Fire Emblem: Awakening released on April 19, 2012 for the Nintendo 3DS. This is a game that takes multiple genres such as turn-based strategy and RPG and beautifully blends them together into a chess and rock, paper, scissors type game. While the formula isn’t perfect, the game takes a rather creative spin on normal turn based RPG’s and makes them interesting again.
The story of Fire Emblem: Awakening unfolds with you locked in the middle of fierce combat with a dark sorcerer by the name of Validar. While fighting alongside a man by the name of Chrom, you manage to defeat the sorcerer. However, you end up getting possessed and killing Chrom seconds after the fight has ended. Sometime later you wake up lying down in a field, greeted by Chrom and a girl who you have not yet been acquainted with. Having seemed to have forgotten who you are and why you are there, Chrom and company take you in for questioning. When the group reaches town they discover being burned and pillaged by ruffians. Ultimately it’s up to you, Chrom, and others to take care of the barbarians before the entire town is destroyed. This is where your adventure begins.
The gameplay of Fire Emblem: Awakening is interesting, but definitely its strongest point. In summary, the gameplay is similar to that of a large chess like game with rock, paper, and scissors elements. Yet there is much more depth to the game once you start playing. First, each character, or unit, has separated stats, weapons they can wield, skills, and weapons they are weak against. Once combat starts, you can move your units when it is your turn and command them to attack others. Each weapon follows a code called the weapon triangle, and using a weapon that trumps another will yield a better end result of the fight. The weapon triangle works as so, swords best axes, axes best lances, and lances best swords. While following this code will not guarantee the victory of a fight, it greatly improves you chances. Combat proceeds with each unit exchanging one hit with each other, unless under certain conditions. Both units have a certain amount of damage they will dish out to the opponent, an HP bar, a hit chance percentage and a critical chance percentage all displayed on the bottom screen of the 3DS for convenience. There is a chance that you can attack twice within one turn, but only if your speed stat is 5 higher than the enemy’s. When an allied unit falls, depending on if you chose classic or casual mode at the start of the game, your units may remain permanently dead. There is no chance that they will return unless you are playing on casual mode, so every move counts. Think carefully.
Another gameplay mechanic that adds depth to the game is the class and skill system. Each unit starts off as a certain base class in which they gain 2 skills specific to their class.  Each unit can have up to 5 skills total at any given time. These skills can be simple things, such as increasing a stat by a few points, to more interesting things, like allowing a unit to attack twice in one turn under certain circumstances. When a unit reaches level 10 (up to a max level of 20), they may change their class. By promoting them, they gain better stats and become a better version of the class that they previously were. This new “promoted” class also gains 2 skills. However, you have the option to change to a secondary class. This secondary class is in most cases entirely different than the class you originally had, but it also gives you 2 more unique skills. With proper planning, you can get a powerful set of 5 skills to make your units more versatile or stronger than before. Using techniques like this you can make a team that is almost unbeatable and made specifically to your liking.
The music of Fire Emblem: Awakening is fantastic and has many different tracks to accompany the situation. The music is constantly changing to accompany the situation at hand. If you are simply dealing with some bandits, the music is usually quite calm and laid back. On the other hand, if there is something important on the line, the music will change to a loud and orchestrated masterpiece. Some of the music in the game had very emotional feelings behind them that really helped push the emotion of the story through. And when all of your hope was riding on this one fight, you know the music will be there to encourage you onward in the fight.
Fire Emblem: Awakening is a fantastic game. The story, gameplay, in depth mechanics, and music all intertwine beautifully into a masterpiece of a game. I have personally invested 250+ hours into this game over the 2 years it has been out, trying to build the best team I can and finish all of the additional chapters on some of the harder difficulties. If you have a 3DS and enjoy RPG’s, then I highly recommend this game to you.