Fireplace Emblem: The Blazing Blade stands out as the seventh sport within the Fireplace Emblem franchise, nevertheless it was the primary to make it to the West in 2003; the sport was simply known as Fireplace Emblem for that launch. It was an introduction to the collection for a lot of gamers, comparable to myself, who wouldn’t have an opportunity to play any earlier entries till remakes began releasing half a decade later.
Happily, the builders thought of that they might be reaching a brand new viewers and supplied the collection’ first full-length tutorial in Fireplace Emblem: The Blazing Blade. Once you begin a brand new sport for the primary time, you might be handled to a ten-chapter mini-story designed to introduce the world and the sport’s core mechanics.
The tutorial follows fan-favorite Lyn, a member of a nomadic tribe who learns she has noble blood and a residing relative within the Caelin territory. Throughout her story, gamers study all concerning the core mechanics of the sport, together with the rock-paper-scissors model weapon triangle, learn how to recruit characters, and the way every unit kind works. The story additionally introduces characters and plot components related to the sport’s essential story. Lyn’s story is nonessential (which is why you’ll be able to skip it in subsequent playthroughs), however the writers did job tying a narrative collectively in solely ten chapters. It’s a pleasure to develop with Lyn as she goes from a lone lady on the plains to the chief of a small militia in the hunt for her final residing member of the family.
For brand spanking new gamers, Lyn’s story makes Fireplace Emblem: The Blazing Blade essentially the most approachable sport within the collection up so far, as there are only a few mechanics that it’s essential work out by yourself. Lyn’s mode’s gameplay can seem uninteresting for collection veterans,, and there’s no skipping it in your first playthrough. Many veterans will get pleasure from Lyn’s early story, although, which features a few of my favourite characters within the sport.
After Lyn’s story is the meat of the sport, an extended story with extra advanced and difficult maps. This story follows Eliwood, a younger lord who leaves his territory to seek for his lacking father. Earlier than lengthy, Eliwood and his knights are joined by Hector, the sport’s third essential character and one other younger noble. Whereas the pair are initially looking for Eliwood’s father, they rapidly get wrapped up in a villainous plot involving dragons, a world cabal of assassins, and a strong darkish spellcaster exerting their will on the world of Elibe.
Finishing Eliwood’s story unlocks Hector’s story. This story covers practically the identical occasions however places extra of a give attention to Hector. Hector’s story consists of a number of new maps, just a few new characters, and more difficult variations of Eliwood mode maps. To expertise every thing the sport has to supply, it’s essential beat the sport a minimum of 3 times. Whereas every playthrough will supply some new experiences, a lot of the maps are very related, so it turns into a slog by the point you lastly take a crack on the onerous mode of Hector’s story.
No matter your route, villains crop up left and proper throughout your efforts to seek out Eliwood’s father. To take care of the rogue’s gallery, Eliwood and Hector recruit a veritable military of pleasant characters all through the sport. Each character from Lyn’s story returns sooner or later (sustaining any level-ups they acquired throughout her story), in addition to new characters to assist fill out your ranks.
The excessive quantity of models in Fireplace Emblem: The Blazing Blade permits gamers to experiment with their armies and offers a cushion for unit deaths. I reset a chapter at any time when a unit dies, however Fireplace Emblem: The Blazing Blade is approachable for gamers that need to embrace permadeath. Few models are important, and the late-game additions to your military present the instruments it’s essential end the sport, even when you misplaced many troopers alongside the way in which.
Regardless of a big provide of troopers, there’s nonetheless an incentive to guard your models and lift them over the long run in Fireplace Emblem: The Blazing Blade. Whereas many late-game recruits are robust methods to bolster your military, you continue to need to fill out your remaining deployment slots with models you’ve skilled. Plus, leveling one of many extra strong early-game models offers a greater long-term return than counting on later military additions in some circumstances.
Early-game models do take funding, and your sources are restricted, as stat boosters are sparse and most early-game models require particular gadgets to advertise to stronger courses. The strongest armies can have a steadiness of upper funding early-game models and pre-promoted models which can be able to contribute as quickly as you recruit them.
In fact, my workforce was dictated (a minimum of partly) by which characters I favored essentially the most. The assist system thrives in Fireplace Emblem: The Blazing Blade, permitting models to share bonding conversations in the event that they spend sufficient time with one another on the battlefield. That is the principle method gamers get to know characters that aren’t integral to the principle plot. The assist system made it straightforward for me to get connected to a few of my favourite characters, just like the studious mage Erk or the retired murderer Legault. With out the assist system, it wouldn’t be potential to characterize 40+ characters in solely 33 chapters.
The one black mark on Fireplace Emblem: The Blazing Blade’s assist system is how lengthy it takes to unlock assist conversations. Characters typically need to spend 30+ turns subsequent to one another simply to unlock their first assist dialog. This may occasionally not sound like quite a bit, however getting all three assist conversations for a pair of characters can take a whole bunch of turns, which is troublesome to realize in regular gameplay for models that aren’t in your military from the beginning. Nonetheless, for these inquisitive about unlocking many assist conversations, it’s straightforward, albeit tedious, to spend additional time on maps grinding assist factors.
Whereas the characters in Fireplace Emblem: The Blazing Blade are a few of my favorites within the collection as a result of assist system, the story’s writing doesn’t maintain up effectively underneath scrutiny at instances. There are a variety of plot holes and contrivances (some resulting from translation errors), which may make it troublesome to essentially spend money on the sport’s villains, who can come off as bumbling as an alternative of cool and calculating. Nonetheless, the story manages to incorporate some very memorable moments and set items and is serviceable sufficient that it’s carried by the sport’s lovable forged.
Fireplace Emblem: The Blazing Blade additionally struggles with unit steadiness. Many characters are very weak, and others hardly ever have a chance to reach their area of interest. For instance, defensive knights and generals appear robust on paper, however exterior of the early sport, there aren’t many instances when it’s essential choke some extent and one other unit can’t do the job. Because of this, excessive motion courses like paladins, pegasus knights, and wyvern knights dominate a lot of the sport’s maps, whereas weaker models and courses trip the bench.
The sport remains to be enjoyable regardless of the iffy unit steadiness, however it may be irritating for brand spanking new gamers. New gamers don’t have the vital info to know which models are good and which of them wrestle. Because of this, it’s straightforward to assemble a military that makes a playthrough rather more difficult and irritating than it must be. Notably, the sport is simple sufficient for any unit to work, particularly at decrease difficulties, so that is extra of an issue on the highest difficulties or for gamers inquisitive about optimization.
The problems with unit designs are compounded by Fireplace Emblem: The Blazing Blade’s maps. Many comprise time-sensitive aspect targets which can be strategically attention-grabbing however once more push you in direction of utilizing excessive mobility courses. When it’s essential get to a village earlier than it’s destroyed or attain a possible recruit earlier than they die, you name in your horses and pegasi, leaving your slower models on the bench. Most of your archers and lots of fight models and not using a mount by no means have an opportunity to shine.
Whereas the maps do encourage restricted military compositions, they’re nonetheless attention-grabbing and enjoyable to play. Aspect targets discourage gamers from turtling up and as an alternative demand that you simply transfer rapidly and take extra dangers if you wish to get each recruit and reward every map has to supply. The map design is a large a part of why Fireplace Emblem: The Blazing Blade has my favourite gameplay of GBA-era Fireplace Emblem.
There are a variety of hidden aspect chapters in Fireplace Emblem: The Blazing Blade, in addition to a pair of brief route splits primarily based on hidden necessities. Getting all of the aspect chapters isn’t integral to the story, however for gamers aiming to see all the sport has to supply, it’s price cracking open a information to examine their necessities. There are just a few necessities which can be not possible to succeed in in regular play, and it could be straightforward to overlook them with out even realizing it. Not like the earlier sport, these chapters aren’t essential to get the true ending, so this sport performs completely effectively and not using a information when you aren’t a completionist.
Fireplace Emblem: The Blazing Blade retains the identical artwork model as its predecessor. Every character has a phenomenal pixel artwork portrait, and the over-the-top fight animations from the earlier sport return, together with some new animations for the sport’s three lords. The soundtrack can be glorious and actually pushes the GBA’s restricted sound system to its limits. Specifically, the recruitment theme in Fireplace Emblem: The Blazing Blade stays my favourite within the collection.
Fireplace Emblem: The Blazing Blade doesn’t make many gameplay or presentation modifications from its predecessor, however that’s not a nasty factor. New maps and characters forestall the gameplay from getting stale and the presentation is as lovely as ever. Between the enjoyable maps, attention-grabbing characters, and prolonged tutorial, Fireplace Emblem: The Blazing Blade is among the greatest jumping-on factors for the collection, and a must-play for followers of the franchise.
