"Enjoyable and too easy."

This time around, Fire Emblem is more enjoyable and easier than its predecessors, and that is both the strongest point going for it, and the chink in its golden armour.

Gameplay:

As with any other Tactic game, Fire Emblem involves moving about in a set map using the characters to complete a certain task. These characters would be joined in battle by numerous enemies capable of the same things they are, and the game is all about placement, character training and usage of items.

Most of us would be well accustomed to tactical gameplay, but to those who are first-timers at this genre, Fire Emblem may prove to be a bit challenging. It incorporates almost all the dimensions ever used in tactical gameplay, that is using the terrain, using weaknesses to items, and a turn by turn movement which allows for no undo-ing of wrong moves. You make a mistake, that is too bad.

Like all the other Fire Emblems, whenever a character dies, well, he dies. He doesn't get up anymore, and you cannot revive him. This is the Fire Emblem's unique touch to tactical gameplay, and it differs from other tactical games like FFTA and Advance Wars. You cannot afford to have your units killed, and if you do get them killed, you'll have to either restart the whole chapter or move on and suffer the loss. This is the greatest thing going for the Fire Emblem series, and also its Achilles Heel.

The gameplay becomes more complex and challenging, and characters no longer are mindless pawns you move around a chess board to be sacrificed. Used as bait, perhaps, but never sacrificed. As can be imagined, this game could vex many perfectionists, who would like to keep all the characters alive.

Fortunately, this time around, Fire Emblem 8: The Sacred Stones is far easier than its predecessors. Unlike the previous games, there is an unlimited amount of experience and gold in the game itself, which makes it far easier to train. All the previous games had only a set amount of experience available, and to want to train everyone to the highest possible level is nearly impossible. For FE8, this is no longer an impossible feat, but only a feat that requires time and effort.

Gameplay is more enjoyable, as overall difficulty is reduced (compared to the previous FEs) without compromising the challenge of the game. But many would say this spoils the game, that FE8 no longer holds the challenge for them. Afterall, veterans of the notoriously difficult FE6 and FE7 would find this a piece of cake. For first-timers, though, this is a good game to start the FE series with.

Music:

Like all the FEs, music is exciting and suitable to the situations, and soothing and sad when it requires to be. Also like all the FEs, there are very few epic, or musical pieces on a grand scale. Apart from one or two, there are no notably exceptional music.

Visuals:

Like the music, there are one or two stunning ones, but it becomes repetitive after a while. The most stunning visuals are, undoubtedly, from the "Critical Hits" of the characters. Afterall, these come only once in a while, and are thus not as easy to be tired of. It is a treat, once in a while, to see your favourite character execute a stunning series of moves to OHKO the enemy. But as for the normal attacks, they get boring after a while.

The visuals are more 2D, and thus are not much to speak of. But given that this is on a GBA platform, and the new FE9 out on Gamecube _has_ 3D graphics, I'd say this is not the fault of the producers. The visuals in itself are not amongst the best of the GBA platform, but it is acceptable enough.

Storyline:

This is objective. For me, the storyline ranks average. It is nice, I guess, to be the noble son and daughter of a strong King, who was killed in battle by a treacherous, and demoniacally possessed fellow King. It is nice, I guess, to fight for no longer the mere restoration of your own country, but the survival of the world. It is nice, I guess, to be able to rely on and count on friends on the way.

The story, however, lacks surprises, and when the main storyline unfolds, things begin to progress in a way that is predictable in general. Of course, I'm not saying it is completely worthless or totally predictable. There are a couple of pleasant developments, but nothing that would suddenly set your heart racing.

I would not say that is a great failure, however. None of the predecessing FE games have had an epic story either, and not many games out there have a great story either. Afterall, for a game as FE8, whose best assets are its challenging and fun gameplay, a storyline is not a major consideration, I guess.

Support conversations though, give far more character development and definition to the game, so other than the tactical advantages, I'd say one should actively pursue the support conversations to get a better kick out of the story, if nothing else.

Overall:

In overall, FE8 is not the best of the series, in my opinion. It is more enjoyable than the other series, which might frequently cause you to tug at your hair or turn them white, but it loses some of the heart-stopping risk taking moments and the unbeatable challenges along the way. Easier to complete, funner to play, but less than challenging as compared to the predecessors.

To FE8, I salute you, and give you 7/10 stars.

Reviewer's Score: 7/10, Originally Posted: 05/31/05