Fire Emblem Fates: Special Edition

2016

role-playing (rpg)
strategy
turn-based strategy (tbs)
tactical
fantasy
drama
single player
multiplayer

The story

Fire Emblem Fates - Special Edition was a limited time bundle containing both base stories, Birthright and Conquest, and gave access to DLC for the 3rd story, Revelation, when it became available. The games were otherwise sold separately though you could get the second story path digitally at a discount. You need to be have completed chapter 6 in the either game to access the other stories, and the DLCs, path. Conquest is the hardest of the 3 paths having no ability to grind experience from maps, tougher mission objectives, and giving less money and experience for those missions. Birthright, the easiest path, has the ability to use scouting missions to grind experience and money and simpler mission objectives that give greater amounts of experience and money. Revelation is in the middle as the scouting missions are available but the mission objectives are similar to Conquest's. This is ignoring the 3 difficulty settings in-game. "Two kingdoms at war – the peace-loving Hoshido and the glory-seeking Nohr – It’s up to the player to decide which side to take. As the prince/princess of Hoshido, who was raised by Nohr royal family, you will be torn between two families you love. Whichever path you take, you will face different types of challenges."

What it’s like

Bright anime-styled character portraits sit over gridded tactical maps in this 3DS strategy RPG, with saturated, painterly battlefields of green meadows, stone fortresses and ash-grey castles, and stereoscopic depth making the grid of units feel like a diorama you can lean into. Its score swells with orchestral brass and choir during the big moments and turns to soft, wistful strings on quieter nights in camp, where characters chat across menus and support conversations glow with warm, animated expressions. Turn-based battles move at a deliberate, satisfying clip, and the three branching routes (Birthright, Conquest, Revelation) give it the rhythm of a long, flexible campaign to return to. The overall vibe is earnest, character-driven and mildly melancholic, with a hopeful undercurrent of found family and divided loyalties. Violence is stylised and cartoonish: characters fall in blue sparks and bloodless flashes, with some dark themes of betrayal and war handled in dialogue rather than gore. It suits a long evening alone, a comfort replay, or anyone who wants a thoughtful tactics game with lots of heart and gentle, low-gore combat.

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