Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia

[A Link In Time]

A remake of the second Fire Emblem game, Fire Emblem Gaiden, was announced for the 3DS today. Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia will release for the system in May. What are your thoughts on this classic FE reborn?

​

 

[Spirit]

After Awakening nerfed the formula and Fates was a cash grabbing mess, its nice to see a title with dignity be brought into the light to show new fans what the series can be at its core....

If they dont mess it up.

 

[Ventus]

Am already mad about the artstyle but everything else looks familiar. Having just beaten Gaiden a while back, Echoes looks like a faithful remake. And it's due this May, just in time for graduation.

 

[Zachie]

You beat me too it Link! Really excited for this game, looks like it'll be very fun

 

[A Link In Time]

One of the things that was briefly mentioned in the direct was a change to the traditional FE style with dungeons coming into play. I assume this free roaming screenshot shows us what to expect:

It would be a huge move forward to actually explore the environments a bit instead of only being confined to the traditional grid style gameplay.

 

[Zachie]

It's important to note that this isn't anything new, it's just a remake of an older game. They likely won't be doing this style of Strategy mixed with RPG again.

 

[A Link In Time]

It's important to note that this isn't anything new, it's just a remake of an older game. They likely won't be doing this style of Strategy mixed with RPG again.

Yeah, I just looked around and saw the original had some free roaming as well. It's great to see such a faithful remake, even if this feature hasn't returned in more recent installments.

 

[Zachie]

Yeah, I just looked around and saw the original had some free roaming as well. It's great to see such a faithful remake, even if this feature hasn't returned in more recent installments.

To be quite honest, id be so happy if they did this kind of thing all the time. I love RPGs and I'm very excited for this game!

 

[Spirit]

Could be theyre using Echoes/Gaiden and its mix of styles to test the ground for future games.

If it works then perhaps more FE games in rhe future will have the exploration parts.

Thatd be nice.

 

[A Link In Time]

Also, I wanted to say that the box art for this game is beautiful:

 

[Zachie]

I need this so badly, is it May yet?

 

[Spirit]

I hope that, after Awakening and Fates, this game puts FE back on the course it was on before the 3ds generation.

The fact theyre remaking it at all shows how important FE has become to Nintendo.

Now, how about some Rekka love?

 

[Zachie]

I don't get the hate for Fates or Awakening, I thought they were both really enjoyable. I liked the inclusions of an "easy mode" because I'm not that good at strategy games, and I could always do it on normal mode later.

 

[Kylo Ken]

Awakening nerfed the formula

Awakening corrected* the formula. If they didn't change Fire Emblem, it wouldn't have continued. The director if Awakening even said, "When we made Awakening, we intended it to be the last in the franchise."

 

[Spirit]

Awakening corrected* the formula. If they didn't change Fire Emblem, it wouldn't have continued. The director if Awakening even said, "When we made Awakening, we intended it to be the last in the franchise."

Awakening was designed to be the last gane because Nintendo threatened to pull the plug. The series hadnt been selling well but Nintendo had underestimated the demand for the IP in the west.

Previous titles released in the west sold poorly because they were often difficult to get.

With Awakening potentially being the last game the director put everything he had always wanted to do in an FE into Awakening. It helped that it was a good game with great characters, but it also helped that Nintendo released it world wide and pressed enough copies for it to be available.

Had they just upgraded a previous game and released it the way they releasef Awakening, that game still would have sold. Nintendo clearly didnt realise how important and powerful the series could be. One world wide launch with availability helped more than anything else.

However Awakening was entry level (even i can do it without much effort) and this soured a lot of the fanbase. The level of strategy required in Awakening is a lot lower than any game that came before it. The systems in place are wonderful, the game is still deep and worthwhile but a lot of what made an FE game appealling to the existing fanbase was lost in Awakening and it didnt come back in Fates.

This is why i'm pretty happy that theyve not only remade a game the west never got, but the fact that they remade a game from the past at all says to me that they still know what they want to do with the franchise and keep the heart of it intact for those who are connected with the series the way most of us here are with Zelda.