Support NeoGAF

[Nirolak]

4Gamer Link: http://www.4gamer.net/games/287/G028791/20150427113/
Serenes Forest Link: http://serenesforest.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=53457

• Some of this will just be reiterating what was said before, but:
• Hoshido has a world map.
• Nohr has more complex maps. Besides the usual "defeat all of the enemies"/"defeat the general" maps, there will also be suppression, breakthroughs, defending bases, turn restrictions, amongst others. There are lots of map gimmicks. (We've already seen dragon's vein.)
  [*]Both versions of the game contain the same characters. You'll be shown different aspects of their personalities in accordance to the route you select.
• The downloadable version does not contain both sides. It does not lock the other route when you select one. You pay to receive everything up until chapter five, and once you make a decision, you will have to download everything from chapters six, onward, for the respectful route. The second download is free because you have already paid. If you want to try the alternative version, you have to buy DLC in the same way those with physical copies will.
• You can also save directly to your 3DS system (versus the cartridge).
• If you decide to buy the DLC, you can load your chapter 5 data and continue from that
• instead of starting from the beginning. Of course, you can restart if you'd like to.
• You'll be able to experience an entire story by only playing one route. The other is a completely different story.
• The third path is in the middle of Hoshido and Nohr in terms of difficulty. People who began with Hoshido should still be able to complete the third path.
• You'll be able to lower the difficulty in the middle of the game if you find Nohr too hard.
• You'll still be able to connect with people who play the alternative version. (Probably means you can streetpass someone with Nohr despite playing Hoshido, and vice versa.)
• There will be various perks for connecting with other players.

 

[Laconic]

Eh.

This is mostly and most disappointing.

 

[McNum]

Wait, can the cart version save directly to the 3DS memory? If so that would, hopefully, allow for a lot more more save slots. That would honestly be the big megaton for me. If the game is about choices, I need save files, lots of save files.

Well, when the Japanese version is out, hopefully we'll know this for sure. It's honestly my biggest worry about it. Three slots just won't cut it. It barely does for Awakening for me.

 

[Nirolak]

Eh.

This is mostly and most disappointing.

...I think you're missing some words?

 

[Fireblend]

Cool, I'm digging the split plot concept. Can't wait for more Fire Emblem

 

[Snkfanatic]

So I am slightly confused still. There are two retail copies right? With different versions then a third DLC we need to buy?

I plan to buy both retail versions in NA for sure. I will have to then buy this DLC as well?

 

[diaspora]

Eh.

This is mostly and most disappointing.

See? This is what happens when the kids listen to the rap music.

 

[astrogamer]

Wait, can the cart version save directly to the 3DS memory? If so that would, hopefully, allow for a lot more more save slots. That would honestly be the big megaton for me. If the game is about choices, I need save files, lots of save files.

Well, when the Japanese version is out, hopefully we'll know this for sure. It's honestly my biggest worry about it. Three slots just won't cut it. It barely does for Awakening for me.

It's certainly possible as I recalled Atlus did it with Persona Q and a couple other games I think.

 

[GhostTrick]

I wonder. They talked a lot about routes and choices... is it through the game or only in Chapter 5 ?

 

[RPG_Fanatic]

Glad to see this game is going to have the save to 3DS option. More games need to take advantage of this.

 

[Spikain]

I'm probably gonna play through all three paths. But that means either starting over or going back to when your team had lower stats, so... I hope the game is pretty fucking good because I rarely replay anything, ever. Not to mention three times in a row.

Man, I wish they'd just made it differ from chapter 1.

 

[Aostia]

Still waiting to understand how they will manage the western release

 

[Enduin]

That sounds kind of weird. I mean I guess they're trying to not be dicks about making people pay for content they already have on their system and not waste storage since some people don't have massive SD cards in their 3DSs but it also is kind of annoying having to wait for a download in the middle of your game.

I really hope NA has a complete digital edition so I can buy and download all three paths at once and not have to bother with anything else. I'd also be OK with a special physical edition that came with all three parts.

 

[MissDeviling]

Does this mean Hoshido has less objective variety, or am I reading this wrong?

 

[Servbot24]

I just want to play through the game and get a whole, absolute experience. I'll wait for the definitive edition.

 

[McNum]

So I am slightly confused still. There are two retail copies right? With different versions then a third DLC we need to buy?

I plan to buy both retail versions in NA for sure. I will have to then buy this DLC as well?

The way it works in Japan is like this:

There are two retail versions. Hoshido and Nohr. Each contains a full Fire Emblem campaign for that nation. However, the first 5 chapters are the same. If you buy the DLC, at chapter 6, you get a choice to play the other game. Further, a third route will be made as DLC. The eShop version is just the first chapters. When you reach the choice, whatever choice you make will lock in and the game becomes that version. You can buy the DLC to unlock the other two paths then, just like with the cart versions.

I hope that clears it up.

 

[Neoxon]

Does this mean Hoshido has less objective variety, or am I reading this wrong?

The Hoshido playthrough is closer to that of Awakening.

 

[chaosblade]

I wonder. They talked a lot about routes and choices... is it through the game or only in Chapter 5 ?

They are basically describing it as two different games. They are the same up to chapter 5, but after that they are completely different (I'm not convinced they will actually be completely different though, expecting some shared maps, but from different perspectives).

Nohr is sounding good, a "classic" FE experience.

 

[Dryk]

Still waiting to understand how they will manage the western release

You could be waiting a while. Does Nintendo even realise that we know about how the Japanese release works yet?

 

[Boney]

Does this mean Hoshido has less objective variety, or am I reading this wrong?

Probably. Seems Hoshido will be femblem lite, like Awakening was

 

[Poodlestrike]

Nohr continues to sound awesome.

 

[The_Darkest_Red]

I am confused by all the talk of certain campaigns being more difficult than others. Will there still be adjustable difficulties on top of these differences in difficulty? Will "Hard" in Hoshido be equivalent to "Easy" in Nohr?

 

[Chrom]

Should probably read the Siliconera article too.

 

[MissDeviling]

The Hoshido playthrough is closer to that of Awakening.

Probably. Seems Hoshido will be femblem lite, like Awakening was

Really disappointing if that's the case. I was looking forward to playing Hoshido especially, and though I'm guessing you can up the difficulty like in all FEs, the Awakening-like objectives are definitely going to make it less interesting.

 

[GhostTrick]

They are basically describing it as two different games. They are the same up to chapter 5, but after that they are completely different (I'm not convinced they will actually be completely different though, expecting some shared maps, but from different perspectives).

Nohr is sounding good, a "classic" FE experience.

No I meant, they said there will be choices through the game that influence the story. I just wonder if that choice is just for Chapter 5 or through BOTH routes ?

 

[HawthorneKitty]

I wonder if they have any data on Awakening completion rate.

 

[wrowa]

I just want to play through the game and get a whole, absolute experience. I'll wait for the definitive edition.

It's a branching narrative, you won't be able to get the "whole, absolute experience" in one playthrough. That's just not how it works.

 

[The_Darkest_Red]

Why does everyone act like FE has always been a series with varied objectives? I haven't played all of them but of the entries I've played the objective is almost always "kill all enemies" or "capture the throne." Has it ever been a focus of the series?

 

[ShadowSoldier89]

So I am slightly confused still. There are two retail copies right? With different versions then a third DLC we need to buy?

I plan to buy both retail versions in NA for sure. I will have to then buy this DLC as well?

we still dont know anything about the NA release. Some think that NA will just get one version.

If we do get this split release and you plan on buying both, I would just get special edition that includes all 3 paths.

 

[chrominance]

...I think you're missing some words?

I think the translation is:

"This is mostly disappointing AND most disappointing," as in "most (but not necessarily all) of the stuff here is disappointing to me AND the extent to which I am disappointed is very high."

 

[Mr. Nice_Guy]

Sounds like they are trying to cater to both fan bases, the old guard and the group that came in and liked what Awakening had to offer.

I'll wait to see how it plays out but in theory I respect what they are trying to do. If each route really is akin to a full game, then we are getting more content than ever before.

Aside from the enteral, "__ route is better than __ route", or, "I wish ___ had more of what __ had in its route", I think this could potentially work well. It's an interesting take on the series regardless.

 

[Star Falcon]

What are the version differences then if both games have the same characters and both campaign options?

Edit: NVM see it got answered above:

There are two retail versions. Hoshido and Nohr. Each contains a full Fire Emblem campaign for that nation. However, the first 5 chapters are the same. If you buy the DLC, at chapter 6, you get a choice to play the other game. Further, a third route will be made as DLC. The eShop version is just the first chapters. When you reach the choice, whatever choice you make will lock in and the game becomes that version. You can buy the DLC to unlock the other two paths then, just like with the cart versions.

 

[Enduin]

Why does everyone act like FE has always been a series with varied objectives? I haven't played all of them but of the entries I've played the objective is almost always "kill all enemies" or "capture the throne." Has it ever been a focus of the series?

I'm not very well versed in the earlier games, pre-GBA, but I definitely know the GC titles, Path of Radiance

Spoiler

(not Portrait of Ruin dur)

and Radiant Dawn, both had a wealth of alternative objectives. Escape, holding out for X turns, saving X character(s) and so on. Most were simply Rout the enemy or Capture the throne but there was still a good mix of alternatives to keep things fresh.

 

[MissDeviling]

Why does everyone act like FE has always been a series with varied objectives? I haven't played all of them but of the entries I've played the objective is almost always "kill all enemies" or "capture the throne." Has it ever been a focus of the series?

The survive, defend, and protect missions from the GBA entries are incredibly fun, while the Tellius games add more, like arrive in x turns or escape. IIRC, Awakening had one protect chapter, which wasn't nearly enough.

 

[Laconic]

...I think you're missing some words?

No.


I'll elaborate on what irritates me, though.

I think the whole game ought to be release in one package, I dislike the fact that you can lower the difficulty of the "hard" route, and I really dislike that it seems as if some content requires multiplayer.

 

[Foffy]

So, this is sorta like Eliwood's and Hector's campaigns from FE7? There's some overlap, but not much?

 

[Cow Mengde]

Nohr it is.

 

[McNum]

It's certainly possible as I recalled Atlus did it with Persona Q and a couple other games I think.

I think Animal Crossing does it, too. Because its saves are huge. Anyway I really hope for lots and lots of save slots. Three routes, and an avatar means it needs six playthroughs to play through the entire game with each gender Avatar. So six is the least amount of save slots I'd want. Ideally, just let me fill my SD card with saves if I want to.

 

[-Horizon-]

Just give me that game! Waiting till 2016 sucks peanuts

 

[Mr. Nice_Guy]

As for the "definitive" or "special" editions people keep talking about. If each route is a full game along the length of Awakening, with an additional 3rd route; what makes you think that can all fit on one cart?

And if it just came with the extra stuff available to download packed in, why would they even bother with a physical release in the scenario, if more than half the content would need to be downloaded anyway?

 

[Fandangox]

I really hope the Nohr side is a return to form..

 

[K.Sabot]

Hoshido first because playing it after Nohr feels like I'd be doing a downgrade, like playing Persona 3 after 4.

 

[vareon]

The difficulty is...weird? The third route isn't the final, converging route like Radiant Dawn?

 

[kswiston]

Hoshido is sounding like shit mode. Low difficulty, little variety in map types, etc...

If both routes are not included for the base price in the US version, I might just get Nohr and the DLC.

 

[Draxal]

The difficulty is...weird? The third route isn't the final, converging route like Radiant Dawn?

Third route is picking neither side, i'll probably make that my default play route myself. Giving the finger to all your siblings at the decision just appeals to me.

 

[Shauni]

You could be waiting a while. Does Nintendo even realise that we know about how the Japanese release works yet?

Considering how Nintendo is the one releasing the info, yes? What a bizarre observation.

 

[Marche90]

I'm not very well versed in the earlier games, pre-GBA, but I definitely know the GC titles, Portrait of Ruin and Radiant Dawn, both had a wealth of alternative objectives. Escape, holding out for X turns, saving X character(s) and so on. Most were simply Rout the enemy or Capture the throne but there was still a good mix of alternatives to keep things fresh.

I think you meant Path of Radiance, Portrait of Ruin is a Castlevania game. Also, one was on GC and the other on Wii

 

[Nirolak]

I'm new to the series as of Awakening, but Nohr sounds vastly more like what I'd actually want to play in a sequel versus Hoshido.

I'm thinking I'll just skip the latter barring it sounding notably more promising in the future.

 

[Lunar15]

Nohr sounds great, but the whole thing seems like a mess, if you ask me.

Also, if you end up getting all the characters, is it safe to say that the stories for the two sides will be slightly similar? I hate when you have two sides in a game and by the time you play the other side you already know all the twists and plot revelations. Especially more annoying now that you have to pay for that other side.

If y'all would have just bought Radiant Dawn, with its two storylines and massive amounts of content all in one package, you could have prevented this from happening!

Spoiler

Just kidding

Spoiler

not really kidding

Spoiler

I'll be over here crying in a corner

 

[Boney]

Why does everyone act like FE has always been a series with varied objectives? I haven't played all of them but of the entries I've played the objective is almost always "kill all enemies" or "capture the throne." Has it ever been a focus of the series?

Because the series expands and evolves. Regressing to samey objectives in the DS remakes was dissapointing but understandable. But with the new ones it's just frustrating, good objectives help establish and punctuate different map designs and with that, help make the game more varied and memorable.
Map design, and by extension, objectives is what makes strategy games interesting to me personally.
I'm glad Nohr is gonna cater to that audience, and I'll see what I do with the other routes after the game is out

So, this is sorta like Eliwood's and Hector's campaigns from FE7? There's some overlap, but not much?

More like Eirika and Ephraim from FE8. But an even bigger split