In which order?

[popsi_netn]

Hi, I am a neophyte in the FE universe.

In which order would you recommand me to play the games of the serie ?

Thx!

[Othin]

FE8 first, and get FE13 whenever it comes out in America. FE9 before FE10. No particular timing concerns for FE7 and FE11, although if you can play FE11 before FE13, that would probably be good.

Edited May 22, 2012 by Othin

[Shin]

It depends on what you want. I played them chronologically from 3 onwards, which let me see how the series developed. However, starting with the GBA titles never hurts.

[Othin]

Unless you can read Japanese, starting with anything before FE7 is a bad idea because of the language barrier. It's easy to work around once you've played one or two games in English, though: playing a Japanese game can quickly feel as natural as playing an English one.

I mean, you could use a translation patch, but they have some serious issues, particularly bad for your first impressions of the series. Personally, I can't say they're great for any stage of play, but eh.

Edited May 22, 2012 by Othin

[whase]

use 8 as tutorial, than skip ahead to the 2 best games; 9&10

if after that you feel like playing more, play the others in any order.

[Celice]

I mean, you could use a translation patch, but they're absolute trash to be avoided at all costs, especially for your first impressions of the series.

lol; as a note, don't listen to this. For your first impression of the series, don't listen to absolutes like the above.

You can pick pretty much any entry in the series. FE6, FE7, and FE9 have tutorials, with FE7's being the easiest to transition into. But you can get into pretty much any one of them and come away with an idea of how the rest of the games will feel.

[Othin]

lol; as a note, don't listen to this. For your first impression of the series, don't listen to absolutes like the above.

Changed to a more accurate and less extreme version.

As much as I love bashing translation patches, my initial comments were a bit of an exaggeration, but I'll stand by my current ones. A first time player should play a complete game, not the mess of a broken, incomplete patch.

Edited May 22, 2012 by Othin

[Bryan]

I'd also say 3 ->.

It's cool to see how the series progressed throughout it's timeframe. Plus, then you don't miss features.

Or, you could just play 11/12 instead of 3. They're remakes but with better graphics. :)

[Thor Odinson]

I'd have to say 7 just because of the forced lyn mode tutorial. Going through that when you don't know how to play the game isn't that bad, but I started on FE8, and when I had to go through LNM for the first time, it wasn't fun.

[RNG Princess]

I agree with Lumi ^^' FE7 is a good start but I also think FE8 is a nice choice, either of those two are great start.

[Othin]

Just buy FE7 used and hope the original owner already completed it once so you can avoid the tutorial completely.

[marcus90]

Hi, I am a neophyte in the FE universe.

In which order would you recommand me to play the games of the serie ?

Thx!

In this order.

FE2 and FE8 - the easiest ones

FE3, not that difficult

FE9, averagely difficult

FE7, with three story paths and 5 difficulties

FE6, much harsher than it's prequel in Hard Mode

FE10, full of fake difficulty

FE4, quite obsolete, difficult if you do a speedrun and don't forget about the heritage system

FE5. the most difficult in terms of mechanics

FE11 for it's revamped difficulty and the reclassing option

FE12, direct sequel of FE11, much better in some departments, japanese only unfortunately and the english patch it's incomplete

FE13 as a last one to understand what the series has become

[Baldrick]

In this order.

FE2

That is a horrible idea.

Play the English ones first, the order isn't too important, except for FE7 first (Lumi's reasoning).

If you're still interested, play the Japanese ones then. But be aware the first three games haven't aged well, and FE4 and FE5 can be frustrating if you don't know what you're doing (i.e. first playthrough).

[marcus90]

That is a horrible idea.

Play the English ones first, the order isn't too important, except for FE7 first (Lumi's reasoning).

If you're still interested, play the Japanese ones then. But be aware the first three games haven't aged well, and FE4 and FE5 can be frustrating if you don't know what you're doing (i.e. first playthrough).

Oh shut up, FE2 is interesting to begin with cause it's a side story so it's not really that important like FE8 in universe.

[Refa]

Play FE11 first it's the first FE game but more playable.

[Raven the Obsidian]

8 (Sacred Stones) is a good one to start with, due to its tutorial and relative easiness. 7 is also a good option for the tutorial, though it is markedly more challenging than 8. 11 is probably the simplest overall, being a remake of the very first and all.

[Baldrick]

Oh shut up, FE2 is interesting to begin with cause it's a side story so it's not really that important like FE8 in universe.

1. I never said not to play it.

2. If it's a side story, shouldn't you play the centre story (?) first?

3. The early FE games can be disconcerting, because the interface is primitive and they don't hold your hand. They are NOT good choices for a first-time player.

[Othin]

3. The early FE games can be disconcerting, because the interface is primitive and they don't hold your hand. They are NOT good choices for a first-time player.

I think this is the biggest point. Any FE game before FE6 has serious interface challenges that won't be great for a new player, and FE6 can be quite challenging, indicating it as not a great starting point either.

So seriously, even if you're not worried about the language barrier, don't start with a game before FE7.

[Kiriane]

Lumi makes the best point. Start with FE7, then go on to FE8 and FE6. After clearing the GBA series, take a step back and do the SNES games - for storyline reasons I'd go with FE4 before FE5, but by this time you should be ok with how the game works. If you want, may as well do 1 and 2 here. I think FE9/10 onwards introduce new mechanics and stuff, but I haven't played those.

[Celice]

I think this is the biggest point. Any FE game before FE6 has serious interface challenges that won't be great for a new player, and FE6 can be quite challenging, indicating it as not a great starting point either.

So seriously, even if you're not worried about the language barrier, don't start with a game before FE7.

FE2's UI is pretty comparable to every other UI in the series, with the exception of pre-battle stats and special menus for skills and armies and things like that. FE1 and FE3 have the slowest and clunkiest systems though in terms of aesthetic feel (FE3 all-around looks and plays like rough shit--I'm surprised that level of quality made it into the game, as it feels really outdated, but hey, Langrisser got away with it).

[General Banzai]

9 is by far the easiest, but 8 is the best.

I'd say 8 -> 9 -> 10 -> 11 -> 7

[Loki Laufeyson]

I agree with Lumi ^^' FE7 is a good start but I also think FE8 is a nice choice, either of those two are great start.

This so much. FE7 is probably the best choice because, like Lumi said, Lyn Mode tutorial is not skippable the first run through. It really does give a good feel for the game. FE8 is pretty nice because its a bit easier for newer players to get into. Then i would move on to the Tellius games (Path of Radiance and Radiant Dawn in that order). I wouldnt recommend jumping to the Japan Only titles until you get a really good grasp of the series. Or...you are super curious. Some of those patches are just atrocious. Omg.

[I.M. Gei]

7 and/or 8 should give you a good foundation for playing the rest of the games.

Just don't be like me and do 10 first.

[Ema Skye]

If you can't get FE7 anywhere, you can download FE8 through the 3DS Ambassador Program which is pretty similar. Its easier, and the Easy Mode has on-screen prompts to help you understand what you're doing. It's not a perfect substitute for FE7, but its probably easier to obtain.

[Just call me AL]

If you can't get FE7 anywhere, you can download FE8 through the 3DS Ambassador Program which is pretty similar. Its easier, and the Easy Mode has on-screen prompts to help you understand what you're doing. It's not a perfect substitute for FE7, but its probably easier to obtain.

This is assuming that the OP logged in to the e-shop before the end of August 11th last year. FE8's gonna be hard to find otherwise lest he downloads the ROM for it.

@OP: As for my two cents, you can go however you want. But I would recommend either of FEs 7-9 first. Mainly because those three can give you a nice FE experience. Especially if character development is what draws you FE.

Edited May 23, 2012 by Fancy Grunt