Fire Emblem Fates: Conquest Reviews
The brilliance of this game lies in the fact that these are all viable strategies, and that all are possible if you plan enough moves ahead
The look has been upgraded and is much sharper now, along with many new animations that make it feel more cinematic. Combine all that with a rather amazing soundtrack and the presentation is top notch, and one that I thoroughly enjoyed.
There's nothing that gets your blood boiling and your heart racing like a hardcore strategy-RPG with perma-death, and Fire Emblem Fates fits that mold to a T.
To say this game has significant issues is an understatement, and the blame can't be placed on one team. These issues range from simple gameplay mechanic choices that go against much of the internal logic the game was founded on, story issues that seem to have no place existing in the game in the first place, localization issues butchering the grammar and flow of many important points, and a business practice that uses and abuses its customers. While this isn't the worst Fire Emblem game I've played, I can't in good faith suggest people buy this game as it is.
While 'Fire Emblem Fates: Conquest' can stumble in a few places, namely the melodramatic plot and a few structural annoyances, this is ultimately a great SRPG that should please series fans. Some of the newer mechanics don't work quite as well as they should, but the tweaks to the core gameplay go a long way to making this a challenging, and immensely satisfying game.
Fire Emblem's gameplay is second to none, but Conquest sports a lackluster narrative and questionable dialogue that brings the whole experience down.
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.
Fire Emblem Fates: Conquest is just about as good as an SRPG can be.
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.
Fire Emblem Fates still approaches war from a largely idealistic standpoint, but it makes a quantum leap forward by representing a broader range viewpoints along the way. For a series that has changed incrementally over the last 25 years, this latest entry is a refreshing reinvention.
Fire Emblem Fates: Conquest is a must-have gem for the 3DS. While some of its battles may feel exceedingly unfair at times (thanks for one-shotting my avatar at full health with a 1% crit chance, game), the satisfaction of overcoming a tough battle is as sweet as ever.
Fans waiting for the next Fire Emblem will certainly not feel cheated by Fates: The nerve-wracking decision over risking a character's life with every move has not diminished. That said, with its many attempts at innovation falling short of their marks, and its core gameplay lacking the refinement seen in its predecessors, perhaps Nintendo should signal a tactical retreat and focus on making the best Fire Emblem possible.
Whether new to the franchise or a long-time fan, there's something for everyone in Fire Emblem Fates' three games. Unfortunately, when you find what you're looking for in one, you might be disappointed when it's then not present in the other titles.
What this all makes for is a much tighter and more precisely balanced game than Fire Emblem Fates: Birthright, where decisions matter, even in Casual mode. The story in Fire Emblem Fates: Conquest is stronger, but still feels somewhat like filler meant to set up the true narrative to be revealed in Fire Emblem Fates: Revelation. While this feels like a vastly superior game, it also feels very much like part-two of three, in a three-part title. Fire Emblem Fates: Conquest is an excellent, challenging SRPG that requires a great deal of forethought and precision, rewarding the player for hard choices, and keeping your characters in play. While the story is stronger with more engaging characters, it still feels like another "bad ending" setting up the player to have to purchase the third campaign when it releases in March.
With Fates, the series hasn't frayed under the pressure. Instead, Intelligent Systems has created one of the most narratively ambitious games to hit a Nintendo platform. Fire Emblem Fates lets you explore the value of familial love and friendship, then offers you the option to go back and kill everyone you love, while loving everyone you killed.
Fire Emblem Fates has all the plot elements you'd expect from an entry in Nintendo's fantasy warfare series. There's a chosen one, a war between two kingdoms that represent the light and dark, magic swords, prophecies, and dragons. But at the core is the profound dilemma of nature versus nurture: Will you define yourself by your biological family or the one that raised you?
In conclusion, Fire Emblem Fates: Conquest is an absolute must buy for all those that are previous fans of the franchise. The game builds upon everything that came before it, and presents an experience that is truly challenging. New players may struggle through Conquest, and they may find a better experience within Birthright. However, for all those players that have been craving a truly classic Fire Emblem title, Fire Emblem Fates: Conquest is the game for you!
There's something that definitely seems to be missing from Fire Emblem Fates: Conquest. The challenge is certainly there, but it brings its own sacrifices, as well. Ultimately, the narrative feels a little worse off for its separation into three parts, and despite each telling a complete story, there's something nagging about the "What if?" that always seems to come to mind while playing. Despite that, the characters and the challenges provided give so much that, aside from its shortcomings, it's still a compelling story, and an excellent role-playing game.
Fire Emblem Fates builds off the foundation set by Fire Emblem: Awakening and expands upon it to give players a more compelling and engaging narrative along with gameplay variety. By offering distinct storylines and game experiences, Fire Emblem Fates is able to appeal to both newcomers and longtime fans of the franchise. Those looking for a lengthy and epic adventure to play on their 3DS needn't look any further, because Fire Emblem Fates is all you need. Fire Emblem Fates is fated to be one of the 3DS' best games in 2016.
For the foreseeable future, if I'm not reading something, I know what I'll be doing the next time I'm waiting in line.