RandomNPC – Video Game RPG Reviews, Editorials, and Features

Fire Emblem is among the longest-running RPG series today, and though each new game brings a new plot and characters, each one holds on to nearly the same mechanics. In Fire Emblem, it is a given that if characters die, they are out of the game. Permanently. One can also count on the fact swords beat axes; axes beat lances; and lances beat swords. And, interestingly enough, all weapons will break if used a set number of times. These are truths remain constant and set up the basis for Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones.

According to legend, five warriors defeated the evil Demon King long ago with the assistance of powerful jewels which came to be known as the Sacred Stones. After the defeat of this monstrous evil, five nations each took one stone, promised to protect it, and prospered knowing it was safe.

The peace that followed the defeat of the Demon King lasted a very long time, but unfortunately, it was not to last forever. Seemingly out of nowhere, the country of Grado attacks its northern neighbor Renais, a country it was previously allied with. The attack is so sudden that the country is taken by surprise, and sadly, things do not end well for its king. The game begins with Princess Eirika as she flees Renais while her twin brother Ephiram leaves to mount an assault on Grado’s capital with hopes to end the war.

As with other games in the Fire Emblem series, the entire game takes place on the battlefield with bits of plot coming at the beginning and ending of each chapter. There are no dungeons to explore, and nearly every chapter is exactly one fight long.

At the beginning of each battle, the player can view the map, select characters that will participate, select starting positions, manage the inventory, or buy rudimentary weapons and items. After these things have been done, the battle commences, and typically, the goal is to defeat all enemies, who will always outnumber your team, usually by at least three to one. Considering that death is permanent, Fire Emblem games require immense amounts of strategy to make sure everyone comes out alive. It only takes a couple hits before most party members die, and for some, a single blow is enough to be their undoing. For this very reason, most battles will have to be replayed, sometimes many times before they are completely mastered. For some, the amount of dedication required to play Fire Emblem will be too great, but for those that put in the time, finishing a chapter flawlessly yields a great sense of satisfaction and is the reason for trying the next mission.

Combat is extremely simple. Units have a set range of movement, and a set range of attack. Characters may attack with any weapon they have in their possession, and should a foe be in range, the damage, hit percentage, and critical attack percentage can be viewed for both sides before confirming any action. Once the player has decided whom to attack and with what weapon, the two units will move to the combat screen, and the side whose turn it is will attack. If the target survives, it will counterattack, ending combat. The player then gets a chance to move another character, and this continues until every unit has performed an action or the player ends the turn. At that point, the next team, usually the enemy, is allowed to move its army, one person at a time, and play goes back and forth. It may sound complicated, but in practice, it flows very quickly and is easy to grasp.

The battle will wage until the conditions for winning are met. For most battles killing everything will suffice, but sometimes, the fight will end when the opposing team’s general is defeated. In other missions, a particular square must be seized by the team leader, but for a couple missions, the party need only survive a set number of turns. If at any time a key party member dies, the game ends.

Though Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones does not stray from the main mechanics of the series, it is not without its innovations. The biggest change is that players now have a choice when promoting characters. Fire Emblem has a set level cap of 20, but once characters hit level 10, they can be promoted by use of special rare items. In most games in the series, there is only one choice, but nearly every class in this game can promote to one of two different classes, each with its own strengths and weaknesses. This allows for an immense amount of customization. With the exception of a few set characters, the player can freely choose who will participate in each battle, and unlike other TRPGs, there are no characters that are simply better than others. The net result is personal preference will be the deciding factor in which characters end up the strongest. Though some characters have higher potential for stats than others, there is no “wrong” way to play. Any character can be raised to be a key member of the team if enough care is put into its progress.

Another thing that separates this game from the others in the series happens midway through. At that point, the player must choose to follow either Eirika or Ephiram. Each has several unique missions that are only available to one or the other. To get the full story, the game must be played twice to see both halves, which means there is more replay value than other games in the series.

One final thing unique to The Sacred Stones, as far as games that have seen release in North America are concerned, is the limitless amount of experience points that can be gained in this game. Other games in the series have a set number of battles, and they cannot be repeated again. There are two multi-floor dungeons in The Sacred Stones that can be challenged any number of times, and there are random monster skirmishes that appear on the world map. By using these, any character will have the ability to get up to level 20, something that is practically required for the last boss fight.

With so many similarities in the system amongst Fire Emblem games, the real defining feature for each is the plot. The Sacred Stones was only the second game that North Americans were granted access to, but the story sets it apart as one of the better ones. Though largely one-dimensional, there are so many diverse characters that the plot never seems gets stale. There aren’t any lulls in the action, so it stays pretty tense for Eirika and company from beginning to end, and there are also several support conversations that can provide extra plot, if the player chooses to develop them.

As with other games in the series, The Sacred Stones is not exactly easy, but the difficulty is never so great as to make it impossible. Every mission is somewhat of a puzzle. All one needs to do is figure out a solution, and everyone can survive the mission in one piece. Granted, for some of the harder stages, it may take several tries, but it’s doable. That said, small slip ups and the occasional critical attack can ruin a good strategy, and for a player aiming to have no one die, it will force the entire chapter to be replayed. Though the game can be saved at any time, reloading that save erases it, so every stage must be essentially played in one go.

As for the interface, as mentioned before, nearly all the game takes place on the battlefield. The menus are relatively simple, both inside battle and out. By selecting any character, friend or foe, the player can see that unit’s range, stats, equipped weapons, and any items it may be carrying. Another menu shows things like potential conversations two characters may have, but generally, if any characters have a unique portrait, chances are they are either a boss or they will join your party if spoken to by the correct person, usually Eirika.

The only area where the game is really lacking is in the visuals. Though the series is not particularly known for amazing graphics, this game makes very little, if any, improvement over the previous game, and it wasn’t exactly pushing the GBA to its limits. The battle screen is relatively bland, and very little is missed by turning it off. In fact, doing so speeds up the game dramatically, and once you’ve seen every battle animation, there is little reason to see them again and again. Everything that the player needs to know can be seen on the map. The one saving grace for the graphics are the character portraits that are used for plot advancement. Those are a staple of the series, and they are very well drawn and detailed.

Fortunately, the game performs better aurally. The music is crisp and clear, and most of the songs are memorable. Most importantly, the music succeeds in setting the mood for the game, which is important since nearly all the plot is conveyed by static character portraits behind pages of text. As for the sound effects, they are neither impressive nor disappointing.

Completing the game will take anywhere from twenty to thirty hours depending on how much leveling the player chooses to do at the end and how many restarts are required for each chapter. After completing the game, an additional campaign opens up, and extra characters can be found in the two multi-level dungeons for those wishing to go through the game again.

In conclusion, Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones is a solid handheld TRPG. Considering the harsh rules by which all Fire Emblems follow, it will not be for everyone, but for fans of the series, it is worth tracking down. It is also a relatively good starting point for new players, especially since it has the option for an easier difficulty and limitless experience to help take the edge off of harder battles. For those accustomed to the difficulty, finishing the game flawlessly can be a source of pride; it is no simple task. Add in some of the highest replayability found in the series, and you’ve got quite a package.