Overview
Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia is a tactical role-playing game developed by Intelligent Systems and published by Nintendo, released in 2017. It's a remake of Fire Emblem Gaiden, released in 1992 on the Famicom. I played it on 3DS.
This Fire Emblem is really nice. But it's quite likely that when I played it, I didn't grasp its essence, and I'm thinking about replaying it.
Story and world
The story takes place on the continent of Valentia, split between the Kingdom of Zofia and the Rigelian Empire. You follow two childhood friends, Alm and Celica, whose paths diverge and who each lead their own army.
The story is really gripping, with genuine plot twists you don't see coming.
Gameplay
It's harder to get to grips with than the other entries in terms of difficulty, especially with the exploration phases. And that's without mentioning magic spells, which cost HP to cast.
The game alternates between Alm's and Celica's armies. Outside of battles, you explore dungeons in third-person 3D. Weapons don't wear out: each unit carries a single item, and some weapons let you learn skills by using them.
An item, Mila's Turnwheel, also lets you rewind a few turns if you make a mistake.
Graphics and music
The character design is by Hidari, and the game is fully voiced.
Verdict
A nice Fire Emblem, with a gripping story and genuine twists. Its difficulty, exploration phases and HP-consuming magic make it harder to get to grips with than the other entries. I probably didn't grasp its essence, and I'm thinking about replaying it.