Echoes is not my favorite Fire Emblem game. That would likely be Awakening, which I played first and is nearer to my heart. But of all the entries in the series I've played, I would consider it the best- not because it is completely without flaw, but because it is by far the most complete package and because its strengths outnumber them vastly.
Map design wise, it's definitely up there. The biggest critique I can levy towards it on that front is that Alm's route consists of quite a lot of large open fields without much else going on, which can begin to feel repetitive. But the notable maps, like Nuibaba's Abode, Grieth's Fortress, and the archer filled Desert Stronghold are some of the most memorable maps I've seen in the series thus far. Part of what makes them so good is that Echoes has a very well designed difficulty curve, notable in a series plagued with inverse difficulty curves. The mechanics are streamlined without feeling oversimplified, and the difficulty ramps up appropriately, with laughably easy early maps naturally escalating into one of the toughest penultimate bosses in the series in the form of Berkut. I experienced a spike or two in the middle, but its nothing that the game didn't give me the tools to overcome, so they felt very good to get past.
The story and characters are also of a very high quality. A big part of the game's appeal is carried by how well it's voiced and written; The only thing better than the dialogue itself is the performances of the actors bringing them to life, leading to what may be the best extended cast in the series, only held back by Alm and Celica being not-bad-but-pretty-standard main characters. The overarching story and especially the lore is quite great too. Every location on the world map has a brief description that makes Valentia feel alive, with the towns, dungeons, and side quests contributing in a similar way. Also, cool dragon lore. Instant brownie points.
Coming from Awakening, the differences between that game and this one put me off initially. But I am very glad that a few years after I indefinitely set it down for later that I started a new file and played this game to the end.
Map design wise, it's definitely up there. The biggest critique I can levy towards it on that front is that Alm's route consists of quite a lot of large open fields without much else going on, which can begin to feel repetitive. But the notable maps, like Nuibaba's Abode, Grieth's Fortress, and the archer filled Desert Stronghold are some of the most memorable maps I've seen in the series thus far. Part of what makes them so good is that Echoes has a very well designed difficulty curve, notable in a series plagued with inverse difficulty curves. The mechanics are streamlined without feeling oversimplified, and the difficulty ramps up appropriately, with laughably easy early maps naturally escalating into one of the toughest penultimate bosses in the series in the form of Berkut. I experienced a spike or two in the middle, but its nothing that the game didn't give me the tools to overcome, so they felt very good to get past.
The story and characters are also of a very high quality. A big part of the game's appeal is carried by how well it's voiced and written; The only thing better than the dialogue itself is the performances of the actors bringing them to life, leading to what may be the best extended cast in the series, only held back by Alm and Celica being not-bad-but-pretty-standard main characters. The overarching story and especially the lore is quite great too. Every location on the world map has a brief description that makes Valentia feel alive, with the towns, dungeons, and side quests contributing in a similar way. Also, cool dragon lore. Instant brownie points.
Coming from Awakening, the differences between that game and this one put me off initially. But I am very glad that a few years after I indefinitely set it down for later that I started a new file and played this game to the end.