see deal Fire Emblem Awakening - Nintendo 3DS $39.99 on Gamestop

Far too few people have played the Fire Emblem series. A darling of the hardcore strategy RPG crowd - and one of the shining gems of the genre - the biggest hurdle the franchise has faced in terms of reaching a broader audience has largely been due to its niche nature and brutal difficulty. But with Fire Emblem Awakening

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Awakening’s general gameplay model will look familiar to anyone who’s ever tried their hand at a tactical RPG. Much like a game of chess, the joy in this sort of experience comes largely from strategizing. You’ll have to figure out exactly how to position each unit, who to take into battle, and which weapons and skills to equip. You'll need to think 10 steps ahead and push yourself to devise new tactics to take your opponent off guard. It’s a slow and satisfying progression, one that builds and builds as battles evolve and new mechanics are introduced.Fleshing out this basic model is a mix of classic Fire Emblem features and new gameplay additions. These include the new option of pairing teammates in battle, the Seal system whereby you can change a character’s class, and the ability to build relationships between units (over time two characters can even get married and have a kid - who can eventually be recruited to your team). All these things and more inform the layered and sophisticated battle system, and go a long way towards making you truly feel like a great tactician.One of the most impressive things about Awakening is how insanely customizable it is. Not just a matter of convenience, this plays a key role in the game’s accessibility as well, as both casual and hardcore players alike can tailor the experience to their liking. You can switch between the Japanese or English track. You can skip past cutscenes and either skip or speed up battle animations, even the first time you see them. You can decide how much information is displayed about each character on the bottom screen. This is just a small sampling of the options available, meaning essentially any nitpicky quibble a player could have can now be adjusted to their liking, and it’s remarkable how much having that kind of control enhances the overall experience.Even more important than its cosmetic implications, however, is how the advanced customization options affect gameplay. The game presents four difficulty levels to choose from (Normal, Hard, Lunatic and the unlockable Lunatic Plus). This complements the new ability to play in either the Classic style (where characters who die stay dead) or the Casual style (where you can save anytime and permadeath is disabled). These two sets of options alone mean there’s no longer any reason for strategy RPG newcomers to miss out on the Fire Emblem action.The Casual mode is an especially brilliant way to ease players into the FE waters, or even to just allow busy gamers to run through the story without having to worry about missing out on a character arc because that person died and they don’t have time to redo the entire battle. The tutorial system is also something to behold. It can be disabled right from the get-go for those who already know their way around a Falchion, but even if you leave it on it’s incredibly unobtrusive. The game impressively finds a concise, clear way to explain all of the game’s many nuances without ever overwhelming the player with a rush of new information. So whatever your proficiency with the series or genre, you can easily select a play style and difficulty that will allow you to enjoy this incredible experience to its fullest.But that’s just the gameplay. Sure, that’s the meat of any good strategy RPG, but the heart is inarguably the world and the characters - this is true of all FE games, and it’s truer than ever in Awakening. While on the surface Awakening offers another “royal hero protecting the kingdom” storyline, it comes off as far from stale. As the narrative unfolds, the story takes more chances, artfully drawing the player in and investing them in the kingdom of Ylisse. I was truly surprised at several points, and by the end I honestly felt like I’d been on a remarkable journey and really grew attached to my faithful teammates. Expect to be genuinely surprised and moved at several points, to ride waves of triumph and feel the sting of grief as Chrom’s story unfolds chapter by chapter, battle by epic battle.Part of the story’s success comes from the expert characterization. The impeccable localization aptly preserves each character’s quirks as well as the game’s delightful sense of humor. Few games can so readily attach a player to such a wide array of characters, or keep each addition to such a large, revolving cast so distinct and memorable, but Awakening achieves both. I learned to love Chrom’s trusting yet noble nature, Frederick’s devotion to the royal family, Lissa’s girlish charm and Virion’s hilarious narcissism. Each character felt like a real presence in the world, one that moved me to fight hard to keep them all alive and see their individual arcs reach fruition.Herein lies the franchise’s greatest strength. The characters are so fleshed out that they have a real and tangible presence in the world. The overhanging threat that any of them can die at any time - and just like in real life, they’ll stay dead forever - lends more intensity to each battle. With every choice, every battle and every teammate you let fall, you’re writing your own story and playing a key role in determining the destiny of everyone around you. This makes for a truly special and unforgettable experience, as your choices carry real weight and have a real effect on the game’s characters. Few games can stake this claim, and while casual players can play with permadeath turned off if they so please, doing so would be electively stripping the game of one of its more profound features.Topping off the evolved battle system and expert characterization is the fact that the game is absolutely gorgeous. Rivaling Resident Evil Revelations as one of the most impressive visual spectacles on the system, Awakening offers a stunning blend of anime-inspired cutscenes and scenes that unfold via lively CG animations, as well as traditional text boxes accented by character art and a tilted battlefield with sprites that stick out like art in a pop-up book (an impressive show of the 3D effect).Having several distinct ways to tell the story helps keep the narrative fresh and interesting, and shows off this immersive world in style. You’ll go from the first person opening, which throws the player in the middle of the world, to a scene from the perspective of an arrow heading towards Chrom’s head, to a black room filled only with a villainous silhouette, purple haze and the eerie sound of screeching violins and tribal drums. Small visual flairs like the snow or sand effects in certain areas look absolutely incredible, and act as a fitting reminder of what the system’s 3D effect can add to an experience.The music is also completely stunning, capturing the gravity of each situation - from the rousing main theme to the daring battle march to the doleful tune that plays when you lose a soldier. The character designs are a sight to behold, and the fact that the location of battle animations is informed by your location on the map is a much-appreciated upgrade. The result of all these extra touches and attention to detail is a game boasting possibly the best production value I’ve ever seen on a portable.Once you’re invested in the world of Ylisse, you won’t ever want to leave. And with the amount of gameplay offered here, you won’t have to for the foreseeable future. Extending the already lengthy adventure are optional side quests and characters to recruit, occasional map and character distributions via SpotPass, planned DLC (we can count on a new map every week for the first couple of months, some of which will extend the story), putting together a StreetPass team, multiplayer battles and more. In other words, the Falchion-fueled fun never has to end.