Usually, I don’t normally review games. In my mind, I am always on the idea that varying people have varying opinions when it comes to the review of a game. On one side you can find people hating and calling a certain specific game garbage, but on the other hand, you may see people calling that game the best game created this year! But, as the saying goes,
“One man’s trash, is another man’s treasure” – Yotam Ottolenghi
So, today, I’m going to bring about to the spotlight a game that is not very well known to many and only a certain few recognize. Only hard core fans of this series are probably the only people to know that this game exists. Todays review will solely be about the game Fire emblem Radiant Dawn.
I’ve been playing Fire emblem Radiant Dawn for a total of at least 6 years now ever since I was 12 years old. I’ve not only played this game but as well as 5 other games from the fire emblem series. Hence, I’ve a strong ground and basis on how to review this game. I’ve a good sense on its lore, presentation, gameplay, and pretty much an entire synopsis for this game, thus is why I’m going to give this game a review in order to get those who may be interested to try this hidden gem out!
The Fire Emblem series has been an ongoing game series which first started out in the year 1990 and has been continuing till today. It is a turn-based role playing game which focuses on patient strategy in order to defeat your opponent. It is basically like an advanced version of chess, but instead of having to one shot an enemy unit, they have health points.
Gameplay of F.E. games
Radiant Dawn is the 10th entry into the F.E. series. It isn’t a sequel to prior games nor is it a prequel. It is a game with a lore separate from everything, however, still containing concepts and ideas from the original F.E. games. The game features two main characters instead of the usual one hero cliché, A man named Ike, and a girl named Michiah. This review will focuses on 3 sections and aspects of the game. Its lore, gameplay, and presentation.
”LORE” [SPOILER WARNING!!!!!]
The story of Radiant Dawn is like your any other day typical fantasy cliche story in almost every F.E. game. It has always been about one country having to invade another country by complete surprise. This F.E. game,however, is a sequel to its famous predecessor Fire Emblem Dawn of Radiance. The basic synopsis of the game (which includes the prequel of radiant dawn) goes as follows. There was once a prince who became mad of power due to obtaining a emblem which was used to seal a “dark god” (Yune). This prince’s philosophy goes about having the strong conquer over the weak since the human race could only ever advance if the strong prevail and weak being culled. This madness would soon drive the prince to murder his own father in order to immediately be crowned king. After being crowned king, he waged a full scale war all around the land of Tellius (name of the country) trying to conquer everything. However, the other factions fought back eventually defeating the mad king ending his reign. One of the heroes who defeated the mad king was Ike himself during his younger days.
Radiant Dawn is a follow up to the path of radiance 3 years after the mad king’s war. The story separated into 4 chapters, each chapter having a change in perspective and faction within the game. The first chapter follows Michaiah and the faction of Daein. The second chapter focuses on Qeen Elincia and the faction of Crimea. The third chapter focuses on Ike and the Laguz faction (a race of which humans can transform into animals, animals include Lions, Hawks, Ravens, and Dragons). The fourth and final chapter is a mixture of all the factions and main characters against one main antagonist, the goddes of light. The story still focuses on the F.E. cliche in which a country is being invaded by a neighboring country in order to obtain more power, only to end up realizing that this whole time the main antagonist has to be this either powerful demon or deity or has been manipulating everybody from the very beginning. This has always been the story arch of every fire emblem game ever. But in this case, its separated into multiple perspectives. Michaiah’s story arch focuses on rebelling against the victors of the mad king’s war who treats her home of Daein poorly and abusively. Elincia’s story arch focuses on gaining the trust of her people, while at the same time trying to stop a rebellion that has been plotted against her. Ike’s on the other hand focuses on the conflict between the faction of Begnion and the Laguz factions. His story depicts an ongoing war that is focuses on the abuse of laguz treatment from the begnion factions. Here the war is declared upon begnion and the laguz and from then on the story widens and broadens from there.
The story within each chapter is separated in sections which give in-depth story telling that gives the characters background, personality and finally mystery. As the it progresses, the lore starts to focus more on the idea of the goddes of order bringing about the utter destruction of the entire human race while the goddes of darkness trying to save it.
”GAMEPLAY”
The game is heavy strategy game in which you must use tactics and wits in order to beat a level. The game takes patience and extreme well thought out plans in order to be successful in a mission. It requires time, as well as the trial and error method in video games. This game to be frank IS EXTREMELY DIFFICULT! Especially when its set into hard difficulty. It challenges the players to think outside the box and if not plan ahead of every move, every step, every decision, and every battle they create. A single mistake can cause an instant game over. Since the game is a turn-based rpg, you are provided with a set of characters that you can control. Each character has their own special abilities and stats. They have varying health bars, damage capabilities as well as defense stats. Characters also have their own unique classes which allows them to do abilities. There will always be your typical fantasy classes: The mage (elemental spells), the knight (heavy armor with lots of health), the sword master (expert with blades), the archer (expert of bows), the priest (light magic), the shaman (dark magic), the laguz (humans who can transform into beasts), and finally cavalry units (horse riding, dragon riders, and pegasus riders). Class designs”here“
The game also introduces a perma death in which if one of your characters die, then you will no longer be able to use them ever again and the story progresses without them. Since this is also an rpg, it introduces a level up system. For each enemy a character slays, they become stronger growing in strength, magic, health, and etc. The stats gained however is all randomly generated. Characters can also be equipped with weapons that increase their stats as well as damaging other opponents. These weapons, however, don’t last forever and contain a sort of like ammo system in which if used a certain number of times, the weapon breaks.
The game is in all very simplistic but extremely difficult to master unless time is given towards the game.
“Presentation“
It is almost near impossible to deny that this game is gorgeous. The graphics and art style the designers chose has been nothing more but extreme beauty and just pleasing towards the eyes. This game was placed in a console in were strong graphics aren’t really supported as hardware at the time wasn’t as capable as they are now. But by looking at the game play and just the art of the game, it is already quite obvious that this is one of the most if not best looking F.E. games out there in existence.
~VERDICT~
The game is definitely one of the most underrated within the F.E. series since it is not quite known to many. It has amazing graphics and gameplay that still follows the original F.E. formula. The story, however, is cliche is many would consider it as boring or unimaginative as literally it has been almost exactly the same compared to the very first fire emblem game. But, I’m pretty sure for those who are new to the series, the story would be considered as well crafted that perfectly fits into the fantasy genre. Radiant Dawn still contains many aspects of what makes a fire emblem game. It takes its formula but puts it in a unique direction that many F.E. games will never be able to offer. I would rate this game a good 9/10 and a must play for those who want to get into a strategy turn-based game.
Thanks for reading! Hope you enjoyed and will start playing some Fire Emblem! From the famous words of Shigeru Miyamoto himself (founder and owner of Nintendo)
“The obvious objective of video games is to entertain people by surprising them with new experiences.”
Really interesting blog! I can see your passion to gaming, I would like to know what your ideal game would be.
LikeLike