Fire Emblem Fates: Conquest - Nintendo 3DS

Fire Emblem Fates: Conquest Changing The System From Within by Javy Gwaltney Concept: Wage war while trying to cure your own kingdom of corruption Graphics: Amazing cutscenes and environments make the fuzzy character models easy to look past Sound: The orchestral soundtrack is incredible though the voice acting leaves a bit to be desired Playability: The systems are satisfying even if they require Joueurs to take the initiative to learn how they work Entertainment: Conquest is a challenging game that richly rewards Joueurs willing to undergo its trial by fire Replay: High Fire Emblem Fates: Conquest is not a kind game. It's not cruel for the sake of being cruel; it expects greatness from its Joueurs. The trick is earning that greatness. It thrives most when it's putting Joueurs in difficult positions, forcing them to fight off a seemingly insurmountable force with only a ragtag group of soldiers. Fire Emblem makes these moments hit even harder because the soldiers you command are not just nameless units marching across a field but are instead people with well-rounded personalities, capable of falling in love with one another, becoming your best friend, or dying a horrible death because you made the wrong play. Conquest tells an alternate version of the story seen in Fire Emblem Fates' other installment, Birthright. Instead of your hero siding with the noble nation of Hoshido, you fight alongside the warriors of Nohr. It's a dark fantasy epic filled with political intrigue that had me questioning who, and what, I was Combat for all the way through the campaign. Where Birthright forces Joueurs to answer tough questions while making tragic sacrifices for the good of a nation, Conquest is not merely content with philosophical complications. It twists the knife by making its campaign more difficult (et plus complex) than Birthright's straightforward quest. Both Conquest and Birthright make it fun to tell your own story through your decisions in battle, but the games are rewarding in different ways (for more specifics about how the basic mechanics function, read our review of Birthright). Where Birthright offers a challenging experience that can be overcome by anyone with patience, Conquest is more vicious. It isn't necessarily better than the combat in its companion title, but it provides a different flavor of challenge, forcing you into corners and expecting you to strategize your way out. It's a nerve-wracking experience (especially when you lose characters), but surviving each map is its own kind of thrill and made me feel like a battle-hardened genius. While the essential systems are the same in both games – the castle, battles, marriage – decisions bear more weight in Conquest, since you can't grind experience points. In other words, you can't build up an unstoppable force of heavy hitters through scouting out battles on the map like you can in Birthright. Instead, you're limited to doing the campaign missions, castle invasions, and the occasional challenge battle or sidequest. This makes brute-forcing your way through the campaign difficult, adding more tension and placing more importance on Stratégie. See The Full Review at Game Informer A brand new Fire Emblem™ experience is on its way for the Nintendo 3DS™ family of systems. For the first time ever, your customized avatar is the main hero. An army of knights, mages, archers et plus are at your command in the most tactical battles in series history. Each unit and weapon has strengths and weaknesses you must consider for every foe you face. Partner allies on the battlefield so they can support each other in combat. Building relationships is key—the closer your allies become, the better they'll fight together. Their future is at your command, but first you must make the most important decision in the history of Fire Emblem.

• For the first time in the Fire Emblem™ series, your customized avatar is the main character.
• Epic storyline centered on your avatar, forced to choose between bloodline and family who raised you.
• New “My Castle” area to interact with your allies and build stronger relationships
• Have StreetPass™ encounters with other Joueurs to visit their My Castle
• Tap in corresponding Fire Emblem amiibo™ figures and Marth, Ike, Lucina, and Robin will appear in your game, ready for you to battle and recruit