An epic tale filled with intricate characters, a winding and well told plot, and deep and fun RPG customization elements

User Rating: 9.5 | Fire Emblem: Souen no Kiseki GC
By rexCo | Review Date:
Playing FE:PoR for the first time for me was interesting... I had never played a game quite like it other than maybe Advance Wars. Only unlike Advance Wars, PoR was much more plot based - which I love - and it also brought to the table mounds of deep and interesting characters I grew to love, unlike the meaningless units in AW. From Ike to the Black Knight to Volke and all in between, it seems like every enemy you face or unit you can possess has a unique story and personality behind them (that is, if you take the time and listen to all the little conversations you can have using the game's Support and Info options in between battles - which are worth it by the way). And the plot itself, the game's biggest and best feature, is incredible. Dialogue, depth, twists, turns, suspense, epic conflicts and rivalries... And just simply how the plot is told is excellent. For example, seeing King Ashnard (who is a very cool character) have some of his conversations with the Black Knight (who is also an amazing character) later on in the story is very effective, and the dramatic irony builds up continuously to the final fights.

Otherwise, the actual game itself is extremely fun; leveling up your favourite characters, upgrading their classes and watching them grow into your own mini-army is very entertaining. The wide array of items you can find and use - such as the scrolls that can teach your units certain combat skills you can use to your advantave - give the game a deep and customizable feel. The strategic elements both in customization and in combat are vastly satisfying, and even give the game replay value. I always think it would be interesting to see how a certain character could turn out or how a certain character with a special skill set would work out.

The only thing keeping the game from getting a 10 is some minor frustrations. One: there are some matches where one mistake means a character dies... and you lose that character for good. For me, this usually means restarting the match, and having to go through the long struggle again, not always the funnest idea in an already long enough game. Two: some characters are just plain more powerful than others, sometimes too much. Characters like Sothe (who can't even upgrade class) or Nephenee just seem too low a level when you get them, and not woth the effort when you could just use characters like Oscar or Boyd who always turn out to be awesome. This isn't too big a deal anyways though - the game's Bonus Experience feature is excellent and can help you craft your army moreso according to your wishes (although it still doesn't solve everything).

All in all, an amazing game, and one of the best stories ever told in any video game.

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