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- What I'd like Fire Emblem to be
- Posted 3 months ago by J-Man
Okay, this is what I wrote that went with my review of Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn. You might want to read that first if you haven't already. In this, I express what I'd like to see for future installments, and touches upon what one might feel for a series he or she likes.
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And this is where my rant comes in. Those not familiar with Fire Emblem might have gotten the feeling that it is an epic adventure. Heck, I practically advertised it that way! In all seriousness though, I'd say you might want to at least rent it. Try it out for 12 or 15 hours. Then you might feel a bit like me and say: "This is some neat story-telling, but I wish there was more to kick the "epic-ness" into overdrive...". Something along those lines. The game is great on its own, but I feel like it could be so much more than what it is now. I mean, the gameplay, the script and the audio/video are all good. The overall effect is remarkably well-done.
But I want FE to be more. If you can't give me animated cut-scenes with voice work at every chapter (mission), at least give me text and voice. I want the cut-outs to have more than one face to express their feelings. Get a symphonic orchestra to do the music. Make battle animations more fluid: not just me attacking the enemy than him doing the same canned animation. An attack quickly followed by a counter-attack would give more realism. Maybe have them dodge or block attacks before landing a blow. I want the game to feel more alive and vibrant.
I do realise, though, that I am asking for a lot. You see, these things need to be done by people, and these people cost something. Time and money. And only if you are allowed a larger budget will you allowed to do more. Unfortunately, even though I'm sure FE is a profitable series, it might not be enough profit to warrant a budget similar to, say, Halo or Mario. These two examples are/were given lots of money because they knew that the profit would far exceed development and manufacturing costs. Other games, Like FE or No More Heroes, either break even or are sold at a loss. It's then up to the publisher to see if they continue support or not. Some will favor creative content with potential, while others will (often) prefer a sure-fire hit that will ensure profit. This disappoints me.
"All we'd have to do is buy the game to show support, right? Maybe even talk about it to other people. Get the word around, you know?" Sure, that's easy on paper, but FE's got another thing against it: it doesn't appeal to a mainstream audience. It's made for a specific niche of gamers who are looking strategy RPGs. Newcomers will not get into the series that easily. The other solution would be to re-think the game for the mainstream, but I'm totally against that.
Unless Nintendo takes a risk with the franchise, I beleive that Fire Emblem might be stuck at a level of "great, but could be more".
Also, one last thing. Some people might be bitching about how I could be sounding selfish. You might be thinking: "FE is already successful enough, and it's an established franchise! Do you want to kill new IPs like No More Heroes/Zack and Wiki/[lesser-known creative content]?" I understand that. Maybe what I'm trying to say here is that if you truly support something, express it. Show it to everybody. Just as I have done here. I chose Fire Emblem because I beleive that it is worth more than what it currently is. I want it to improve. And I want to tell you with hope that you might consider my opinion as valuable and maybe even learn something. I also hope that you will try something new, something you haven't experienced before. I could go as far as saying that the whole point of discussion is to try to make others feel the way you do about something, and that from there, debate and learning ensues.
You now have my opinion on the matter at hand, Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn. It is that this series deserves more attention in order to bring it to a higher level, to make it an interactive experience that would rival the greatest cinematic productions. I beleive it has that potential.
*steps down from soapbox*
TL;DR version: Buy games you like. Be passionate about them.
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loltim, that has to be the best analogy I've read in quite some time. It sums up the situation perfectly!
Oh, and Raccoonacorn, I agree with you too about acepting the faults and all that. This is just wishful thinking on my part, mostly. I can't to see what they'll do in the next console installment.
I feel like Fire Emblem is Nintendo's awkward friend from childhood (Japan). And no matter how many times he gets introduced to Nintendo's new friends (America) nobody pays much attention to him.
"Alright Nintendo's here! Now it's a party....Oh...you brought Fire Emblem again."
"Yeah. Once you get to know him, he's really a great guy."
"Oh, sure he is....yeah....well, have fun guys. See ya round. Nice to see you again FE...."
I totally hear you on this man. There are so many games that are great, but with just a few more tweaks they could be blockbuster level.
Sadly, you are right again in that most of these games will never surpass these limitations. However, like someone you love dearly, you need to accept their faults and appreciate the game for what it is. In some cases, that makes it even better, because you can honestly enjoy the game even with the knowledge of its flaws.
But don't lose hope. FE has only recently been getting newer console upgrades (since the Gamecube, at least). They haven't had a lot of time to tweak their formula. With a few more upgrades, perhaps they will nail down some of the features you would like to see. It is published by Nintendo, and they've got plenty of money and passion to support a game like FE throughout development.
Plus, Marth and Ike are in SB, so you know that the game holds at least some place in their hearts :)