that may come up may be "there risen, it doesn't matter, it's pretty much zombies, things that should be killed," I'd say "what about when you fight against things that aren't risen?" Well, I can't really think of something to replace it, to get the amount of experience you need without using DLC, which adds more money to that $40 I've already spent on this game. People I noticed mention multiple art styles as a positive thing. I look at the appearances (the 3D characters) and art styles. Do they look similar? NO, THEY LOOK STUPID, the Black Knight for example, he's supposed to a have a helmet to mask his head. Guess what. No helmet, and face is see able, this is similar for most (if not all) of the SpotPass/DLC characters. Overall, 6.3/10, it's pretty pathetic it was beat out by both of the Rabbids Games on the 3DS.… Expand

   • Helpful? 0 of 3 users said Yes.
4. RightEOThen

   3

   I love Fire Emblem.
   I just want to preface this review by saying that I love the series and that Fire Emblem 7 (just called Fire Emblem here in the States) is my favorite game of all time. The problem with Fire Emblem Awakening lies in the way it drifts so far from what Fire Emblem should be. Fire Emblem is a series of some of the best strategy games of all time. Games with near perfect linear game design, compelling (if not a little dry) stories, and a flair for inventing new concepts for other strategy games to follow. And all of it is placed alongside one of the best systems of strategy combat in history, forcing a player to face up to the real possibility of losing their soldiers.
   But Fire Emblem Awakening does not do the series proud.
   Some of the hate I have for Awakening could be grounded in its divergence from all things Fire Emblem, but I dislike it even more because it tricked me into thinking the whole game would be as good as the first couple chapters. Fire Emblem Awakening does away with the linear style of old Fire Emblem games. At first, this was exciting, but later on I found it made the game devoid of challenge as ranking up your team is far too easy when the battles never stop. There is no point in trying to include weaker characters, no point in trying to form a solid team, and no point in playing on permadeath mode anymore, because the game never actually ends. Sure, there is a final level, but it doesn't matter when you consider that there is no end to the fighting. The game is built for casual mode, which might as well put the nail in the coffin of a series that defined itself as a linear series that had games with a set end. You worked to build a team strong enough to win the war, and lost comrades on the way. But now, every comrade lost is just one less character available for the infinite fights after the end credits roll. Losing a character isn't something you can just keep on without, as their is so much more game to play.
   Of course, the combat is still good despite the poor design, leaving the developer to work on a good story. Unfortunately, the story is an overdone JRPG story featuring a cast of about five relevant characters. The danger in the story isn't real because none of the characters take it seriously. They carry on with their laughably unfunny single trait "personalities" and their pointless conversations while the world falls apart around them in a sea of enemy blood. Now, I realize that Fire Emblem games of the past haven't set the world on fire with their stories, but they at least had some serious enough moments in them to make the world threatening danger somewhat believable.
   Now, the counter argument might be that all of this fits the tone and theme of the game, and it does. But the problem with Fire Emblem Awakening is that it just isn't a Fire Emblem game anymore. Its more comparable to Final Fantasy Tactics than Fire Emblem.
   And as such, it shouldn't have spent time trying to be a Fire Emblem game.
   To sum up this admittedly long winded review, Fire Emblem Awakening is not a Fire Emblem game. If you want to see a good Fire Emblem game, their are about 10 other games in the series (excluding the dull Shadow Dragon) that have not only aged well due to their great combat and well done stories, but that also qualify as Fire Emblem games in feeling, design and execution. Its a sad day to see an IP be turned around and made into something completely different, but I hold out hope that the inevitable next Fire Emblem game gets it right.… Expand

   • Helpful? 3 of 40 users said Yes.

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