Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones

"Step into the Fire! - Fire Emblem 8 is so hot that you need to, like, blow on it before you play it, or something."

INTRODUCTION ~

Ah, yes, well this game soon came around. You see, it would be hard to ignore the huge success that was Fire Emblem 7 (or, just plain old Fire Emblem, as it's known as in the US). Needless to say, it sold like hot cakes. Extremely tasty ones at that. And I'm sure Nintendo were pleasantly surprised, because you see, Nintendo seem to have this thing where they don't think a game will sale outside of Japan. And to be honest, that's just not true (well, most of the time). Advance Wars, Animal Crossing, and just recently Fire Emblem, are all games that found their way into US gamers hearts. And Europe's for that matter, too.

So, what does this leave us with? Well, expect a bright future for the Fire Emblem series. A series with an ever growing fanbase, and quite rightly so. But for now, we have this. The second Fire Emblem game to reach US shores. And it's all good news really. Ok, but is Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones (FE8) actually worth buying? Well, that's a darn good question. A question that shall now be answered.

GAMEPLAY ~ 9/10

Everything in Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones has pretty much stayed the same. All of the old classes return, such as Archers, Cavilers, Shamans, Swordmasters, Wyvern Riders, you name them, their here. But a handful of new Classes have been added to the mix too. Such as the mighty Summoners, Mage Knights, and the deadly Dragon Morphs (or rather Manakete's). But perhaps the biggest aspect that TSS brings to the series, is the addition of an all new promotion system. No longer are your characters forced to promote to one set class (think Caviler > Paladin), you're now given the option of picking between two, yes two, different classes. So your Caviler can either promote into a Paladin, or a Great Knight, making you think twice before you force that promotion item on your little warrior.

Of course, you still can't pick any class you want, but that wouldn't make a shred of sense anyway. So it's a great addition to the game, and should please veterans and newbie's alike. And of course, as to be expected, you can recruit characters in much the same way as before. Which usually involves having one of your Lords speak to them, or a character of the same class. The characters themselves? Well, they're an odd bunch to say the least. But I'll save that for the story section of this review, thank you very much.

So, now we can move onto what is in my opinion, the greatest thing about FE8. The fantastic world map. What's so great about the world map you ask? Well, a number of things really. For starters, remember when you were forced to play the game on a set route? That was pretty boring wasn't it? Yes, well, I'm glad to say that that's now a thing of the past. Yes, I know, its shocking stuff. Just take deep breaths, that's it. So now you're given a choice of where to go, and it's about time too. And let's not forget the awesome addition of going back to maps to train. Yes, no longer shall you need to arena abuse, because once you complete a map, you have the option of returning and fighting random monsters instead. A great way to build up your party.

Right, I'm sure I'm not alone when I say just how annoying it is, when in the heat of battle, one of your weapons break, and you would have to hot-foot it back to the nearest shop. It's enough to make you pull your hair out, or for you bald people, wish that you had hair to pull out. But I think the Fire Emblem gods have finally taken notice. Because they have included a wonderful new addition in TSS. Shops! "But there already are shops, moron!" No, I mean shops on the world map. Meaning, you can stock up on supplies before you even start a new battle, just by simply doing so wherever it's possible. But keep an eye on your gold, because believe you me, get carried away, it'll be gone in no time. And we can't have that, can we? :3

“Ok, so what about the leveling up system, that must have changed, right?”, Actually, it hasn't. The max level is still 20 for each given class, and you can still promote at level 10 or higher if choose too. But I can inform you that TSS includes an extra class system. Throughout the game, you will recruit characters with generally much lower stats than others. Well, level them up to 10, and they will promote into a normal, basic class. What's the point of that? Well, in effect, your character will end up with better stats than if they had originally started in a normal class. Giving you a stronger character for the extra effort you put in.

And finally, the battles. You may wonder why I saved this aspect for last. I mean, the battles are practically the whole point of the game. Well, to be honest with you, there's not much to say. Everything in TSS has remained untouched in this area. But of course, that's great news, because everything that made the previous games great, returns. The weapon triangle for example, a basic Rock-Paper-Scissors system. In Fire Emblem, every weapon has a strength and a weakness, making it essential to choose who attacks who, and where to place each unit. Swords beat Axes, Axes beat Lances, and Lances beat Swords. The same applies for the different types of magic. It's vital that you learn this. Granted, most characters can hold more than one type of weapon, but generally, if you place units without thinking, its lights out. To be honest with you, it's all just common sense, but it's extremely fun none the less.

STORY ~ 9/10

Ah, the story. Always such a strong part of any Fire Emblem game. So how does this one fair up? Well, you won't be disappointed. Our adventure begins with Eirika, the princess of the land of Renais. Grado, a great colossus of a country, has launched an assault on Renais. Amongst the conflict, Eirika sets out to find her twin brother, the prince Ephraim (if you haven't already guessed, these are your two lords for the game), and ultimately find out why Grado started the war. But things run much deeper than that, and the continent gets twisted in an evil fate, with monsters set free to roam the place. The same situation happened a long time ago, you see, which resulted in the five main countries pleading to the gods. The gods answered by giving each of the five countries a Sacred Stone, which would help to keep the peace and rid the land of darkness. It's all very Fire Emblem really, meaning, I can't really sum it up for you. But that's what the game is for, isn't it? And if I continued I would probably end up spoiling the plot for you. And that's the last thing I'd want to do, oh yes.

The characters then. Well, as mentioned, they're different. And some people would even go as far to argue that they're just not as strong a cast as other FE's. But that's where I disagree, because personally, I think their great. Ok, well, I'm not going to lie to you, they probably aren't as memorable as FE7's cast. Heck, they probably aren't as memorable as FE6's cast. But this is FE8, and so judging them by the other games would be pointless. You still have your pretty boys, and you still have you skimpily clad females. Needless to say, they fit the game perfectly, and you can't really ask for much more than that.

And the supports? Well, the supports are like always really. Characters speak with each other during battle by way of support conversations. Little skits that help to flesh out the characters a little more, and sometimes, to generally add much needed humor into the game. Some are serious, while others are just plain silly, and the rest are really Roffle/10 moments. They also raise your support level with certain characters, and give you certain advantages during battle. Though, I'm sure I don't need to cover this. That's better suited to an FAQ really.

GRAPHICS ~ 8/10

If you have previously played any of the Game Boy Advance Emblems, well, then you should know what to expect here. The graphics are simple, yet stylish. And the battle animations are great. Yet, however, that's not all there is to the story. Oh no. Nintendo have really taken their time with TSS, and really polished everything up. Ok, so the difference may not be anything major, but it's certainly noticeable. The battle animations are smoother, and generally more fluid, and some have also been upgraded too. And let's not forget the inclusion of new ones. Although, some of the more exclusive weapons are lacking that awesome finish. But it's a small gripe none-the-less. Basically, everything is pretty much the same as it was in FE7 and FE6. The battle grid, the shop's, the character sprites. It's all been kept.

SOUND ~ 8/10

Well, what did you expect? It's a GBA game, and so sound was never going to be it's strong point. But it does the job, and so it should do. Some of the old jingles have been kept, some of them have even been remixed, but the majority are completely new. And they set the mood, well; in some cases happy music will play in what's supposed to be a dramatic scene. But that's the joy of Fire Emblem, and it keeps the authentic feel. Which is good, right? Yes, of course it is.

PLAY TIME/REPLAYABILTY ~ 9/10

Perhaps the most disappointing aspect of Fire Emblem 8 is that its somewhat lacking in the difficulty section. Don't get me wrong, the later chapters are still a challenge to anyone, but compare it to Fire Emblem 7, and it leaves a lot to be desired. Hard mode is available straight from the get go, and it plays like FE7's normal mode, well, it's a little harder. Personally, I advise you start with hard. Easy is just the game with a tutorial, and normal mode is, well, normal. But it's a small criticism, and I guess it was to be expected with all of the extra features that were added.

FE6 manages to make up for RNG screwage. Meaning, no matter what, your characters will always be strong. Thanks to the help of unlimited stat boosters, and the inclusion of the Ruins and the Tower. And really, this aspect makes the game a lot more enjoyable than FE7, where many people were frustrated with the RNG system. And for replayabilty, well, it's about the same as any Fire Emblem really. It's always great to play through it again and experiment with a different set of characters. And the fact that this game generally has two routes adds to it as well. Ok, so it doesn't have the different modes of FE7, and the dialogue is generally always the same, but the fact that this game can be continued after reaching the finish line makes up for it. Expect your average game to clock in at around 15-20 hours.

FINAL RECOMMENDATION ~ 9/10

Anyone can appreciate The Sacred Stones, and that feels great to say. If you're a Fire Emblem fan, you probably already have this. If you don't, you should be slapped, and then forced to buy it. Really, it's only for your own good, because this should by no means be missed out on. This game takes everything that made FE7 great, and adds to it. Yes, the game has some minor flaws, but what game doesn't? And besides, the pros far out weigh the cons. This is a great entry into the Emblem series, and perhaps one of the best yet. Dang, it's a Fire Emblem game, how could you not want it?

MARTH AND ROY'D? ~ NO/10

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 12/26/05