The Best Games of May 2017
Honorable Mention: Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia
Read the Review!
Associate Editor Hayes Madsen: The Fire Emblem series has used a pretty tried-and -true formula for years now, with things like the weapon triangle becoming mainstays. Occasionally, titles will deviate from the norm, but none are quite as different as Fire Emblem Gaiden released in 1992. This is more evident than ever with the remake Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia, which really feels like a breath of fresh air for the series by daring to be different.
Shadows of Valentia completely does away with the weapon triangle, instead opting for a combat system entirely based around stats. This is only one of many differences, however, as the game also has fully-explorable dungeons and towns. At the same time, all story scenes in Echoes are completely voiced, really helping to boost the presentation and personalities of the characters.
All of the changes in Fire Emblem Echoes really do help give the game a unique personality entirely its own, with a better story presentation than even Awakening or Fates, even if some of the story beats feel dated. It’s even more impressive to see a 25 year old game make a return in such a big way, especially considering fans in the west never got to experience the original. Hopefully, Nintendo chooses to continue down the road they’ve set up with Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia, putting a little bit of experimentation into their next few titles.