I liked it a lot! Gameplay is definitely king here and I would love to see some of the things from this game come back in newer entries, I found it all really intuitive, challenging, and fun. The presentation is also a series best, accompanied by a soundtrack that goes way too hard.

That said, I was actually surprised how much I enjoyed the story! Sure, the broad strokes are basically the most rote plot possible, but what it does, it does with solid execution, a decent emotional core, and good performances, wrapping up with an excellent finale. Plus, despite some prerelease worries, I enjoyed most of the cast about as much as any other FE.

Maybe it's because I'm not ride or die for the series, but this is one of my new personal favorites.