that’s right.more than ten years have passed Fire Emblem Awakening Released for Nintendo 3DS.number of available games (or at least yes available) for NDS and 3DS over thousands. but still, Fire Emblem Awakening As one of the best entries, and one of the best entries in the Fire Emblem series, it reigns supreme. This is no easy task.
Just a few weeks ago, I started playing Fire Emblem Awakening for the first time. I did a “newcomer” run first; I made some mistakes (reclassifying my units prematurely, relying on an upgraded unit to sweep too many battles, etc.) so I recreated from some new knowledge my friends shared start.
Starting over isn’t the drag you’d expect either. Because the game is so good, I was excited to experience the beginnings of the Awakening again, and I even found myself more connected to the characters as a result. All the charming knights, mages, and tacticians who developed their own relationships with each other on the battlefield… I feel like I’m getting to know them more and more, too.
Now that I even have a third save, I decided to try and tackle “Classic” mode (where your units can die permanently). It’s hard work, and I reset my game a lot (don’t tell anyone), but when I just want to strategize battles in the comfort of my bed while dozing off at night, my “newbie” save I’m safe and sound. It’s all about choice, baby!
It’s worth noting that I generally hate strategy games of all shapes and sizes (unless it’s Sid Meier’s Civilization), and Fire Emblem Awakening is an RPG strategy game with some die-hard fans. I ended up putting off playing it for a long time, thinking it was out of my reach. Alas, I finally settled on this game, craving the RPG elements that everyone I know unanimously praises; marrying my character, the whirlwind narrative, the gorgeous cutscenes. But I’m stuck with strategy-based gameplay. This game, no matter how slow and difficult it sometimes gets, is playable, complex, and downright enjoyable for all. For every step of your journey.
Completing each battle successfully is as satisfying as solving a puzzle, and you’re rewarded with characters you’ve bonded and leveled up, and a story you can actually dive into. Married characters may even have children, and they become recruitable units in combat, allowing you to peel off the layers of interest that Fire Emblem: Awakening brings you. Every narrative beat, every gameplay mechanic—they all come together for a reason, and Awakening never misses.
Fire Emblem Awakening is also massively customizable; you can make the game your own. For example, you can turn off 3D combat animations to see your units fighting on a 2D pixel battlefield. You can also choose how much information is presented to you at any given moment, choosing all available information or a simplified summary. You can speed up or slow down as much as you want, and of course, choose the difficulty that suits you. It introduces elements that future games will rely on, and simplifies elements from past series of experiments, making them average, streamlined, and accessible.
Awakening was an incredibly complex game on the 3DS, and even after 11 years, it doesn’t feel dated in the slightest. Customizing how the game unfolds to suit your abilities, paired with characters that feel like real people, makes it a game that really stands out from other RPGs I’ve played. And a standout title for the 3DS console itself.
Now, if you don’t mind me, I’m going to re-listen to the Fire Emblem Awakening soundtrack, which is as good as the rest of the game.
