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Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn
Are you ready to save the world from the flames of war in this radiant adventure?
November 12, 2007 | 9:27 PM PSTby: Miguel Yanez
AMN's Review Policy: Our reviews are written for you. Our goal is to write honest, to-the-point reviews that don't waste your time. This is why we've split our reviews into four sections: What the Game's About, What's Hot, What's Not and Final Word, so that you can easily find the information you want from our reviews.
What the Game's About
Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn is Intelligent System's latest entry in the classic Strategy/RPG series. In this sequel to 2005's Path of Radiance, set three years after King Ashnard's kingdom of evil was destroyed, we learn that the country of Daein now suffers under the rule of the war's victors. Not all hope is lost, however, as a small band of mercenaries called the "Dawn Brigade" will do everything in their power to stop evil government oppression; and guess what? It's up to you to stop this war from spreading across Tellius once again. Will you be able to help the Dawn Brigade save the world from engulfing in the fiery blazes of war?
What's Hot
Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn is home to one of the most addictive Strategy/RPG designs out there. This episode in the series is also the biggest Fire Emblem yet, with a whopping 37 chapters that are divided in four parts with 72 possible recruitable characters. If you've played the previous games, or the Advance Wars series, then you know the drill. You control your units on a grid-based battlefield, taking turns to attack or defend your troops. After you have defeated all the enemies in a map, you seize control of the map by defeating the boss and moving forward.
Radiant Dawn is home to the traditional "Weapon Triangle", which is basically a set of medieval "rock-paper-scissors" rules that apply the basic weapons in Fire Emblem: Swords, Lances and Axes. Swords are stronger than axes, lances are stronger than swords, and axes are stronger than lances. Also, archers are particularly powerful against flying units and birds -- and can only attack from a distance. The Trinity of Magic that was absent from Path of Radiance is back again here, which consists of Light magic, Dark Magic, and Anima Magic (Lightning, Fire, and Wind magic). As you can see, there are many rules to follow, but the game feeds the rules in small portions, so there will never be a moment where you will feel lost among them. It's the Fire Emblem we all know and love, and it's back in full force.
There are plenty of Character Classes as well. You'll find Paladins, Pegasus Knights, Archers, Wyvern Knights, Thieves, and of course, the Laguz -- who are half-beast/half-human. Radiant Dawn features plenty of classes that can now double promote, and even though the Laguz cannot promote, they can can reach Level 40 now. Learning each of the classes' strengths and weaknesses is also part of the adventure, so you have to plan your strategy based on each class, the weapons they wield, and even the terrain they are on.
Another traditional aspect of the Fire Emblem series is its infamous "Permadeath" feature, where any character that dies on the battlefield cannot be recovered by a simple trip to the Pokemon center, but is rather lost forever. We include it in the positives of this review, because the feature actually adds a layer of complexity to the game, and separates the franchise from the rest of Strategy/RPG games out there. But some of the new additions to the franchise will not be as intimidating to the gamer. The first one is the "Battle Save", which allows you to save during combat (something that will help all those weaksauce gamers out there), letting you catch a breath during a long and exhaustive battle.
Character development is, as usual, some of the best out there. Each character has its own personality and objectives, and with a huge roster of characters (72 different characters!), there's bound to be a unique party for each and every single player. The storyline is superb, following on what Path of Radiance started, with twists and turns around every corner, and full of intense subjects such as racism, political conflicts, betrayal and even love. Intelligent Systems went all out again in the writing department, and it really shows.
The Greil Mercenaries are back!
The presentation has some strong points, like its beautiful art direction. Each of the characters has its own unique design, and each one of the backgrounds is painted by hand. Also, the cutscenes are gorgeous to look at. Every single full motion video throughout the game is beautiful, with exceptional animation, and beautiful art direction that's presented in widescreen mode (a first for the series) and also progressive scan support. It's actually a shame we can't watch a full-length animated series based on the franchise, because if this is how it would look like, we would be all over it. Come on Nintendo, work on that.
The game also features a pseudo-orchestrated musical score that's just brilliant, which is another traditional feature of the franchise. Many of the compositions are digital (MIDI), but it will take a while for you to figure out which ones, as this is high quality stuff. Still, with all the disc space available, the complete soundtrack should be fully orchestrated, and we hope that it happens in the eventual sequel. Voice acting in the cutscenes is also well done, and we're hoping that this becomes a trend, after witnessing it here, and in -- the recently released -- Metroid Prime 3: Corruption.
Finally, if you played Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance and still keep data saved from that game, you can import it and it will boost up the stats of several characters in your Radiant Dawn file. It's a nice quirk that will be of great help if you were a good soldier in the previous adventure.
What's Not
Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn might be a next-gen follow up to the 2005 masterpiece, but ironically, it looks anything but. While the artwork is beautiful, the in-game graphics are not so much. Intelligent Systems should have created a graphical engine based on 2D sprites, or they should've at least bumped the details on the character designs. Instead, they stuck to the GameCube engine, and while they improved the character animations, they still feature low-poly count, and they are still missing on the dramatic animations from the Game Boy Advance iterations. Fortunately, you can skip the battle animations by turning them off in the options menu.
We are also very disappointed in the new support conversations. As we already mentioned, one of the best aspects from the Fire Emblem franchise is the deep character development, thanks to its storyline, and in part, to support conversations. Before, you could partner two characters and had them engage in a conversation that would usually expand on their personal issues and thoughts. The problem now is that they removed this feature, and now you can only witness ordinary banter during the battles. Make no mistake, the storytelling is still at the top, but there's no excuse that will justify cutting back on some aspects that made the franchise as good as it has been.
The cutscenes are fantastic.
It's pretty obvious that the game's development started as a GameCube title, not only because it looks like one, but also because there are no Wii-specific features to be found in the game. Granted, the game doesn't really need to have you frantically shake the remote to hit your opponent, but using the Wii-remote as a pointer to choose a unit instead of pressing the d-pad several times would've been a nice inclusion.
Final Word
Radiant Dawn is another solid entry that's worthy of the Fire Emblem name, and it will give die-hard fans of the franchise everything they want and sometimes even more. It is not only the biggest Fire Emblem yet, it also has some new features that make it one of the most accessible titles in the history of the series. Fans will feel right at home with this new game, and newcomers will not feel intimidated thanks to its highly accessible -- yet incredibly hard to master -- game design, coupled with the classic Fire Emblem charm that will be more than enough to entice anyone to pick up the game and play it until the glorious finale.
The main problem in Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn is that the game has no Wii-specific features, and it certainly doesn't have that next-gen presentation that many might expect from a Wii title. But even with all these drawbacks, it is still easy to get lost in the world of Tellius and the adventures of the Dawn Brigade. You are probably not going to witness the joy of motion controls and Mii implementation, but you will be part of a magnificent story where you will learn how to build your army, plan your strategy -- and above all -- trust no one. And we think that's a fair trade.
What the Game's About
Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn is Intelligent System's latest entry in the classic Strategy/RPG series. In this sequel to 2005's Path of Radiance, set three years after King Ashnard's kingdom of evil was destroyed, we learn that the country of Daein now suffers under the rule of the war's victors. Not all hope is lost, however, as a small band of mercenaries called the "Dawn Brigade" will do everything in their power to stop evil government oppression; and guess what? It's up to you to stop this war from spreading across Tellius once again. Will you be able to help the Dawn Brigade save the world from engulfing in the fiery blazes of war?
What's Hot
Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn is home to one of the most addictive Strategy/RPG designs out there. This episode in the series is also the biggest Fire Emblem yet, with a whopping 37 chapters that are divided in four parts with 72 possible recruitable characters. If you've played the previous games, or the Advance Wars series, then you know the drill. You control your units on a grid-based battlefield, taking turns to attack or defend your troops. After you have defeated all the enemies in a map, you seize control of the map by defeating the boss and moving forward.
Radiant Dawn is home to the traditional "Weapon Triangle", which is basically a set of medieval "rock-paper-scissors" rules that apply the basic weapons in Fire Emblem: Swords, Lances and Axes. Swords are stronger than axes, lances are stronger than swords, and axes are stronger than lances. Also, archers are particularly powerful against flying units and birds -- and can only attack from a distance. The Trinity of Magic that was absent from Path of Radiance is back again here, which consists of Light magic, Dark Magic, and Anima Magic (Lightning, Fire, and Wind magic). As you can see, there are many rules to follow, but the game feeds the rules in small portions, so there will never be a moment where you will feel lost among them. It's the Fire Emblem we all know and love, and it's back in full force.
There are plenty of Character Classes as well. You'll find Paladins, Pegasus Knights, Archers, Wyvern Knights, Thieves, and of course, the Laguz -- who are half-beast/half-human. Radiant Dawn features plenty of classes that can now double promote, and even though the Laguz cannot promote, they can can reach Level 40 now. Learning each of the classes' strengths and weaknesses is also part of the adventure, so you have to plan your strategy based on each class, the weapons they wield, and even the terrain they are on.
Another traditional aspect of the Fire Emblem series is its infamous "Permadeath" feature, where any character that dies on the battlefield cannot be recovered by a simple trip to the Pokemon center, but is rather lost forever. We include it in the positives of this review, because the feature actually adds a layer of complexity to the game, and separates the franchise from the rest of Strategy/RPG games out there. But some of the new additions to the franchise will not be as intimidating to the gamer. The first one is the "Battle Save", which allows you to save during combat (something that will help all those weaksauce gamers out there), letting you catch a breath during a long and exhaustive battle.
Character development is, as usual, some of the best out there. Each character has its own personality and objectives, and with a huge roster of characters (72 different characters!), there's bound to be a unique party for each and every single player. The storyline is superb, following on what Path of Radiance started, with twists and turns around every corner, and full of intense subjects such as racism, political conflicts, betrayal and even love. Intelligent Systems went all out again in the writing department, and it really shows.
The Greil Mercenaries are back!
The presentation has some strong points, like its beautiful art direction. Each of the characters has its own unique design, and each one of the backgrounds is painted by hand. Also, the cutscenes are gorgeous to look at. Every single full motion video throughout the game is beautiful, with exceptional animation, and beautiful art direction that's presented in widescreen mode (a first for the series) and also progressive scan support. It's actually a shame we can't watch a full-length animated series based on the franchise, because if this is how it would look like, we would be all over it. Come on Nintendo, work on that.
The game also features a pseudo-orchestrated musical score that's just brilliant, which is another traditional feature of the franchise. Many of the compositions are digital (MIDI), but it will take a while for you to figure out which ones, as this is high quality stuff. Still, with all the disc space available, the complete soundtrack should be fully orchestrated, and we hope that it happens in the eventual sequel. Voice acting in the cutscenes is also well done, and we're hoping that this becomes a trend, after witnessing it here, and in -- the recently released -- Metroid Prime 3: Corruption.
Finally, if you played Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance and still keep data saved from that game, you can import it and it will boost up the stats of several characters in your Radiant Dawn file. It's a nice quirk that will be of great help if you were a good soldier in the previous adventure.
What's Not
Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn might be a next-gen follow up to the 2005 masterpiece, but ironically, it looks anything but. While the artwork is beautiful, the in-game graphics are not so much. Intelligent Systems should have created a graphical engine based on 2D sprites, or they should've at least bumped the details on the character designs. Instead, they stuck to the GameCube engine, and while they improved the character animations, they still feature low-poly count, and they are still missing on the dramatic animations from the Game Boy Advance iterations. Fortunately, you can skip the battle animations by turning them off in the options menu.
We are also very disappointed in the new support conversations. As we already mentioned, one of the best aspects from the Fire Emblem franchise is the deep character development, thanks to its storyline, and in part, to support conversations. Before, you could partner two characters and had them engage in a conversation that would usually expand on their personal issues and thoughts. The problem now is that they removed this feature, and now you can only witness ordinary banter during the battles. Make no mistake, the storytelling is still at the top, but there's no excuse that will justify cutting back on some aspects that made the franchise as good as it has been.
The cutscenes are fantastic.
It's pretty obvious that the game's development started as a GameCube title, not only because it looks like one, but also because there are no Wii-specific features to be found in the game. Granted, the game doesn't really need to have you frantically shake the remote to hit your opponent, but using the Wii-remote as a pointer to choose a unit instead of pressing the d-pad several times would've been a nice inclusion.
Final Word
Radiant Dawn is another solid entry that's worthy of the Fire Emblem name, and it will give die-hard fans of the franchise everything they want and sometimes even more. It is not only the biggest Fire Emblem yet, it also has some new features that make it one of the most accessible titles in the history of the series. Fans will feel right at home with this new game, and newcomers will not feel intimidated thanks to its highly accessible -- yet incredibly hard to master -- game design, coupled with the classic Fire Emblem charm that will be more than enough to entice anyone to pick up the game and play it until the glorious finale.
The main problem in Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn is that the game has no Wii-specific features, and it certainly doesn't have that next-gen presentation that many might expect from a Wii title. But even with all these drawbacks, it is still easy to get lost in the world of Tellius and the adventures of the Dawn Brigade. You are probably not going to witness the joy of motion controls and Mii implementation, but you will be part of a magnificent story where you will learn how to build your army, plan your strategy -- and above all -- trust no one. And we think that's a fair trade.
February 8, 2010
