Agnol117
2001
Played this again with a controller that isn't broken, and I really enjoyed it this time around. It's got some frustrating moments (and I'd go so far as to say that only about a third of the game is anything other than "passable"), but it's genuinely fun, and I enjoyed coming back to it. Peak early 2000's music, too.
Also Knuckles is a huge nerd who sings to himself when alone.
Also Knuckles is a huge nerd who sings to himself when alone.
This review contains spoilers
Having finished all four routes:
If you're only going to play one route, play Verdant Wind. If you're going to play two, play Verdant Wind and Crimson Flower. If you're going to play three, add in Azure Moon. Silver Snow is entirely redundant.
Azure Moon is the most "Fire Emblem" of the routes. It's got a deposed prince fighting an evil empire. About the only thing it's missing is a dragon as the final boss. It's also a fairly unsatisfying story -- Dimitri's character growth is handled poorly, and the actual villains of the story are just kind of forgotten about after part one.
Crimson Flower is a very flawed route. You can tell it's unfinished -- it lacks the animated cutscenes the other routes get, it's four chapters shorter than the other routes, and it just sort of ends with no resolution (other than an epilogue panel promising the real villains will be dealt with in the future). That being said, it's an interesting chance to play as the villains, even if it's not necessarily the best execution of that concept.
Verdant Wind is hands down the best route. You get actual backstory on the world and the major conflict, you get to actually finish both major conflicts in the same route, and the ending chapter isn't a stupid, out of nowhere "twist."
Silver Snow is Verdant Wind but missing a chapter, no real "lord" character, and a stupid final boss. Only play this if you're a completionist.
As a final note, Byleth's lack of voice lines is really awkward in some points, mostly the romance bits at the end. I sort of get why they made this choice, but it's a bizarre one, and it really hurts Byleth as a character and as a story vehicle.
If you're only going to play one route, play Verdant Wind. If you're going to play two, play Verdant Wind and Crimson Flower. If you're going to play three, add in Azure Moon. Silver Snow is entirely redundant.
Azure Moon is the most "Fire Emblem" of the routes. It's got a deposed prince fighting an evil empire. About the only thing it's missing is a dragon as the final boss. It's also a fairly unsatisfying story -- Dimitri's character growth is handled poorly, and the actual villains of the story are just kind of forgotten about after part one.
Crimson Flower is a very flawed route. You can tell it's unfinished -- it lacks the animated cutscenes the other routes get, it's four chapters shorter than the other routes, and it just sort of ends with no resolution (other than an epilogue panel promising the real villains will be dealt with in the future). That being said, it's an interesting chance to play as the villains, even if it's not necessarily the best execution of that concept.
Verdant Wind is hands down the best route. You get actual backstory on the world and the major conflict, you get to actually finish both major conflicts in the same route, and the ending chapter isn't a stupid, out of nowhere "twist."
Silver Snow is Verdant Wind but missing a chapter, no real "lord" character, and a stupid final boss. Only play this if you're a completionist.
As a final note, Byleth's lack of voice lines is really awkward in some points, mostly the romance bits at the end. I sort of get why they made this choice, but it's a bizarre one, and it really hurts Byleth as a character and as a story vehicle.
2016
I really liked this one. It was cute and gay, and hit all the right notes for me.
2016
Need concept, but I found the execution lacking. Ignoring that it was only engaging for about an hour or so, the margin for error on some puzzles was infuriatingly small.
Easily my favorite Pokémon game in years. Since Platinum, probably. Just an all around great game, and a breath of fresh air for the franchise. Hope they keep up with this style of game.
Thoughts on Golden Wildfire (other routes coming at a later date): The story is good. It's nice to see Claude actually getting his own story that's not just a bootstrapped version of another route. Even accepting that it's a warriors game, though, the gameplay does get a bit repetitive. It's not terrible, but the campaign could've cut out some of the side missions and still been decently long and just as complete storywise.
2017
A true masterpiece of a game. I've played through it twice, once barely accomplishing the first ending, and just recently getting the third. It's a fantastic game, and everything about it is lovely. The art is great, the music is great, and it's challenging but fair in a way that most other games only aspire to be. Genuine 10/10 game here, and I recommend it to anyone who likes Metroidvanias.
2018
I want to like this, but the stories are fairly lackluster, and the gameplay isn't anything groundbreaking (it's great in boss battles, but kind of tedious in regular encounters).
2019
I enjoyed this. The story isn't as good as earlier entries (twenty hours of Disney worlds where nothing happens), and the pacing is kinda shit, but overall it was fun and made me Feel Things. Gameplay was kinda all over the place -- between Attractions, Formchanges, and Shotlock, it felt like there was a lot going on that didn't necessarily need to be there, and honestly I mostly just stuck to one keyblade and ignored all of that stuff. Still, I enjoyed it, and I'm looking forward to where the franchise goes next. On to Re:Mind!
I don't think this was as good as the first one, but it was still an enjoyable and atmospheric experience. The morality system is still obtuse as hell, which I think ultimately bring the game down, but overall it's a fun experience.
2021
A pretty good sequel to one of my favorite horror platformers. The music was great, the art design continues to be stellar, and honestly, the use of the haptics for the heartbeat while hiding is one of the more creative uses I've seen for them thus far. Pity there's not going to be a third one, as I'd love to play more in this universe.
Not a fan. I enjoy the base game, and honestly this was a decently fun story, but that story is tied up in stupid maps with annoying gimmicks. I played through it to unlock all the characters in the regular campaigns, and I have no plans to ever come back to it again.
Beyond my skill to finish. Fun, though, and maybe someday I'll be able to beat these bosses.
Didn't really grab me. I like Steph as a character, but nothing about this captured my attention enough to finish.
The first LiS game since the first game to really capture me like that one did. It's not quite as good (the power isn't as cool, and the stakes aren't as interesting), but it's a damn sight better than LiS2.