This is the 7th Fire Emblem title I have played, and still I want to play more. The formula of Fire Emblem is near perfect.
The tight strategy gameplay and host of characters to recruit keep things interesting throughout. The perma-death mechanic adds tension to every move and really makes you think about your turns a way other strategy games don't. You have to think multiple turns ahead to ensure you can reach your objectives and keep your party safe. One misstep and an enemy ambush could easily take out one or two important characters. It's a pretty standard Fire Emblem affair in that regard.
As for what this title does a bit differently, there are a series of unlockable hidden levels throughout the game one must complete in order to get the "true ending". I like this idea a lot actually, as it makes subsequent replays more interesting. I didn't realize until near the end of the game that you had to complete these chapters to reach the 3 final chapters, so if I ever decide to come back to this title there is more content I haven't seen waiting for me.
The difficulty is a bit spikey at times, but if you take your time and have some experience with strategy games its nothing a regular player cannot handle. There are some maps which are rather annoying to play such as one which takes place in a desert, limiting both visibility and movement. But with proper preparation and tight gameplay you can get through it.
The story of FE6 is rather basic, which is one of its weaker elements. Somehow it doesn't seem that much more fleshed out than the NES or SNES titles despite featuring support conversations to expand on characters and lore. The dialogue and plot is a rather standard fantasy affair though with armies marching on each other, minor politicking and the threat of world annihilation by an ancient powerful being. A lot of the characters are rather forgettable too, also leaning on some standard tropes as their main character traits. It's not bad or boring, but the writing does feel very "standard", and if in a few months I can't remember most of the details or cast I wouldn't be surprised.
Overall great game, well worth your time. Is it the best Fire Emblem? No. I don't think it's even the best Fire Emblem on GBA. But it's still one of the better RPG's you're going to find on the system and worth checking out.
The tight strategy gameplay and host of characters to recruit keep things interesting throughout. The perma-death mechanic adds tension to every move and really makes you think about your turns a way other strategy games don't. You have to think multiple turns ahead to ensure you can reach your objectives and keep your party safe. One misstep and an enemy ambush could easily take out one or two important characters. It's a pretty standard Fire Emblem affair in that regard.
As for what this title does a bit differently, there are a series of unlockable hidden levels throughout the game one must complete in order to get the "true ending". I like this idea a lot actually, as it makes subsequent replays more interesting. I didn't realize until near the end of the game that you had to complete these chapters to reach the 3 final chapters, so if I ever decide to come back to this title there is more content I haven't seen waiting for me.
The difficulty is a bit spikey at times, but if you take your time and have some experience with strategy games its nothing a regular player cannot handle. There are some maps which are rather annoying to play such as one which takes place in a desert, limiting both visibility and movement. But with proper preparation and tight gameplay you can get through it.
The story of FE6 is rather basic, which is one of its weaker elements. Somehow it doesn't seem that much more fleshed out than the NES or SNES titles despite featuring support conversations to expand on characters and lore. The dialogue and plot is a rather standard fantasy affair though with armies marching on each other, minor politicking and the threat of world annihilation by an ancient powerful being. A lot of the characters are rather forgettable too, also leaning on some standard tropes as their main character traits. It's not bad or boring, but the writing does feel very "standard", and if in a few months I can't remember most of the details or cast I wouldn't be surprised.
Overall great game, well worth your time. Is it the best Fire Emblem? No. I don't think it's even the best Fire Emblem on GBA. But it's still one of the better RPG's you're going to find on the system and worth checking out.