Favorite aspects about each FE you've played

[Jerry Kuma]

FE4:

 

- The fact that weapons have durability but they're repairable. This is something that could've only worked in this game, given how huge its maps are. I'm pretty sure if there was no durability it would've felt a bit too unbalanced. If it was the traditional system, it would only be annoying. I think this is a fair middle option.

- The inheritance system was probably done the best here. While it is identical to how it was in Awakening and Fates, its everything around it that made it work. Since FE4 goes chapter-by-chapter instead of Awakening and Birthright's more open-world map system, there is less chances to grind. Also the "child" characters end up replacing their parents after the second half of the game. Which allows them to shine by themselves without overshadowing or being overshadowed by their parents. Not to mention holy blood inheritence being pretty damn interesting.

- This game has some of my favorite tracks in the series. Birth of the Holy Knight and Light Inheritors really stand out in my head (among many others).

 

FE6:

- FE6's map design is very good. It might even be the best in the series (from what I played, which is a good amount of FE games at this point). The maps often convey a mood and you often have to think more about how you move around a map. For example, in the Rebellion of Ostia the map is designed horizontally. Placing an emphasis on more defensive gameplay since if you just rush through without thinking, you would likely get dogpiled and assuming a unit didn't die, they would likely be killed by the Wyvern riders in hardmode. There's also the villages to worry about, which are guarded by enemies and you also need to recruit three units (and make sure they don't die) while you're at it. To sum it up: FE6's maps are generally more involved, with interesting set pieces naturally formed through said map design.

-FE6's cast of characters are my favorite in the series. The supports in FE6 are honestly underrated, maybe because of the old translation of very questionable quality, or maybe because not many people really sunk their teeth into the supports to really see how nuanced some of these are. The supports in this game also manage to connect with each other pretty well. With there being some sort of build up between support sets that isn't really seen in other games. Roy is also my favorite lord character wise due to his gradual growth throughout the game. And the fact that he's just a normal kid who was sort of thrust into this situation and he has to learn how to deal with it all.

-This might be an uncommon opinion, but I think FE6 has the most consistently good soundtrack out of any Fire Emblem game. There isn't really any bad tracks, with the worst tracks probably just being "okay" or uninteresting. This is honestly one of Yuka Tsujiyoko's best works in any video game and it would be cool if she could be the main composer for a future Fire Emblem game again.

FE7:

-Compared to FE6, this game is just refined. The hit rates are reasonable, the preparations screen allows you to use items and see your unit's movement squares before starting the chapter, and nomads are counted as mounted units (finally). While this and a few other things are relatively small, it does make FE7 a bit more easy to go back to compared to FE6.

FE8:

-While I prefer FE6's cast FE8 has an excellent cast of characters too. With this having a lot of my favorite supports from the series (like Seth/Eirika, Ross/Garcia, and most of Forde's). While there are a few stupid ones, the good supports are very good. Also a few of the endings admittedly got me a bit emotional...

-Branching promotions. Personally, I really love games that give you many meaningful ways to approach a situation. It's why I love Fire Emblem so much. Giving players a choice in what their units can promote to is a great idea. And it adds to replayability and even offers a bit more strategy. Do you like better promotion bonuses or more mobility? Do you want an additional weapon to choose from or an ability. Things like that is what I appreciate in a game.

FE11/12:

-Even though I haven't gotten very far in either game, I do like how you can change the class of any unit without even using an item. It offers a lot of flexibility and it even gives more life to some new units.

FE12/13:

-The avatar system. Once again, giving players many meaningful ways to approach a situation. Even if my unit's execution in the story could've been done better, the way they were handled in gameplay was done pretty well.

FE13:

-Has some pretty great music. Stuff like "Don't Speak her Name!" and Id (Purpose) is some of the best tracks in the series. I also like the instruments used in many tracks, it feels comfy.

FE15:

-How magic and bows are handled. I like that Magic is learned by leveling up and how its basically unlimited (provided you have enough HP for it). It's pretty cool how bows attack at 1-2 range and that depending on the character, one could attack at 4+ range. It's nice.