When I first saw Berwick Saga, I thought it's a weird game. Crappy growth rate? seperate weapon skill? Arrow and shield? hex-based map? mercenary system? It seems too confuse for me. But man, what's a big mistake. This is one of, if not, the best turn-base game I have played. It's on par with FF tactics, and the best in FE series, bettter than Telius, I never image there's a turn-base game can rival FF tactics. It's all thank to you Aethin and your non-profit effort, that I can play this outstanding game, the translation is great as well. Thank you again and hope you the best in life, bro.
Kaga did things seems chaotic, but when you think again, it's closer to reality. Some random thought from me:
- Hex-based map: Biggest different from FE-series. When I'm unfamiliar with this at first, I realise it's more like real situation in battlefield. I mean, why you can attack enemy in your straight line only but not diagonal line? This system feel much more reality and I love it.
- 0-2 range system: That's what a battle need to be! I love it when my fast speed character rush in to counter enemy's 1 range crossbow while dodge arrow in the way 😍
- Arrow and shield: Another confuse things, but when you think again, it's all reasonable. A nation war broke out, and normally there's many type of weapon produced, arrow and shield include. It's normal for an archer can/must carry arrows to shoot and units carry a shield to improve their defence. That's very thoughful, a single add in might for bow or defence seems pretty simple mind.
- Weapon skill: This is great. A unit can't have better hit rate in every weapon with just a simple lv up in skill attribute like before, you need to use specify weapon, and use it a lot to be better with it. That's a life philosophy as well. Before, my soldier promote to general, learn to use axe, and suddenly he can use new found ability axe equally to his - train from begining - lance ability? This weapon system feel much more real and recently FE games follow this thought.
- Mercenary system: What the heck, people don't join you when you talk to them anymore 😱? Now you need much more effort to permantly recruit a unit to your team, and that's great change. It more pain for player, but it make a character much more personality than before, you need to fight alongside them, interact with them, understand their problem, etc... A big war broke out, and create problems everywhere for anyone. A boy who lost his dear family, live on only to revenge, he'll only join you when he found new meaning in life. A farmer boy dreams to become heroes. A girl wants to revenge and retake her family's relic. A man whose thought he lose everything and throw his life away yet come to realise he still have precious thing to live on, etc... When you come along way to recruit them, you'll think: "Heck, that's deep, a single talk in battlefield won't be enough". Everyone has their own story, even the shop keeper's daughter has one (and I remember their name, too, unlike some faceless NPC in another game).
- Story: Berwick Saga is deep, and great. But I don't want to spoil anymore so I'll stop here. Beside, I've only played up to ch11 😄