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The Fire Emblem series is almost as long lasting as any of the major ones in the RPG genre. They have been around since the days of the NES (sadly not in America) and in their time have consistently provided fans with intriguing plots, gray characters, and gameplay that is as traditional and unchanging as other games are radical and innovative. Most veterans of the series can pick up a new title and easily skip through the tutorials (when the game allows). The rock, paper, scissors style of play has been a constant since the first game and moving from title to title there tends to be little variation between the available features and classes. Often the only difference is the story and graphics depending on which system you're playing it on.
In some ways this is a strength. The lack of change means that the solid gameplay of the series is always intact from the get go. We can always count on each experience being good because it generally mirrors those that came before it. But as critics of the series might cite, it also means nothing can ever get any better. I for one love the Fire Emblem games. The more I play them, the more they inch their way towards replacing Final Fantasy as my favorite series. I like the dark, intrigue-filled plotlines and the tone tends to be more mature than many of the other lighthearted RPGs that are often released. I am looking forward to Fire Emblem DS and if it changes nothing from the established formula I won't dock it any points, but having said this I can still think of ways the game might be improved.
Were I to change anything I would expand upon the slew of things that already make the series brilliantly different from the other SRPGs. Breakable weapons are a great idea, but why not breakable armor? At this point the Fire Emblem games don't even give you the option of equipping armor. Particular units just have certain predetermined defense values. I think this is a bit of a flaw; I can't count the number of times I've been able to stop a strong host of enemies by simply plopping a knight on a bridge and watching them run headlong into him like a brick wall. If we were given the ability to choose what kind of armor our knight wears and then were forced to monitor what condition it's in, it would add another simple, but substantial layer of depth to an already deep series.
I would argue for more customization in general. Leveling up in Fire Emblem can be annoying. I can't count the number of times I've had a character with low HP gain a level and then watched as every other stat other than their hit point's increases. If players were given more control over this process it could help to make the gameplay much more diverse. Leveling up should increase some stats on its own but the player should be given some points to distribute on their own to develop their army the way that they want. Imagine being able to fashion an archer who never misses or a Pegasus knight that can move across an entire screen in a single turn. To keep it from being abused there would have to be some tradeoffs installed, but it could prove for some interesting possibilities.
Finding new and interesting ways to play off the vulnerability of your units would be an interesting touch. Fire Emblem's refusal to allow players to revive characters is one of the finest things about the game. It forces you to think hard about each decision because a bad one might cost a valuable character. This mortality coupled with the use of the support system ingrained in most Fire Emblem titles can really attach you to a character. Losing people in battle can be really heart wrenching, especially after you've established a connection between multiple characters. More could be done with this. As it stands when a character in a relationship is killed that relationship ceases to exist. Why not find ways to have it linger? Wouldn't it be interesting if the death of one character left another crippled emotionally (and as an offshoot in battle) the rest of the game? The addition of depression would be another factor that would really make the death of a valued character all that more traumatic and therefore make your strategic decisions all that more valuable.
So will Fire Emblem change any time soon? Not likely; the way things look the series will continue to run its usual course, relying on its niche base of fans to keep it afloat in this world obsessed with the new and innovative. And that works for me. I love innovation and new styles of play, but something can be said for having a classic style to return to. Quality is quality no matter how you spin it and for all the stagnancy that some might see in Fire Emblem, it's a solid series nonetheless.
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