Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon and the Blade of Light Reviews

Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon and the Blade of Light is ranked in the 23rd percentile of games scored on OpenCritic.
7 / 10
Dec 23, 2020

Although very much of its time in visuals and sound, Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon and the Blade of Light holds its own in the modern day thanks to solid gameplay and structure. Almost everything you know and love about the series is here, and the game is worth picking up if only for the insight into early parts of the franchise. It's not an essential Switch game by any means, and quite alienating for beginners to the series, but it's practically compulsory for fans of Fire Emblem.

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RPG Fan
Top Critic
75%
Dec 29, 2020

For its time, it's easy to see how Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon & the Blade of Light had a massive appeal to fans looking to get into the SRPG genre.

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2.5 / 5.0
Jan 16, 2021

This is definitely not a game for newcomers, but die-hard fans of the Fire Emblem series may find enjoyment, along with gaming historians who simply want to experience a time piece of how the whole tactical RPG franchise started.

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6.5 / 10.0
Jan 19, 2021

Very first Fire Emblem game from 8-bit era now on Nintendo Switch. Good choice for nostalgic players.

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Unscored
Jan 22, 2021

If you want to check out where everything started, this is a decent trip down memory lane.

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ZTGD
Top Critic
5 / 10.0
Jan 26, 2021

Despite my less than enjoyable time with Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon & the Blade of Light, I can’t help but appreciate its existence as the precursor to some of my favorite JRPGs of all time. However, as is often the case with pieces of history, it’s best left in a museum to be admired for all future generations.

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6 / 10.0
Feb 15, 2021

Despite some problems that could already be noticed in the original release, what plays in favor of the release of Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon and the Blade of Light on the Nintendo Switch is its loyalty to the original title. Besides that, it is interesting to note how the game is, until today, a profound influence on the TRPG genre. On the other hand, loyalty is also a problem. Don't get me wrong, the first Fire Emblem continues to have many features that will leave some fans of the series well satisfied, but, by today's standards, it is dated — its sword of light no longer shines as it did 30 years ago and many will question whether it is worth seeking it to defeat the dark dragon.

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5 / 10.0
Mar 4, 2021

Although it earns points for its significance for the Fire Emblem series and the Strategy genre as a whole, this game is archaic and barely playable by today’s gaming standards.

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7 / 10.0
Mar 11, 2021

If you are a fan of the series, it is worth giving him a chance to learn the beautiful story and see how this wonderful IP started.

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65%
Feb 8, 2022

The combat system of Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon & the Blade of Light works great, but it's let down by frustrating maps and poorly presented information.

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