I have mixed feelings on this. Since it's a remake of a 1992 game on the NES, it's a more traditional entry in the series. However, the way it was remade is kind of confusing. In terms of adapting it for modern day audiences, plenty of things were added. The weapon triangle was thrown out, Mila's Turnwheel introduced a simple way to correct mistakes and try again mid-battle, and It's possible to grind if you're underleveled, which is honestly a nice breath of fresh air in a series that is notorious for having to be mindful of who you level up due to a limited number of enemies and characters that are EXP traps. The presentation was also given an amazing new coat of paint, with a re-written script including new characters like Berkut that play into the plot well. It's all paired with wonderful performances by each characters VA that really elevate the story and bring it to life.

HOWEVER.

For all they did to bring Gaiden back and palatable for modern audiences, the map design is extremely traditional. While most good remakes make it so you're playing through what you think you remember as a kid, Echoes does not. While Alm's route is still pretty fun for the most part, Celica's is painfully stuck in 1992. Whether it's poison bogs, tight corridors or units that constantly respawn enemies, there's a fair amount of stuff to slog through that can impact your experience.

All that being said though, since it's usually limited to the latter half of one route, it's not a dealbreaker. I still really enjoyed my time with this game and for the most part, it was a good deal of fun. Due to the mix of modern fixes and outdated game design, I can't recommend this as an entry point for newcomers into the series. However, if you're ever interested in playing Gaiden, this should without a doubt be how you experience it. Hopefully we see more remakes (Tellius collection?) under the Echoes title in the future.