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October 18, 2005 | 10:07 PM PST
by: Miguel Yanez
We have begun our trip through the Path of Radiance. Hands-on impressions are warm and ready.
We've been playing a healthy amount of Intelligent Systems' latest game, and the first hours of the game have proven that the journey ahead of us is going to be quite challenging. In Path of Radiance, we'll follow the story of Ike, an ordinary guy with a mercenary father who has taught him everything he knows. One clear distinction of this story (compared to other games in the franchise), is that Ike isn't your typical prince who will do anything in his power to save his nation. Ike is an ordinary guy, but an unexpected turn of events puts him at the helm of his father's mercenary group. He'll have to face many challenges in order to return peace to the seven kingdoms. We also find out that the beorc (game's term for "humans") and the laguz (half-man/half beast changelings) have not gotten along well in the past. Could their rivalry be triggering this war? I can't wait to find out.
Gamers who have played the Game Boy Advance games should find themselves right at home with the game's structure, but for all of you out there who haven't played a Fire Emblem game before, here's the quick rundown. The game has several chapters that can be completed by fighting your way through the grid-based battlefields and defeating enemy forces. Does it sound a lot like Advance Wars? It should, because the games share many similarities (including the developer). But where Advance Wars focuses on combat, Fire Emblem's focus is character development and storytelling. Like Advance Wars, you'll spend your time learning which units are best against others, and looking at different ways to approach a situation within the battle. Unlike Advance Wars, however, Fire Emblem does not give you an army of generic combat units, but instead gives you an army of different characters, each with their own unique personality and ideals.
For the most part, Path of Radiance is simply a 3-D update to the Game Boy Advance titles. So far, I haven't encountered many differences in the gameplay department, but that's hardly a negative when the game's basis is so damn good. It is a very approachable experience (in comparison to other Strategy/RPG games), while still offering the perfect amount of challenge that Fire Emblem veterans want and expect.
The first thing you'll notice is how beautiful the CG cut scenes are. This is fantastic stuff, and with the addition of quality voice acting (finally, Nintendo), I could not complain. Until I got a peek at the in-game graphics, that is. They aren't bad, but a little underwhelming when comparing to a graphical RPG powerhouse like Baten Kaitos: Eternal Wings and the Lost Ocean. We'll have to wait and see if there's an improvement in the graphical presentation, but so far, I would've preferred a 2-D presentation like the Game Boy Advance games.
There are many character classes in the game, and each of them has unique stats, strengths, and weaknesses. Paladins are mounted knights with high-balanced strength and defense. Pegasus Knights offer a great range of mobility and a high defense against magic, but little defense against bow attacks. Archers have great attack range, but they can't attack when the enemy is close to them, leaving them defenseless to direct attacks. Mages can use magic attacks and have a versatile attack range, but their defense is a bit lower than other characters. These are just a few examples, but they'll give you an idea of how varied the characters are, and why you have to take the time to learn everything about them so that when battle starts, you'll know who the best man (or woman) for the job is.
Oh darn, I just lost one of my characters in death...which item is best for revival? None. In Fire Emblem, you cannot bring your characters back from the dead, which is yet another difference between this game, and the plethora of RPGs out there. No, it doesn't bother me, I just have to restart the mission and hit myself in the head for not planning my strategy like I should have. Word of advice: think ahead of your enemy. This is particularly easy, because there are no surprise moves from your enemies; you can always examine their range of attack, movement, and weapons before they attack you. So you obviously have plenty of helpful hints that will allow you to anticipate the enemies’ attack.
Skills are back, but unlike Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones, they aren't necessarily related to your character class. Now, there are many items that automatically give you access to different skills, such as boosting your critical hit rate, or boosting your defense against critical hits -- trust me, this one's a keeper. There are many skills, so be on the lookout when you explore the battlefield and destroy your enemies. There's also a new character class, the shape-shifting Laguz I mentioned at the beginning. They're pretty cool, as they'll transform into a beast when their transformation meter is full. While in human form, they aren't really capable of much, but when they go beast-crazy, you better watch out. These guys show no mercy, and their movement range and attack are significantly boosted.
As always, battlefield terrains have an affect on everything going on in the battle. Woods will give you an extra boost of defense (after all, the enemies can't see you as well), but mountains will be tough to climb, unless you're a Pegasus Knight! Examine any possible combinations between terrain and your characters' abilities. It will help your strategy a lot, and will increase the possibility of a victory if taken into consideration.
Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance
Path of Radiance's script is brilliant. This comes as no surprise, as the team who scripted both Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door and Animal Crossing is the same who worked on this storyline. Your connection to the characters will become evident as soon as they start talking, so even though you'll be reading a lot, it probably won't bother you. Reading is good, kids, and when a story is as good as this one, you had better remember that. Now I won't get into details regarding the story, because I prefer that you experience it for yourselves, but trust me when I say that this is arguably one of the best storylines ever -- not only in the series, but on any RPG.
I can't wait to play more of Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance. With its addictive gameplay and intricate storyline, I wouldn't mind it being a never-ending path. Should you take a plunge and cross this trail? Stay tuned for our final verdict.
-- Miguel Yanez
We've been playing a healthy amount of Intelligent Systems' latest game, and the first hours of the game have proven that the journey ahead of us is going to be quite challenging. In Path of Radiance, we'll follow the story of Ike, an ordinary guy with a mercenary father who has taught him everything he knows. One clear distinction of this story (compared to other games in the franchise), is that Ike isn't your typical prince who will do anything in his power to save his nation. Ike is an ordinary guy, but an unexpected turn of events puts him at the helm of his father's mercenary group. He'll have to face many challenges in order to return peace to the seven kingdoms. We also find out that the beorc (game's term for "humans") and the laguz (half-man/half beast changelings) have not gotten along well in the past. Could their rivalry be triggering this war? I can't wait to find out.
Gamers who have played the Game Boy Advance games should find themselves right at home with the game's structure, but for all of you out there who haven't played a Fire Emblem game before, here's the quick rundown. The game has several chapters that can be completed by fighting your way through the grid-based battlefields and defeating enemy forces. Does it sound a lot like Advance Wars? It should, because the games share many similarities (including the developer). But where Advance Wars focuses on combat, Fire Emblem's focus is character development and storytelling. Like Advance Wars, you'll spend your time learning which units are best against others, and looking at different ways to approach a situation within the battle. Unlike Advance Wars, however, Fire Emblem does not give you an army of generic combat units, but instead gives you an army of different characters, each with their own unique personality and ideals.
For the most part, Path of Radiance is simply a 3-D update to the Game Boy Advance titles. So far, I haven't encountered many differences in the gameplay department, but that's hardly a negative when the game's basis is so damn good. It is a very approachable experience (in comparison to other Strategy/RPG games), while still offering the perfect amount of challenge that Fire Emblem veterans want and expect.
The first thing you'll notice is how beautiful the CG cut scenes are. This is fantastic stuff, and with the addition of quality voice acting (finally, Nintendo), I could not complain. Until I got a peek at the in-game graphics, that is. They aren't bad, but a little underwhelming when comparing to a graphical RPG powerhouse like Baten Kaitos: Eternal Wings and the Lost Ocean. We'll have to wait and see if there's an improvement in the graphical presentation, but so far, I would've preferred a 2-D presentation like the Game Boy Advance games.
There are many character classes in the game, and each of them has unique stats, strengths, and weaknesses. Paladins are mounted knights with high-balanced strength and defense. Pegasus Knights offer a great range of mobility and a high defense against magic, but little defense against bow attacks. Archers have great attack range, but they can't attack when the enemy is close to them, leaving them defenseless to direct attacks. Mages can use magic attacks and have a versatile attack range, but their defense is a bit lower than other characters. These are just a few examples, but they'll give you an idea of how varied the characters are, and why you have to take the time to learn everything about them so that when battle starts, you'll know who the best man (or woman) for the job is.
Oh darn, I just lost one of my characters in death...which item is best for revival? None. In Fire Emblem, you cannot bring your characters back from the dead, which is yet another difference between this game, and the plethora of RPGs out there. No, it doesn't bother me, I just have to restart the mission and hit myself in the head for not planning my strategy like I should have. Word of advice: think ahead of your enemy. This is particularly easy, because there are no surprise moves from your enemies; you can always examine their range of attack, movement, and weapons before they attack you. So you obviously have plenty of helpful hints that will allow you to anticipate the enemies’ attack.
Skills are back, but unlike Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones, they aren't necessarily related to your character class. Now, there are many items that automatically give you access to different skills, such as boosting your critical hit rate, or boosting your defense against critical hits -- trust me, this one's a keeper. There are many skills, so be on the lookout when you explore the battlefield and destroy your enemies. There's also a new character class, the shape-shifting Laguz I mentioned at the beginning. They're pretty cool, as they'll transform into a beast when their transformation meter is full. While in human form, they aren't really capable of much, but when they go beast-crazy, you better watch out. These guys show no mercy, and their movement range and attack are significantly boosted.
As always, battlefield terrains have an affect on everything going on in the battle. Woods will give you an extra boost of defense (after all, the enemies can't see you as well), but mountains will be tough to climb, unless you're a Pegasus Knight! Examine any possible combinations between terrain and your characters' abilities. It will help your strategy a lot, and will increase the possibility of a victory if taken into consideration.
Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance
Path of Radiance's script is brilliant. This comes as no surprise, as the team who scripted both Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door and Animal Crossing is the same who worked on this storyline. Your connection to the characters will become evident as soon as they start talking, so even though you'll be reading a lot, it probably won't bother you. Reading is good, kids, and when a story is as good as this one, you had better remember that. Now I won't get into details regarding the story, because I prefer that you experience it for yourselves, but trust me when I say that this is arguably one of the best storylines ever -- not only in the series, but on any RPG.
I can't wait to play more of Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance. With its addictive gameplay and intricate storyline, I wouldn't mind it being a never-ending path. Should you take a plunge and cross this trail? Stay tuned for our final verdict.
-- Miguel Yanez
November 20, 2009
