It's rather hard to believe, but Fire Emblem If will be releasing in Japan on 25th June. This is made all the more surprising because relatively little is known about the game at this point. Here's a quick breakdown of what we do know so far:
- The story will follow the war between a 'good' kingdom (Hoshido) and an 'evil' kingdom (Nohr)
- At least in Japan, there will be two versions; one following the storyline of Hoshido, the other following the storyline of Nohr
- The storyline of the other version will be available as DLC
- A third, neutral storyline will be released sometime after launch
- Digital copies will allow the player the choice between the two kingdoms, but once a side is picked, it won't be changeable.
- Choices made by the player will have a greater impact on the story than in past entries
- Nohr will be considered the harder campaign, with more difficult and varied mission objectives and fewer opportunities to acquire gold or EXP for characters
- Hoshido will be the easier campaign, offering an experience more alike to Fire Emblem: Awakening
- Pair Up will return from Fire Emblem: Awakening, though now there are new variations called Attack Stance and Guard Stance.
It's a fairly safe bet that Nintendo will devote some time to revealing more details about this in its E3 Digital Event, but for those of you that don't want to wait until then, Famitsu just confirmed a few more details about the game in its most recent issue.
One of the biggest announcements was the reveal of the new 'Phoenix Mode', which will be included to help ease in newcomers to the series. While Classic Mode will feature permanent death for characters and Casual Mode will have temporary death that lasts for the rest of the battle, Phoenix Mode will allow fallen characters to rejoin the fight in the next turn. Another important addition is the 'Dragon Pulse'. The Dragon Pulse will be a technique usable by members of the royal family on either side that will enable them to drastically change the landscape, such as by building bridges, causing earthquakes, or flattening mountains. Also, in a move to shake up series convention, weapons will no longer have limited uses; emphasis will be placed on using the right weapon in the right situation. In regards to the player character, customization options will be more robust than ever and the player's starting class will be 'Dark Prince/Princess'.
What do you think of the changes being made? If Nintendo opts to do a dual release in the West, which version will you be picking up? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
[source siliconera.com]
Comments 75
Cool
I'm not certain about what I think about infinite weapon use, but I suppose emphasizing the use of fighting with the correct weapon is more thoughtful game design.
I'm all for making it easier for newcomers. This is one my favourite Nintendo IPs and I'd love it if it really took off.
I suck at Fire Emblem so an easier option could be good for me.
I'm curious what the neutral story will be like. Maybe a character that visits both kingdoms on missions?
Infinite weapon use? Yes please!
A new easier "Phoenix mode"? At this rate the next FE after this one will probably add also a God Mode where you're allies can't be hurted or killed by opponents XP
The weapon limit I don't mind seeing gone, or at least as an option. In previous games it just made me save the special ones for the entire game, in case I ran into some hard enemy where I needed them. But never did, so they just gathered dust
Hoping there will be romance options n such, but I guess no kids this time around due to lack of time warp thingy.
Why don't they talk about the use of Amiibo?! Are they going to use the current ones (Marth/Ike/Robin/Lucina) or release new ones?!
Just been using those 4 FE Amiibo's in Codename STEAM last night and it was totes awesome!
Sorry, just to clarify, is infinite weapon use included in every mode/difficulty setting? I always thought item management was an enjoyable and well conceived part of every fire emblem I've played. (Three, so far)
The more I hear about FE:If, the less excited I am for it. None of the 'new features' revealed so far appeal to me at all. I just wanted something similar to awakening, maybe a bit more difficult on the classic difficulty setting, with all of the ideas from that iteration expanded upon. Buying two games, one of which will most likely be extremely easy, limited turns on the other, infinite items - all sounds horrible to me. Having said all that, I'd be very surprised if intelligent systems is able to ruin the game to the extent that I won't buy it. Though, now, I will certainly be reading reviews before buying.
@ShanaUnite yes, actually, I do agree with you about that new feature.
The dragon pulse move sounds interesting and i certainly want to see that in action.
For once, I'm actually kinda pleased we are getting this game later than Japan. The whole idea of different story arcs is great, but having that in the form of 2 retail releases- both also available as DLC, some sort of retail bundle that contains both versions and a 3rd story arc being release as DLC sometime later on, it all seems a bit chaotic.
Perhaps Japan are the 'test' market, and that may be why the rest of us have to wait until next year to get our hands on it. If that's the case, hopefully this new release model that they are trying, gets tidied up a bit before localisation. I'd be happy to pay more for a retail release (or bundle/ collector's edition etc.) that contains all modes/ story arcs/ DLC in the one package. I know that might be a stretch considering that would equate to '3 games' on the one cartridge, but it makes the most sense to me.
Despite all that though, I'm excited regardless, and will likely still grab it day one (whenever that turns out to be).
Phoenix mode seems simple imo. Fire Emblem is a strategy game, so players should put some thought into what they are doing.
Hope that unlimited weapon use is optional, otherwise it's taking away the only logistical side of it
I'm just happy that Casual Mode is a mainstay for both versions of the game. I think I have enough FE experience to not need Phoenix Mode. Also, unlimited weapon use; interesting. Perhaps that'll be balanced out by them getting weaker and weaker the more they're used or something of the sort.
I'm glad to see all this change. Hopefully the easier modes will bring in more fans who may have had bad experiences with previous games because they aren't that good at tactical games but wanted to enjoy the story. Anything to bring in a bigger fan base and hopefully have more FE games down the line
Fire Emblem If only we could come up with a good name let alone a good game.
Hated Awakening, worried as all hell about this one.
I enjoyed awakening, but only because I wasn't comparing it to previous Fire emblems. After Finishing awakening I went back and started playing both the GBA one and the Wii one, and started realizing how much less I had been using actual strategy while playing awakening.
I don't mind this Phoenix mode nonsense ( though if they ever drop classic mode, count me out ) but infinite weapon use? come on!
I really hope there will be a game mode left that has some kind of challenge.
Also, this whole dual release nonsense I dislike greatly. If I were to get this game I'd get the full package with all three story lines or nothing. Of course if the price comes down anywhere near the japanese prices for that then I guess Fire emblem has lost a player.
@brewsky yeah. It balances the hero weapon with others. Falchion was used along awakening.
I'm cautiously optimistic about infinite weapon use. Glass weapons are such a poor gameplay design usually because they encourage players to essentially never use them just in case they need them later.
@NaughtyOttsel22 what did you not like about awakening ?
Really? An even easier mode? Screw that! Even as a casual who's only played Awakening (and on newcomer at that), I think that it's way too easy. Why dumb down Fire Emblem. It's not a game for kids, so what's the issue?
I really hope the Character Customization has more options as I felt it was pretty small in Awakening when you compare it to other 3DS games that has it like Fantasy Life or Monster Hunter.
Definitely loving the infinite weapon usage. Breaking weapons was just annoying with having to go out and buy a new one each time. It was artificial difficulty that didn't add anything to the game.
@DekersHekers I let my niece play Fire Emblem with me sometimes and she's about 6, of course she doesn't have any idea what she doing most of the time but she's learning how to play slowly.
What exactly is "Fire Emblem If". The "If" throws me off.
@ikki5 "If" the game sells reasonably well in Japan, the west could be lucky to see it before Dec 2016. (Look at mh4 release difference)
@ikki5 The "If" title is fitting for the game. Did you watch the part of the trailer when it as asking all the questions? "What if you could rid the world of war?", "What if hatred could be conquered?". The "If" represents what could happen choosing one side and the outcomes it leads too.
I will probably stick with Casual mode instead of Phoenix mode (I will never be strategic enough to last in Classic mode).
Guess I'm gonna skip that one. I liked limited weapon usage, and separating the game like it's Pokemon is really a shame. What if I want to enjoy both sides but don't want to pay an absurd amount of money? I'm already skipping Splatoon because of the 70$ price tag.
Fire Emblem Awakening was already my least favourite entry in the series because it was just so darn easy (except on lunatic mode), so the introduction of even more features to make this game easier is a bit of a disappointment for me. Still, if they include options to turn those features off so that players can still get a decent challenge out of the game, I'm all for making it accessible to new players I suppose.
I usually prefer to play games as the "good guys" but I also appreciate a challenge. I kind of wish it were the other way around the tougher challenge coming with being the "good guys". Oh well, I guess I'll have to play through both!
Limited weapon usage was one of my pet peeves with the series, so I welcome the change.
Phoenix mode seems to take every ounce of challenge out of the game, though. Casual mode should be more than enough for newcomers in my opinion. Either way, I really encourage people to play with permadeath, as it makes the games infinitely more emotional.
I still want to marry people off...
Infinite weapons is a little putting off, but at least I can actually use all the special ones.
My problem with infinite weapon use is that the lesser powered weapons will be relegated to irrelevance. Why use anything less powerful when you can use the Mt 20 Axe all game long? And I suppose that means forging is out, otherwise you'd just get OP weapons that never break.
I must admit, I'm not liking the sound of this infinite weapon use. I'm really not. I will be SEVERELY disappointed if you can't toggle it on/off as an option.
EDIT: I think it's time we let IS know our thoughts on the matter. I will be posting to their FB/Twitter when I get off work today. I hope others do the same. I'd hate one poorly conceived design choice to ruin what looks like an otherwise excellent game.
@JaxonH You see, they don't owe you anything, and you don't owe them anything. You don't own the franchise, they can do what they want with it. Quite frankly, there are people who care more about the story than strategics. Why should your play style have any more merit than theirs? It shouldn't.
Ummm... what now? Phoenix mode isn't going to ease any player into the game or teach them anything. Good level design and a smooth difficulty curve will. All that's going to do is encourage a player new to the series is not learn anything and develop some bad habits, since they aren't going to be punished for anything. I can understand infinite weapon uses to a degree. They hardly matter in an nonlinear Fire Emblem game, since you can just grind money and buy better weapons between maps, but it still balanced out weaker and stronger weapons. The entire weapon system is going to need some MAJOR restructuring in this game. I'm interested to see what happens, but rather scared. It seems like IS is loading down the new games with systems and trying to make each game different, but abandoning some of the fundamental aspects that made the previous games fun, well designed experiences.
Truthfully what they need is better grinding spots, as well as new characters that come in not being so under leveled when compared to your own. This is coming from someone who always plays on the highest difficulty in games.
@BlatantlyHeroic
Never said they did owe me anything. But I have a voice, as do others. And it's not just my play style, it's the play style the series has had for 20 years. The play style every FE fan loves.
Question is, why should they change that beloved play style just for the sake of non-fan casuals? They shouldn't. And I intend to let them know exactly that. And anyone who feels the same should also let them know exactly how they feel.
I'm sticking with classic for sure. Can anyone tell if the infinite weapon uses applies only to Phoenix mode or all modes?
Personally, like @SomeBitTripFan said, I don't think Phoenix mode will teach you anything but bad habits. If you want to learn how to play these games the RIGHT way, go with classic.
Edit: I suppose I wouldn't mind infinite weapon uses for legendary weapons, but that's it. It just doesn't really make since for things like Mystletainn or Valflame to break.
@JaxonH They don't care how you feel. Fan sales do not trump casual sales. Casuals are where the money is at. As a company you'd rather have that game that everyone can get into and play (not to mention they give you a difficulty selection), a game that looks so interesting aunts and uncles will buy it as gifts to their nieces and nephews. A game should not be limited to niche sales if it wants to be successful. You aren't entitled to anything. Deal with it.
Awakening nerfed the series. Period. However, it served its purpose of keeping the Fire Emblem brand alive. But then again, if we get more games like Awakening, maybe the series SHOULD end. Obviously the more difficult campaign interests me but I'll likely fold and buy both (all three, actually). It's obvious they are trying to please everyone with this release. We'll see how it fairs. I'm all in favour of a remastering of the old titles. Radiant Dawn and Holy War for me.
I see an iOS release in future...
Infinite weapon use sucks and phoenix mode is just stupid. At least Dragon Pulse sounds neat, and maybe Guard Mode'll be the return of Rescue...
@ollietaro Myself, I'd love to see a console version of Blazing and Binding Blade, with a mainly remastered Blazing and a completely rebalanced Binding, along with some sort of alteration on the level of the Radiant Dawn bonuses from a completed Path of Radiance file to the children of Blazing Blade characters.
A little late in reporting on this, but better late than never.
I'm in the camp that is saddened by all the changes. Phoenix mode sounds dumb, but is fine by me if it let's them make more sales. However, the loss of weapon durability adds to the continued degradation of the Fire Emblem gameplay. The complexity is all gone, and the series is losing its identity. IS is abandoning their fans and making a game for newbies and casuals.
Would be nice to see a 3D remake of the Elibe saga and Jugdral saga on Wii U... Oh! And a remake of the Tellius saga, too, but with a new engine.
@TheMagus
Isn't Guard Mode just a new name for Dual Support? Doesn't seem like they're gonna go back to Rescue.
Choosing Casual this time 'round, I chose Classic on Awakening and that was a dumb move. I had to restart the entire fight when somebody I liked died.
WHAAAAAT!? No more limited uses? Man, they really are bending to the newbies...
But whatever it is still a Fire Emblem game, so I will enjoy it.
Phoenix mode sounds like the dumbest thing ever IMO. I mean, ressurecting your units EVERY TURN!? If newbies use that then they are not actually getting a Fire Emblem experience.
At least you can turn it off. I really hope this game doesn't suck.
@ollietaro
Actually Shadow Dragon started the nerfing, but it was acceptable due to it being a remake of the most archaic game in the series (FE12, too). But Awakening kept all the degradation and I'd argue it neutered the series even further. But yeah, I agree that this series should've just ended if they aimed to continue the degradation. It's losing its identity and I doubt anyone would have really minded if this was announced as a new IP rather than a new FE game.
Sigh, this is the path IS decided to take with the series. I'm sure that very soon this will become a mobile-only game series.
I love everything I've heard, but I'm a little worried about the whole one side or the other thing. I'm likely to do the light version, as I like to enjoy FE rather than scrape through it. And I usually only give FE a go around only once, but the dark side, hard mode or not, is tempting me to invest a ton of money into this installment. I can't wait for more details. Never thought I'd be nerve-wracked about a new FE...
@JaxonH This article didn't specify what they're doing with weapons. The reason they've got infinite uses this time around was also revealed in Famitsu. They're adding all sorts of abilities to the weapons such as lowering the enemies critical rate, making it hard to double attack , etc. They want to make the gameplay revolve around which type of weapon is strategically best at a specific time rather than conserving uses.
As a result the weapons would need to have infinite uses otherwise with a critical reducing weapon you'd never use them because you won't know whether the best time to use them is in the current chapter or whether you might need a lot of its uses later for a boss with high critical.
Complaining is a bit silly, I mean if you're really a fan of the series you should give them a chance to actually try out new spins on their gameplay mechanics rather than assuming the worst.
@Dr_Lugae
Well obviously they're getting their chance whether we like it or not- it's not like I'm gonna boycott the game or anything- nothing comes between me and my Fire Emblem. But this just doesn't sit right with me. We've always had to determine what's the best weapon to use at any given time- they can pretend like that's something new but it's not. Awakening had all sorts of high crit/lower defense type weapons you could obtain. And yes, it did lead to saving them for the end of the game, but, that just comes with the territory.
It may work out fine- I hope it does- but I'd much rather have to strategize how many uses I have left for each weapon AND worry about what weapon to use for which enemy, rather than just the latter.
@AVahne "Guard Mode" is half of the new dual system. Pair Up, Dual Strike and Dual Guard have been split up into two separate mechanics.
"Attack Stance"(Dual Strike) now only works with adjacent characters(so you can't dual strike while paired up) and appears to activate 100% of the time but only deals half damage.
"Guard Stance" (Dual Guard) but only works when characters are paired up(so adjacent characters can't) and according to some translation there's a Shield Gauge that's related to it which probably limits how many times it can activate.
Basically they've nerfed Pair Up and Dual Guard. Dual Strike has a buff(possibly 100% activation rate) and a nerf(half damage) and has been removed from pair up.
Eh... I'm skeptical about that Pheonix Mode and the Infinite Weapons. Part of the strategy of the game is keeping your units alive and managing your weapons. I know it's an option I don't have to use, but if it's there, someone will and that makes the game way too easy.
I like the Dragon Pulse idea, though. I always enjoy it when I can affect the environment in a game. Makes it more immersive.
Still hoping the WW release is one entire game with two choices instead of two separate games. Not really trying to get one and have to pay for dlc for the other...
@Peach64 You mean like it already did back in 2013?
...so Fire Emblem Shadow Dragon will still be the best one?
Looking forward to this, but it seems like they have decided to abandon some core concepts.
We'll see how this plays out though. As long as the series isn't dumbed down and waterd out in classic mode, I'll be fine with this infinite weapon nonsense. Just make sure some other mechanics make up for it!
@BlatantlyHeroic Agreed, I almost never use the new characters because they're usually the first to die. Better grinding spot would also be a plus.
I just hope that they have feet now
@AVahne I guess it's just up to us fans whether or not we'll stick with the series through these new iterations. It does sound like they're trying to acknowledge us through the higher difficulty of the black version but I'm certain I will purchase all three campaigns regardless. FE If... does sound like a better deal than Awakening was. I have all of the FE games, either legit copies or through emulator and I haven't finished any of them except FE 12 so I still have options for a long time.
@TheMagus That's a pretty specific request there. What about Binding Blade was imbalanced? (I've played through a little bit on my cell phone) What was the problem with the bonuses when transferring the Path of Radiance save file to Radiant Dawn?
@thehoppypoppy No. No grinding spots, please. Choosing a way to progress and then sticking with it (like in Fire Emblem GBA) was best. Grinding absolutely killed the experience for me b/c once I did enough, I couldn't lose and the challenge was lost. That's one of the reasons I faulted The Sacred Stones.
The Dragon Pulse thing sounds interesting and more customization is always welcome. The only thing I dislike here is infinite use weapons, as I feel it removes a very important part of the strategy aspect in battle, which is optimizing your resources.
Oh, and I obviously won't touch Phoenix Mode with a 10m pole, but that's okay for newbies and such.
Wow, Phoenix Mode is too forgiving for even my tastes. I'll stick with Casual Mode on the Hoshido storyline.
The infinite weapon use sounds nice, though. It was kind of annoying in Awakening how you'd score an awesome weapon but later lose it, and the weapon improvement system was pretty pointless to invest in without the Armsthrift skill and a Luck attribute of 50+.
@JaxonH You give them to your other characters or sell them, just like any other RPG. The super powered weapons will probably be rarer now, and there are always special attributes on some weapons that make them better choices in some situations (of which there will likely be more, now), not to mention the usual weapons triangle.
As for forging, it would make more sense to include it now that it's actually worth using. It's balanced by the fact that it costs a ton of money to make notable improvements (and there probably won't be a gold farming DLC stage this time).
Unique items should be the ones that don't break.
I really never used them because I didn't wanted to break them...
Wait, should I buy two games separately (with discounts if the other one is purchased) or can I just finish the game and replay with the other side in mind.
These changes would definitely remove any and all challenge from the game, but it's fine as long as they're optional. It will allow people who just want to see the story (or simply don't want to use their heads for any critical thinking) to quickly run through the game.
Only unique items like the Falchion should not be able to break, basically a bonus for making it to endgame... The whole point of the durability system was originally to make the player think carefully about positioning, spread out damage dealt between characters, and not be able to tank/dodge/kill 5 enemies with one character every other turn. (You originally could not trade items except at bases). In the earlier Fire Emblems, there were usually far more units to contend with at any one time than the later Fire Emblems (especially after FE6 with Roy, due to space limitations, although the smaller army sizes stuck).
The old rules have long since stopped applying, so the durability system is overdue for an overhaul... Removing it entirely is like throwing the baby out with the bathwater in the case of a series like Fire Emblem, though.
Depending on how the game is balanced, the Pair Up Attack/Guard Stance combos could prove to be either completely necessary or completely overpowered. We'll find out soon enough.
@justine11012 Just wait to see whether the same policy will apply in the global west. Not sure how well this lobotomy will fly in Japan, but it's one big game, not multiple games.
Great! Cannot wait! One question, though. Why is it called If?
@WaddleDeeWeegee I am not sure if this is a trend in Japan with games, but there is an SNES game called "Shin Megami Tensei if..." In this game, you choose one of four companions and are locked into their path once you pick who is on your side. I think the "If" merely describes that there are a number of scenarios that exist within this universe. After all, the player's actions have much more impact this time.
Why didn't they just make weapon limits optionally elongated? Why didn't they just give the option to forge a weapon and make it last longer? That's what I thought was needed in FE:A.
Great that "phoenix mode" exists, but I won't be needing it.
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