Do You Think They Changed Some Characters Too Much?

[Randoman]

So regarding the transition from Fire Emblem Gaiden to Fire Emblem Echoes, do you think they changed some characters too much, appearance-wise? I'm especially wanting to hear opinions from people who have played/defeated Fire Emblem Gaiden.

With some characters, I can't help but feel that they were changed too drastically (Gray and Kliff being the most notable examples). I mean, the fact that most Fire Emblem Gaiden players likely wouldn't even be able to tell who they're supposed to be and how there's little to no similarities between their Gaiden and Echoes counterparts is a bit too much. I mean, at least characters like Celica and Leon keep the same hairstyle and hair colour and they're easy enough to identify for someone familiar with Fire Emblem Gaiden characters. I also find characters like Boey and Genny to be too different as well, but at least I was able to tell who from Gaiden they're supposed to be after thinking for a while. I can understand updating character designs, but I feel like there should at least be some key identifying features between the old and new character designs (like hairstyle).

I mean, this isn't going to make me significantly any more or less likely to buy the game, and I'm not trying to bash on the game or character artist. It's just... I can't help but think it's a bit weird that with characters like Gray and Kliff, they practically have no resemblance to their old counterparts.

[Kaze]

Honestly, I don't think that they've been changed too much. Looking at the Gaiden artwork, aside from the MAJOR characters and a few outliers, a lot of them looked like carbon copies of another, so them receiving redesigns that make them stand out in Echoes is nice. Gray and Kliff are two characters that looked a like in Gaiden and made it hard to tell which one was which at times.  As for Genny and Boey, I was able to determine who they were based on subtle details of their designs. Boey's circlet gave him away for me.

[Slumber]

Gaiden characters changed in their own game, and have never consistently been represented. It wasn't until Awakening that we even knew if Alm canonically had blue or green hair.

So no. The Gaiden characters may have well been Power Rangers Putties.

[maybe]

the original designs were pretty boring and unmemorable, I don't even remember what robin and gray originally looked like

i'm glad they were heavily changed, the new designs are much more interesting. they could've made them more similar to the original designs but I think it was much better for them to essentially start from scratch since it allows for more creativity in designing them, rather than having to stick to old designs that weren't very interesting to begin with

[Punished Dayni]

Considering Gaiden came out before I was born, and the limitations that were there, the designs are very similar (to the point of copycatting) and character personalities were very minimal at best.

Hoping the latter improves, and the former has already been cool so far, and they've been making the effort to make characters look different.

[Dandy Druid]

They needed the facelift. A lot of characters were supposed to be 2.0 versions of Archanea characters (i.e. Tatiana being Nyna 2.0 and Clair being Catria 2.0) so the change is very well welcomed. I mean, most of them didn't even have a solid design, like Boey, who has red and green hair. I feel like the characters are now their very own, not some knockoff and they finally have a set look.

[fengaridotdll]

The only real changes I can think of are positive ones, such as fleshing them out because some of them had pretty much no personality whatsoever, and were generally pretty bland as a result of the game being over 20 years old with too much hardware limitations to really expand on them.

Edited March 23, 2017 by Crystallized Silver

[Extrasolar]

Definitely not. Each one stands out from the others, whereas the original art was mostly a sea of slightly-edited versions of the same character (speaking of the male villagers in particular here). And yeah, like people said, getting consistent designs in the first place for everyone was something that needed to happen.

Hidari's character design makes them not only unique, but each one is appealing in his or her own way. I dig it a lot.

Edited March 23, 2017 by Extrasolar

[Azz]

If they had official designs before now then I would say yeah, but like people have mentioned, their designs changed a lot back in the day. I mean this is Boey's like third/fourth redesign.

[Emperor Hardin]

Spoiler

I think I preferred Rudolf's original look and use of Lance. Of course, that is assuming the sword wielding man in the trailer's cutscene is him.

Edited March 23, 2017 by Emperor Hardin

[B.Leu]

I hope they won't become anime tropes, from what I've seen however that seems unlikely.

Then again... I'll have to just wait and see.

[Lord of Gabriel Knight]

I'm extremely disappointed in how some characters changed. Characters like Grey and Cliff look nothing like their original designs, where as Robin and Clive look just like the original art. What was the point? Cliff, Grey, and Boey honestly seem like they are completely different characters, they've been changed so much.

[Lady Sansa]

no

[Masked And Dangerous]

Shadow Dragon had issues with characters who were palette swaps of one another, so giving the artist free reign here is nothing but a good thing

[bufkus]

If anything, they weren't changed enough. The original designs were dreadful and what we have now is a vast improvement.

[Ertrick36]

Yeah, let's take a look at the differences between official artworks of the original Gaiden.

Spoiler

Valbar to the right...

Celica, Alm, and Valbar again.

Alm again.

Whitewings

Whitewings again (why does Est have dirty blonde hair???) and Deen

Deen again...

 

Because we all know how consistent they are.

This isn't meant to be condescending or anything, but I mean...  How is it destroying their original identity when even the more iconic characters like Alm or freakin' Est aren't consistent in their designs, and when one of the defining moments of a character like May is a line about them being a better mage 'cuz they can use lightning magic?

If I had to pick a design change that I'm disappointed in...  I'd say maybe some of the villains.  Though I like that we're at least getting a villain that doesn't have moldy leather for a face.

3 minutes ago, Masked And Dangerous said:

Shadow Dragon had issues with characters who were palette swaps of one another, so giving the artist free reign here is nothing but a good thing

I like how even in the DS remakes, those two armor knights you rescue in the Akaneian Palace (Dolph and Macellan) are still essentially palette swaps of one another.

[Cute Chao]

I have to agree. The characters didn't have a consistent enough design for me to think they've changed 'too much'. I think the uplifts are welcomed, although I will miss Tobin's pinky purpley hair :( We need more men with pink hair in this game xD

Edited March 23, 2017 by Cute Chao

[BlizzardWolf95]

24 minutes ago, Ertrick36 said:

Whitewings again (why does Est have dirty blonde hair???) and Deen

Pretty certain Catria is the one with blonde hair there, and Est has blue for whatever reason. The hairstyles give them away. 

[Thunderstar]

The only ones that changed too much imo are Boey, Kliff and Gray and maybe Rudolf though I don't mind it at all.

Also some of the FE2 characters had different designs in the game and in the artworks.

[The DanMan]

Nobody with any actual character seems to have had their designs changed-- Alm and Celica are easily recognizable, right? Nobody else really had anything going for them as actual characters.

[KliffIsTheOG]

 

16 hours ago, KazeNinja17 said:

Honestly, I don't think that they've been changed too much. Looking at the Gaiden artwork, aside from the MAJOR characters and a few outliers, a lot of them looked like carbon copies of another, so them receiving redesigns that make them stand out in Echoes is nice. Gray and Kliff are two characters that looked a like in Gaiden and made it hard to tell which one was which at times.  As for Genny and Boey, I was able to determine who they were based on subtle details of their designs. Boey's circlet gave him away for me.

The reason they look similar is because they are some of the best units in the game. That is the signature look!

2 hours ago, Ertrick36 said:

 

  Reveal hidden contents

 

Valbar to the right...

Celica, Alm, and Valbar again.

Alm again.

Whitewings

Whitewings again (why does Est have dirty blonde hair???) and Deen

Deen again...

 

 

If I had to pick a design change that I'm disappointed in...  I'd say maybe some of the villains.  Though I like that we're at least getting a villain that doesn't have moldy leather for a face.

 

Should we tell him?

[Azz]

32 minutes ago, KliffIsTheOG said:

 

The reason they look similar is because they are some of the best units in the game. That is the signature look!

Should we tell him?

Shhhhhh, no one must know.

[Ertrick36]

28 minutes ago, KliffIsTheOG said:

Should we tell him?

Um, okay?  I'm just referring to the new villain, Berkut.  Unless you think his face looks like moldy leather for whatever reason.

2 hours ago, BlizzardWolf95 said:

Pretty certain Catria is the one with blonde hair there, and Est has blue for whatever reason. The hairstyles give them away. 

That makes even less sense.  I don't doubt you, it's just...  How could they screw up the Whitewings' color coordination so badly?

[Corrobin]

Changing too much? It's called "actually adding personalities and conversations".

[Randoman]

(looks at poll results)

...wow, I didn't expect the poll to be this one sided. I thought it'd at least be 60%-70% of people saying no, at worst (after disregarding the "not familiar enough" option).