I LOVE THIS GAME!!! \(^~^)/
Really, I do. It blows every other Fire Emblem game out of the water, even The Sacred Stones. I've rarely played a game that has so much depth, so much choice, as well as making your decisions MATTER so much. This mainly applies to the overhaul to the class change system. Adding in Royal & Second Seals to the game as the only methods of changing classes not only made class changes in general much more convenient by not having to use items that boosted stats on specific units, but allowed you to change units to classes they otherwise never would have been capable of becoming in prior games. This in tandem with the all-new abilities system allowed you to customize your team to insane degrees. This was even FURTHER enhanced with the marriage system, as you could pass on abilities and different Second Seal class sets to all the different pairing's children, providing an unfathomably high amount of potential options.
Awakening was the game that took the place REvelations as the best game on the 3DS for me, and the only reason IT was outdone was because of A Link Between Worlds. It still currently stands as the greatest turn-based Strategy RPG I've ever played, though, so that's really something. I've yet to play Final Fantasy Tactics, so I can't say if it's better than that game or not, but still...
Absolutely fantastic game. A sheer masterpiece.