Other Looking to get into Fire Emblem

[Fangs9090]

So, title gives it away. I’m looking to get into Fire Emblem, but all I really know about it came from playing Super Smash Bros. So, I’m really not sure which game would be a good place for a newcomer to get into the series. Any suggestions?

 

[PhoenixMire]

I've only played two games so far unfortunately, so I'm probably not the best for this, but I'd recommend starting with Awakening. It has some pretty charming characters and dialogue and the battle mechanics are fun. I also think it's a bit easier than the other game I've played (which is Echoes) so it might be easiest to start with that one.
I can't speak for any of the other games though haha

 

[Mikotsuhime]

Awakening is definitely the best place to start imo. It's got a casual mode that older games don't have which makes it easier if you're not used to strategy games. It has a pretty solid storyline and the gameplay is straightforward and it lets you grind as much as you want before boss fights.

If you don't mind something more difficult my favourite game in the series is Path of Radiance. It's not as difficult as some of the other ones (like Sacred Stones, eek) but there's no casual mode the way the newer games have so if one of your units dies they're dead forever. But it has some of the best characters in the franchise and I really enjoyed the storyline. The only problem is finding a copy since it can be pretty expensive and nintendo is cutting down big time on piracy.

 

[Fangs9090]

Alright, I’ll keep that in mind once I’m actually able to consider buying a new game. Thanks.

 

[Dolches]

The best entry point for newer FE games is Awakening, since it started the string of games with it's extra stuff (pair-ups, S support, etc.) but the best entry point for old FE is FE7: Blazing Sword.

 

[Count Gensokyo]

I'm going to echo what everyone said here. Awakening is a good start for those fresh to the franchise, and I say that as someone who's played some of the older games too.

 

[HRpercussion]

i started on radiant dawn myself (which is one of the worst games to start off on ever, as it's both a sequel and really hard) but i agree that awakening should be a nice entry to the franchise. i admit i'm not a great fan of some of awakening's mechanics tho so i'll second path of radiance as well, since its cast is probably my favorite out of fe. however most fire emblem games are very charming, imo

 

[Felis]

I started with Awakening, so maybe I'm a bit biased, but I think out of the 3DS games it's the best entry point. Fates should work well too, though. Echoes has a couple of differences in mechanics (different magic and class system, different ranges on archers, no weapon triangle), so maybe it could be a little bit harder to get into the other Fire Emblem games if you only know Echoes. I haven't played the older games, though, so I can't speak for them.

 

[satanael]

The only problem with starting with Awakening or Fates is that they have a lot of anti-frustration features that you'll miss if you go back to the older games.

I started with Path of Radiance (Gamecube) and then played Sacred Stones (GBA). I find that in terms of tone and seriousness, neither Awakening nor Fates meet their predecessors. Which isn't a bad thing. The games just play very differently.

All this is to say it kind of depends on what consoles you have and whether you're interested in the gameplay or the stories.

Based on the rumors and speculation floating around, Three Houses (Switch) is supposed to have a much stronger story than Awakening/Fates. It might be worth waiting for it to release in late July.

 

[Fangs9090]

I actually bought Awakening yesterday, but I haven’t had a chance to play it just yet.

 

[satanael]

I actually bought Awakening yesterday, but I haven’t had a chance to play it just yet.

If you have questions about game mechanics or builds, GameFAQs has all kinds of resources. I don't really care to min-max like that, though, and kinda just experiment to see what's cool. Also, one of the characters has a scripted marriage sequence that'll affect another unit's stats later on in the game. It's veering into heavy spoiler territory, though, and it likely doesn't matter during your first playthrough.

 

[Fangs9090]

If you have questions about game mechanics or builds, GameFAQs has all kinds of resources. I don't really care to min-max like that, though, and kinda just experiment to see what's cool. Also, one of the characters has a scripted marriage sequence that'll affect another unit's stats later on in the game. It's veering into heavy spoiler territory, though, and it likely doesn't matter during your first playthrough.

Yeah, for me, once I know I want to buy a game, I try to learn as little as I can. I like to learn just about everything from the game itself.