Fire Emblem Fates: Birthright Reviews
I don't think there are any bad Fire Emblem games, and despite that Birthright still manages to be one of the better ones. Conquest and Revelation already have a lot to live up to...
Outside of those unfortunate problems, Fire Emblem Fates provides the memorable gameplay of the series and a formidable, entertaining challenge for any 3DS owner. The added stress of betraying characters you've come to admire elevates the narrative tension to a natural and organic height.
Overall Fire Emblem Fates: Birthright is a great game. The main campaign took me just under 20 hours to complete and that was rushing it without taking the time to dabble in the challenges, fully upgrade my castle, and develop character relationships further. Add on the endless amount of battles you can have with your friends and you can get a lot of value from this game. The gameplay, presentation and soundtrack are excellent for the 3DS. While I wish the story had more twists and that the main character had more depth, Fire Emblem Fates: Birthright is fantastic package with a lot to offer.
Birthright is probably the best starting place for newcomers. Not only does it offer unlimited grinding opportunities to beef up your party, but the actual missions mostly consist of easy "rout (kill) the enemy" parameters. The tale is also relatively open and shut, following a traditional storyline from a macro perspective, while keeping the complicated relationships intact. That's not to say it's a waste of time though, as you can still jack up the difficulty and add in permadeath if you want, and you still have to win those battles.
Fire Emblem Fates is an emotional war game
Ultimately, I was very pleased with my time in Fire Emblem Fates: Birthright. It provided a rousing, emotional 45 hour adventure full of combat, heartache and memorable characters. It mostly improved upon all the features found in Awakening, as well as introducing a few cool new mechanics of its own. Its only real missteps were the confusion regarding new items, and the unresolved plot points found at the end. Ultimately I feel this game was more than worth the $39.99 price tag, even though part of me wishes they just released one experience with multiple paths instead. I wouldn’t say that Fire Emblem Fates was better than Awakening, but it was just as good. I heartily recommend it to any fan of the series that enjoyed Awakening.
Fire Emblem Fates: Birthright presents a deeply captivating tale, woven around a masterful strategy experience that longs for you to sink time into its tactical depths. This is a gentler path than the other versions, but that doesn't detract from its resounding success.
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Fire Emblem Fates: Birthright is a fantastic addition to the series and easily one of the best Fire Emblem games. The new mechanics and combat changes are almost all for the better, and they go hand in hand with the awesome level design and engaging gameplay. The only real flaws are some lackluster story beats and a rather half-baked system for bringing back child characters, neither of which comes remotely close to souring the game. Fans of the franchise will find a lot to love here, and newcomers should find Birthright to be an excellent place to be introduced to the franchise's strong points.
As a 3DS title and as a Fire Emblem title, Fates does not disappoint. It is everything you could expect from a good Fire Emblem game and a solid addition to the 3DS library. It's the first good 3DS game I've played in a long time, and it's one I'm still playing today. It's minor flaws are easily outshone by its major accomplishments, and localization issues slowly lose all meaning as the player is lost in the mountainous content and beauty of this game.
If you're a hardcore Fire Emblem fan, this collection will give hours upon hours of unbridled gaming fun and if you're really keen, you have the option of playing it through again in order to experience the other side of the war. Furthermore, this game is beautifully presented on the 3DS that comes with a very cool steel book and a great art book featuring some amazing artwork from this universe.
Not exactly novel but fantastic all the same. There's something here for everyone to love.
Yet another feather in the 3DS's very well-adorned cap.
Fire Emblem Fates: Birthright is a sensible evolution of the series and a definite must-play for fans of the long-running franchise, especially those who enjoyed Awakening.
Fire Emblem Fates builds on the strengths of Awakening by serving up three great games while presenting much improved storytelling that's backed by impressive production values. The piecemeal approach to enjoying the full Fates experience for those who miss out on the special edition is unfortunate as it unnecessarily punishes the most loyal fans. For gamers who want more Fire Emblem, however, having not one but three games to play in Birthright, Conquest and Revelation pretty much equates to gaming heaven.
Beyond its impressive robustness, Fire Emblem Fates complements its size with substance. It's not quite the equivalent of getting three Fire Emblem Awakenings in a single release, but it's nonetheless an impressive follow-up.
While the story can feel like it's dragging at times, it's tough to hold too many grudges against what feels like padding since the core gameplay is so much fun.
With every iteration Fire Emblem seems to add on just enough to make it feel fresh, and Fates certainly has a host of new features. Birthright may be the best place to start out of the two versions, as it's easily accessible to anyone regardless of their experience with the series.
Fire Emblem Fates: Birthright and Fire Emblem Fates: Conquest are two great tastes that taste great together. Provided you're willing to put up with the high cost of entry. Even if you only settled on one title you'd be getting an awesome game with plenty of content that will keep you busy.
Fire Emblem: Fates is easily one of the biggest and most intimidating entries in the series, but the refined systems and sheer breadth of content, mixed with a colorful and memorable cast of characters, makes this a grand offering for both Fire Emblem faithful and newcomers alike.