This is the oldest Fire Emblem I've played that feels like it's a Fire Emblem game, but while it's better than Geneology it's still not 100% there yet.
As of writing I have not played the original New Mystery, but I imagine this one wanted to add a lot of new mechanics to try and reinvent the recently invented wheel once more. These mechanics range from adding flavor to the game to really getting in the way.
When Thracia hits, it hits and I feel like I'm really going at a hidden FE experience. When it misses...it's either throwing 10 ballistae (that are very powerful in this game) at you, is the 3rd Fog of War map in a row, has status conditions last forever and can only go away via Restore staff or being replaced with another status condition from the enemy, or of course will hit you with ambush spawns you had no clue were coming.
Gone from 4 are the super obscure secrets and in are better hinted ones, with rewards that add a lot of flavor to the world like exclusive promotions that can really boost a unit's capabilities. These are neat and I wish they came back.
Also new is the Capture system which is a neat idea but a mixed bag. It requires you to non-lethally beat an enemy (or battle an enemy that can't fight back) to capture them, then you can take their stuff and let them go. A unit recruitment or two is even locked behind this mechanic and holding them for the whole map. The game is balanced a little too in favor of this mechanic however, as obtaining things beyond this mechanic or chests/villages will be slim pickings, as even your between chapter convoy only has iron swords lances axes and bows, and even those are high priced in a game where you're rarely making money! It requires you to really utilize this mechanic and thinking back, it's a neat thing to go with for a game but I do wish the between chapter shop at least offered basic magic and staves so every unit can still buy something to be of use.
The more frustrating mechanic comes in Fatigue, which is an idea to encourage unit rotation and using more of your army but in the least encouraging way possible: at gunpoint. If you use a unit too much (except Lief), they will be Fatigued, unable to be used in the next map. If you don't know what's coming next, this will block you from being able to obtain new units or items you'd need them to acquire which is incredibly frustrating. I respect the idea of encouraging more army variety, but this is not how I'd do it. Another way is by forcing mounted units to dismount for indoor chapters, but for some bizarre reason their weapon types often change when unmounted too, as if Hicks can only ever use his axe when he is on a horse and is just braindead about it off one. Heck I'd be fine if mounted units had worse stats unmounted, but at least let them keep their weapon type.
The story's decent as a midquel to Genealogy of the Holy War, expanding concepts from that game and giving us insight as to what Lief and his ragtag team were doing before Seliph united with him. It gives it an extra layer honestly even if the villain and final boss of this story isn't super effective since they're just pawns in the larger operation from the last game and victory here is only a stepping stone in the larger war. Who invited Vled bro thinks he's on the final boss team. The team of heroes were definitely interesting though.
Thracia is still worth playing, but be warned as it's one of the hardest games in the series thanks to its many mechanics that will help and often hinder you.
As of writing I have not played the original New Mystery, but I imagine this one wanted to add a lot of new mechanics to try and reinvent the recently invented wheel once more. These mechanics range from adding flavor to the game to really getting in the way.
When Thracia hits, it hits and I feel like I'm really going at a hidden FE experience. When it misses...it's either throwing 10 ballistae (that are very powerful in this game) at you, is the 3rd Fog of War map in a row, has status conditions last forever and can only go away via Restore staff or being replaced with another status condition from the enemy, or of course will hit you with ambush spawns you had no clue were coming.
Gone from 4 are the super obscure secrets and in are better hinted ones, with rewards that add a lot of flavor to the world like exclusive promotions that can really boost a unit's capabilities. These are neat and I wish they came back.
Also new is the Capture system which is a neat idea but a mixed bag. It requires you to non-lethally beat an enemy (or battle an enemy that can't fight back) to capture them, then you can take their stuff and let them go. A unit recruitment or two is even locked behind this mechanic and holding them for the whole map. The game is balanced a little too in favor of this mechanic however, as obtaining things beyond this mechanic or chests/villages will be slim pickings, as even your between chapter convoy only has iron swords lances axes and bows, and even those are high priced in a game where you're rarely making money! It requires you to really utilize this mechanic and thinking back, it's a neat thing to go with for a game but I do wish the between chapter shop at least offered basic magic and staves so every unit can still buy something to be of use.
The more frustrating mechanic comes in Fatigue, which is an idea to encourage unit rotation and using more of your army but in the least encouraging way possible: at gunpoint. If you use a unit too much (except Lief), they will be Fatigued, unable to be used in the next map. If you don't know what's coming next, this will block you from being able to obtain new units or items you'd need them to acquire which is incredibly frustrating. I respect the idea of encouraging more army variety, but this is not how I'd do it. Another way is by forcing mounted units to dismount for indoor chapters, but for some bizarre reason their weapon types often change when unmounted too, as if Hicks can only ever use his axe when he is on a horse and is just braindead about it off one. Heck I'd be fine if mounted units had worse stats unmounted, but at least let them keep their weapon type.
The story's decent as a midquel to Genealogy of the Holy War, expanding concepts from that game and giving us insight as to what Lief and his ragtag team were doing before Seliph united with him. It gives it an extra layer honestly even if the villain and final boss of this story isn't super effective since they're just pawns in the larger operation from the last game and victory here is only a stepping stone in the larger war. Who invited Vled bro thinks he's on the final boss team. The team of heroes were definitely interesting though.
Thracia is still worth playing, but be warned as it's one of the hardest games in the series thanks to its many mechanics that will help and often hinder you.
tuskoub
9 months ago