This takes the solid foundation of FE9 and builds upon it to create one of the most diverse and interesting FEs to date.
Gameplay wise there's a handful of additions and changes. Unit's now have 3 tiers of promotion to match the longer campaign. Any character can now support any character. This unfortunately comes at the cost of unique and interesting conversations but the base conversations do soften that blow a little bit for me. We've still got bonus exp, promotions at level 20 and all that other good stuff from FE9 so it's all very well built upon. The biggest new thing though has to be the addition of ledges on some maps. Ledges add an aspect of elevation to the series for the first time, allowing this game to stand out from the series with it's excellent map design. Being able to gain the high ground on enemies and pick them off is so much fun and you have to be more alert than ever for where enemies can reach you from. Elincia's Gambit and Blood Contract are two of my favourite maps ever and part of that is the dynamic ledges can bring to your strategy on a defence map.
With the story this time round, the game is divided into 4 distinct parts, each following a different group of characters and their perspectives. Part 1 focuses on Daein after Crimea chose to abandon it after winning the war. Begnion has an occupation force ruling it that are rogue and corrupt, so the Dawn Brigade take it upon themselves to find a way to free their nation from shackles and rebuild it after war. Part 2 focuses on Crimea and Elincia's new position of Queen as a rebellion against her rule begins to break out. The other parts follow on from these but Radiant Dawn offers a unique perspective in exploring the aftermath of a war and the damage it does to each nation while they try to rebuild. There are a lot of interesting politics at play in FE10 and it's fantastic to see how those ideals are explored. Unfortunately there are a few stumbles along the way in its storytelling, with some parts possibly coming across as contrived for most people but it is one of my favourite stories in FE, especially in its scope.
Now the other area FE10 stumbles in is how it's units are handled across each Part. This is mostly with the Dawn Brigade who show up in Part 1 as unpromoted units and don't return until midway through Part 3 where they become easily outclassed as other characters start looking at tier 3 promotions. I think bonus exp does alleviate the issue a bit but the Dawn Brigade can feel exetremly frustrating to use when they are very underleveled.
Aside from those flaws though, FE10's highs boost this up to being my personal favourite FE. I love it's maps, characters, story, and music. The scope of its conflict make it an epic adventure full of memorable moments and it is truly a special game for me
Gameplay wise there's a handful of additions and changes. Unit's now have 3 tiers of promotion to match the longer campaign. Any character can now support any character. This unfortunately comes at the cost of unique and interesting conversations but the base conversations do soften that blow a little bit for me. We've still got bonus exp, promotions at level 20 and all that other good stuff from FE9 so it's all very well built upon. The biggest new thing though has to be the addition of ledges on some maps. Ledges add an aspect of elevation to the series for the first time, allowing this game to stand out from the series with it's excellent map design. Being able to gain the high ground on enemies and pick them off is so much fun and you have to be more alert than ever for where enemies can reach you from. Elincia's Gambit and Blood Contract are two of my favourite maps ever and part of that is the dynamic ledges can bring to your strategy on a defence map.
With the story this time round, the game is divided into 4 distinct parts, each following a different group of characters and their perspectives. Part 1 focuses on Daein after Crimea chose to abandon it after winning the war. Begnion has an occupation force ruling it that are rogue and corrupt, so the Dawn Brigade take it upon themselves to find a way to free their nation from shackles and rebuild it after war. Part 2 focuses on Crimea and Elincia's new position of Queen as a rebellion against her rule begins to break out. The other parts follow on from these but Radiant Dawn offers a unique perspective in exploring the aftermath of a war and the damage it does to each nation while they try to rebuild. There are a lot of interesting politics at play in FE10 and it's fantastic to see how those ideals are explored. Unfortunately there are a few stumbles along the way in its storytelling, with some parts possibly coming across as contrived for most people but it is one of my favourite stories in FE, especially in its scope.
Now the other area FE10 stumbles in is how it's units are handled across each Part. This is mostly with the Dawn Brigade who show up in Part 1 as unpromoted units and don't return until midway through Part 3 where they become easily outclassed as other characters start looking at tier 3 promotions. I think bonus exp does alleviate the issue a bit but the Dawn Brigade can feel exetremly frustrating to use when they are very underleveled.
Aside from those flaws though, FE10's highs boost this up to being my personal favourite FE. I love it's maps, characters, story, and music. The scope of its conflict make it an epic adventure full of memorable moments and it is truly a special game for me