Video: Nintendo Introduces the Battle Mechanics of Fire Emblem Fates

Since Awakening was my first FE game, I'm starting with Birthright.

This looks awesome. Glad I preordered it. Corrin in Smash has got me more hyped.

These next 2 weeks are going to be a very long, but worthwhile wait.

Classic mode, hard difficulty, final destination.

Very excited to try this. I'm hoping conquest gives me what I was missing from Awakening, a challenge and some diversity in play. Will play through birthright first probably though before I go after the harder challenge.

I can't decide. I did classic normal in Awakening, but every time someone would die, I'd reset the whole game anyway. Tempted to save time and do casual mode, but pride is making that difficult.

Phoenix mode is simply too offensive to even exist, that makes the game too easy, it's just basically GOD MODE with a different name, not to mention that it makes the strategy element non-existent in a game where strategy is key. At least casual mode removes the fallen units for the current battle you're facing, making it possible for you to be outnumbered and ultimately slaughtered.

All this hype makes me want a home console FE again though. I really wish they would make a 3rd Radiant entry following Queen Nailah back across the desert to problems in her homeland

Azura huh? I thought she was named Aqua.

Anyways, can't wait for the next 2 weeks. I want to play the special edition like now.

@Gerbwmu Both path of radiance and radiant dawn sold pathetically low, hence the reason why Nintendo gave Intelligent Systems one last shot to deliver a proper Fire Emblem that could sell pretty good. Awakening was that last shot and because it sold like pancakes, Nintendo saw that the franchise had untapped potential and decided to continue the releases.

I don't blame Intelligent Systems for choosing the 3DS once more as the console for the next entry, since Awakening sold wonders there and because it's no secret that the Wii U is doing horribly at the moment, so releasing it there would be a waste, and remember this, the Fire emblem crossover with SMT will be a huge flop once it comes out for a myriad of obvious reasons.

Fire Emblem won't return to home consoles unless the NX proves to be viable like the Wii or similar.

@Ralizah Best way to go!

Hey! Wait! The Uk/Eu doesn't have a release date yet!

https://www.change.org/p/nintendo-do-not-censor-fire-emblem-fates-for-it-s-worldwide-release

@TheJackal This game releases in two weeks. I highly doubt a petition will do anything at all

@TingLz Not only that, but the majority of fans that are going to buy the game don't give a crap about the changes that were applied (myself included).

My favourite part of that vid is the line "in the popular hand-game rock,paper,scissors".
"Hand-game". That famous entertainment medium.

@Gerbwmu I thought Awakening on Classic/Lunatic was pretty challenging, Lunatic+ though ... seemed just unfair.
I really hope that one day they might offer a difficulty which is more focused on actually improved A.I. instead of just improved stats/weapons etc. Esp. since the way the A.I. basically works, only makes sense for Classic mode, not so much for Casual and certainly not for Phoenix.
That's also why I hope we will see another homeconsole entry for the franchise, as some of the additional processing power available there, could be directed towards a significantly more advanced A.I., not to mention more immersive visuals.

@FRANKLIN_BADGE

That's a shame actually since I consider the Tellius series to be the pinnacle of Fire Emblem games, in a lot of aspects to the immersiveness, the way the story is told, combat, unit diversity, non-dragon final boss etc.

Sure they have some missteps and Radiant Dawn has an excessively sparse support system but in my eyes they were masterpieces. Maybe except the combat animation could have been improved in PoR, Awakening's dynamic combat does look nice.

If they ever made an HD remaster without messing around with stuff (except adding the extended script in RD hard mode), I would probably buy it day one.

@FRANKLIN_BADGE - not too mention making a game off of the same engine saves time and money so 3DS made sense. The overall scale of the game seems larger in Radiant Dawn and to a lessor extent Path of Radiance. The size of the battles and the different strategies just seemed to be missing in Awakening and there are aspects of both, such as the experience point system that I miss.

Not that handheld FE are bad. I realy like FE for GBA and Sacred Stones was solid. Too bad the Radiant series didnt find a larger audience

@LasermasterA - Even though I dont think it would change the visuals much, I'd buy an HD remake of the Tellius series day 1 as well. I'd be happy with a Radiant Dawn release on the eShop though and maybe PoR can find its way onto the eShop for the next home console or NX or however it's going to work. For now Fates will keep me occupied for the foreseeable future and SteamWorld Heist in glorious HD hopefully will be along sooner then later.

@FRANKLIN_BADGE
Fire Emblem lost all strategy element as soon as they went back to NES gameplay (it was fine back then, but too archaic and simple now) and added in Pair Up.

@FRANKLIN_BADGE I agree that Phoenix Mode makes it way too easy (I'll stick with Casual Mode, personally), but it is completely optional, so you can't fault a game for just adding additional options.

@AVahne Well, the Pair Up feature was pretty overpowered, but at least now they're making a decent attempt to balance it with the movement penalty mentioned in the video and the fact that paired units can no longer both block and add extra attacks on the same turn. By the way, I get that you don't like the whole support/marriage system, but that doesn't affect the core strategy of the series. May I ask what strategic features the middle games in the series had that the others don't?

I also like how they've added a second weapons triangle, and the Dragon Vein mechanic sounds pretty cool. I'd like some more info on how the now unbreakable weapons are balanced, but it really sounds like they've taken proper feedback from Awakening and kept what works while improving where needed.

@BulbasaurusRex It's not that I'm lashing out at Intelligent Systems or anything, it's just that it is an option that is simply too unnecessary to include.

Imagine that in the next Mario Kart they include an option that whenever you get struck by an enemy projectile, you recover instantly losing no speed whatsoever, what is the point of playing with items when you have the option of simply shrugging them off? Exactly.

I agree that Pair Up was finally given the much needed balance it deserved, for it was pretty broken in Awakening where you could simply make outstanding pairs that could plow the entire enemy's army with little effort.

I did bad and watched this. I seriously cannot wait to play this.

@FRANKLIN_BADGE As long as it's a completely optional game mode that doesn't unlock anything for beating it, that's fine with me.

As for the point, there are some people who enjoy just plowing through a game like they have some kind of god complex or are otherwise on a power trip, or perhaps they want to see the entire story as soon as possible before attempting a serious playthrough. It's the same reason we have invincibility cheat codes.

@Dezzy "For the first time in history, you can pair up units before battle."

@Gerbwmu You can just play both of them in the same difficulty so what difference does it make? I'm sure that Nintendo has done it so that Conquest doesn't feel extremely difficult.

I'm excited and I can't wait to get Conquest!

@Whopper744 My advice is to get good. I can't think of any reason why you would ever die on normal unless you were playing literally blind. Try Classic again. The best part about FE games is when you finally pull through after having to reset a couple times anyways.

@LasermasterA well, in PoR the boss is riding a dragon

It felt like the story of Moses, raised by royalty and presented with the choice of bloodline (and God) or the family and life he grew to know. Can't wait for this come out.

@Gerbwmu
Well I meant Radiant Dawn and Path of Radiance together as a package. So you know we can play the Gamecube game, and easily transition to the Wii game while getting the boosts we get from a completed PoR file. I would probably get them separate as well, but the the two stories are meant to be together since PoR is essentially setting up RD.

@yokokazuo
Shush! That doesn't count. Although it is freaky and completely unexpected when the boss rides towards you in hard mode. I haven't played normal mode so I don't know about that. It was a nice opportunity to max all my healers' levels though with Physic staves.

The Radiant Dawn finale however is amazing with the consecutive badass boss levels.

@AVahne
Not ALL strategy but yes, it has become simpler.

Not sure ill grab this game, i haven't played more then an hour or two in Awakening. I just can't get into the pick a class gor your MC, and the pair up stuff. Feels like i just need to pair up all my units with eachother.. which do i pair up, and do i play bad if i don't? What class do i play? do i stick with, or do i change? Gah Awakening kinda ruined the series for me, i still love Path of Radiance and the games on GBA.

@TheJackal @TingLz But if the petition grows enough, they might give it some credit for the next installment (if such thing happens) in case more people would buy it. I personally would love to follow a game story where all the characters wear their intended name. (at least that)

PS: the petition asking Bandai to release the 3DS Digimon World was noticed, that's why they decided to give a try and localized their most recent Vita game (as a PS4 port).

Stillll waiting for the RELEASE DATE Nintendo EU I need that special edition in my life I'm just glad I live in the uk as I can get it of the official UK store when pre-orders are announced! I'm really hyped for this game or games(s) I mean we're getting 3! Not watching these as I'm going into the game spoiler free even if they're only mild so thanks for putting the warning in there!

@Rei Meanwhile 99.9999% of petitions are ignored.

Companies sometimes listen to fan ideas. Heck, even Nintendo fixed a few issues with their games from feedback. However, this is one fight I'm afraid fans will lose. They have been asking for no censoring for years.

Man that's good but I already know how to use the turn base system but I do like this new Phoenix mode I think it's cool that the person gets revived next turn

[Insert complaint about no EU release date]

Seriously though, this game is coming out in less than 2 weeks in NA and for all we know the EU release could be in November...

@Grumblevolcano Exactly! Why are Nintendo EU being so quiet about the release!

This looks so much like Awakening it makes me sick. I see ZERO difference between this and Awakening besides that cursed Phoenix Mode. This is disgusting.
Also,
"For the first time in history, you can pair up units before battle."
Um, this is only the second game with pair up, so saying this is the first time in history doesn't make much sense.

@Whopper744 I did and felt the same in awakening

@Grumblevolcano Do you know what is worse? Nintendo announced a release date recently for South Korea which is 2016 Fall/Autumn. The fact that they got a release date even though it so far back is something that not only annoys but worries me. I do not understand why Nintendo is not giving us any information, NA is getting this game in 2 weeks....

@FRANKLIN_BADGE Mario Kart isn't an RPG with a story. Different people play games for different reasons; if someone is really invested in the story and characters but isn't able to beat a hard level, what's it to you if they're given the option of just seeing the story? It makes a lot of sense from Nintendo's standpoint too - by adding a feature that took maybe two days to program, they can potentially sell the game to a lot of people who might have otherwise just watched a Let's Play. And it also frees Nintendo up to make the actual game more difficult if they want.

Please, we here in EU, we're really worried that we'll have to wait a LONG time just to play this game, why is Nintendo of EU being so silent?

If I ever buy this game, I would get it through the special edition, but that seems off the cards now. I'm curious to see how some of the new mechanics will affect the game (and hopefully improve it from the mess that was Awakening) and if the map designers have developed any understanding of a good map (rather than the large, empty field randomly dotted with enemies approach), but I don't know if I'll get to. I still have reservations, the seemingly short development period, Tomes having the upper hand on Bows (the 1-2 range weapon having an advantage over the dedicated 2 range weapon), the continued lack of a Magic Triangle, and the large number of maps (which hopefully won't embrace the Awakening map design style), and what seems like a decrease in management aspects of the game. Maybe, if they reprint the whole physical version and some of the people I know disliked Awakening enjoy it, I'll get it.

@AVahne Pair-ups are nerfed to hell in Fates considering enemies can now pair-up and screw you crap up instantly if you're not careful, can't block and attack on the same turn, and your movement being decreased. You'll have to elaborate more on "NES gameplay" because that can me a crap ton of things.

Excitement tempered by not being able to find a special edition. Since that's the only version with all three on a cart, not sure if I'll even buy the game if I can't find a special edition.

@BulbasaurusRex
I'm actually fine with supports and marriage. In fact I feel Awakening has the best version of the support system (though the actual conversations are rather boring compared to past games). I do have a slight-ish problem with the children characters though, since it just feels sort of shoehorned in; as if they ran out of ideas on how to introduce characters. I personally don't like that Pair Up replaced Rescue, but I guess it being nerfed in this game is a great thing.
For the middle games in the series, they had things like magic trinity (and in Radiant Dawn, an anima trinity within the magic trinity) which was the magic weapons triangle. We had rescue, which was like Pair Up, except the initiating unit gets a speed and skill penalty instead of both units getting a bonus. We had weight, where weapons can give a speed penalty if the unit doesn't have enough Constitution or Strength (Constitution also affected Rescue). Radiant Dawn had height differences, with units on a higher position than an enemy getting a combat bonus. The Tellius games had Biorhythm, which will cause a unit to gain a stat bonus or penalty depending on their current status. It was sort of like a mood or morale status. The Jugdral games and Radiant Dawn had Leadership/Command, where leaders will give a hit/evade bonus to their allies. Modern FE has something similar with some of the skills it has.
Fates seems to fix some of the other issues that Awakening had, at least with the Nohr version, as in now we seem to have chapters with varied victory conditions.
Unlike most of my FE-playing friends, I'll at least be giving the game a chance, though like Awakening I feel it'll just be yet another relaxing romp rather than a game I need to strategize in. I just hope the story and lore is at least as good as the pre-3DS games. Awakening's was just plain laughable.

@Chaoz
As in it mostly plays like FE1-3 with only supports, weapon triangle, and skills added (along with the the newer stuff like reclassing and pair up).
In a way, I guess you can say that they've streamlined the gameplay, which is great for the mainstream, but the loss of depth is also a loss of fun in my book. Though, at least under all the guff it still has the basic FE-style gameplay, which is why I'm still buying this. Most SRPGs play like Final Fantasy Tactics, which is great for fans of that style, however I personally like how FE's stat systems work and the battle screen.
At least I still have Tear Ring Saga to finish; so far that game blows all the DS and 3DS FE games combined away.

It's great to hear that pair-up has been nerfed though. That at least gives some challenge back.

@ascottx I've made that my line in the sand too, special edition or no sale.

Heck yea I can't wait to play this!

This is gonna be the best game I play this generation. I'm gonna savor it to the uttermost! I love Awakening and what it did for the series- but THIS is the real deal here. THIS is the Fire Emblem I've really been waiting for. It takes everything Awakening did right and improved on it. The best part though? The fact they made 2 entirely separate games to please both old school and new school fans alike. This release removes the wedge that was driven in splitting the fanbase, and brings it together again with a game catered to each side. I love it

Got the LE Fates 3DS XL, 3 copies of the Special Edition, 2 copies of Birthright digitally and 2 copies of Conquest DLC, 2 copies of Revelation and 2 of the Map Pack 1 DLC to accompany them. Also, grabbed 2 copies of each side physically. That may sound fanatical (and ok, it kinda is) but I need it digitally on both my Fates XL and normal 3DS with Fates faceplates, I need one of each side to display sealed and one to open and put carts in game case collection, and needed a Special Edition to display sealed, one to open and display contents (including sealed game with all 3 paths on the cart), and one to open and put cart in game case collection. So... ya

**For the record, I'm sorry to see this select handful of members who are adamantly against this game, and even now mere days from release, insist on sharing their displeasure with the group. I pity those who will not be able to join the rest of us on Train Hype. But, such is life, and departure is nearly at hand. Fellow Fire Emblem aficionados..... all aboard!!

@AVahne I don't really mind the streamlined gameplay. A game, in my opinion, doesn't need a thousand different mechanics to be fun and challenging. Sure, I missed some older stuff from previous Fire Emblem games like the weapon use limit that made you choose your weapon carefully, it is the basic gameplay of Fire Emblem that I care the most about and the reason why I like the series in the first place.

@Chaoz
The weapons' limitation on number of uses was a bothersome chore, and I say good riddance. At least from how they had it in Awakening (you always had plenty spares, and the limit deterred you from using the really powerful ones because you wanted to "save them for later"). It made a little more sense in earlier games where spare weapons weren't as abundant, but I still think this is a better system.

Focus on strategically using the RIGHT weapon based on weakness rather than using whatever weapon based how many uses you have left.

I remember nintendo saying somewhere that Phoenix mode was somewhat balanced out by the fact that not all missions are kill every enemy, some are objectives that need to be completed within a certain number of turns.
I'm still not going to use it

I remember nintendo saying somewhere that Phoenix mode was somewhat balanced out by the fact that not all missions are kill every enemy, some are objectives that need to be completed within a certain number of turns.
I'm still not going to use it

@AVahne Of course Tear Ring Saga is better, it was made by Shouzou Kaga himself, after all! He made one more game, called Berwick Saga, that may be even better, completely smoking all of the modern FE titles, but it's only in Japanese. There is one menu guide, though: http://serenesforest.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=59046

As others have mentioned, I too will only buy if they reprint more special editions. Otherwise, no buy.

As a huge Fire Emblem fan, I'm still really annoyed at the cash grab of breaking up the title and selling each branch as a separate, full priced SKU.

You could tell from the start that this was originally going to be one single title with the idea of "Fates" (plural) being about choices you made. Seems that got whittled down to choosing your "Fate" at the retail store rather then in the game.

@Action51 Gotta drive up the cost of that almost never used 8GB game card spec to $80, then act like just because most 3DS games fit onto 2GB cards or lower, you're getting three games of 2GB each in one, right?

Imagine if Nintendo had that pricing philosophy back when the original Legend of Zelda came out, since it was exponentially bigger than the first NES titles, and ran with it... Instead, they charged $50, just every other big new game up to that point. And so on, with every other example of this. Technological advancements during a generation are supposed to lead to bigger games, but that has not traditionally translated into correspondingly bigger price tags. (Except for the $60 jump up from $50 for home console games, which began on the N64 due to still using cartridges, and was an industry-wide move in the 7th console generation.) It is only so because so many people justify it while forgetting the past.

I will be interested to see how much data each path takes up when the game gets cracked.

@JaxonH Three. Don't forget the Revelation path.

@Giygas_95
Yes, 3 indeed. I just don't think of the 3rd path as a separate game because of no separate physical release, or standalone digital release for that matter. But, it's got every bit as much content as the other 2 so, ya... I guess it is

For anyone who missed the Special Edition (@PlywoodStick I'm looking at you) BestBuy has an equivalent deal for non-GCU members and a much BETTER deal for GCU members- buy any copy of Fates, get $5 off Revelation and $5 off DLC Map Pack 1.

So you can get the following:

Fire Emblem Fates: Birthright
Fire Emblem Fates: Conquest DLC
Fire Emblem Fates: Revelation DLC
Map Pack 1 DLC

-for $79.96 with Gamer's Club Unlocked
-for $87.96 otherwise

So with GCU, you're getting all the same content of the special edition, but in addition to that you're getting DLC Map Pack 1, and all for 3 cents less. And even without a GCU membership (which is only $30 for 2 years btw, and nets you 20% off all new games/amiibo for 24 months), you still get all the contents of the special edition AND all 11 DLC maps in Map Pack 1, for just an extra $8. Which still pans out to bel a better deal than the special edition.

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/clp/fire-emblem-bundle-offer/pcmcat748301713227.c?id=pcmcat748301713227&ref=199&loc=FKSJxY2VJAk&acampID=1&siteID=FKSJxY2VJAk-93mq5ij5EhQyO9Q1QtW8bg

@Action51
Actually, it's clearly the opposite. It's clear that Awakening split a wedge in the fanbase, so the next Fire Emblem game could either target the massive Awakening fanbase and further alienate older fans, or target older fans and alienate the massive fanbase that just saved the series. Either way, you can't please both.

The only way to appeal to both sides was release 2 separate games- one targeted at each group. And if you're gonna do that, wouldn't it make more sense to tie the two games together in storyline to A) minimize cost of developing 2 completely unrelated games and B) make an interesting, unprecedented release that defies the status quo.

And that's exactly what they did. They made one game for Awakening fans (Birthright) and one game for pre-existing fans (Conquest). Each fanbase gets what they want, and many fans get access to 2-3x the content of a normal release because they enjoy both styles. That's a win-win-win. There has been zero actual evidence of this being one game that was split up for the purpose of profiting. But for some reason, some people have just got this idea into their head, and they won't let it go despite the fact all evidence points to the contrary. Facts like each release being comparable in size to Awakening (it would be one thing if each side released was 1/3 of the size of Awakening- then people would have a point). Like each side targeting a separate demographic. Which as I just explained, the rationale behind dual releases was to target both segments of the fanbase.

@PlywoodStick
I'll be sure to try Berwick Saga out after I finish TRS!
And actually Shouzo Kaga is working with a few friends on a brand new, FREE SRPG for PC called Vestaria Saga. He's using a new SRPG-making game engine called SRPG Studio which...pretty much let's you make FE4-style SRPGs (probably why the man himself decided to give it a go). There's no budget of course and it's still pretty early in development, but I have no doubt that it'll be nothing short of SRPG greatness (provided he actually finishes it). It even looks like he managed to get the artist that worked on his older games to help

@JaxonH
Except from what I've seen, Conquest still pretty much appeals more to the Awakening fans than to older fans. All they did was take out the map (which isn't all that bad of a feature), added alternate map clear conditions and increased the difficulty ever so slightly. The core gameplay is the exact same as Birthright, as in it appeals more to Awakening fans.

@AVahne
Of course you're against it, as you have been from day one. But you will see after the game releases how many existing fans buy said game, and will praise it.

The gameplay is and always had been grid based strategy. That hasn't changed. The main complaints from pre-existing fans were difficulty, victory condition diversity and map diversity. All 3 of which have have been addressed. But if you were expecting a completely different type of game, then I'm afraid you will be disappointed.

@JaxonH Said: "And that's exactly what they did. They made one game for Awakening fans (Birthright) and one game for pre-existing fans (Conquest)."

That's not my issue, and I'm not sure how you arrived at that conclusion. I welcome as many branches in the campaign as they can create without sacrificing quality...

But then don't turn around and try to sell each branch as a whole new retail game, when clearly this was initially developed as a single retail SKU, then later broken into multiple games because Nintendo believes the hardcore Fire Emblem fans will pony up an extra $40 to play through both.

I feel like it's a cash grab. This should be one $40-$50 SKU.

@Action51
You say it clearly was started as one, but I see nothing clear about that. Just assumption.

Aside from the initial few chapters, each game is totally different and are not short on content. Getting the second game for $19.99 seems more than fair.

@JaxonH What do you mean getting the second game for $19.99?

I was under the impression each game would be a $39.99 regular priced 3DS game.

@Action51
You get the second path for $19.99. Half off.

You could buy them separately and pay full price for each if you so desired, but they are selling the second path half off once you buy the first.

So you buy Conquest, you can unlock Birthright for half off.

@JaxonH - Thanks, that wasn't really clear.

But you have to do it digitally, right? Not a huge deal, but still feels like a cash grab.

I expect a game called "Fates" to mean I get to choose my fate in the game, not at the retail counter.

@Action51

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/clp/fire-emblem-bundle-offer/pcmcat748301713227.c?id=pcmcat748301713227&ref=199&loc=FKSJxY2VJAk&acampID=1&siteID=FKSJxY2VJAk-Y1a1njUGgcblH3jt2Rnllg

Check out those SKU's. Both paths for $59.99 and BestBuy is discounting the DLC path Revelations and Map Pack 1

@Action51
Well, when you buy physically, it's just the nature of the business. You're making your choice then. But if you buy digitally, you do make the choice on the spot and the other path becomes the DLC path.

But even in physical versions, I believe you still get to make a choice- it'll just cost $20 if you choose the path you didn't buy physically (I assume- otherwise how else would you unlock the path if not given the choice).

@Action51
And ya, it's half price when bought as DLC.

But still, we're essentially getting 3 games here. Now one could argue "but they share assets and first few chapters" and yes that's true, but even so, it's close enough. And considering the 2nd and 3rd path are only $19.99 each despite being full games, I'd say it's more a cash giveaway. This is way more bang for our buck than Awakening was. One game for $40 or 3 games for $80?

I mean, you don't have to jump for joy over it but, I don't think it warrants anger either.

@JaxonH - Thanks for all the info.

I'm not angry, but at the same time I'm annoyed.

I've been a Fire Emblem fan since they brought it to America in the GBA days, and now that they saw a level of interest and excitement with Awakening (which I thought was a solid entry), they seem to be milking their fanbase instead of capitalizing on that momentum and focusing on delivering a great value and experience.

@Action51
I'm very happy with this entry. I think the multiple path thing is brilliant, something rarely seen. And certainly not to the extent you get a full game with either path.

I'm also very happy that each path targets a different segment of fans. And I really enjoyed the characters in Awakening. But for Fates they went so far as to hire a TV writer for the story.

I couldn't have asked for a better follow up.

@JaxonH - I'm extremely skeptical of Fates.

You may know me as someone who is generally positive and doesn't like to jump on the negative narratives, but on this one I'm not liking what I'm hearing.

1) I know they removed the "face touching" thing for western releases...it just seemed so odd for a medieval fantasy war strategy game in whatever region, but did they replace it with anything?

2) The splitting of he SKU by campaign, no matter what special offers or accommodations doesn't sit well with me. Also, what if you are a "hardcore" fan and still want to enjoy Birthright, or the other way around?

3) I know they hired a manga writer, but Fire Emblem's strength has always been the gameplay. We'll see if this actually helps the game, or impacts the gameplay negatively.

@Action51

1) Skinship is still in tact. Buffs and all. Just no touching faces with stylus. But I just learned today, even THAT is still in tact for S rank couples (but this was so inconsequential to the rest of the game, I never understood why it was the main topic of discussion anyways)

2) At least you have a second game to enjoy, whereas with Awakening (and every other game known to man) you get just one. At least here you have options, specifically tailored to the two main segments of the fanbase. 2 is always better than 1, no?

3) The story won't impact the gameplay at all, but from what I hear it's much better than Awakening's story. That's a huge plus

@JaxonH

1) I'm not talking about the Kinship/marriage stuff. I'm specifically talking about the face touching minigame that was removed. Also, the marriage/coupling thing made sense in Awakening because of the time travel plot. I don't see why they don't just enhance the support system from previous games to include some of these changes and concepts.

2) Fire Emblem games have frequently had branching pathways, just not as dramatic. Sacred Stones has a large section where you can choose which royal sibling to accompany for a while.

3) Yeah...we'll see. I just hope we don't get bogged down in too many flashbacks and internal conflicts based around a single traumatic event, or brooding teen drama or something like that.

@Action51

Again, the face touching is still in tact, but only for married couples. But this is such a small, inconsequential facet of the game, again I just don't get the outrage/concern. Especially given it's virtually unchanged.

Past games have done a lot of things, but that doesn't mean this one can't do something new. Like, branching paths into 2 completely separate games.

I've never heard of hiring a great writer as cause for concern. Is that a natural response to "hey we hired a great writer for the story"? Oh great now I bet it's gonna be garbage. Better writer = better story = more enjoyable game.

@Action51
I mean look, I'm generally positive too. But it seems some manufacture outrage to counterbalance that perceived bias. There was a lot of unjustified anger with regard to Fates. If I'm gonna get upset, it's gonna be over something worth getting upset about. Not over getting an awesome Fire Emblem game.

@JaxonH Don't you mean HALF an awesome Fire Emblem game, with the rest being sold to us as Day 1 DLC?

@Action51
No, I mean a full Fire Emblem game, with a second full game being sold half price as DLC.

Sorry your bummed. But I couldn't be more excited. Think it's time you move on from this game if you despise it so much.

@Action51
And just some food for thought- you're kidding yourself if you thought you were ever going to get both (much less all 3) games sold as 1. That would've been the biggest 3DS game ever released- triple the size of Awakening. That was never gonna happen. Not in a million years.

Had they decided to release only one game- you would have seen Birthright with no storyline split and that's it. A game equal in size and scope to Awakening. And that would have been your game for $40. As for Conquest, Revelation, the branching path.... they would have never existed. And the game would have already released here a year ago.

@JaxonH
I wanted a game that plays like FE4-10. People will of course enjoy it, even some old fans as some fans will just play anything with the name "Fire Emblem" in the title. Even I will be buying it. Thing is, I'm not going to pretend that it's anywhere near as good as past games. Nor will I pretend as if it has all the depth and strategy as past games like you are. FE had gained many small nuances that made it what it was. Now they've stripped it down to some very basic elements and added things that make the gameplay simpler than ever before. I acknowledge that the things they DID keep still allow these games to be identified as Fire Emblem games instead of just another SRPG, but the series is no longer the exact type of game I fell in love with. Again, I'll still be getting it to give it a chance and also to honor this series for reaching 25 years last year.
I'll be playing it as the type of game it is: a casual SRPG-type romp. A relaxation game for SRPG players if you will.

@AVahne
No sense sulking over and over about things you can't control. It's done with. This is Fire Emblem, for better or worse. This is it and it's not changing.

Me, I loved the GBA games as some of the best, and Awakening was 10x the game those were. And this looks to be 10x the game Awakening was.

I look forward to playing it as a serious, hard core strategy game. Sorry you can't say the same, but I certainly can.

@AVahne - What makes this even more sad is that the critics and many gamers just didn't "get" Code Name S.T.E.A.M.

I bought into the hype and waited to get it, but when I finally bit and bought the game, I found it to be amazing. Even the whining about how long the enemy turns took was overblown and right in line with other strategy titles like XCOM and Ogre Tactics.

So yeah...now we have a pandering Fire Emblem game broken into two parts and sold seperately to make up for the losses incurred by Code Name S.T.E.A.M...which is a criminally overlooked and under-rated game.

@Action51
"Broken into two parts and sold separately to make up for losses incurred by Code Name STEAM"

Do you have a link to prove that or is it more of your divine insight? Just curious

@Action51
It seems you're making your own evidence up to support your hypothesis, rather than form a hypothesis based on the actual evidence.

You can't accuse Conquest (or Birthright) of being "half a game" if you leveled no such complaint against Awakening, which was the same size. You were happy with Awakening's amount of content (I know I was, I got 100 hours in 1 playthrough), but I guess 100 hours in 2013 is totally different than 100 hours in 2016? Or unless you have evidence to share that supports your claim they originally intended to make a $40 game that was 3x the size of Awakening? If you can I'll cede the point right now. But if not...

Think about it man. Really think about it.

@Action51
Haven't gotten around to getting STEAM, mostly because the overuse of AMERICA kind of hurts my eyes, but the game looks awesome what I played of the demo. Will likely get it after I can figure out how to include it in my 2016 buy list....

@JaxonH
Different views, different play styles I guess. I'll just say that I feel Awakening wasn't anywhere close to being as good as the GBA games, but that's me. Good on you though, and I hope you really enjoy the game for all it's worth.

@AVahne

I commend you for buying the game though. At least you'll be able to form an opinion based on playing it, which is more than can be said for most.

@AVahne - Code name STEAM was my big surprise recently. I'm a fan of XCOM, so that helps.

Also, I remember the whining and utter disbelief from reviewers about the amount of time it took for enemy turns - So Nintendo patched it and apparently it's a lot faster now.

However, I never played the pre-patch version, so I thought the enemy turn times weren't bad at all...

What I discovered well into the game was that the patch added a "fast forward" button for enemy turns, and I was actually experiencing the original speed the whole time, and never found it too annoying.

So basically all the whining and hand wringing was for what SRPG fans have come to expect, and the AI is actually quite good at making you dead, so it's not for nothing.

I actually don't use the Fast Forward function at all, and I'm playing on classic 3DS.

@JaxonH
Despite all my complaints, I've logged over 300 hours in Awakening, though only because of the Avatar system. Despite its many flaws, Awakening at least let me finally bring in all the Fire Emblem-inspired characters that have been baking inside my mind (and various MMORPGS) for the past decade into a Fire Emblem world (I'm somewhat of an FE nut). Of course I wish the actual game was better and that they had brought back the Soldier and Halberdier classes (cries) as playable, but it was something. Also having Amelia back as a Bride was awesome. And this was before I got myself a Vita and gained access to the many JRPGs it has.
Anyway, I also have a playthrough where I'm using nothing but Avatars modeled after the characters of the Hyperdimension Neptune series. Just because really.
The novelty has worn off though, so I don't think I'll be doing the same with Fates. I'll just do one playthrough of each path and play the free DLC, but after that I'll likely just shelve the game. Maybe come back in a few years like I sometimes do with Shadow Dragon.
But yeah, partly the reason I'm buying Fates is because none of my friends who are also hardcore Fire Emblem fans will be bothering with the game. I'll just be feeding them notable information about story stuff and anything I find funny or interesting.

@Action51
From the demo, I didn't feel that enemy turns took all that long either, so I was very confused when I read reviews and comments about how they took so long. I started thinking that IS for some reason decided to slow down enemy turns for the retail release, but that's just dumb. So if people were complaining about the speed, which I was perfectly fine with....guess people have almost no patience nowadays? Or perhaps the reviewers chosen to write the reviews just aren't the type of people the game is made for (extremely common issue nowadays).

@AVahne
I bought Hyperdimension Neptunia 7 the other day but only played a half hour or so. Not sure what to make of it yet.

I was looking at the official website for a Fates and I'm really diggin' the new classes, many of which are specific to Hoshido or Nohr.

Here let me link it so you can see. There are 4 under Birthright and 4 under Conquest. Just a small taste of the classes for this new entry. Gotta hit the menu tab in the corner to select the two sides. 2 classes are shown and you can tab over to see 2 more.

http://fireemblemfates.nintendo.com/conquest/

@AVahne

And by the way, STEAM is a really great game. Nowhere near as good as FE but it's good. Admittedly, the enemy turns can wear on you. Sometimes 30+ seconds watching the bar (and that's on a NEW 3DS), every single turn, turn after turn, and what's worse is you can't really see anything. Sometimes you'll see an enemy moving but most of it is unseen movement. It does wear on you after playing for a couple hours.

It's bearable, not a deal breaker by any means. But I'd be lying if I said it wasn't bothersome.

@JaxonH Thank you for bringing that to my attention! I will consider it, since Best Buy is right across the street from where I work.

@JaxonH Hm? Oh yeah the new classes. Thanks but I've already seen them all as they were announced for Japan back then. Honestly I'm only really excited by the lancer that Hoshido gets; the rest I'm pretty indifferent to. The "dancer" getting a lance instead of a sword is interesting as well. Just too bad the songtress class becomes useless for defending itself pretty quickly (no weapon rank above C).
And lucky you, I don't have a PS4, so unfortunately I'll have to wait to see if they release Nep VII for PC they've done for the others.
Good thing to know your experiences with STEAM, still seems like quite an enjoyable game though.

@AVahne
No weapon rank above C for songstress huh? Does that mean they can actually weird weapons though? I'm assuming songstress is same as bards and dancers, or close enough anyways.

I don't recall Ninian or Nils being able to do anything but provide buffs. But you mentioned using swords? Maybe I just never noticed. Speaking of which, this type of class wasn't present in Awakening iirc. Good to see it's return.

@Action51 I've tried the demo of "Codename S.T.E.A.M.," and I think it pales in comparison to "Fire Emblem: Awakening." It's decent, but there are several little annoyances that really add up. First of all, it's not just the extended enemy turns but also the fact that it keeps switching camera angles so that you can't really tell what the heck the enemy is plotting. The camera system itself it very lousy, as limiting it to low first person views of your characters on an isometric battlefield really hinders the overall view of the battle, which is made even worse when enemy reinforcements come in and you can't even really tell they're there until they're on top of you. This also compounds the aiming system, as it's often difficult to tell if you're at the best range to fire the conventional weapons, while it's nearly impossible to tell where exactly the monsters' supposed weak spots are. While it's helpful that you can back up to restore your movement points if you change your mind, having full analog movement on an isometric grid like that is just asking for you to take a wrong step in a way that you can't just back up. Unlike Fire Emblem, you can only save at certain points on the field. Finally, while this is more a matter of opinion, I much prefer Fire Emblem's full scale battles over sending a small squad through the gauntlet to reach the other side of the battlefield.

@BulbasaurusRex - Some of your points are fair, and some not.

1) You can actually tell the enemy weakspots because they glow bright pink-ish. Sometimes you have to do something to get them to expose it, but once you do, it glows.

2) Reinforcements keep you from being able to sit in defensive mode and just wait for aliens to stumble into your line of fire.

3) This may be a matter of personal proficiency, but I didn't have trouble tracking where enemy reinforcements were in relation to my squad.

I'm not saying I'm better then you, because I'm sure there are skills in other games you'd school me on.

4) Well, it's set up more like X-COM or a Final Fantasy Tactics then Fire Emblem. Smaller squads that can take a few hits rather then a dozen or more troops.

I guess we just had a different impression. I started to love Code Name STEAM almost right away when playing.

@Action51 1. It would've been nice had the game mentioned what those weak spots look like or that you need to expose some of them (and how to do so). I've tried aiming for some brighter spots and sometimes even do less damage than normal.

2 & 3. The reinforcements aren't the problem. The problem is that the terrible camera system doesn't let you know where exactly they are until they're already shooting at you or much at all about the battlefield as a whole. I could also do a much better job of plotting the best way to secure the health packs and other collectibles (as well as maintaining decent stealth from the enemies) if I actually had a good overhead view available to me instead of leaving the majority of them behind just to secure my squad's survival.

Besides, why couldn't some of the enemies by programmed to maintain a defensive position or area patrol rather than always rushing towards you as soon as they spot you?

@JaxonH
Yeah, Azura's class is pretty much the dancer of this game, and yes she can actually wield weapons.
Dancers with weapons are actually a normal thing for Fire Emblem...sort of. They used swords in FE3, 4, 5, 12, and 13 (yes, Awakening DID have the dancer class with Olivia). The GBA dancers and the Herons of the Tellius saga were an oddity as they were unable to defend themselves. If I remember correctly, they all traded in combat for the ability to buff allies in addition to granting a second turn (though in RD, herons can use cards to launch attacks like everyone else).

@AVahne
I haven't played enough of those games. The ones I've played a lot of are Awakening and the GBA games. I'm still on like Ch. 5-6 in PoR and RD, a sin I soon hope to atone for.

Ya, giving them a second turn is how I remember them. And now that you mention it, I do remember Olivia. I just never used her. Explains why I didn't recall her right away.

This one (Azura) seems like a much more interesting character, and more central to the plot.