Fire Emblem: Awakening

 3DS
User Score
9.0

Universal acclaim- based on 1633 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 1,475 out of 1633
  2. Mixed: 78 out of 1633
  3. Negative: 80 out of 1633
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  1. Gimure
    Jun 25, 2023
    10
    A memorable, innovative game. Great story and fun gameplay. Despite its semplicity, it is capable of exploring deep philosophical themes whilst narrating an engaging and epic tale. The OST is top tier, and the cutscenes are spectacular. Something so ahead of its time that to this day, still feel incredibly modern.
  2. Redbrick
    Jul 23, 2023
    10
    Es el primer juego de la saga fire emblem que he jugado y no me arrepiento hacerlo, para mi es bastante raro meterle 20 horas a un juego en 2 dias y este lo ha conseguido, su historia sin duda es lo que mas me a gustado y yo que venia de juegos de estrategia de pc como total war, me sorprendió el sistema de combate que tenia y mas aun lo me sorprendió lo que me gusto, sin duda lo recomiendo.
  3. spi280
    Dec 23, 2013
    9
    This is currently my favourite game on the 3ds and it's one of my favourite games of 2013. The storyline isn't super original and I saw a lot of the twists coming but what really makes the story shine is the well written cast of characters and the conversations that most of them can have between each other. In Awakening you have the option to make the game a lot easier than all the otherThis is currently my favourite game on the 3ds and it's one of my favourite games of 2013. The storyline isn't super original and I saw a lot of the twists coming but what really makes the story shine is the well written cast of characters and the conversations that most of them can have between each other. In Awakening you have the option to make the game a lot easier than all the other FE games but i always felt the other games where way too hard for a strategy game noob like me, so I'm glad you have the option to make it easier. There's a ton of levels, lots of characters,multiplayer, street pass battles, lots of extra content and you can even buy DLC so this game will definitely keep you occupied for a long time.… Expand
  4. Incarta
    Feb 16, 2014
    9
    Another great entry in the series. Much improved over the DS shadow dragon. They've managed to find plenty of ways to modernise the series without harming the core gameplay. Great job!
  5. rude76
    Mar 12, 2013
    9
    Where do I even start? For a Tactical RPG this game has it all. There is clearly a huge budget at work here, providing a gorgeous portable game with a great deal of depth. I don't want to get into too much detail but I just wanted to say that this is the best Portable Tactical RPG I've played since Final Fantasy Tactics Advance. There is so much to see and do, and there's new levels andWhere do I even start? For a Tactical RPG this game has it all. There is clearly a huge budget at work here, providing a gorgeous portable game with a great deal of depth. I don't want to get into too much detail but I just wanted to say that this is the best Portable Tactical RPG I've played since Final Fantasy Tactics Advance. There is so much to see and do, and there's new levels and challenges being added by Nintendo thru DLC. If you want a new game for your 3DS, get this one. Why won't Sully love me? … Expand
  6. BlazingTiamat
    Jul 11, 2014
    9
    Deep old school strategy RPG with some very interesting features (romances and children!) and complex, involving combat. Generally difficult and demanding game, but AFAIK probably one of the most accessible in the Fire Emblem series. Some features are missing (online play and tournaments, more side quests, equipment and character customization), certain parts may not be for everyone (lotsDeep old school strategy RPG with some very interesting features (romances and children!) and complex, involving combat. Generally difficult and demanding game, but AFAIK probably one of the most accessible in the Fire Emblem series. Some features are missing (online play and tournaments, more side quests, equipment and character customization), certain parts may not be for everyone (lots of character interactions, manga-inspired) and DLCs are quite pricey (and sometimes not worth the money at all, especially the money and EXP boosters!), but it really is a massive game with over 60 hours of gameplay to be had. Worth noting is that the actual strategy combat is more like Panzer General and less like Final Fantasy Tactics - ranged attacks are generally 2-3 squares away max. Not as good as FFTA2 (crazy amount of side-quests, classes and items!), but outstanding in its own terms.… Expand
  7. Poskito
    Jun 21, 2013
    9
    An almost flawless strategy game. The updated visuals are simply gorgeous, but I can't help but feel the character sprites could have been made to be more like the Wii and Gamecube Fire Emblems.
  8. BasilZero
    Apr 27, 2016
    9
    Game: Fire Emblem Awakening
    Genre: Strategy RPG
    Developer: Nintendo System: Nintendo 3DS (3DS) Total Score: 94/100 Value Score: 9.4/10 • Story: 10/10 • Characters: 10/10 • GamePlay: 10/10 • Graphics: 9/10 • Sound: 9/10 • Music: 8/10 • Length: 9/10 • Replay Value: 9/10 • Player Value: 10/10 Pros +Great story and character interactions +Ability to have your own    Game: Fire Emblem Awakening
    Genre: Strategy RPG
    Developer: Nintendo
    System: Nintendo 3DS (3DS)
    Total Score: 94/100
    Value Score: 9.4/10

    • Story: 10/10
    • Characters: 10/10
    • GamePlay: 10/10
    • Graphics: 9/10
    • Sound: 9/10
    • Music: 8/10
    • Length: 9/10
    • Replay Value: 9/10
    • Player Value: 10/10

    Pros
    +Great story and character interactions
    +Ability to have your own customized character
    +Choice of casual mode for beginners of the series and hardcore mode for veteran players
    +New Game+ and there are two different endings
    +A lot of side quests which feature additional characters
    +Marriage and Children system newly introduced to the series gives more length to the overall game
    +A lot of downloadable content both free and non-free
    +Features characters, cameos, etc from previous Fire Emblem games

    Cons
    -Some characters are limited to few choices in marriage compared to others
    -A lot of the DLC content is expensive especially for the content which is offered in some of the packs    … Expand
  9. HitomiNoRyu
    Mar 14, 2013
    9
    I never played a single Fire Emblem game before and the last tactical RPG I played was Pokemon Conquest which I found AWFUL. Since Shin Megumi Tensei is planning a crossover with Fire Emblem, I decided to give the Fire Emblem franchise a try. Fire Emblem: Awakening satisfied my tactical RPG itch. I love how the gameplay kept my attention. I felt I was being rewarded for any efforts I madeI never played a single Fire Emblem game before and the last tactical RPG I played was Pokemon Conquest which I found AWFUL. Since Shin Megumi Tensei is planning a crossover with Fire Emblem, I decided to give the Fire Emblem franchise a try. Fire Emblem: Awakening satisfied my tactical RPG itch. I love how the gameplay kept my attention. I felt I was being rewarded for any efforts I made on level-grinding, weapon upgrading, and actually stopping to THINK before heading into battle. Almost all the battles didn't seem outright unfair and you can win them all if you're prepared. Any losses that occurred I can blame only myself rather than the game. The DLC and bonus contents are worthwhile and gives ample opportunities to hone your skills. Especially since you can recruit characters from past games to fight alongside you. (Having Sigrun in my ranks saved me SO many times!!)

    The art style is beautiful and this is so far the only game I want to play in 3D the whole time. I wish however more attention was given to the hair on some of the 3D models. I personally don't think hair going thru clothes and people is acceptable anymore considering the budget this game must have had.

    I can't give it 10 for two somewhat petty reasons: the story and the use of voice actors.

    The main story while a 1000% better than Pokemon Conquest which had nothing...the story in Awakening is kinda generic and predictable. Typical RPG plot points with no real surprises to speak of. They make up for a little bit with the relationship conversations where a character's motives and backgrounds are fleshed out and with that, the story writers have the ability to inject a lot more humor. However at the end of the day...the main story is still weak and lackluster. Not awful but not great.

    As for the second reason, the voice actors for the game are very good but their talents are wasted on cliche grunts and catchphrases. It's understandable during combat since you can it turn off...but why? Why are they making those noises in the cut scenes and conversations as well instead having the voice actor speaking what is on the text bubble? Don't tell me there is no room on the game for that. If Shin Megumi Tensei: Devil Survivor Overclocked can add voice acting to every line in their game, so can Fire Emblem.

    Overall, this is still a must have in your 3DS library. The gameplay mechanics alone is enough of a reason to play this game. BUY IT!!    … Expand
  10. Gwyndolin
    Jan 5, 2016
    9
    This is my first Fire Emblem game and I think it's probably one of the finest strategy RPGs in existence.

    The essence of the game lies in the challenge and the importance of strategy. Lunatic(+)/Classic settings might be a bit overkill and is geared towards hardcore FE players, but Hard mode provided a casual like me the challenge I needed. I spent more time thinking about how to keep    This is my first Fire Emblem game and I think it's probably one of the finest strategy RPGs in existence.

    The essence of the game lies in the challenge and the importance of strategy. Lunatic(+)/Classic settings might be a bit overkill and is geared towards hardcore FE players, but Hard mode provided a casual like me the challenge I needed. I spent more time thinking about how to keep my units alive and win the battle than "how to reap most rewards and make my guys OP" like in Disgaea

    It doesn't have nearly as good of a plot as FFT, its main characters aren't as colorful and charming as Disgaea, but it doesn't really fail on those fronts either. While the story is only serviceable, its hundreds of optional character interactions has a lot to offer. The localization was great.

    For newcomers that likes the strategy genre, I recommend putting it on Hard/Casual. Classic is kind of pointless for perfectionist/completionists as most people restart the battle once they permanently lose a character. Casual saves you a lot of time and frustration in that aspect.    … Expand
  11. PuckMan
    Jun 1, 2013
    9
    Fire Emblem Awakening does everything right. Well everything that matters anyway. It is deep and stylish yet accessible and streamlined. All the characters are like-able and when one dies in battle it is genuinely heart wrenching in a way that X-Com Enemy Unknown wasn't.

    The only criticism I have is that there are too many talking heads with dialogue boxes and not enough cut scenes with    Fire Emblem Awakening does everything right. Well everything that matters anyway. It is deep and stylish yet accessible and streamlined. All the characters are like-able and when one dies in battle it is genuinely heart wrenching in a way that X-Com Enemy Unknown wasn't.

    The only criticism I have is that there are too many talking heads with dialogue boxes and not enough cut scenes with voice acting. You can skip the dialogue with one press of the start button when all the talking get's too boring and the load times are none existent but the cut scenes are of such a high standard it is a pity they weren't used more to tell the story.

    In Summary FE Awakening is the best strategy RPG I have ever played and the best reason to own a 3DS.    … Expand
  12. indoGAMER
    May 24, 2013
    9
    The best "Fire Emblem" sequel which features a new designs and great graphics from its predecessors. It is very recommended for gamers who loved RPG and tactical games, but don't forget to play the original.
  13. rendered9
    Feb 4, 2013
    9
    Been a good game to me so far. I say this since I am normally terrible at grid based strategy games. Fire Emblem Awakening caters to my casual intensity with a mode just for the risk adverse personalities. My primary role in playing any game is for the sake of a story. Fire Emblem Awakening opens that up with a casual mode nobody dies and breaks your heart.

    Add on top of that a class    Been a good game to me so far. I say this since I am normally terrible at grid based strategy games. Fire Emblem Awakening caters to my casual intensity with a mode just for the risk adverse personalities. My primary role in playing any game is for the sake of a story. Fire Emblem Awakening opens that up with a casual mode nobody dies and breaks your heart.

    Add on top of that a class switching system, a customized player character, a StreetPass system that adds a random battle element, and romance-able characters: amazing!

    Class switching is a little difficult since it requires a level 10 character and the purchase of some rather expensive materials. But I am in the early parts of the game.

    Also, it gets kind of hard to get two characters to hookup if there is a level discrepancy. Relationships are fostered in large part by supporting characters in battle. If one character is basically useless, they become an impediment and not worth the stray resource that could have been occupied by someone with some battle merit.

    Overall, this game is pretty sweet and a welcomed experience.    … Expand
  14. Kain292
    Feb 7, 2013
    9
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Gorgeous graphics, a compelling story, and some of the best tactical strategy combat on offer all combine to make Fire Emblem a must-have game for any 3DS owner. Even having not played any of the previous instalments in this long-running series, I have become totally engrossed in every little detail about this game, seeking that perfect experience.

    The streetpass functionality in this game is brilliant allowing you to trade with, as well as, fight and/or hire your friends and strangers who own the game as well. The added DLC means that even when the story mode is done, there will be extra content to further enhance your Fire Emblem experience.

    The vast amount of characters you can recruit, even early in the game, means that your future playthroughs could be radically different from your first. These addition playthroughs will also be influenced by the well-crafted difficulty scale, which can be absolutely brutal or, for newcomers, a way to get you into the game without ruining the experience. The scaling difficulty is also enhanced by the casual/classic playthrough options, which means life and death for your characters who fall on the battlefield.

    There are few detracting aspects about this game. As a beginner, the tutorials offer a quick, yet thorough, explanation to most aspects of the game. My only complaint is the lack of explanation for how the job system and stats work. I've also found the game, on a whole, looks better on the XL over the regular 3DS. The only major story flaw I've had an issue with has been an apparent life or death choice for a major NPC, which the player is faced with fairly early in the game. No matter which option the player chooses, the outcome remains the same, save for a few lines of dialogue. If the choice had no impact on the story, the question of why it was there in the first place must be asked.

    Fire Emblem: Awakening, is an amazing game, and one that most 3DS owners should buy. Its rich story, stand-out characters, excellently-crafted battle system, and unique job classes, will pull you in to the game and hold you there.    … Expand
  15. SFX64X
    Mar 14, 2013
    9
    This is a game that has been refined for all players... a simplistic battle system on the outside, with an intricate and detailed system underneath to add mroe depth to the battle system with options for every skill level of players. It also includes a very engaging story, although maybe a bit chatty at times, is still one that has me wondering what will happen next.

    The story is very    This is a game that has been refined for all players... a simplistic battle system on the outside, with an intricate and detailed system underneath to add mroe depth to the battle system with options for every skill level of players. It also includes a very engaging story, although maybe a bit chatty at times, is still one that has me wondering what will happen next.

    The story is very engaging, although i feel a bit upset that the character that you create has very little impact on the story... your character feels like he's just standing off to the side watching as the bigger events unfold. however the smaller, person-to-person interactions are plentiful, even with your character. As you play, character who fight beside one another get better relationship strength, and over time you have the option to see interactions between them, which really dive into the characters personalities and back stories. It's often small and meaningless to the grander story, but it's still interesting to learn about the individuals that make up your team.

    The gameplay is simplistic, with a turn based, and grid based battle system, along with a rock-paper-scissors bonus that is easy to understand, and easy to see on screen. There is rarely a moment that you are unsure of how your move will have an effect on battle or surprised when a move goes bad because of how well the information is displayed. You're given all the information you need to make solid decisions, and the only reason that a decision might go badly for you is by your own carelessness or by a slim chance of a critical hit that you weren't expecting. It feels fair and balanced, and you never truly feel like the game has cheated you, only that you made a poor decision in some way when things go south.

    Thankfully, there is a new variant on difficulty levels in this game. not only can you choose how deadly the opposing teams cane be, but you can also choose whether or not your fallen comrades die when their HP reaches 0 or for them to retreat and come back in the next battle. So you can choose to have a moderately difficult enemy, but at the same time you won't have to fear the loss of life because of a single wrong move.

    The graphics are very nice, with hand drawn portraits conversing together in cut scenes, detailed battle zones, and 3D models of the character battling up close. however there's not really much to look at. with your camera high in the sky overlooking the battlefield, the 2D sprites dont look very special scattered across the battlefield, and although the 3D fight scenes are intriguing, they're not particularly interesting after watching them for a few hours, although you CAN change the camera for different effects, which is interesting. It's nothing t ocall home about, but it's a notable improvement.

    All in all, this RPG is a great game for anyone who enjoys a long and enjoyable experience with various degrees of difficulty and plenty of levels of depth.    … Expand
  16. sJagstang
    May 6, 2013
    9
    Fire Emblem: Awakening is one of the best reasons to own a 3DS at the moment, There is a surprising amount of depth here for a handheld game and this is easily one of the best experiences you can find on the Nintendo 3DS at the moment. The story is interesting with some nice twists and the game also has some of the most interesting and fun characters to interact with in a long time, theFire Emblem: Awakening is one of the best reasons to own a 3DS at the moment, There is a surprising amount of depth here for a handheld game and this is easily one of the best experiences you can find on the Nintendo 3DS at the moment. The story is interesting with some nice twists and the game also has some of the most interesting and fun characters to interact with in a long time, the game will last a solid 20-25 hours on a basic runthrough of the story alone but if you add in the fact that there is loads of side content, character development to explore and tons of ongoing DLC support for the game you can easily double, if not triple that gametime.

    The gameplay is a turn based strategy RPG where you move your characters on a battlefield from a top-down perspective and defeat your enemies by positioning your characters in ways to get the advantage over enemies, for one example if you position two characters next to each other they will support each other in battle with provides bonuses to stuff like defense, attack and other things and also improves those two characters relationships that can lead to fleshing out those characters more.

    There is two modes for playing this game... Classic mode makes it so that if a character dies on the battlefield they will die permanently and you will lose them unless you reload a save, This makes the game very challenging but it also adds to the tension of the experience since every move counts. There is also the Casual mode which turns off perma-death so characters that die will come back at the end of that particular battle, Whether you play Classic or Casual you will find an enjoyable experience, Just make sure you pick the right one for you when you start the game. There is also 3 different difficulties to the game which you can choose from. With all these varying difficulties that will add up the possible amount of time you can play this for as well.

    The graphics were quite nice for 3DS but I didn't feel they were amazing personally, but nonetheless they are not bad. The CG Cutscenes for this game are absolutely gorgeous however.

    You get to create your own character to use in the game which I think is a first for Fire Emblem if I remember correctly. the character creation options have a fair bit of depth so you can feel like you have a lot of choice on how your character is designed.

    There is a very deep leveling up system in the game where you can change upgrade classes and also switch classes of characters which can lead to interesting and powerful characters. There is also some other features in the game that add to the depth like Marriage among other things.

    There is a great amount of downloadable content support for this game so far which is nice to see on 3DS.

    Overall Fire Emblem Awakening is one of the best games you can find on the Nintendo 3DS, It's definitely got the most depth of any 3DS game on the market so far. I would definitely recommend this to anyone who has a 3DS or is looking for a game to make them jump into the 3DS.    … Expand
  17. QDog
    Mar 22, 2013
    9
    I had tried similar RTS games in the past and other than Pokemon Conquest, was never able to get into them. Fire Emblem Awakening has totally changed that. This game is gauging and addictive. The story and cutscenes add to the experience with rich graphics and a twisting plotline. However, the gameplay and the ability to build your team of characters along wtih their capabilities hasI had tried similar RTS games in the past and other than Pokemon Conquest, was never able to get into them. Fire Emblem Awakening has totally changed that. This game is gauging and addictive. The story and cutscenes add to the experience with rich graphics and a twisting plotline. However, the gameplay and the ability to build your team of characters along wtih their capabilities has you coming back for more again and again. I haven't quite made it through the entire story, but I can tell you that I will definitely be buying and playing DLC packs for this game, which is something I never do on any system.… Expand
  18. demonred0
    Feb 12, 2014
    9
    This game is definitely an Awakening for me. the games art style and cut scenes has one of the best graphics for the 3ds so far. It has both english and japanese voices witch I have to give some appreciation to. it has a normal mode in which the character do not die in your game save but for you fans of the series their are two modes that have that feature if you choose to one in normalThis game is definitely an Awakening for me. the games art style and cut scenes has one of the best graphics for the 3ds so far. It has both english and japanese voices witch I have to give some appreciation to. it has a normal mode in which the character do not die in your game save but for you fans of the series their are two modes that have that feature if you choose to one in normal mode and one in hard mode. the game play is the same with a new partner system where you can get stat boost depending on who you choose to be with. each character has their own interesting stories and conversations. their are also some maps you can get via the eshop which is a minor nit pick of mine since you have to pay for the maps but I do not mind so if you want to get it then you can. the sound track is done nicely as well having some familiar sound effects such as the level up theme. overall if you want a challenging strategy game with a good story, great characters, and beautiful art and sound design I get this game. for those who do not like turn base strategy I wound avoid at all cost.… Expand
  19. karlsanada13
    Sep 29, 2013
    9
    Intro:
    I'm a huge fan of turn-based RPG. Though I haven't played much on its respective genre, I love all of them. I also got my 3DS few months ago and this is my 2nd game. I'm having my 2nd playthrough right now. I just love this game till the very game.:D Let's start with the spot-on review shall we?    Intro:
    I'm a huge fan of turn-based RPG. Though I haven't played much on its respective genre, I love all of them. I also got my 3DS few months ago and this is my 2nd game. I'm having my 2nd playthrough right now. I just love this game till the very game.:D Let's start with the spot-on review shall we?
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    Story/Plot 9/10:
    As I play my very first Fire Emblem, I have no idea what the franchise is all about though I know Ike since I've heard a lot of him and all I know are the protagonist have blue hair. Anyway, I think they started fresh here or the game is based several decades after the last game(which I haven't played yet but I might.) It has a good complete story. The immersion is there, you will really feel the sheperds' struggle to win the war and end the fighting. I never got bored playing it and I want to progress cuz I love the story so much. It's the reason why I have a 2nd playthrough right now cuz I kinda rushed things on my 1st playthrough.
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    Graphics 10/10:
    As a portable game, this game has a very good graphics. It's one of the best. Some terrains may look low-res but when your 3D is on. Dayum, it just looks fascinating and beautiful. You cannot see their feet though. Each character has their own design and look so all of them are unique. Animations are smooth too.
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    Gameplay 10/10:
    It's simple, just like any other SRPG but it's just so awesome to watch. It has 3 different angles to watch how your character kills the enemy. It's just so fun to look at. You have different classes, from beginner's class to advanced class with different skill set as you level up so it's fun to grind the enemies and get level up so you can build the ultimate weapon on your team. You also have a lot of characters to play with. Though be careful not to let them get killed since if you're a fan of the franchise, you know that the game's default is permanent death.
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    Sound/Dialogue 8/10:
    I've played the game with 2 different languages. I like the japanese more. This maybe the lowest score that I will give on this game since I find it annoying how the popout sounds when they're having a dialogue. Like "Hey" "Uh." hehehehe". I just find it annoying and I would really love it if they have voiced all of the dialogues which is hard because the game is based on your decisions so it's not linear.
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    Replay Value 10/10:
    Try marrying everyone on the game, it'd be fun. though most dialogues on the game are common but some are really special. I really want to see all of their S support. But that would probably take me a lot of playthrough. So that's enough said. The replay value is so high because I love the support dialogues.

    Note: Don't let your character marry someone until you get all the characters. xD
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    Final Verdict: 9.4/10    … Expand
  20. AJCk19
    Jul 17, 2021
    9
    This game is basically perfection. And if you are very fickle about your JRPGs needing to have a good story. Well sit back and relax, because you are in for some nice plot twists.

    The only complaints I have is they milked the dlc and it is probably best you get this physically and not digitally. If something happens to your 3ds, there goes your 50+ hours of gameplay. The 3ds has a    This game is basically perfection. And if you are very fickle about your JRPGs needing to have a good story. Well sit back and relax, because you are in for some nice plot twists.

    The only complaints I have is they milked the dlc and it is probably best you get this physically and not digitally. If something happens to your 3ds, there goes your 50+ hours of gameplay. The 3ds has a really bad hinge.

    Also, a online mode would have been nice, but not really needed.    … Expand
  21. mike023
    Jun 11, 2013
    9
    This game takes the best aspects of the previous Fire Emblem games, and melds them into one perfect game. If you have a 3DS you must have this game. It's fun, enjoyable, and a blast!
  22. JenJen387
    Jun 13, 2013
    9
    Sadly, this is the first fire emblem game I have ever played. In result, I can't compare to the earlier games of the series.. But, I must say, this game gave me a great first impression on the series. The graphics & art work are beautiful, the characters are fully developed, & engaging storyline, in which contains a considerate amount of chapters. As a firs-timer & beginner, I believeSadly, this is the first fire emblem game I have ever played. In result, I can't compare to the earlier games of the series.. But, I must say, this game gave me a great first impression on the series. The graphics & art work are beautiful, the characters are fully developed, & engaging storyline, in which contains a considerate amount of chapters. As a firs-timer & beginner, I believe adding casual mode was an excellent way to open up the series to newcomers & those repelled due to its difficulty, perhaps including the pressure of losing units. I greatly appreciate that they extended our options as in character customization, marriage, bonus teams,difficulty, dlc, etc. I find it very convincing to play the game again to change strategy & who to pair up, also considering some paralogues may only be unlocked through marriage. The only thing that really bothered throughout my gameplay was that unknowingly.. I skipped some playable characters. I wish they'd made it more obvious or non-optional despite my stupidity for skipping them in the first place. According to my research, I missed some really good characters. But I've got to give it to them, I guess that's just another reason why I should replay the game. Lastly, I'd like to compliment on the music. It's greatly composed, totally going on my ipod.… Expand
  23. ragekoi
    Jul 20, 2013
    9
    Extremely good game for being on a handheld. Is mostly perfect for what it tries to be. Offers a satisfying amount of customization making the game really feel like your experience. Level design is very solid. Strategy is heavily implemented, making later levels challenging but not frustrating. The implementation of casual mode fixes the issue of units not dying forever and instead. TheExtremely good game for being on a handheld. Is mostly perfect for what it tries to be. Offers a satisfying amount of customization making the game really feel like your experience. Level design is very solid. Strategy is heavily implemented, making later levels challenging but not frustrating. The implementation of casual mode fixes the issue of units not dying forever and instead. The graphics are very well done for 3DS standards. The art style is based on anime similar to previous entries in the series. All of the characters are highly developed and inevitably create a pseudo-bond between you and the character. The story is a little blurred, but if you can withstand the long segments of only dialogue, a wholly inspired and at times emotional tale is present. My only real gripe is that the game drags on just a little too long. However that's just a personal gripe. This is the #1 game to have for 3DS at the moment. Hopefully this game will finally popularize the Fire Emblem series, finally giving it the attention it deserves.… Expand
  24. yokans
    Sep 6, 2019
    9
    I am really impressed with the graphic, especially the field weather effects during some specific chapters. Not really a fan of srpg but this game is somehow different and I found myself enjoying the battle. Being able to choose between classic and casual mode is a nice idea as well. I wish it had more voice acting, and the voice glitch is really annoying if you wish to play with Japanese audio.
  25. Dadrik
    Apr 9, 2017
    9
    This is one of the best FE games out there.
    Huge replayability, it'll keep you busy for easily 60 to 100 hours, if not even more.
    The musics are stellar, the characters are great as well, and the gameplay is, as usual with the serie, incredible. You can adapt it to your liking as well, do you want to experience it casually ? Or do you want the classic FE experience ? Well, you can    This is one of the best FE games out there.
    Huge replayability, it'll keep you busy for easily 60 to 100 hours, if not even more.
    The musics are stellar, the characters are great as well, and the gameplay is, as usual with the serie, incredible.
    You can adapt it to your liking as well, do you want to experience it casually ? Or do you want the classic FE experience ? Well, you can chose, it's as you wish

    Graphics are nice, even though for some reason no character has his/her feet modelised.

    One of the best games of 2013, if not the best.    … Expand
  26. hephaestion
    Aug 9, 2013
    9
    The best game I've found for the DS to date. Wonderful from start to finish. Easy to pick up, challenging end game, and fun side battles in between. As a bonus for some of us, it takes great advantage of the XL screen(s). 2 thumbs up.
  27. Rupeestyle
    Oct 14, 2013
    9
    Beautifully done game. Once I picked it up it was very hard to put it down. So much in depth character development that each play through could prove to be a bit different. This SRPG puts an aspiring amount of love into their story line. Finally a game where you can marry all of the active characters you can pick from. Different weapon equips and class changes. Superb 3D work. Not toBeautifully done game. Once I picked it up it was very hard to put it down. So much in depth character development that each play through could prove to be a bit different. This SRPG puts an aspiring amount of love into their story line. Finally a game where you can marry all of the active characters you can pick from. Different weapon equips and class changes. Superb 3D work. Not to mention there is a Demo on the network if you really want to try the first battle out. This game was worth the full price!… Expand
  28. Falcus
    Nov 28, 2013
    9
    An incredible game--very well done characters and art, great music (if a little overused at times), an incredible script, and an amazing combat system. The story takes unexpected twists and turns and the added Paralogues extend the main game for dozens of hours. I've literally played for 270+ hours and I still play. Any fan of strategy RPGs should absolutely not miss out on thisAn incredible game--very well done characters and art, great music (if a little overused at times), an incredible script, and an amazing combat system. The story takes unexpected twists and turns and the added Paralogues extend the main game for dozens of hours. I've literally played for 270+ hours and I still play. Any fan of strategy RPGs should absolutely not miss out on this experience.

    + Great story and characters
    + Impressive visuals
    + Great replay value
    + Tactical gameplay at its best

    - Multiplayer options are extremely limited
    - Full voice acting (at least for the main scenes!) would have been better

    PRESENTATION: 9/10
    CORE GAME: 9/10
    VISUALS: 8/10
    AUDIO: 7/10
    GAMEPLAY: 9.5/10
    LASTING APPEAL: 10/10

    Overall Score: 9/10    … Expand
  29. rhaynes7
    Nov 23, 2013
    9
    Fire Emblem Awakening is nothing short of superb. With such a large amount of missions and replay value, this game is one of the best in the series.

    This game stands out from the other games by including a new pair up system, that really adds to the idea that your units should stick close together and that forming bonds between them is important. To reward you are some the best    Fire Emblem Awakening is nothing short of superb. With such a large amount of missions and replay value, this game is one of the best in the series.

    This game stands out from the other games by including a new pair up system, that really adds to the idea that your units should stick close together and that forming bonds between them is important. To reward you are some the best support conversations with some of the best writing for the series. You learn to cherish each unit despite their inherent flaws.

    Most of the missions are comprised of either killing the leader or routing the opposition. Sometimes there are unique stipulations, but otherwise that's it. This is perhaps where this game is it's weakest as several previous mission has had a variety of missions that focus on defending your position or trying to escape. This makes everything a little bit one sided and the core of the game focused on building an all out offense. Only once is a serious defensive strategy utilized. In one instance, you must protect someone for roughly 10 turns. If you want to defend them, you cannot pair up because otherwise, the enemies will reach her and it's over. Other than that, the game sticks to the usual (that is unless you play lunatic).

    The graphics and art style took awhile to get used to as I've grown up with a different style, and I was concerned about more steampunk type things making it's way into Fire Emblem, but that was not the case. Every character looks unique and accentuates their oddities. They do have strange looking feet in battle animation, but it eventually becomes quite endearing. The 3-D looks gorgeous when turned on and everything is much more fluid, unlike Path of Radiance and Radiant Dawn.

    As far as music is concerned, they spared no expense in making a solid soundtrack. Some of the music is particularly moving.

    On the storyline note, this game was also excellent, although there were a few moments later in the game where I felt they were dragging things out too long. The game occasionally even gives you storyline options that really cause you to pause and reflect on your circumstances that furthers your emotional investment. It's too bad that these decisions are meaningless and do nothing at all...

    The DLC is great and there's plenty of it. Multiplayer isn't much, but you can battle against some street pass teams and do a few other things, like recruit their avatar character.

    Overall, this is one of the best Fire Emblem games available, but the constant attack to win missions and the pseudo-choices presented in the storyline are just somewhat disappointing. Otherwise, please go out and buy this. You'll be glad you did.    … Expand
  30. FordPrefect
    Apr 8, 2014
    9
    This game is very very good. I've not yet finished it, but after 36 hours I can say it is a must buy for the 3DS. Awakening combines the classic Fire Emblem battle mechanics with a variety of new features which make it much more entertaining to play.

    The in-depth class and skill system creates great variety in how you approach each confrontation, full 3D combat animations freshen up    This game is very very good. I've not yet finished it, but after 36 hours I can say it is a must buy for the 3DS. Awakening combines the classic Fire Emblem battle mechanics with a variety of new features which make it much more entertaining to play.

    The in-depth class and skill system creates great variety in how you approach each confrontation, full 3D combat animations freshen up long battles, playing with perma-death on forces you to think carefully before acting, and support conversation between characters really make you like and feel like you get to know the characters you control.

    The only issues I found with the game is that the few cutscenes are so ridiculously well done and epic, I found myself constantly disappointed when story scenes were done with chat boxes instead of full cutscenes. Moreover, some characters are very limited in whom they can gain support status with which makes the player not want to use them as much.

    In the end, Awakening is definitely one of the best in the franchise and a true gem of the 3DS platform. Anyone who loves RPG's or is interested in them should buy this game. It has enough depth to satisfy an experienced player, but can be forgiving enough for newcomers too.    … Expand
  31. Malt4zar
    Dec 29, 2013
    9
    A great title in the 3DS library of games.great graphics,good sound effects (like the voices of the Characters),amazing music,super fun gameplay and a interesting history.
    The best entry in the fire emblem series is Fire Emblem Awakening, go buy this game now!!!
  32. nkanhai
    Jan 28, 2014
    9
    Last night I sat down to finish FE after about 2 weeks and 31 or so odd hours of gameplay.

    My overall thoughts on the game are that it is was created by a team of people who knew how to pack as much fun into a mobile game as they could. The turn-based strategy forces you to develop strategies that involve making full use of the beautifully (seriously hot) detailed maps and environments,    Last night I sat down to finish FE after about 2 weeks and 31 or so odd hours of gameplay.

    My overall thoughts on the game are that it is was created by a team of people who knew how to pack as much fun into a mobile game as they could. The turn-based strategy forces you to develop strategies that involve making full use of the beautifully (seriously hot) detailed maps and environments, where you could decide to funnel enemies through a narrow corridor (picking them off one by one with your strongest characters), or causing them to have to run through trees or sand dunes, effectively slowing down their movements.

    The story picks up fast and hard at the outset, and it holds up nicely for the first several hours of gameplay. Then it seems like they ran out of budget for story-telling and filled in a large gap with player driven narrative in the form of 'coupling' of characters. Basically your characters can have children if they are paired together for enough battles on the battlefield, they develop relationships outside of the battles and eventually have children. It's an interesting mechanic, but I found it to be rather shallow and a bit hollow at times. The story never really picks up too much, instead it branches out into a strange direction before being brought back on track in the game's final chapters. Fortunately, the gameplay is so strong and entertaining that the slightly predictable story can be forgiven... that is, until the end of the game.

    The final chapters have you fighting enemies that barely matter or weren't developed as villains, and while they try to go for a grandiose finale it kind of explodes with a whimper. Poor decisions at the end of the game, as well as a lack of closing cinematic (which there were plenty of throughout the game that were both beautifully presented and timely in regards to story development) left me feeling cheated, as if the developers ran out of ideas or budget by the time the game came to an end and did a rush job on closing the story.

    For a game that had SO much attention to detail throughout, it was really disappointing to see them close off their adventure so anticlimactically. They try to wrap it up with a 'now this character is doing this and that in the world' for each of the characters you collect along the way, but the problem with it is that they are uninteresting and presented a snail's pace. It just feels irrelevant, and in my opinion, the entire ending is somewhat disrespectful to the game as a whole.

    Would I recommend this game to anyone? Absolutely, there's a good reason why I stayed with it for +30h. I'm nitpicky on story because I feel like those are the main driving factor for what keep me involved in a game these days, but the gameplay is pretty much flawless and engrossing. You just want to keep battling, building up your forces, finding new characters in the world. You also don't want to lose any of them, because if they die in battle you can't use them anymore. I lost 3 characters out of 45 throughout my whole game... I'd often reset a match if even 1 character were to die. That's how good they are at having you care for the progress of your characters. Not necessarily for their personalities, but for their attributes and strengths which you develop through fighting.

    Definitely play this one, I think it's one of the best that Nintendo has to offer on the 3DS.    … Expand
  33. GERCharon
    Feb 2, 2014
    9
    This is the first Fire Emblem game I have ever played and I am totally (positively) surprised by the game. Fire Emblem is a great tactical game and has impressive graphics and an epic story. You have many possibilities in how to train your army. Your Units gather friendship points, if you put them close to each other on the battlefield or if you melt two units into one bigger unit. If theyThis is the first Fire Emblem game I have ever played and I am totally (positively) surprised by the game. Fire Emblem is a great tactical game and has impressive graphics and an epic story. You have many possibilities in how to train your army. Your Units gather friendship points, if you put them close to each other on the battlefield or if you melt two units into one bigger unit. If they like each other much enough, they might even have children, that can be recruited, too.
    At some point you can even change a unit's class, so you are able to customize your army to your liking.

    At first, you can select between three difficulties which influence the strength and mass of enemy units in each level. Additionally you can choose, if permadeath shall be activated. This means, that fallen Units are dead for good. I like this option so much, because you want to optimize your strategy in order to minimize casualties.
    Still, I like to have quite a challenge but I got the feeling, that you need a lot of luck to beat the game on the highest difficulty and permadeath activated. I needed to retry some missions over and over until I got enough critical hits to kill an enemy in a certain number of turns in order to survive. I wished that this difficulty was less luck-based but skill-based.

    There is also a StreetPass feature which let you play against other armies and rewards you with extra weaponry.

    All in all the game is very very much fun. I love the story and its presentation. I love the gameplay, the graphics, animations and sound. I will give this game a 9, because I didn't like that luck or grinding seems to be a big factor on higher difficulties.

    I would recommend everyone to at least try the demo, which was very fun and gives a good impression of the game.    … Expand
  34. EggManStudio
    Feb 25, 2014
    9
    Since this was my first Fire Emblem game, I wasn't sure what to expect. But when I did play it... I most certainly was not disappointed. There is so much that is good about this game. As a turn-based strategy, it is as engaging as it is fun. It's always so satisfying to see your character smashing another to bits with his huge axe or slicing another with his sword, maybe even frying himSince this was my first Fire Emblem game, I wasn't sure what to expect. But when I did play it... I most certainly was not disappointed. There is so much that is good about this game. As a turn-based strategy, it is as engaging as it is fun. It's always so satisfying to see your character smashing another to bits with his huge axe or slicing another with his sword, maybe even frying him with a lightning spell.

    Another upshot of this game is its characters. Every single character has their own backstory, their own strengths and weaknesses, their own style of play. You can run in all-guns-blazing with Barbarians and swordsmen, or you can play more craftily, attacking enemies from afar with magic and bows. And each character is likeable in their own way, be it because they're funny, because they're cute or because they're just plain awesome. Fire Emblem: Awakening has a character for everything.

    As I said before, this game is as engaging as it is fun to play, but that's not the only upshot to the game. This game's replay value is endless. You can play it over and over and over again, to perfect your strategy and build the best team you can. And in a game of its type, that is a great addition.

    The game's utilisation of StreetPass is among some of the best I've seen - one can battle, buy items from or even recruit other players' avatars, making the possibilities all the more endless!

    There are only two reasons why I did not give this game a perfect score. One, the voice acting. To be more specific, the English voice acting. Some of the characters' voices are good, but some don't really fit their character compared to the Japanese voices, and a fair few (I'm looking at you, Sumia) are absolutely awful. However, the game also includes the option to have the Japanese voice instead of the English, which works around that problem.
    The game also lacks online multiplayer, something which would make this game ten times more replayable than it already is. However, the StreetPass functionality more than makes up for this.

    To summarise: For many reasons, Fire Emblem: Awakening is an absolutely amazing game. Owning a 3DS and not also owning this is absolute sacrilege.    … Expand
  35. Legion455
    Feb 17, 2014
    9
    Think pokemon X and Y are the reasons to buy a 3DS or 2DS? NOPE this game is the reason.

    It has a excellent story and is much easier for new players to the series since permadeath is now a option and not forced on the player along with the child system and the other ways of recruitment you'll have a very powerful team of heros to fight along side the avatar and Chrom
  36. VidyaBum
    Jun 23, 2015
    9
    The bad in FE: A :
    -The Barracks system is a little silly, you could have had a much more believable cantina system where you have let's say 10 tables and you sit down at one of them and listen to the conversation. Instead we get this silly-looking room where everyone comes, walks around and says 1-2 lines then leaves.
    -Some gameplay mechanics aren't that well-explained. Like the sword    The bad in FE: A :
    -The Barracks system is a little silly, you could have had a much more believable cantina system where you have let's say 10 tables and you sit down at one of them and listen to the conversation. Instead we get this silly-looking room where everyone comes, walks around and says 1-2 lines then leaves.
    -Some gameplay mechanics aren't that well-explained. Like the sword vs axe vs spear thing, supposedly there is a rock-paper-scissors relationship in this, but in some fights I had a strong axe that was "weak" against the foe and a sword that was "strong" against it, yet the axe dealt more damage. These mechanics don't seem to really matter to be honest.
    -Because the gameplay is a little poorly designed, almost every battle can be won with just one tactic: turtle your units together, let them get the bonuses they get for grouping, and just walk through the battlefield like a Roman cohort. Battles are varied enough that this never becomes the only tactic and you'll often break away some units, but for easily 1 fight out of 2, my best bet is to turtle my units in one or two groups and blaze through. The system is made so that if you have enough defense, the enemies have virtually no chance of hurting you, so you can literally walk through 10 enemies with 4 units all curled up, and you'll be fine because out of 10 maybe 3 will hit you, and 6 will die.

    The Good:
    -Despite the mild complaints about turtling up and some mechanics, the gameplay is very very good. Each unit has got its own type, attack, capabilites(flying, distance attack, magic, physical, etc), you have a randomness factor which seldom ever hurts you and serves you a lot, aka the good kind of random that only provides bonuses, every unit has its strength and weaknesses and if you know the game well, preparing your formation and fighting a battle is equally important and fun. The diversity is just right, no units are unused and no units feel wanting. It may be just a tad on the simplistic side here and there, but the difficulty helps correcting that.
    -The difficulty in FE is always depending on how many units you accept as casualites. I always played in "real" mode IE if a unit dies, it dies for good, and I found myself restarting some battles over 30 times. Extremely frustrating? Sort of, but honestly, the fact that every mistake could be the death of a unit was very powerful. It kept asking excellence out of me and I learned the hard way, which is the best way to truly enjoy gameplay. I played and played and played until I had come out of the battle with my full team(out of the whole first playthrough I lost only 3 characters). So the gameplay's simplicity is a rather good thing, even if the factors aren't that numerous, they are sufficient to keep the game interesting and the difficulty of not losing anyone makes it a continuously demanding challenge. As long as there is challenge, I'm in for it.
    -The story is a little bit of a mess. You get a first story which lasts roughly 9 missions, then a second which lasts about 12, then a third. They feel disconnected with each other and aren't anything that fancy(except the twists at the end). But I genuinely enjoyed all of them, the death of characters were memorable, the situations were well-put and even if it was messy, nothing about it made me want to call writer failure on it, ever.
    -Characters are fairly hard to do for a Fire Emblem writer, I'm sure. Simply because you get dozens of them and the game takes care of fleshing them all out. Well, on that front, they did a truly great job. None of them except the main cast(Chrom, yourself, Lucina) are AMAAAAAZING but they all bring something, are all memorable, few are complete duds and I generally enjoyed all of them, even regretting not knowing the one or two that I didn't get to catch through the story.

    The Amazing:
    With all the points I cited, good or bad, FE: A was going to be around 8/10. Gameplay is nothing formidable and story is on par, despite the general qualities there is nothing astounding about this game, it's just another game with nothing especially fancy on tactical games I played (HoMM5, Xcom) or RPGs (Elder Scrolls, Final Fantasy, Persona). While FE: A can't claim to be filled with true genius, it does have the undeniable quality of seriously hard work. The game is polished beyond belief. All its elements, story, characters or gameplay-wise are extremely polished and worked upon, you can tell that this game got a ton of love. The menus are so intuitive and complex, the combat almost never left me dissapointed and surprised me lots, the characters are again not just likeable but also different and memorable. The polish that went into this game is amazing, so many tiny details were added after obvious dozens of hours of work, and I almost failed to mention before that the soundtrack and cutscenes are incredibly good.

    It may not reach genius or have one super-strong element, but a game so polisehd easily deserves a 9.    … Expand
  37. bloodboy227
    Apr 13, 2014
    9
    Fire Emblem Awakening, while not perfect, is one of the greatest video games I have ever had the pleasure of playing. This was my first Fire Emblem game, and I can see that I have been missing out on a fantastic series. The graphics are beautiful to look at, and the soundtrack is one of the best in gaming history. Noteworthy songs include "Don't Speak Her Name" and the final battle theme.Fire Emblem Awakening, while not perfect, is one of the greatest video games I have ever had the pleasure of playing. This was my first Fire Emblem game, and I can see that I have been missing out on a fantastic series. The graphics are beautiful to look at, and the soundtrack is one of the best in gaming history. Noteworthy songs include "Don't Speak Her Name" and the final battle theme. The gameplay however, is where Fire Emblem Awakening truly shines. This is a turn based strategy RPG. You and the opponent take turns moving, positions, and attacking troops. While it may sound simple, the game will require skill and intelligence to beat, unless you are playing on Casual Normal mode. Multiple factors influence how a battle will turn out, be it what weapon your troop is wielding, what terrain they are battling on, or even who is fighting by that particular troop's side. Do not let this hardcore nature dissuade you, though. Thanks to casual mode and 3 default difficulty settings, the game can be easily accessed by newcomers. They can learn about how the game works on Normal difficulty (or as I call it, pathetically easy mode) and test there newfound knowledge by increasing the difficulty for their second play through. Players can pair up characters to get married in ALMOST any way they see fit. The dialogue is well written and the characters are all great. Seriously, the dialogue and characters can be hilarious at times. Frederick, Kellam, Lissa, and some special characters later in the game are a few that constantly had me either chuckling or laughing as loud as I could. As good as a game Fire Emblem Awakening is though , it does have a few MINOR shortcomings. I was a little annoyed that some characters have ridiculously limited options in who they can have conversations with (Anna can only marry the player created avatar? disappointment). There are a few rare yet infuriating moments that can occur. What do I mean? Let's just say that if an enemy has a 1% chance of getting a critical hit, you may end up disappointed when either Tharja's or Lissa's face make friends with the cold hard ground. It is not really a problem, but frustrating nonetheless. There is one big flaw though. Downloadable Content. I do not have a problem with DLC. I have a problem with the fact that I can exploit the downloadable maps to level grind and make my team ridiculously over leveled by chapter 6. Now, you don't have to exploit DLC if you don't want to, so it isn't a deal breaker. It's just annoying when someone says, "I'm the greatest Fire Emblem player ever, because I had 5 dollars to buy the EXPonential growth DLC". Despite these nitpicks, Fire Emblem Awakening is still fantastic, and anyone who owns a 3DS should try it without question. If you are a newcomer that is still not sure as to whether or not you should buy this game, at least download the free demo. You will not be disappointed.… Expand
  38. Paissios
    Jul 12, 2014
    9
    The game is amazing and i recommend it to any 3ds owner.The only problem with the game is that there's a lot of dialog and no voice acting.Also if you play normal mode the game becomes quite easy
  39. WelshTom
    Jul 26, 2014
    9
    An outstanding strategy title with nice features and a balanced learning curve to go with the impressive graphics and story. You will grow attached to your characters, particularly in the knowledge that one false move at any time could be their last (assuming you are playing with the 'dead is dead' setting). My only gripe is the frustrating regularity with which new enemy soldiers spawnAn outstanding strategy title with nice features and a balanced learning curve to go with the impressive graphics and story. You will grow attached to your characters, particularly in the knowledge that one false move at any time could be their last (assuming you are playing with the 'dead is dead' setting). My only gripe is the frustrating regularity with which new enemy soldiers spawn without warning, ending with casualties that seem so unfair you simply have to restart.… Expand
  40. Failatlife
    Nov 1, 2014
    9
    Lunatic is broken and unplayable.
    That's the only complaint. Aside from that, Hard difficulty is the perfect level of challenge for anyone interested in Fire Emblem. A delight for newcomers who are curious about strategy games, and a huge amount of evolution and innovation to impress FE veterans. The "Pair Up" system completely flips the old paradigm on its head. Rescues are gone, and    Lunatic is broken and unplayable.
    That's the only complaint. Aside from that, Hard difficulty is the perfect level of challenge for anyone interested in Fire Emblem. A delight for newcomers who are curious about strategy games, and a huge amount of evolution and innovation to impress FE veterans. The "Pair Up" system completely flips the old paradigm on its head. Rescues are gone, and that probably is for the best; it didn't really make sense.
    The music has always been perfect in Fire Emblem, and this entry is no different. So many songs just stay in your head and make you well up with some truly intense emotions.

    The story is solid too, although some plot points are well-worn, they're handled with enough earnest weight to make them matter and to keep the player from rolling their eyes. Also, this is one of the greatest localizations, period. Bar none.

    Now for some nitpicks. The character models look a bit strange (seriously... look at their FEET. So tiny!), and some characters are annoying, which is practically a first for the serious. I personally detested Severa and Sumia. Severa's just unpleasant and Sumia seems a bit cliched (Oh, the clumsy girl with a good heart...).    … Expand
  41. aasecr14
    Nov 18, 2014
    9
    Before I bought this game, I had only heard tales of Fire Emblem. As soon as I booted it up, the rich storytelling enthralled me. As soon as the gameplay began, I knew I was hooked. Since that day I have beaten the game four times all the way through. The gameplay is fun and challenging, the story is exciting and involving, (most of) the characters are lovable and well written, and theBefore I bought this game, I had only heard tales of Fire Emblem. As soon as I booted it up, the rich storytelling enthralled me. As soon as the gameplay began, I knew I was hooked. Since that day I have beaten the game four times all the way through. The gameplay is fun and challenging, the story is exciting and involving, (most of) the characters are lovable and well written, and the game leaves me with that sense of "wow" you get when you finish a really good game. 9/10… Expand
  42. WheelzFourReelz
    Dec 29, 2014
    9
    Fire Emblem: Awakening manages to create a beautiful world full of diverse characters. Combine that with the classic gameplay and the new relationship mechanic, and you've got yourself a winning game.
  43. lokq
    Mar 22, 2015
    9
    9/10 simply amazing
    -interesting story about dragons and future
    -great tactical gameplay and interesting mission
    -classic mode (man i lost 2 unit from this)
    -lovable character with their unique story
    -coupling system where you can get your party member to marry, and have their children to join you

    ps: lucina-tan moe >/////
  44. CallMeMrGeek
    Jul 31, 2015
    9
    o que distingue a série Fire Emblem das outras é, por exemplo, a exploração das relações entre as personagens. Cada vez que os dois personagens têm uma conversação, a afinidade que tem um pelo outro aumentará, dando-lhes estatísticas de apoio e activando um bónus de apoio cada vez que estão perto no campo de batalha.

    Se dois personagens têm uma relação romântica, uma forte amizade, ou    o que distingue a série Fire Emblem das outras é, por exemplo, a exploração das relações entre as personagens. Cada vez que os dois personagens têm uma conversação, a afinidade que tem um pelo outro aumentará, dando-lhes estatísticas de apoio e activando um bónus de apoio cada vez que estão perto no campo de batalha.

    Se dois personagens têm uma relação romântica, uma forte amizade, ou outro tipo de conexão, estes chegam em ter três níveis de suporte, e o resultado destas conversações afectará o final do jogo. Dependendo dos personagens, tais resultados podem terminar em um casamento, uma profunda amizade, ou uma continuação de sua relação.

    Outra particularidade muito interessante é a morte das personagens.
    As personagens/unidades de Fire Emblem aos que se lhes acabam os pontos de vida e morrem, não podem voltar a usar-se no que fica de jogo.

    Esta regra vai além quando trata-se de um personagem principal, já que se morre, a partida termina e o jogador é obrigado a reiniciar o capítulo desde o princípio.

    Mais argumentos:
    O que torna Fire Emblem Awakening um dos melhores jogos da série e da 3DS é a inclusão de todas estas adições características da série mas também uma história muito cativante, um magnífico mundo a explorar, um sistema de combate viciante, a customização das personagens, que por si só nos faz ficar agarrados ao jogo, as cutscenes são perfeitas e ainda a quantidade de conteúdo DLC torna o jogo quase perfeito.

    Contras:
    O único problema do jogo é que não disponibiliza batalhas Co-op via online ficando o jogador limitado a jogar com os seus amigos via Wireless.

    Conclusão:
    Fire Emblem Awakening é sem dúvida um óptimo jogo, indispensável para fãs de RPG que tenham uma Nintendo 3DS, já que o jogo explora muito bem a opção 3D e vale mesmo a pena utilizar durante todo o jogo a função 3D(ao contrário de outros jogos em que a opção é quase dispensável).    … Expand
  45. AriseAndBe
    Aug 5, 2015
    9
    Easily my favourite 3DS game so far. The massive amount of playable characters are interesting and thoroughly engaging. The strategy that this game involves always keeps you on your toes and never gets dull. The story, while a little simple, is still fun to experience. All in all, a wonderful game that everyone should play.
  46. geo333
    Sep 15, 2016
    9
    Great strategy game with some beautiful 3D visuals and great characters. As a first time player the game feels like a chest game in that every move could be a great or a bad move in either scenario your at fault if you win or lose. Definitely recommend it to strategy or chest players. Overall. a 9.5 score.
  47. Scoops8Pie
    Feb 17, 2016
    9
    The game is utterly fantastic, I wasn't a Fire Emblem fan before but after playing this I've done 2 complete runs and a good half of another. It's a really welcoming game to those who have never played a Fire Emblem before I got it for my friend and he loves the Support conversation a lot. I can't recommend it enough.
  48. monnomest
    Nov 24, 2016
    9
    Easily the best in there series: the support mechanic is a ton of fun, the characters are as charming as ever. The story is hit or miss and the missions are pretty repetitive but the gameplay saves it all
  49. weskergamer
    Dec 19, 2019
    9
    I beat FEA 3 years before three houses and for me that was a 10/10 game, but when i played three houses and then try to ply again fea i feel very wierd haha, but even thought this game is awesome, the story is so good and the soundtrack is OMG so good. It dont have anything to envy to 3H
  50. Wake_loms
    Apr 27, 2017
    9
    Rescatar una de las grandes franquisias de nintendo de la extinsion no es una tarea sencilla y este juego lo logro, ofrece una jugabilidad atractiva para todos aquellos que les interese este genero y contiene una inmensa cantidad de elementos que enriquesen la experiencia, tristemente cambia un poco la formula de la saga que nos encantaba a muchos fans, pero estoy contento de que estaRescatar una de las grandes franquisias de nintendo de la extinsion no es una tarea sencilla y este juego lo logro, ofrece una jugabilidad atractiva para todos aquellos que les interese este genero y contiene una inmensa cantidad de elementos que enriquesen la experiencia, tristemente cambia un poco la formula de la saga que nos encantaba a muchos fans, pero estoy contento de que esta entrega haya atraido a mas gente hacia la franquisia… Expand
  51. CH513
    Jan 16, 2018
    9
    Even though this game is great and saved the franchise, I don't believe it to be the best in the series. The game has a very large cast of characters, as well as a very simple battle system with good mechanics. Most characters are pretty well developed if you take time to read the support conversations between them. You can even get two of them to marry each other if they reach SupportEven though this game is great and saved the franchise, I don't believe it to be the best in the series. The game has a very large cast of characters, as well as a very simple battle system with good mechanics. Most characters are pretty well developed if you take time to read the support conversations between them. You can even get two of them to marry each other if they reach Support level S, and after they do, their child travels back in time, and you can recruit them in your army (with Lucina being the most important of these child units). The game has also a very good soundtrack, with "Don't Speak Her Name" being IMO the greatest song in the game (and possibly the series).

    However, you can easily forget to level up certain units (in my case I forgot completely about Nowi, Kellam, Donnel, Libra and Sully) and you often don't even require them. The game is also pretty easy, even in battles where you are largely outnumbered, you can still overcome them easily without losing units. The hit rates of your units and your foes are too much in your favor. And the story is just one of the weakest in the Fire Emblem franchise.

    However, Awakening is still a great Fire Emblem game that will test your strategic skills in a decent way, but as mentioned, it will not get very difficult.    … Expand
  52. mitllo88
    Sep 29, 2017
    9
    Much better than the GBA Fire Emblem games, the interface is nice and sleek, the gameplay is just as brutal as always and the graphics/sound are great. The story is good as well.
  53. Adubis27
    Mar 20, 2018
    9
    9.4/10, great music, replayable, great cast, etc. Any fan of strategy RPGs needs to get this.
  54. Sunshadow87
    Jun 4, 2020
    9
    Uno de los mejores FE, y el juego que salvo la saga y la propulso a la fama actual. Sin embargo, no es el mejor de la saga y introduce algunas mecánicas que derivan en "contras" y no en "pros".
    La historia y las situaciones de batalla son interesantes, y continua la de algunos de los FE pasados, con algunos de los personajes más conocidos, y también presenta personajes interesantes. El    Uno de los mejores FE, y el juego que salvo la saga y la propulso a la fama actual. Sin embargo, no es el mejor de la saga y introduce algunas mecánicas que derivan en "contras" y no en "pros".
    La historia y las situaciones de batalla son interesantes, y continua la de algunos de los FE pasados, con algunos de los personajes más conocidos, y también presenta personajes interesantes. El juego es muy accesible (no es de los más difíciles) y una buena opción para los que no han jugado a ningún FE.
    Es el juego que introduce la mecánica de los hijos (y el único juego de la saga donde tiene sentido por motivos argumentales), y aunque es ciertamente un acierto en este juego, introduce personajes con un trasfondo mucho más débil, a pesar de ser aquellos con mayor potencial (los hijos). Esto gustara a muchos, pero personalmente es un menos para mí. Un sistema con menos opciones parentales y un mayor desarrollo de estos personajes a cambio hubiera sido una mejor opción (aunque en esto muchos disentirán).    … Expand
  55. Praedo_MT
    Sep 30, 2020
    9
    When I first played this game when it first released I thought I would hate it. Anime artstyle, turn-based JRPG, a lot of things that would usually turn me off from a game. However I gave this game a chance, and I am glad I did.

    Everything about this game is great, the gameplay, characters, cutscenes, voice acting and its presentation. The game has tons of replayability too, I've never    When I first played this game when it first released I thought I would hate it. Anime artstyle, turn-based JRPG, a lot of things that would usually turn me off from a game. However I gave this game a chance, and I am glad I did.

    Everything about this game is great, the gameplay, characters, cutscenes, voice acting and its presentation. The game has tons of replayability too, I've never gotten bored of continuing an old save to max out characters or start a new one to relive the story.

    One criticism is the story. The story is pretty good, but it is saved by the great character writing at moments. If the story was great on its own then this would be a 10.
    Another criticism is that the dialogue for supports got stale at some points further in the game but 90% it is solid.

    Though this criticism does not detract from the games value I'll tell you that. It is still one of my favourite games of all time.

    Lets just say there has not been a game I've wanted a sequel more to than this one.    … Expand
  56. ZXSth
    Jun 26, 2021
    9
    Fire Emblem: Awakening is a beautiful game. This statement is not only one referring to its aesthetics: Its story, numerous characters, setting, gameplay/mechanics and technical performance are all immaculate. This is one of those rare gems that almost certainly deserves every accolade it receives - where its predecessors on the Game Boy Advance were great video games in their own right,Fire Emblem: Awakening is a beautiful game. This statement is not only one referring to its aesthetics: Its story, numerous characters, setting, gameplay/mechanics and technical performance are all immaculate. This is one of those rare gems that almost certainly deserves every accolade it receives - where its predecessors on the Game Boy Advance were great video games in their own right, Awakening set an incredible standard not just for Fire Emblem games, but for video games as a whole.

    Despite perhaps feeling a bit trite and not without flaws, Awakening's story is told in a way in which you can likely look past its shortcomings. Beautiful cutscenes, especially for 2013 (and especially on the 3DS), tell a classic Fire Emblem tale, but with some slightly more interesting twists and turns than usual. Additionally, the voice acting and dialogue are exceptional, and whatever corniness the story possesses is easy to look past because of the convincing acting of those portraying these characters. In totality, these characters may be a bit one-note, but in tandem, they possess surprising depth considering their volume.

    While all the voice work and storytelling make this game widely accessible, the gameplay is similarly inviting - the Casual mode (in which your units/characters are not permanently gone upon their death in battle) allows players to experience the game without being consumed by the threat of losing their troops (though this option is available to the masochists among us). Additionally, while this game may be among the easiest in the series, the game still has quite a high difficulty ceiling, and those craving a challenge will likely not be starved for one here.

    Overall, there is precious little to complain about with Awakening. It is an excellent Fire Emblem game, it is an excellent game, and it tells a wonderful story with memorable characters. For the most part, veterans and newcomers alike can enjoy what could possibly be the best game on the 3DS, and is easily one of the best (if not the best) Fire Emblem game ever crafted. I am not sure any game could come more highly recommended from me on the 3DS - it is an absolute must-play for all 3DS owners, and will hopefully be discussed for years to come as the classic it deserves to be labelled as.    … Expand
  57. Thamygamer17
    Nov 5, 2019
    9
    Estamos quizas ante el juego mas querido de la saga y no es para menos.
    Graficamente es un espectaculo para haber sido de los primeros que llegaron a la plataforma.
    La historia que nos cuenta nos engancha y nos hacen querer siempre querer mas, el sistema del cuartel donde forjamos amistades con otros personajes es todo un acierto y le da al juego un dinamismo sin igual. En definitiva    Estamos quizas ante el juego mas querido de la saga y no es para menos.
    Graficamente es un espectaculo para haber sido de los primeros que llegaron a la plataforma.
    La historia que nos cuenta nos engancha y nos hacen querer siempre querer mas, el sistema del cuartel donde forjamos amistades con otros personajes es todo un acierto y le da al juego un dinamismo sin igual.

    En definitiva un imprescindible de la 3DS    … Expand
  58. r4igamer
    Jun 16, 2019
    9
    Fire Emblem Awakening is the most fluid and stunning strategy RPG experience available on a portable, and features the best storytelling and production value of any 3DS game to date. The strong tactical gameplay and strikingly diverse visuals are only part of the equation - the strength of the game comes from the strength of the characters. The desire to protect them and progress theirFire Emblem Awakening is the most fluid and stunning strategy RPG experience available on a portable, and features the best storytelling and production value of any 3DS game to date. The strong tactical gameplay and strikingly diverse visuals are only part of the equation - the strength of the game comes from the strength of the characters. The desire to protect them and progress their individual story arcs drives home the weight of your decisions, and makes you feel more involved and invested than most games ever come close to. I found myself going to great lengths to keep all members of my team alive - not due to the compulsive need to collect all the warriors, but because I truly cared about these people. That’s rare for a videogame, where death is often a temporary and inconsequential occurrence.

    While many of these concepts aren’t new to the Fire Emblem series, never before have they been presented in such a refined and easily accessible package. In this way, Awakening exceeds all prior installments for a game that is at once a Fire Emblem lover's dream come true and a brilliant entry point to both the franchise and the genre. This isn’t just a Fire Emblem game, this is where Fire Emblem finally awakens from its deep slumber as a cult favorite and steps up as one of the Big N’s big franchises, no longer shackled by its niche origins. And it didn’t achieve this by sacrificing its identity either, but rather by refining the franchise’s already solid foundation so that its accessibility and caliber should easily qualify it as a quintessential portable experience, right up there with the likes of Super Mario 3D Land or Pokemon Black and White 2.

    If you have access to a 3DS, don’t deny yourself this truly special and incredible experience.    … Expand
  59. new2dsxl
    Sep 6, 2019
    9
    Fire Emblem: Awakening's masterful tightrope walk between luring in curious onlookers and appealing to the hardest of cores is a sight to behold. It doesn't matter whether you've been strategizing with Marth since the NES days or only know him as the weird blue-haired guy from Super Smash Bros: Fire Emblem: Awakening's tale of heroism, colorful cast of characters and richly rewardingFire Emblem: Awakening's masterful tightrope walk between luring in curious onlookers and appealing to the hardest of cores is a sight to behold. It doesn't matter whether you've been strategizing with Marth since the NES days or only know him as the weird blue-haired guy from Super Smash Bros: Fire Emblem: Awakening's tale of heroism, colorful cast of characters and richly rewarding gameplay are sure to sink their talons in for a very long time. Who knows, with practice a beginner might even come around to the whole perma-death challenge thing. While the multiplayer options may be a little iffy depending on your circumstances, the sheer amount of quality content and replay value make this one icon sure to spend a long time on your 3DS menu. Have no fear: Fire Emblem: Awakening is here.… Expand
  60. Spagh8tti
    Jan 16, 2020
    9
    My first Fire Emblem game, too bad I'm still new to this gameplay so I'm not as good as I'd like to be but I had a blast while playing it, the story is pretty OK, I wasn't too into it but the gameplay more than made up for it.
  61. tukumalu
    Jan 22, 2020
    9
    A leap forward for the franchise attracting new user base while still retaining the core mechanics. The main characters might be less captivating as compared to previous installments.
  62. personinu
    Jan 29, 2020
    9
    This is the 6th Fire Emblem game I've purchased and hands down my favorite in the series!
  63. ThePSButton
    Sep 28, 2020
    9
    Posiblemente la mejor entrega de la serie. Sin duda mi juego favorito en el 3DS.
  64. Luigichief
    Sep 9, 2020
    9
    God, I started playing and I couldn't stop. The game has a story that kept me focused on it and with some really good points, the main characters and some are very good, the gameplay is great, good soundtrack, good sidequests and interactions between the characters. Really good game.

    The story is very good even though it is generic in some points, it has a plot twist, two moments that I    God, I started playing and I couldn't stop. The game has a story that kept me focused on it and with some really good points, the main characters and some are very good, the gameplay is great, good soundtrack, good sidequests and interactions between the characters. Really good game.

    The story is very good even though it is generic in some points, it has a plot twist, two moments that I found exciting, some interesting tactics, a great pace and a very nice ending. The part I thought was great about the story is how most of the missions in history advance the plot for a credible reason and often have a reason behind it to happen (it's not: a group of underdogs is attacking the village, let's protect it or you are going somewhere and in the middle of the way you are intercepted by guards, it happened in the classic Fire Emblem and this time). The way it is told is much better than its predecessors thanks to better hardware and a larger budget. The last half of the game mainly some of the missions have strategies behind the political reasons for happening (which they already had before), which was really cool. You feel Chrom's growth during the story. I chose the end of the 'protagonist' and in the end they did something very interesting. My biggest problem with the story was that all the villains were unmotivated, just bad. Fire Emblem likes to pretend it ended the story in the middle of the year.

    The gameplay. Being brief is Fire Emblem and his gameplay is great (it was literally hard to stop playing), the map and the battles in them were a really cool addition. The mechanics of "Pair Up" between the characters was a unique addition to this Fire Emblem and very interesting, generating new tactics only possible in this game.

    The last maps I found bad, they are very open and involve much less strategy than the first ones. Until chapter 15 I found most of the maps great, but from 19 onwards for me the game was lost in terms of maps. All side quests (except the first 4) are very good, adding to the characters and gameplay, literally.

    The cutscenes are great (but there could be more), the only problem with them is because they are Fire Emblem and their characters can die the cutscenes are all with immorrible characters (and there are very few that if they die it's game over) which damages the story a little and his immersion, not even his character, who is a protagonist, does not end up actually appearing thanks to the customization that the game provides. And the graphics are pretty decent for the 3DS.

    The game has a lot of characters, actually too many, and the fact that you can support S rank among practically all the characters made the conversations very generic and mediocre in general (Intelligent Systems laziness but anyway), considering how many characters did a good job all the Suports I saw I found at least ok. Supports between parents and children are one of the best. I saw a lot of people complaining that it was almost a 'dating yes' or something like that, but the romance is almost non-existent even in the 'supports', excluding the S rank. Chrom is a very good character has an ok development (but I thought he was good too much). Your avatar has personality and interacts a lot in the story, I liked the way this system was made (I thought I was a good kkk character).

    The soundtrack is very good but it doesn't have as many OSTs as I would like. The dubbing is very good although practically nonexistent.

    I played on Hard and the difficulty was good but I found the game relatively unbalanced. On Hard, enemies are stronger and there are extra or more frequent reinforcements. The mechanics of "Pair Up" becomes much more important in this mode, although you do not need to master the mechanics completely to be successful. One problem is that if you want to have a really good troop of characters you will need to grind, otherwise you will have 4 or 5 OPs characters, 1 or 2 okays and the rest is to die and the worst is that you can reset the game only with these 5 OPs and this is one of the reasons I said that the game is unbalanced. I grinded a little to have 5 or 6 okay characters besides the OPs.    … Expand
  65. Oyin
    Jul 17, 2020
    9
    9.0/10 A tactical game with incredible gameplay, characters, and story. An astounding experience from start to finish.
  66. AbeFiletti
    Oct 22, 2020
    9
    Fire Emblem Awakening is an experience. It is One of the best Nintendo games I have ever played. First off, the gameplay makes you think. You have to decide to use who against what enemy, and then you have to think that there weapon might break, and you have to decide who you'll pair up, and so on and so forth. The story is super immersive and engaging. I would say that there are maybe 2Fire Emblem Awakening is an experience. It is One of the best Nintendo games I have ever played. First off, the gameplay makes you think. You have to decide to use who against what enemy, and then you have to think that there weapon might break, and you have to decide who you'll pair up, and so on and so forth. The story is super immersive and engaging. I would say that there are maybe 2 1/2 story lines through the whole game, and they are really good. it also has great payoff from beginning to end. The story is also helped by amazing hand drawn cutscenes. Man, the 3DS was a powerful handheld but this is super good. The characters are very good, and fleshed out. My personal favorites are Chrom, and my favorite, Lucina. The only thing that I can complain about is that some of the levels kind of feel filler, but even that's pushing it. I'm very lenient on giving 10/10s, and Fire Emblem Awakening is SUPER close to that score. I give it a 9.8/10.… Expand
  67. hector_bcn98
    Nov 4, 2022
    9
    La muerte no permamente permite disfrutar del mejor Fire Emblem, para mí, hasta la fecha. Si te gusta, te enamorarás del género.
  68. SagiR1
    Jan 24, 2021
    9
    Fire emblem Awakening is one of the most unique experience ever. Pairing up while the story is tense and every character have their meaning and purpose. Awesome game and true savior of franchise
  69. KNX2501
    Jul 17, 2021
    9
    Excelente juego, sin duda uno de los mejores juegos de la saga de Fire Emblem,
  70. KhezuMaster
    Oct 11, 2021
    9
    i loved this game really good and would highly reccomend for anyone who likes turn based rpgs
  71. Entagonist
    Jul 2, 2021
    9
    Fire Emblem Awakening, also known as FE13 is a really good game. Still, the story was a mishmash (maybe only in my opinion), but ending of the game was pretty cool. Gameplay was very, very good - as in every canonical Fire Emblem game.
  72. ReLawlietV
    Jan 12, 2022
    9
    This is definitely one of the best games the 3DS ever gave us. An entertaining game, with a story full of time travel and a threat that entails a final sacrifice. It has a good soundtrack while you are in the battles and it is definitely the best 3DS title on strategy. 9/10
  73. fjaoaoaoao
    Mar 7, 2022
    9
    Mature story with many characters to customize and grow. Many characters that feel unique and purposeful in both the story and in battle.
  74. Rellawintv
    Jan 28, 2023
    9
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Mega Spiel hatte immer Richtig spass an denn Kämpfen, die Story und der Ost waren teilweise so gut das ich es Richtig mitfühlen Konnte wie Dramatisch oder wie Schön etwas gerade wahr im Spiel. Kann das Spiel Jedem Empfehlen der es noch nicht gespielt. hat.… Expand
  75. Cloppers
    May 18, 2013
    8
    The game is good, refreshing; yet still brings back memories from earlier games. The new support function is amazing, and being able to marry characters together is a long wanted feature.

    The biggest problem with the game is the huge gap in difficulties. Hard mode is ridiculously easy for veterans of the game, yet Lunatic is nearly impossible without hours of grinding particular units.
  76. IGNsus
    Mar 25, 2014
    8
    I love the Fire Emblem series. Unfortunately, I don't share the same enthusiasm for Awakening.

    Honestly, I wanted to love the game. I expected that I would love it. It was actually one of the reasons I got my 3DS. What ended up happening was I liked the game well enough, but it fell short of my expectations. There are a few glaring faults in Awakening. First, the infinite number of    I love the Fire Emblem series. Unfortunately, I don't share the same enthusiasm for Awakening.

    Honestly, I wanted to love the game. I expected that I would love it. It was actually one of the reasons I got my 3DS. What ended up happening was I liked the game well enough, but it fell short of my expectations.

    There are a few glaring faults in Awakening. First, the infinite number of reclassing makes the game extremely easy, even on the hardest setting. Second, the story is cliched and has very little development. What you get is a plot that speeds along, but it lacks the political intrigue of the earlier FE games. Both of these problems I can overlook, but the map design I simply cannot ignore.

    Quite simply, the map design in Awakening is deplorable. The maps are boring and their layouts are not conducive to strategic gameplay. What I mean is that it's obvious how to place your units at first glance of the map. There are few maps where cowering in a corner does not lead to an easy rout. To compound this problem is that fact there are only two winning conditions in Awakening. Enemies will always dive head first into your units.

    Buy the game, but don't expect it to be as good as older Fire Emblem entries.    … Expand
  77. DarthSidious63
    Apr 28, 2013
    8
    Fire Emblem: Awakening is one of the best games for the 3DS but only if you like the genre of turn base combat and micro managing the soldiers under your command. The is no exploration except for picking places on a map. It is also a costly game for buying extra content.
  78. Siperfire
    Apr 9, 2013
    8
    This was definitely a very good game, with hours put into it and hours left of it to play. The turn based strategy isn't my favorite form of combat, but the good reviews lead me into buying it anyway, and I was not disappointed. Still, it could get repetitive going on and on after fight, and when you started to run out of characters (If you play on permadeath) some missions feelThis was definitely a very good game, with hours put into it and hours left of it to play. The turn based strategy isn't my favorite form of combat, but the good reviews lead me into buying it anyway, and I was not disappointed. Still, it could get repetitive going on and on after fight, and when you started to run out of characters (If you play on permadeath) some missions feel impossible. The story and cut scenes are great though, from the graphics to the dialogue to the twists, and if you ever start getting bored of a cut scene an amazing one will come make you take it all back.… Expand
  79. BillzHere
    May 5, 2015
    8
    Fire Emblem; a series that has gained the limelight in the last few years. A game series that was little known to the west, and only released in Japan up until the early 2000's. A game series that had very few but very well polished and enjoyable games (especially those on the GBA). A game series that was set to end with Awakening as it's last title (thirteenth game in the series). I canFire Emblem; a series that has gained the limelight in the last few years. A game series that was little known to the west, and only released in Japan up until the early 2000's. A game series that had very few but very well polished and enjoyable games (especially those on the GBA). A game series that was set to end with Awakening as it's last title (thirteenth game in the series). I can say that I'm very glad that Awakening was released, because it allowed the Fire Emblem series to continue one once again. Enough with the history of the franchise, now we delve into the newest installment itself: Fire Emblem Awakening (Oh and the review will contain spoilers).

    Let us start with the most notable things about the game itself...
    The game is very well made and polished, as to be expected with Fire Emblem games. However this one definitely delivers in the quantity of content. Since this was slated to be the last Fire Emblem game to release, they made sure it was filled to the brim with a lot of content and DLC. Surprisingly, it worked in their favor. Awakening seems to borrow some ideas from previous installments as well as creating new ones of their own. Gameplay is smooth and it's quite enjoyable to say the least. The graphics are pretty good, considering this is a 3DS game. As I mentioned before the game introduces new ideas and borrows old ones, here's what those are:
    The game seemingly borrows an old mechanic only seen in Fire Emblem: Genealogy of the Holy War(1996), which was the first fire emblem game that allowed you to play two generations of characters, and returning the skill system that was introduced in the same game. Skills are something you acquire when you level a unit up (5, 10, 15) which grants a unit a special ability they can use inside or outside of combat. Awakening introduces 'pairing up' with other units. You do this by assigning units to 'pair up' with another unit, and this allows the pair to potentially gain stat increase and attack more than once during a single battle. Awakening also returns the 'Class Change' (otherwise known as a Second Seal) that was introduced in Shadow Dragon. Returning to the subject matter of 'pairing up', when this process is also done, you will raise the units that have been paired together's support level. Support level increase will then allow you to access a conversation that these two units have (most of which are pretty funny to say the least). This level increases the more these units are paired together. When you reach the 'S' rank of support (only accessible to Male and Female pairings) then you get a special support conversation which pretty much ends up in the two getting married. Also forgot to mention that the games soundtrack is pretty friggin awesome. All of these things sound great, and they really are. When I originally played this game, I saw no flaws with it at all, and for some time I thought it was the best game I had ever played. However, upon playing through the game more than once, then playing its predecessors, I began to see its flaws.

    I'll begin by saying that the 'Class Change' mechanic in this game can BREAK THE GAME. I'm dead serious here, you can truly break this game with the class change. Since you can change class whenever you want, you can re-class, get a skill you want, re-class and repeat the process over and over; making units extremely powerful and rendering the hardest difficulty to immensely easy. What's even worse is that these skills can carry over to children (as mentioned before) which then makes them extremely overpowered to the point where the game is no longer fun.
    The game's story in comparison to others is rather weak in this regards. To me when replaying the game over, it seems like they rushed some bits of the story just to get a finished product. This is not to say they did not put any attention or care into the story itself, I'm just stating that it's rather weak. This is something I can forgive, it is tough to create a gripping and immersive story for a game.
    My last gripe is the character supports. After playing my favorite Fire Emblem game, the Sacred Stones and its predecessor Blazing Sword, I realized something different between those two games and Awakening. Their writing and delivery of the conversations seem well thought out and well written in comparison to Awakening. While in Blazing Sword and Sacred Stones, conversations are only heard during actual gameplay; Awakening however, you hear these conversations after the battles. In my opinion the conversations in Awakening's GBA counterparts are far superior in charm, writing, and in some cases humor.

    Overall the game itself is not bad at all, it just seems like a very weak release in comparison to earlier games. I couldn't touch up on all details of the game (due to metacritic's character limit) so I'll leave by saying that Awakening is clearly aimed at new players and not the veteran ones. Does this deter the game? No. Worth the buy? Yes.    … Expand
  80. Cyberpunked
    Jul 12, 2013
    8
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Pros:
    - Great Strategy Game
    - Accessible to New Comers (Like Myself)
    - Astronomical Amount of Play Time (When including DLC and Side Missions)
    - Great Character Interaction

    Cons:
    - Easy to Lose Interest
    - Uses of Cliches (MC having amnesia, Characters Stereotyping, etc.)    … Expand
  81. smahlt
    Apr 11, 2018
    8
    The difficulty curve is stupid (starts out too high and then decreases) and the marriage system is dumb when the kids just join the parents due to time travel BS, but otherwise it's pretty good. The story is fine, the graphics are good, and there is a **** of stuff to do even without buying any DLC. I like the addition of a customized character so you can always have a class you like ifThe difficulty curve is stupid (starts out too high and then decreases) and the marriage system is dumb when the kids just join the parents due to time travel BS, but otherwise it's pretty good. The story is fine, the graphics are good, and there is a **** of stuff to do even without buying any DLC. I like the addition of a customized character so you can always have a class you like if you're not a fan of the characters you get that start as that class. Not a huge fan of the reclass stuff though.… Expand
  82. Killua
    Apr 10, 2014
    8
    This review is for Fire Emblem Veterans who are craving a challenge!
    FE: Awakening is a great introduction into the Fire Emblem series, but lacks in proper difficulty. Let me rephrase, FE: Awakening can be quite difficult, but difficult in the worst kind of way. From the start the game quickly establishes it's Rock, Paper, Scissor combat system, punishing players for being careless or not    This review is for Fire Emblem Veterans who are craving a challenge!
    FE: Awakening is a great introduction into the Fire Emblem series, but lacks in proper difficulty. Let me rephrase, FE: Awakening can be quite difficult, but difficult in the worst kind of way. From the start the game quickly establishes it's Rock, Paper, Scissor combat system, punishing players for being careless or not predicting their enemy's movement range.

    I played the game on Classic Hard. As the game progresses, enemies start spawning from off-screen or from fortresses, gaining a turn immediately after their arrival. This was fine towards the beginning, but the game precedes to try to increase the difficulty of the game by spawning more in-battle enemies right next to my units at a time. This was a bit of a slap in the face for me because I am not able to predict which enemy/weapon that will spawn, making the rock,paper,scissors aspect established in the beginning a sort of crap shoot.

    On top of that, the game tells me exactly how much damage I will do and will be done to me, which prevents me from making any mistakes. The challenge of the game immediately dissolved when I realized that I could easily gauge who would win by comparing unit's ratings.

    I love the pairing system but it gave me little incentive to ever split my paired units apart. I just put the stronger character in front and let the weaker character make the last hits.

    Another gripe i had is that some of the terrain was incredibly dull. No joke, there were some maps that were essentially flat plains with a few bushes here and there. This is just lazy. That being said, the game maps really excelled when the battles were indoors, forcing me to change my tactics.

    So why do I give this game an 8? Because it's a fantastic game, I would just enter it with low expectations for the die hard FE fans who crave a challenge    … Expand
  83. frank2046
    Jan 18, 2019
    8
    excellent characters, rich dialogues between characters, great music, refreshing mechanism, weak story.
  84. GAGMR
    Nov 25, 2016
    8
    So, I played this game on Hard mode first & realized what a mistake that was. Ugh... But normal is too easy, hard mode is too hard. What's a guy to do? Anyways, It's an okay game that takes some getting used to with the new system & mechanics in place but once you get into the swing of things it's pretty good. Just, don't do what I did & go into hard mode right away.
  85. taptothebeat
    Apr 18, 2015
    8
    This is a great game.

    Things to note regarding gameplay that I found along the way: 1. There is a lot more to the romance and character interaction element than I was expecting there to be. Since I got the game for the tactics, playing part, this was more of a distraction/downside to me rather than an upside. That is of course just a personal preference though. 2. The best part    This is a great game.

    Things to note regarding gameplay that I found along the way:

    1. There is a lot more to the romance and character interaction element than I was expecting there to be. Since I got the game for the tactics, playing part, this was more of a distraction/downside to me rather than an upside. That is of course just a personal preference though.

    2. The best part about this game is the variance in difficulty levels. Each difficulty level feels very different. Additionally, by being able to choose your own difficulty level this game is really nice for more than just one type of person.

    3. There is a solid base of tactics that comes with the differences between the classes. There is difference in movement, you are either: on foot, flying, or on a ground mount. There is also a difference in weaponry, which results in a rock-paper-scissors element. These elements along with other complexities that arise with them keep the tactics element very present.

    4. While the above is true, I do note though that even though there are a wide variety of class choices, the attack-range patterns amongst them are very similar. For attacking, you can either be ranged and attack two spaces away, or be close ranged and attack one space away. This is as much variation as you get. This seems lacking to me, as one of my most favorite turn based strategy games is Final Fantasy Tactics Advance for GBA, which has a lot more variation in terms of attacks. Since games like those exist, I wonder why the same could not be done for this one?

    5. Going along with the above, I think magic is slightly overpowered compared to the other attacks since it is both a 1 and 2 ranged attack. While I believe mages are supposed to be weaker defense wise to counterbalance this, there are enough classes that have magic as well as defense capabilities that this concern is less so for the most part.    … Expand
  86. Rouce
    Apr 2, 2016
    8
    This game has one flaw that prevents a 10 of 10 rating. The difficulty balance.

    Normal is basically godmode and not interesting at all. Hard is normal difficulty with a few hard parts if you do no grinding at all. But it becomes super easy if you just do a 1 or 2 sidequests or risen encounter again. And while Lunatic is basically hard enough to satisfy any experienced strategy    This game has one flaw that prevents a 10 of 10 rating. The difficulty balance.

    Normal is basically godmode and not interesting at all.

    Hard is normal difficulty with a few hard parts if you do no grinding at all. But it becomes super easy if you just do a 1 or 2 sidequests or risen encounter again.

    And while Lunatic is basically hard enough to satisfy any experienced strategy game and FE fan, the flow of the game becomes a little awkward. Like only one of all your starter units is strong enough to really make a difference. So you're using this unit as a tank, decoy and fighter and only feed the other ones kills here and there from almost dead enemies.

    But yeah, that's just one thing in an otherwise great game and story experience.

    I would say Hard/Classic with no grinding is the perfect difficulty setting for all players. Even if the first few levels can be a little hard for starters. After that I'm recommending Lunatic/Casual. :)    … Expand
  87. Oharo
    Dec 6, 2015
    8
    Not the best Fire Emblem of all time but a lot easier to get into for newcomers to the series and the story is not bad either. Wish you could do more than route the enemy though, other than that it is great
  88. rub95
    Feb 19, 2017
    8
    First of all, I think this is a very nice rpg with very interesting mechanics and this was the first try that I gave into this franchise.

    The gameplay is very entertaining and addicting but there are to many soldiers and they aren't to strong to even care for and that makes you use the same party during almost the half of the game. The combat mechanics are very interesting but when you    First of all, I think this is a very nice rpg with very interesting mechanics and this was the first try that I gave into this franchise.

    The gameplay is very entertaining and addicting but there are to many soldiers and they aren't to strong to even care for and that makes you use the same party during almost the half of the game. The combat mechanics are very interesting but when you and your enemies get the master rank it feels a little bit tiresome because everyone has two different weapons.

    The story wasn´t bad but I would have prefered that they would have focussed only in Lucina and Chrom instead of your avatar. Also, it may have been better to use more cutscenes or at least include voices for the dialogue instead of the dull nices they use as their voice.

    The game has a duration of more than 20 hours and a very nice difficulty, which increases a lot after chapter 20. Also, this game has gotten a very nice replay value in which you can try beating the game in a higher difficulty or classic mode.

    Overall this game is a nice option for people who love rpgs, but I think Intelligent Systems should use some mechanics from other of their games such as Advance Wars.    … Expand
  89. gingetsu
    Apr 20, 2016
    8
    a great strategy game with excellent character design a very good dificulata that will give you hours and hours of suffering and are a great strategist groria.si is advisable to play this title and all sagas
  90. syscro
    Sep 17, 2017
    8
    Un titulo accesible para todos aun fácil en comparación con los otros títulos de la franquicia. Su música conserva lo clásico de sus títulos. El sistema de matrimonio y herederos hace querer probar muchas combinaciones, al igual que la gran cantidad de diálogos de apoyo. La vista global del mapa se hace sencillo y cómodo de observar en frente a sus otras entregas. Se nota el motivo delUn titulo accesible para todos aun fácil en comparación con los otros títulos de la franquicia. Su música conserva lo clásico de sus títulos. El sistema de matrimonio y herederos hace querer probar muchas combinaciones, al igual que la gran cantidad de diálogos de apoyo. La vista global del mapa se hace sencillo y cómodo de observar en frente a sus otras entregas. Se nota el motivo del porque revivió a la franquicia.… Expand
  91. lastsid
    Feb 12, 2020
    8
    Second playthrougth. Hard clasic against first one on normal classic. And find game much more fun this time. I skip all the cutscenes and just focused on gamepalay. And i find fire emblem porbably best of its kind. Very enjoyable interface. Addctive mix of tactics and rpg with big portion of randomnes. Random chance of damage. Random skill gain on level up. Alot of times the game feel moreSecond playthrougth. Hard clasic against first one on normal classic. And find game much more fun this time. I skip all the cutscenes and just focused on gamepalay. And i find fire emblem porbably best of its kind. Very enjoyable interface. Addctive mix of tactics and rpg with big portion of randomnes. Random chance of damage. Random skill gain on level up. Alot of times the game feel more like gamble than tactics. Especially after i lose all team and stuck only with two main characters, which probably was little overleveld. Can they dodge enemy attacks 20 times in a row ar we need start mission all over again. Its probably sound frustrating but in reality it is very fun game. Ok, probably, this gamble style isnt how it is suposed to be played. People on the internet restarts the game if anybody dies. This way game probably would be more tactics than gamble. Best thing is elegant tacticas/rpg design and probably best tactical strategy interface i ever seen. Wors thing is story, i think. Prety boring and very anime style. And i am not the person who enterily dislike jrpg style story. Just found this one not particulary engaging.… Expand
  92. frankzhang2046
    Jan 8, 2020
    8
    Probably my favorite 3ds game. Characters are well designed, dialogues are well written, the relationship and offspring system is the biggest draw of this game. Minor drawbacks: characters don't have feet, plot is relatively weak.
  93. PPko
    Feb 11, 2023
    8
    Probably the deepest and prettiest SRPG I've played. The rules are simple but it gets convoluted as more systems get layered on. Keeping track of every unit during the large-scale battles ends up a bit of a chore. The music is fine and the graphics are beautiful. Most of the character designs are great but their portrayals are generally pretty flat. I put too much pressure on myself toProbably the deepest and prettiest SRPG I've played. The rules are simple but it gets convoluted as more systems get layered on. Keeping track of every unit during the large-scale battles ends up a bit of a chore. The music is fine and the graphics are beautiful. Most of the character designs are great but their portrayals are generally pretty flat. I put too much pressure on myself to complete every battle perfectly. Personally, I prefer Advance Wars where the stakes aren't so high!… Expand
  94. Enima
    Nov 15, 2019
    8
    The game that forever changed Fire Emblem, for the good or for the bad. It has a lot of quality of life content and fan service, while it saved the series, it also modified its nature.
  95. Luccio
    Jul 12, 2022
    8
    Good music, characters, gameplay, overall pretty enjoyable. Its not a super immersive experience but for sure makes its mark on the strategy rpg genre
  96. piff2000
    Dec 29, 2020
    8
    I love this game! It was my introduction to the Fire Emblem series. In hindsight I realize that it was unbalanced compared to other games, but it’s a lot of fun regardless.
  97. B00tador
    Dec 3, 2021
    8
    My first in the series - the story drags on a bit, but a fundamentally enjoyable game.
  98. Kalcool12
    Nov 21, 2022
    8
    | A Must-Play JRPG |

    This is one of my favorite strategy games that have come out, with fun puzzling gameplay, an exciting story, and minor but vital mechanics that lift the game up in quality. Although the story does slow down for a subplot that was rather unnecessary, I thought (for the most part) it was engaging with the time-traveling mechanic and story turns, that made this    | A Must-Play JRPG |

    This is one of my favorite strategy games that have come out, with fun puzzling gameplay, an exciting story, and minor but vital mechanics that lift the game up in quality.

    Although the story does slow down for a subplot that was rather unnecessary, I thought (for the most part) it was engaging with the time-traveling mechanic and story turns, that made this story stand out more so than other JRPG stories.

    The gameplay was very interesting. The small mechanics that made this turn-based game different really added a lot, from the pairing system, the triangle system, and the skills that really turned the tide in some match-ups... it was all great.

    But by far, the best aspect of the game is the character support system. That is what makes this game great. Almost every character is unique, memorable, and interesting. The way the developers did that was great, with great character dialogue and interactions. There are even some characters you want to use not for skill, but for who they are. That's a sign of how well they made some of the characters.

    Overall, the game is amazing. It has a few other flaws, from the constant spawning of enemies and the small grind needed when playing in order to beat certain levels with a little more ease. But the game is still amazing and I highly recommend it.    … Expand
  99. Plumbo2000
    Jan 29, 2023
    8
    In retrospect it was very overrated but it's still an excellent entry point into the series.
  100. vahn
    Apr 7, 2016
    7
    I got this game when it launched but I only recently managed to finish, wanting to pick it up before Fates release...but since the new Fire Emblem game is a cash grab I promptly cancel my preorder (in europe it's coming out next month!) and I barely had any reason to continue this game. I explain why in a bit.

    For starters, I won't lie: I tried this game because of the newcomer mode,    I got this game when it launched but I only recently managed to finish, wanting to pick it up before Fates release...but since the new Fire Emblem game is a cash grab I promptly cancel my preorder (in europe it's coming out next month!) and I barely had any reason to continue this game. I explain why in a bit.

    For starters, I won't lie: I tried this game because of the newcomer mode, which doesn't permanently kill your units. I never liked that cheap gimmick because it's just an artificial difficulty rather than a real tactical one: in games like Valkyria Chronicles and Final Fantasy Tactics you could lose your units forever too, but you at least had the chance to save them before they died. In FE this is not the case and now, being able to play the game without that cheap gimmick it's actually a lot of fun!

    The Presentation is amazing: the graphics are pretty good for a 3DS, the cutscenes are incredibly well done and voiced, and the main characters are well written and well characterised. The game itself is also well done, with smooth controls and all information shown on screen.

    Too bad that the touch screen is BARELY used for anything....

    Since this is my first FE ever, I can't compare to the previous games however there is a lot in this game: the pairing option allows two units to become one and increase the stats of each others, but also increase in likeness and allow you to unlock dialogues AND a potential additional character...which is your future child. Thanks to the new marriage option, characters can have children and those children will come back and help you out: unfortunately not ALL the women are completely eligible (except for the MC, who can marry anyone of the opposite sex) and so in my playthrough I had one man left behind and some women who coulddn't marry anyone...except for the MC...

    But in my playthrough my MC was a female soooo....no, same sex marriage is not allowed!

    The game also allows you to change and "promote" your class to higher levels but frankly this only changes few things, such as weapons you can use, stats and passives. On top of that the max level is 20 and it's not THAT hard to reach it. in the end you'll constantly swap classes to upgrade your levels and stats

    Storywise it's also well done, with lots of in-game cutscenes with pieces of dialogue to make them sound more lively (which I promptly removed: they become annoying almost immediately). The writing is actually pretty good though and each character is unique enough.

    Frankly I'd like to keep continuing talking about the positives...but this game for me has one major issue: it has zero depth.

    Let's start from the basics: your units have no special skills for the exception of your passives, which are the ONLY unique things about each unit as they have no special active skills aside for the weapons. Weapons can break and CANNOT be repaired (actually there's just one item who can repair, but it's not worth it), meaning that you'll constantly swap weapons and save the best ones for the hardest fights. Forging it's also useless because breaking weapons so, pointless. Some units seem to be very weak, especially archers (who can't melee) and the first healers (who cannot attack) and due to the pairing they can become hard to train, forcing you to stop and train them properly.

    Secondly, while the story is good, it's...discontinued so to speak. The first part is all about killing a king, the second part is all about killing another king, and the third part is about killing a dragon...wait a minute, why couldn't the game be about one thing? I felt the second part of the game to be completely unnecessary, it was quite a bore. And the last part it's far too quick and ends too soon.

    And on top of that the game is very short: even with grinding and unlocking all the characters I could (DLC stuff not included), I only clocked around 27 hours: VERY short for a tactical rpg like this if you ask me. And the game feels really unfullfilling after a while, since all you ever do is change classes to increase your stats and it's very easy to do so.

    Unless you play on classic mode.

    That's the issue with this game: despite being a "noob-friendly" installment, it is still a Fire Emblem game at its core and the lack of permadeath makes the game easy and boring and the despite the fact that it can be quite heartbreaking to lose a unit you grew up with forever, I still think this is a cheap gimmick to make a game harder, especially when we have games with permadeath done better (Valkyria Chronicles, FF tactics to name a couple)

    So do I recommend it? Yes, definitely, it's not a bad game per se and it's very easy for the newbies like me who suck at tactics to enjoy it. Still, if you want "good" tactical rpgs I'd look further: while FE is very good, it's definitely thought for the fans of the franchise.

    Besides, this game is complete and not split into 2 games like its sequel Fates! It wins by default!    … Expand
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Awards & Rankings

1
#1 Best 3DS Game of 2013
1
#1 Most Discussed 3DS Game of 2013
2
#2 Most Shared 3DS Game of 2013

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
92

Universal acclaim - based on 72 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 72 out of 72
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 72
  3. Negative: 0 out of 72
  1. Pelit (Finland)
    Jun 13, 2013
    93
    A truly excellent tactical role-playing game. [June 2013]
  2. Hyper Magazine
    Jun 10, 2013
    90
    Ignore Casual mode, set the difficulty to hard, and enjoy what is arguably the best turn-based strategy game released since Final Fantasy Tactics. [July 2013, p.76]
  3. Games.cz
    May 19, 2013
    100
    A great turn-based strategy game surpassing not only its blood-related predecessors but step-brothers and step-sisters of the Advance Wars series as well. Fire Emblem: Awakening is the new benchmark of the genre that is practically uncriticizable. At the moment on Nintendo 3DS there is not a better alternative.
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