Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones

"Pure Strategy Goodness in every bite."

Graphics: 8/10
Not a HUGE improvement over the last, the only big difference is the massive increase in the number of sprites. A new font and text color are used, but you get used to them fast. I liked the old game's graphic style and I like this game's style too.

Sound: 9/10
Very good, possibly some of the best on the Gameboy Advance. Many of the tunes are very nicely put together, I actually found myself humming some of them. I don't have much more to say here, except, this is one of the few Gameboy Advance games I play with the sound on.

Story: 7/10
Eh, so-so compared to the rest of the game. I found myself skipping all the cutsceens my second time through the game. Your a princess who is running around trying to figure out why your old friend has gone ape-crap on the world. You end up choosing if you want to follow Ephraim's route, or Eirika's route, both of which have different dialogue and levels. Better than some games, but this story isn't really the best I've seen in an RPG, but I wasn't really expecting much.

Gameplay: 10/10
The best part of the game; If you like strategy games you'll love this game. You take control of 8-12 units in the average battle, and move your forces against that of the enemy, using terrain and your superior intellect to best them. Your units level up with use, and can eventually promote to gain greater power. A new feature in this game is the branching promotion paths, would you like your Cavalier to become the powerful Great Knight, or the speedy Paladin? Balance between the classes is maintained fairly well, with the exception of the General, who has been boosted to astronomically strength. There are different mission objectives, which include, Defeat all Enemies, Capture the Throne, Defeat Enemy Boss, etc. This game has a steeper learning curve than the last though, the difficulty doesnt ramp up so much as jump up 10 feet then stay there for the rest of the game. This is counteracted slightly by a few new features, the overworld map, the tower, and the ruins. Between battles you are dropped on an overworld map to wander around as you wish, with the ability to access Armories and Vendors. In the tower and the ruins you fight off hoards of enemies, which actually raises a large issue; this game has infinite xp. Any unit can be leveled up to 20 before chapter 10, and this can make the game seem very easy. As long as you don't abuse the tower or the ruins you should be fine.

Replay Value: 10/10
With branching paths, over 40 playable units, and 3 difficulty settings, this game is made to be replayed. I have already beaten the game twice and am on my third playthrough, and you'll probably do the same.

Graphics: 8/10
Sound: 9/10
Story: 7/10
Gameplay: 10/10
Replay: 10/10

Buy or Rent: BUY, this game is long enough for you to buy it and love it.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 06/09/05