FE4 is too outdated to be any fun

[Esaka]

I never understood why people say FE4 is clunky, it works fine on my Wii, very smooth.

Now, just saying this, the lack of tradin is for Children making inheritance more important, it was obviously made for this and because of this reason difficulty in trading is a good thing.

Now I'd like to point this out, anyone who say's FE4 doesn't have one of the best plots in the series is fooling themselves.

HOWEVER, Anyone saying SigurdxDeidre wasn't a cop out is just kidding themselves.

[dondon151]

Newer fans tend to dislike FE4. Most of the fans I've known who've been playing the series for a while really enjoy it--

Most of the fans that I've known, don't. This isn't something that you can attribute to having a good taste in video games or anything like that. I highly doubt that there is any significant correlation between appreciation for Fire Emblem as a series and enjoyment of FE4 (compared to the relationship with other games); it's either just fanboys jumping on the hype bandwagon or players who really do enjoy the pacing and plot of the game regardless of its age.

I can understand that the choices of a small player army and the restricted weapon exchange system are designed to emphasize the individual characters. FE4 gives the player the strong impression that weapons are personal items and not something that, plotwise, are supposed to be shared between individuals.

Edited August 2, 2011 by dondon151

[Mekkah]

Did I also mention the soundtrack o this game is obscenely dull, which makes the expansive emptiness of the game even more sleep-inducing?

FE4's music doesn't stand out as particularly bad to me. Not sure if it's my favourite in the series, and there are a couple of tracks that bore me like Ch4's player phase music...but the Epilogue player phase music as well as the "imperial" enemy phase music more than makes up for it. My favourite track is Julius's battle theme though.

[Paperblade]

Did I also mention the soundtrack o this game is obscenely dull, which makes the expansive emptiness of the game even more sleep-inducing?

hating on disturbance in agustria

hating on light and dark

hating on last holy war

Grandjackal's opinions on music confirmed for bottom tier.

[Radiant Dragon]

Now I'd like to point this out, anyone who say's FE4 doesn't have one of the best plots in the series is fooling themselves.

Gen 2 had no plot.

[Esaka]

Gen 1 more then compensated.

[Paperblade]

The only good part of FE4's plot was Sigurd's betrayal.

[Radiant Dragon]

Gen 1 more then compensated.

Gen 1 may have had a good plot, but nothing excuses the fact that there was nothing interesting going on during the later half of the game.

[Florete]

Now I'd like to point this out, anyone who say's FE4 doesn't have one of the best plots in the series is fooling themselves.

HOWEVER, Anyone saying SigurdxDeidre wasn't a cop out is just kidding themselves.

Wasn't SigurdxDeirdre a pretty big focus in Gen 1? And so wouldn't that detract quite a lot from the quality of the plot since you've just noted (and I agree completely) that it was a cop out?

I do remember the story being fairly interesting overall (Gen 1, anyway), but I felt the love-at-first-sight thing hurt it a lot.

[Celice]

FE4 did its plot a bit differently than the previous Fire Emblems have (and to some degree, the consecutive as well). Points of interest were placed outwards, rather than inwards. The grander scheme of things was the interest of the first generation, with the second generation become that more familiar, character-centered struggle.

The game's plot overall is just bleh, like most of the Fire Emblems. It's shallow, basic, and at times, very crude. But that's in comparison to other plots which are very great--taking the plot as it is, rather than what it could be if something else... it's rather alright. Nothing overly spectacular, but it fits its effect. And I'd rather like a warm shoe than one doesn't fit at all.

[Anouleth]

People just rave about the Gen 1 plot because of the OMG PLOT TWIST. Otherwise, it's the typical cavalcade of evil nobles with Camus Eltoshan thrown in.

[Maji]

Why is this in the General FE forum when we're taking about just FE4?

I'm not trying to start an argument, but since I'm here however, might as well get my stance on this game. Note however that I am the biggest SNES purist you'll ever meet, and most if not all of my opinions come from that.

FE4- while not being my favourite mind you still is pretty damn fantastic if only for Gen. 2's replayability and Ishtar. I agree to some points that the gameplay may not be up to par to the later series (o noez, i hav 2 dew mathz in da menu, haxx!!! haxx!!!1!1ooneone), but that's like saying Dragon Warrior IV's battle system isn't as good as IX's. No shit Sherlock, the game is going to age in time for newer games, but when one compares an early game to a newer game (i.e- when people nitpick about the skills not being a carbon copy of FE10's, or God forbid not seeing the x2 for double attack in the menu) the newer game usually does end up being "better". :/

When I first played FE4, believe it or not I went of hiatus with it for a long time, just because the skills seemed like a hassle. You need skills to double attack? What is this? But, I slowly slogged through it and lo and behold, it was complete! However, in time, I returned to it simply because forum stocking got me excited to try new pairings, as well as since I knew where everything (or most- like where the enemy is going to be after I take ____) was, I was more ready to take it on without much hassle. In time, and many playthroughs, I grew to like FE4 more than other (not most) FEs. Bottom line is, if you don't give FE4 your time and patience, you'll probably end up not thinking it is a good game. That being said, not a lot of people tend to spend that much time on one game, so I can understand why people don't really enjoy this game nor am I forcing anyone to play this game over and over again.

Story? Here is where I agree with the overhyping. Like Anouleth pointed out, there's like one plot twist stashed in it, and the rest is just Gen. 2's not-so-story and Sigurd running around killing things and looking for Deirdre.

However, that being said, I would like to point out: did Eliwood run around killing things looking for his Father for most of the game, only for a OH SHI- DRAGON OUT OF FUCKING NOWHERE moment? Did Marth... just run around and kill a dragon, only for it to respawn and kill it again? Did Ike do his job as a generic mercenary and kill some King dude and run into a couple of furries here and there? FE stories aren't usually the greatest, if anything I usually just mash the start button/ cue frameskip like a mad ma' fucker until I get to the gameplay.

[grandjackal]

hating on disturbance in agustria

hating on light and dark

hating on last holy war

Grandjackal's opinions on music confirmed for bottom tier.

Well, I just want to note that not EVERY track of FE4's music was dull (for instance, the imperial themes were great...Pretty much the only phase music I liked in that game, and Light and Dark had slipped my mind). Liked that small bit of music that...Uhhh, trying to remember a point it was played. Start of the last gen 1 chapter when Byron's getting chased down. I like that bit, even though it isn't a long bit, it gives off the feeling of tension or desperation quite well.

The rest of the soundtrack though just doesn't really grow on me. Seriously, you named like 3 tracks yourself.

[Florete]

Story? Here is where I agree with the overhyping. Like Anouleth pointed out, there's like one plot twist stashed in it, and the rest is just Gen. 2's not-so-story and Sigurd running around killing things and looking for Deirdre.

However, that being said, I would like to point out: did Eliwood run around killing things looking for his Father for most of the game, only for a OH SHI- DRAGON OUT OF FUCKING NOWHERE moment? Did Marth... just run around and kill a dragon, only for it to respawn and kill it again? Did Ike do his job as a generic mercenary and kill some King dude and run into a couple of furries here and there? FE stories aren't usually the greatest, if anything I usually just mash the start button/ cue frameskip like a mad ma' fucker until I get to the gameplay.

I don't think anyone was praising other FE stories when saying FE4's was sub-par.

[Darros]

I don't think anyone was praising other FE stories when saying FE4's was sub-par.

FE4's plot isn't really sub-par if the rest of the stories aren't that good either.

[Maji]

I don't think anyone was praising other FE stories when saying FE4's was sub-par.

I wasn't trying to defend FE4's story when I compared the FE4's story to other FEs, I was simply making a point that Spykor already pointed out that FE stories aren't really good anyway, and I play FE4 for the gameplay and 2nd Gen rather than fap to how "well" Sigurd's story (for the time? Sure, why not?) is written. :/

[Paperblade]

The rest of the soundtrack though just doesn't really grow on me. Seriously, you named like 3 tracks yourself.

Probably because I don't remember every single song and instead just named 3 off the top of my head? Keep in mind that I skip the cutscenes, half animations off, and power through enemy phase/arena battles >_>

So to me, the 12 player phase themes are everything I get to hear normally.

However, since Grandjackal *insists*, I will go through the entire OST for FE4 as listed @ http://serenesforest.net/music/music4ost.html

101

103

104

105 is fine but kind of meh

106

107 rox

108 rox

111 rox

112

114 is pretty awesome

116

117 although it can get annoying

118

119

120 rox

122 rox

123

126

201

202

203

204

206

208

209 is awesome

210

211

212

213

214

215

218

219

220 is awesome

221 is also awesome

225

226

227

229

230

231

232

233 the only Silesia music that doesn't suck

234

235

236

237

238

239

240

242

244

246

247

248

249

301 is awesome

310

312

313

314

316

321

322

323

326

328

329

330

333

334

335

336

337

[Radiant Dragon]

FE4's plot isn't really sub-par if the rest of the stories aren't that good either.

Why not? Just because people may consider it to have the best plot in the game (which I would contest, once again due to Gen 2 having less of a plot than Shadow Dragon does), that doesn't mean it isn't sub-par. It just doesn't speak well about the series' plots as a whole.

[Darros]

I'm not defending the plot or saying it's good, I'm saying the par is not very high, because most (if not all) Fire Emblem Plots aren't well done. And FE4 is certainly not one of the worst plots out there in the FE series.

[Radiant Dragon]

And FE4 is certainly not one of the worst plots out there in the FE series.

I would argue it is one of the worse plots. Gen 2 sucks that much. And the characters (for the most part) have little to no personality, unlike later FE's.

[Maji]

Though my list looks rather much like Paperkitty's, here are all the songs I like

104

105

106 also, the rock remake is hardcore.

107

111

116

118 Thracia is awesome.

120 Uhmazing x 100

122

201

202

203

204

206

208 one of my favourite phase songs

209 yeah, Thracia!

210

211

212

213

214

215

217

218

219

220 is fantastic

221 isn't as good as his Dad's but still fantastic

224

225

226

227

228 after all the chatter ends, FE1 music yay!

229 FE1 music yay!

230

231

232

233 one of two Silesia songs that doesn't suck

234

236

237 favourite Thracia song

238

239

240

242

243

244

246 reminds me of Chrono Trigger

248

301 best recruitment song in the series IMO, FE6's crappy GBA music remake can suck it.

302

303

304

310

313

319

320

321

327

328

330

333

335

336

337

338

[Celice]

I like, like, all the music.

I posted a little while ago a couple remixes done by a really talented guy, and one of them was the conversation 1 done with a string quartet. It was amazing :D

I would argue it is one of the worse plots. Gen 2 sucks that much. And the characters (for the most part) have little to no personality, unlike later FE's.

If you pull apart the game from how it's supposed to be then you're probably not going to enjoy it. If you play it for what it is, it's not that bad.

Most people who compare elements out of context to elements not even contextually similar are going to find disjunction because--dundundun--you're comparing two entirely, broken things.

Or, "I like oranges and because this has no element of an orange, it is therefore inferior, you fucking twit of an apple. Tosser."

[Radiant Dragon]

If you pull apart the game from how it's supposed to be then you're probably not going to enjoy it. If you play it for what it is, it's not that bad.

Most people who compare elements out of context to elements not even contextually similar are going to find disjunction because--dundundun--you're comparing two entirely, broken things.

Or, "I like oranges and because this has no element of an orange, it is therefore inferior, you fucking twit of an apple. Tosser."

While I see your point, the fact that the characters in this game are almost as bland as those in Shadow Dragon is a point against it when comparing it to other FE's. It's understandable due to the time when the game was made, but that doesn't suddenly make it better.

[Celice]

It sucks if the emphasis is on the smaller, character-oriented scale. Which neither generation really is. It's focused more on what's happening globally.

FE1 and its DS remake do concentrate on a smaller scale, and suffer because of this. The DS remake especially, because it didn't update its script from the original NES version. It reused it. That's called a penalty. It's being scrutinized for what it's not doing right. Applying this criticism to FE4 is fine, but it's being done out of context, and thus, you're lining punches at something that can't really be defended... because it never set out to be what you're accusing it of not doing best.

I mean, I know we're all pissed the Mario games never turned into the SPRG game it could have always been. It deserves to be shown all the ways it failed to be that, n'est-ce pas?

Edited August 3, 2011 by Celice

[Vorena]

Haha

I like the last couple of pages. One might generalize from it that fire emblem as a series is devoid of any decent plot.

As with any general story, it is only interesting probably the first time you play through it. After that all you care about is the gameplay and multiple times listening to the same story gets boring. I suppose it might be outdated depending upon what newcomers think of the game rather than those of us who have played it multiple times and have lost that 1st experience touch.