Fire Emblem has played a hugely important role in the 3DS’ success. Besides the ubiquitous, and inescapable, Mario and chums, Intelligent Systems’ Fire Emblem tied the dual-screen console to Nintendo’s handheld past, while looking resolutely to the future. It helped that Fire Emblem: Awakening was a revelation as well, and both it and the subsequent triumvirate of Fates’ releases secured the series and its native console in the hearts of tactical RPG fans everywhere.
Now into what seem like the twilight years of the 3DS, Intelligent Systems and Nintendo are keen to show that there’s still a wealth of experiences left to be had, and with the upcoming release of Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows Of Valentia they’re once again looking to tie the series, and the handheld, to its past, present, and future.
Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows Of Valentia is largely a remake of Fire Emblem Gaiden, the second entry in the Fire Emblem series, and one that was solely released on the Famicom in Japan all the way back in 1992. Part of the reason for its native exclusivity was the fact that many of the gameplay elements it introduced were swiftly done away with for later titles, marking it a series outlier that just didn’t quite fit. However, after four huge Fire Emblem titles over the course of the last few years – three of which arrived last year – it feels like now is the perfect time for a fresh perspective, even if it is in fact a much older one.
Firstly, you needn’t worry. Fire Emblem Echoes is still at its heart a brutal and unforgiving tactical RPG – assuming you want it to be – and one with which players of Fates and Awakening will find much in common. The same lovingly crafted anime cutscenes herald the opening, and major points in the story, and they’re just as spectacular here as they were before, even with the 3DS’ less than ideal screens.
Following the story of Princess Celica, and her childhood friend Alm, they come of age in the midst of a war between the militaristic nation of Rigel and the opposing Zofia which threatens to tear Valentia apart. In classic Fire Emblem style it plays out across the battlefields of the two countries, while you surround yourself with an array of likeable characters who’ll all merrily do your bidding, even if it means certain death.
For the first time the entire game sports full voice acting, and in our early hands-on it brought a huge amount of extra depth and life to proceedings. Thanks to the auto-advance feature I found myself popping the 3DS down on the side, turning the volume up, and experiencing the narrative portions as a small-screen miniseries. Despite being somewhat earnest at times it’s already better than most modern fantasy TV shows – maybe not Game Of Thrones, but definitely Once Upon A Time – and there’s touches of visual novels in the way it’s presented.
Perhaps the most obvious change, in a major step step away from the previous four games, is the ability to directly take control of your movement through dungeons in full 3D. There’s a short portion during the introduction where you take control outdoors and there’s actually something quite wrong-feeling about it in this context. Fire Emblem has remained largely unchanged in terms of exploration for… well, ever, and it’s going to take some adjustment for series’ veterans in the West to get used to.
Still, once you have acclimatised you’ll wonder how you lived without it. Straight off the bat it looks fantastic, using the same character models as the battle animations. Suddenly you’ll find that the tactical RPG aspect of the series has come full circle, as you wander through dungeons coming across enemies that you engage with in 3D which in turn begins a traditional Fire Emblem battle. It all works surprisingly well, and brings a newfound sense of freedom to the series.
Your characters will suffer from fatigue the further you fight through a dungeon, giving you another tactical level to consider. Tired units suffer from reduced stats and health, and you’re only able to have them recover via eating food – which seem relatively scarce during the opening – or by offering provisions to a Mila idol.
Those goddess idols also serve as the means to change classes, and once a character reaches a set point you’re free to alter their path. It’s a great freeform change that allows you to take some real ownership of each character – though I’ll be surprised if anyone doesn’t make Kliff an archer – though you could have probably done without one more decision in Fire Emblem to wring your hands over.
Mila’s influence carries over into the gameplay itself as well, with the addition of Mila’s Turnwheel; a device that allows you to turn back time. In practice it allows you to undo a foolish decision, rewinding the action so that you can take a different approach, and it might finally mean that Fire Emblem completionists no longer have to restart an hour-long battle thanks to the loss of a character in the closing moments.
Bringing back elements from the older games has in turn eradicated some of the most recent advances, and there’s no pairing of units now. There’s a welcome purity to that, and with Fates and Awakening most units just ended up constantly stacked together, shuffling your team slowly across the map to ensure their safety and cooperation.
Echoes already feels like the Fire Emblems of old, and while more recent fans may find that jarring, series’ veterans will likely find the return to those times surprisingly refreshing. Fire Emblem Echoes has all the hallmarks of being another landmark moment for the long-lived series, and a fitting farewell to the handheld where it found its true home.
