Fire Emblem Fates

[Ike]

Announced during the 14/01/15 Nintendo Direct. Character designs by Yusuke Kozaki and the story is written by Shin Kibayashi.

 

The Japanese title is Fire Emblem If and is set for release in Summer.

 

[Jonnas]

Seems to have a Feudal Japan theme. A first for the series, even if Myrmidon/Swordmasters were always supposed to be Ronin (especially obvious in the Elibe games, where they all come from the same country).

 

I wonder if we'll see wildly different classes this time around. Also, the title makes me think this one might be another entry taking a stab at the Gaiden & Sacred Stones mechanics (but then again, Awakening already did).

[dazzybee]

Love the first, so rewlly happy about this. And I kind of wish Nintendo phased out the 3ds but this is the kind of gsme I'm happy to see.

[Hero-of-Time]

Here's some details from Famitsu.

 

Fire Emblem If will come in two different versions that have their own unique stories and difficulties, but the games will also bring a few new features and changes to the series. This week’s issue of Famitsu provides the latest details.

 

The male protagonist is voiced by Nobunaga Shimazaki while the female protagonist is voiced by Satomi Sato. Similar to Fire Emblem Awakening, though, you’ll get to freely customize gender, looks, voice, and more. The unit type the protagonists will be are called “Dark Prince” and “Dark Princess”.

 

Fire Emblem If is split into two factions of the White and Black Kingdom. The White Kingdom has key characters such as Ryoma [CV: Yuichi Nakamura], Hinoka [CV: Kaori Nazuka], Takumi [CV: Yuki Kaji], and Sakura [CV: Hisako Kanemoto].

 

Meanwhile, the Black Kingdom has Marx [CV: Katsuyuki Konishi], Camila [CV: Miyuki Sawashiro], Leon [CV: Mamoru Miyano], and Elise [CV: Ayaka Suwa].

 

Fire Emblem If will have a the “Casual” mode that will allow your fallen units to return to your party after clearing the map, and will have an even easier mode called “Phoenix” mode, which revives fallen units on the following turn. This should make it easier for those that want to play the Black Kingdom story without the harder challenges holding them back. Keep in mind, however, that once you change a mode or difficulty setting, you will not be able to change it back.

 

Characters from the royal families have the abilities to make different changes on the battlefield with something known as the “Dragon Pulse”. Some examples of this include building bridges on the battlefield, causing earthquakes, flattening mountains, and all kinds of different changes to the maps.

 

There’s a total of nine save data slots, and with each additional DLC scenario, it will increase by three more save slots. Additionally, the limited number of times a weapon can be used has been abolished, so that means you won’t have to worry about keep buying the same weapon, or holding back on powerful or useful weapons, and you’ll mainly have to worry about which weapons to equip for certain fights, when given the choice.

 

How do the FE hardcore feel about the bolded part? @Ike?

[peterl0]

I don't like it - seems like an unnecessary simplification that could have been relegated to casual mode.

However, I would forgive them if they could just release the thing in 2015!

[Dcubed]

I hope that they have something in mind for removing the weapon limit... Better make it hard to obtain weapons, or make them very limited in quantity, cause otherwise it feels like they're taking away layers of strategy...

 

... as for the Pheonix mode? my God! That just seems insultingly easy

[Agent Gibbs]

Hmm not sure on the weapon health/usage removal it made an interesting mechanic for the game and added stratergy i think the real issue were that some weapons just had painfully low usage/health, the answer to that is allow a buff to not register usage, increase usage numbers, provide more of the usage/health repairing items (with greater health on them)

Totally removing them just seems the simplistic way to solve the issues, which is obviously the dev's thinking behind this.

They had best increase costs of weapons then to offset this

[Jonnas]

...Well, that sucks. That's a pretty vital strategic element to the game.

[markderoos]

Next step: if a character dies, he'll just respawn instead of permadeath?

 

I don't know, this feels like removing some of the core identity from the franchise... Then again, I'll first have so experience the full game before I can tell if it's too essential to have been removed.

[Glen-i]

Some more info surfaced...

 

The Weapon Triangle, which has been a mainstay in the Fire Emblem series since 1996, will see a reform in the upcoming Fire Emblem If for 3DS, the latest issue of Famitsu reveals. Instead of the standard swords over axes over lances, it’s been changed to swords and magic, over axes and bows, over lances and concealed weapons.

 

In brief, swords and magic are stronger than axes and bows, while axes and bows are stronger than lances and concealed weapons, and lances and concealed weapons are stronger than swords and magic.

 

As previously reported, weapon durability is no longer present in Fire Emblem If. But the disadvantages of this are that the stronger the weapon, the larger the unit’s disadvantage in terms of abilities. For example, the Bronze Sword has no chance of landing a Critical hit, but has +10 Critical evasion, while the stronger Steel Sword has -5 evasion and makes it hard to use a Pursuit attack. Only staffs restrict the amount of times they can be used.

 

http://gematsu.com/2015/05/fire-emblem-if-changes-up-the-weapon-triangle#AzRcMvUof1gydd6S.99

 

Seems like some of the weaker weapons might actually be useful, even with the infinite usage.

This intrigues me!

Also, Magic might not be completely and hilariously broken.

[Dcubed]

I... don't disprove of these changes!

 

Actually sounds pretty interesting! Knew they would have something in mind to replace the weapon degrading! : peace:

 

Nice to know that non health restoring staves will forever remain Too Precious To Use though

Edited May 19, 2015 by Dcubed

[Ike]

I previously had (horrible?) visions of being able to equip everyone with unlimited use Killer weapons. The bow being strong/weak to other weapon types doesn't make sense to me, but w/e. Looking forward to trying the new system out.

[Jonnas]

So, they replaced a mechanic that brought complexity to the game with... another mechanic that brings complexity to the game.

 

[Dcubed]

So... This game has an Animal Crossing style mode where you can build your own town and a Pokemon Amie ripoff mode where you can pet your Waifu/Husbando with the touch screen...

 

... yeah... IS are in full-on pandering mode lol! It's actually pretty gross to see them go down this road with Fire Emblem...

 

 

... this used to be a respectful series...

Edited May 31, 2015 by Dcubed

[Ike]

The town thing is pretty cool (think it's called My Castle?). The petting thing I could have done without.

 

Scanning the Amiibo unlocks that character, and they get their proper models which his nice.

 

It's up for preloaded which is tempting but I've got the special edition preordered.

[Agent Gibbs]

iI'm a terrible person because i'm totally okay with those additions, and i know i should dislike them but man i think i'm okay with it all

[Sheikah]

It sounds like they have sold the fuck out. That's a huge shame because this was more of a core gamer franchise not so long ago.

[gaggle64]

Super-cereal games that let you take time to do something like decorate a house or build a time or date the characters are literally my favourite things in the entire universe.

 

It sounds like they have sold the fuck out. That's a huge shame because this was more of a core gamer franchise not so long ago.

 

Final destination, no items, fox only.

[Jonnas]

The "My town" thing sounds neat. Could be good, could increase immersion, could do good things for world-building or character development.

 

Petting your character's love interest... is seriously unneeded. Disturbing, even. I mean, Fire Emblem has had minor Dating Sim elements for quite a while, but they were an extra thing that added some character development to both major and minor characters alike. You know, a place where good writing could exist, and increase immersion and emotional investment in the character. This "FE Amie" thing is just indulging a fantasy.

 

Between that and Phoenix Mode, I am worried for the future of this series.

 

core gamer

 

Are these terms still being used? I had hoped they were out of vogue.

[Sheikah]

 

Are these terms still being used? I had hoped they were out of vogue.

 

Of course they are. It's a perfectly valid term.

[dazzybee]

I'm not going to say a word about someone going into yet another thread just to make some bollocky negative comment... Such a shock! It's not even remotely boring...

 

We know nothing about the game really, to say they sold the fuck out is just weird. Especially as this is a sequel to kne of the best gsmes of the past few years. I think they deserve to be trusted rather than make outlandish statements...

[Sheikah]

I'm not going to say a word about someone going into yet another thread just to make some bollocky negative comment... Such a shock! It's not even remotely boring...

 

We know nothing about the game really, to say they sold the fuck out is just weird. Especially as this is a sequel to kne of the best gsmes of the past few years. I think they deserve to be trusted rather than make outlandish statements...

 

And yet, look at that; you just did. Rather than quiz me about why I think this way about the series based on what we know/recent decisions, you again go for ad hominem as a means to undermine. Because discussion is more difficult than being condescending, right?

 

It's not at all difficult for someone to understand why someone might come out with such a comment about the series, providing the front four fifths of that person's body was not firmly lodged up Nintendo's metaphorical rectum. It's the dumbing down of a traditionally rather core experience to target the lowest common denominator that irks me. From optional perma death, to reuse of items, to the Pokemon-amie fashioned sim aspect; this is stuff we know is happening and I don't like it. So yeah; sue me!

Edited June 2, 2015 by Sheikah

[Jonnas]

@dazzybee, if your issue is that Sheikah is unnecessarily harsh or hostile, and/or that he doesn't explain himself clearly as a result, then please take those issues to PM. No need to clog up threads with these conflicts.

 

It's the dumbing down of a traditionally rather core experience to target the lowest common denominator that irks me. From optional perma death, to reuse of items, to the Pokemon-amie fashioned sim aspect; this is stuff we know is happening and I don't like it.

 

Optional perma death is actually something they already did with Fire Emblem 13. Calling it a measure to please the lowest common denominator is more insulting than you think, considering a good chunk of forum members here (including mr-paul) liked that option in Awakening. And this is coming from someone who didn't like the option when it first appeared, and still doesn't.

[Sheikah]

Optional perma death is actually something they already did with Fire Emblem 13. Calling it a measure to please the lowest common denominator is more insulting than you think, considering a good chunk of forum members here (including mr-paul) liked that option in Awakening. And this is coming from someone who didn't like the option when it first appeared, and still doesn't.

 

Yeah, I knew they had already implemented optional perma-death (since I played Awakening). But it still forms a part of my gripes, because it's still a pretty recent dealio.

 

I don't really get what you're arguing here. Because people use thing, thing must be...good?

 

The topic of optional difficulty reduction has risen before when talking about more challenging games (for example, save states and Megaman; you previously couldn't just reload your game save state during Megaman and that was the challenge). What it comes down to is whether you believe game series that were more challenging in the past (and in fact, unique because of that challenge; your characters would always die) should remain challenging for everyone, or whether they should become more accessible to everyone by having optional difficulties. It may seem odd to you that I think the former, but I can best provide an example with something like Dark Souls. If they had the option of cheesing through the game by lowering the difficulty, it wouldn't be Dark Souls. I actually think the same way with FE; by having perma-death as the only option, it makes the game solely that thing. That is what the game is, not just something the game can be.

 

You also focused on only one thing I put forward (optional perma-death) when I was making my point in order to, I'm guessing, try refute the whole point. Unbreakable weapons and the sim-like features alone still make my point for me pretty well. It's basically stuff that I don't think fits well in the series and devalues it somewhat. And I think we really have been told enough to form that conclusion.

[dazzybee]

And yet, look at that; you just did. Rather than quiz me about why I think this way about the series based on what we know/recent decisions, you again go for ad hominem as a means to undermine. Because discussion is more difficult than being condescending, right?

 

It's not at all difficult for someone to understand why I might come out with such a comment about the series, providing the front four fifths of that person's body was not firmly lodged up Nintendo's metaphorical rectum. It's the dumbing down of a traditionally rather core experience to target the lowest common denominator that irks me. From optional perma death, to reuse of items, to the Pokemon-amie fashioned sim aspect; this is stuff we know is happening and I don't like it. So yeah; sue me!

 

You haven't done it for months, but you've re-started going into random threads, making some negative bullshit statements, contributing nothing to discussion (until provoked)... I don't understand your brain other than you love to be antagonistic, knowing it'll annoy/bore people.

 

But anyway, yeah, non-perma deaths are already in it?! Didn't you realise when you played through and completed Fire Emblem Awakening?

 

As the other stuff, we still don't know how they work so why make such a rash judgement? Other than to bitch? It wasn't a voice of concern, it wasn't a 'what if' it was a blanket attack.