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Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia Review Thread

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Chrom

Junior Member
http://www.metacritic.com/game/3ds/fire-emblem-echoes-shadows-of-valentia/critic-reviews
http://www.gamerankings.com/3ds/204443-fire-emblem-echoes-shadows-of-valentia/index.html

Gaming Nexus - 9.5/10

Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia is an enjoyable game despite a few changes to the gameplay. While some strategic elements were eliminated, the game still maintains a lot of what made the series enjoyable in the past, plus throws in some new elements such as the third-person dungeon exploring. If you don't mind the strategy being dumbed down a bit, Fire Emblem Echoes is still a great game worth checking out for fans and first-timers alike.

GameSpot - 9/10

Taken both on its own and as part of the larger Fire Emblem franchise, Echoes's unique elements help it stand out from other strategy. If you feel like you're up to a lengthy, engaging challenge, then Echoes will satisfy in spades.

Cubed3 - 9/10

This is decidedly a very classic feeling Fire Emblem, with enough freshness to captivate even veterans of the franchise and comes with a welcome accessibility that makes it the easiest for newcomers to get into. This entry goes to show that there's room within the franchise to make different looking Fire Emblem entries that still feel true to the series but which also dare to not only tread new ground, but to do so in a great way. It's a well rounded package that is well balanced to please the majority of its audience, like the entire trilogy of Fire Emblem Fates before it, but while keeping it all confined to just one game with the complete epic story being accessible just from buying this one piece of software instead of it being spread out, and that's something to be thankful for. Overall, Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia, while feeling like an older entry, might very well be moving the series forward in certain aspects that could potentially return in future outings.

Nintendo Life - 9/10

Proof that the 3DS still has life left in it yet, Echoes is a phenomenal Fire Emblem and a wonderful tactical title to tuck into.

IGN - 7.8/10

On the battlefield, Fire Emblem Echoes: Shades of Valentia is a delightful look into the simpler combat of Fire Emblem's past. Elsewhere, it carefully guides the series forward into new territory. There's not as much depth as I expect from this series, but whether I was exploring 3D forests and caves in a series first or learning first hand why Fire Emblem's early entries are considered a formidable challenge, it was usually good old-fashioned fun.

Destructoid - 7.5/10

Fire Emblem Echoes could have been held back by its need to usher the second iteration back into the fold, but it still feels like a fresh new entry. It is weaker than the last few games, but those bars were set so high that I won't hold that against it.
 

oti

Banned
Guess it's not for everybody?

Lemme ask you this. Do you love, and I mean LOOOOVE, the Fire Emblem romance tumblr shipping crap? If your answer is yes, this game is not for you. If you're a normal person, you should play this game.
 
Looks like some solid scores. I was going to play it regardless. but i wanted to temper my expectations by reminding how Fates reviewed exceptionally well at launch, then a year later a large chunck of the community didnt like it.

Of course that can be attributed to the collection of faults the game has, but my question here is will people still think this game deserves the score it received next year?
 
Great to see it getting good reviews. Cannot wait till Friday. I got a special edition preorder and a standard edition in case the special edition falls through because Nintendo.
 
Destructoid said:
Fire Emblem Echoes could have been held back by its need to usher the second iteration back into the fold, but it still feels like a fresh new entry. It is weaker than the last few games, but those bars were set so high that I won't hold that against it.

No prizes for spotting the player who joined the series with awakening.
 

eliochip

Member
Bringing back Sacred Stones style dual protagonists is a plus for me.
I just bought Disgaea 5 Complete so I'm going to be pretty broke this month.
 

Maxinas

Member
Lower than Fates of all things? Into the trash it goes.

Still looking forward to it, Revelation left a bad taste in my mouth for modern FE games.

It's just Revelation. Also they're not called social links.

Well excuse me your majesty.
 

Mupod

Member
I wasn't sure what to think of this game because FE fans seem to hate Gaiden. But everything about this remake looks so good.
 
Yeah I think we can expect some lower scores from those who entered the series with Awakening/Fates. Played the import myself I absolutely love every minute of it. Having never had the ability to play the original Gaiden this was a nice breath of fresh air. I do feel the game was a little too easy but may go through a play through on Hard. I also love that supports are back to in-battle conversations with the CBA extensions. That being said, the support conversations do fall a little flat and are much shorter than anything we've seen in previous Fire Emblems that have them.

Overall it's a solid 8.
 

Lusankya

Member
I don't care about the inclusion or exclusion of "Waifus", but thank god they didn't include the pair-up crap. I really hated that mechanic as it was absolutely necessary to use but basically halved the number of units I could use.
 
Support conversations being out is a blessing. They were horrendous in Fates.

I'm going to make some tea, would you like some?
I would love some, but do you know how to make tea?
I'm sure I can figure it out!
*pots crashing*
Here's your tea!
Ugh, this is terrible, what did you put in this?
I guess I'll NEVER be able to make tea...:(
Of course you can, you just need to try really hard!
OK, I will!

Ba-na-na-nuuuuuuuh
 
I wasn't sure what to think of this game because FE fans seem to hate Gaiden. But everything about this remake looks so good.
I prefer Gaiden to Shadow Dragon, New Mystery of the Emblem, Blazing Blade, and Sacred Stones. It's so weird and neat and I love how different it is!
 

redcrayon

Member
Really looking forward to playing this. After Awakening and the Fates campaigns it'll be refreshing to play one without pair-up etc again.
 

Zutrax

Member
I hated pairing up as a strategic element.
I hated the children and how they invalidated most starting party members.
I hated the need to keep specific people next to each other for support conversations and stat boosts.
I hated the my castle stuff.

So this finally seems like a Fire Emblem for me as I enjoy everything else about the franchise. Kind of excited to care about the franchise again.
 
Support conversations being out is a blessing. They were horrendous in Fates.

I'm going to make some tea, would you like some?
I would love some, but do you know how to make tea?
I'm sure I can figure it out!
*pots crashing*
Here's your tea!
Ugh, this is terrible, what did you put in this?
I guess I'll NEVER be able to make tea...:(
Of course you can, you just need to try really hard!
OK, I will!

Ba-na-na-nuuuuuuuh
Awakening were like that too except with tripping.

Anyways I think supports are still in. At least based on what I've read
 
I wasn't sure what to think of this game because FE fans seem to hate Gaiden. But everything about this remake looks so good.

Most FE fans haven't even played Gaiden, much less hate it. It's just an old game with some interesting ideas that has aged pretty awfully.
 

Sterok

Member
Loved Awakening, and Fates even more, but it's nice to go back to more old-school Fire Emblem as well. Fire Emblem 3DS has been on point, and it's good to see the farewell will be as strong as ever.
 

DNAbro

Member
Gamexplain's review where they mention that they actually develop side characters outside of support stuff has me super interested now. As much as I liked Fates, the "character joins and we do nothing with them" is a complete shit thing.
 
I hated the need to keep specific people next to each other for support conversations and stat boosts.

Pretty sure the support boosts are earned by keeping people close to each other as they always were, and you might need them to be nearby for the stat boosts again too.

Fortunately, it won't be anywhere near as ridiculous as the pair up system, which I'm entirely tired of at this point.
 
Yay! Excellent news! Really hoping the entry will do well and convince them to remake more of the older games.

Definitely going to pick this one up as soon as I can.
 

Zutrax

Member
Pretty sure the support boosts are earned by keeping people close to each other as they always were, and you might need them to be nearby for the stat boosts again too.

Fortunately, it won't be anywhere near as ridiculous as the pair up system, which I'm entirely tired of at this point.

Yeah I more disliked my forced need to keep specific party members next to each other so I could end up in higher support ranks and the ability to marry them for child units. It felt constraining and like I couldn't use who I wanted where I wanted.

Stat boosts when near units are fine from a strategic standpoint, as long as I'm not worrying about all that other superfluous support related garbage.
 

Shifty1897

Member
The reviews I've read so far don't even mention the art or music, which, if GAF is to be believed, is the best part of this game.
 
The destructroid review is disappointing. Not the score, but the ending where they said Awakening and Fates set the bar too high.

There's at least 3-4 Fire Emblems better then those two
 

Dark_castle

Junior Member
The destructroid review is disappointing. Not the score, but the ending where they said Awakening and Fates set the bar too high.

There's at least 3-4 Fire Emblems better then those two
That's one big derp moment. Though in all fairness, Conquest is a good game in terms of gameplay. Awakening is popular but I don't like it personally.
 

commish

Jason Kidd murdered my dog in cold blood!
The destructroid review is disappointing. Not the score, but the ending where they said Awakening and Fates set the bar too high.

There's at least 3-4 Fire Emblems better then those two

Opinions and all, but I really don't think there are 3 to 4 games better than them.

Looking forward to Echoes. Reviews look good but don't really matter much. It's FE!
 

Macka

Member
It can't be worse than Awakening or Fates, right?

I'm cautiously optimistic. I like that pretty much everyone is praising the writing of the secondary characters.
 
The destructroid review is disappointing. Not the score, but the ending where they said Awakening and Fates set the bar too high.

There's at least 3-4 Fire Emblems better then those two
Yes but that is back when Fire Emblem was a niche series. Most people haven't played them, reviewers included. I do weep for those who think Fates and Awakening is the best the series has to offer though...
 

Rodin

Member
Lol amazon prime. They still haven't shipped the game.

There's at least 3-4 Fire Emblems better then those two
I haven't played them then, and i finished Shadow Dragon, Blazing Blade, Sacred Stones and the Ike games before the new ones.

Yes but that is back when Fire Emblem was a niche series. Most people haven't played them, reviewers included. I do weep for those who think Fates and Awakening is the best the series has to offer though...

What if, by accident, people actually do like those two games more than older entries?
 
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