Are there any SRPGs out there that rival Fire Emblem in terms of quality and gameplay?

[Zerxen]

Not popularity, right now the answer is obvious.

[MCProductions]

Tear Ring Saga

I haven't gotten very far in it yet, but this mobile app I found called Partia played VERY similar to FE.

[Jedi]

In terms of a somewhat similar style to FE? SRPG is fairly vague, There is Super Robot Wars, which is massive in Japan.

[eclipse]

What do you like about Fire Emblem? Because I can think of a few fairly well-made SRPGs that are tangentially similar to Fire Emblem.

[Tangerine]

FFT is more popular and has better gameplay. I wouldn't really compare them though, FE is a lot more focused on individual character development.

Tactics Ogre has better characters and writing than both and it's not even close, but I wouldn't say it has better gameplay.

Either way the SRPG genre is so diverse you're not going to find directly comparable titles.

Edited May 2, 2016 by Tangerine

[Jedi]

FFT is more popular and has better gameplay. I wouldn't really compare them though, FE is a lot more focused on individual character development.

Tactics Ogre has better characters and writing than both and it's not even close, but I wouldn't say it has better gameplay.

Either way the SRPG genre is so diverse you're not going to find directly comparable titles.

Yeah, its such a broad spectrum, I could easily add Disgaea and various other franchise as well.

[Zerxen]

FFT is more popular and has better gameplay. I wouldn't really compare them though, FE is a lot more focused on individual character development.

Tactics Ogre has better characters and writing than both and it's not even close, but I wouldn't say it has better gameplay.

Either way the SRPG genre is so diverse you're not going to find directly comparable titles.

How does Final Fantasy Tactics' gameplay compare? I mean I know the playable characters and maps are completely different in regards to style. Additionally, how does Tactics Ogre and FFT differ?

Edited May 2, 2016 by Zerxen

[eclipse]

How does Final Fantasy Tactics' gameplay compare? I mean I know the playable characters and maps are completely different in regards to style.

. . .I think I have to spell this out.

There's a lot to love about Fire Emblem, whether it be perma-death, random level-ups, support conversations, the stat system, other mechanics, etc. If I know which aspects of Fire Emblem you like, I'll be able to suggest things that have similar qualities.

EDIT: SRPGs make me happy, which is why I've played a bunch of 'em. Not every last one, though.

Edited May 2, 2016 by eclipse

[Soledai]

And which FE are you basing quality and gameplay most on?

Tactics Ogre has better characters and writing than both and it's not even close, but I wouldn't say it has better gameplay.

Either way the SRPG genre is so diverse you're not going to find directly comparable titles.

I came to say this exactly.

But which Tactics Ogre are you talking about? I somehow found that the SNES and PSP versions were different in gameplay... you know, just a bit.

EDIT: But Eclipse, have you played Tactics Ogre yet?

Edited May 2, 2016 by Soledai

[Jedi]

But which Tactics Ogre are you talking about? I somehow found that the SNES and PSP versions were different in gameplay... you know, just a bit.

SNES and 64 are Ogre Battle, the other games are Tactics Ogre, both of which are connected but play entirely different. Unless I'm forgetting an SNES Tactics Ogre, in that case forgive my mistake.

OB64 happens to be my favorite game of all time too .

[Tangerine]

How does Final Fantasy Tactics' gameplay compare? I mean I know the playable characters and maps are completely different in regards to style. Additionally, how does Tactics Ogre and FFT differ?

FFT's gameplay at the core is a lot more tactical and diverse than FE's by nature. As for TO, FFT's battle system is an upgraded TO battle system because they were created by the same team. The game itself is a little too easy to break because it allows grinding, but there's an active modding community that have rebalanced the game if that's your thing.

I came to say this exactly.

But which Tactics Ogre are you talking about? I somehow found that the SNES and PSP versions were different in gameplay... you know, just a bit.

There aren't enough differences between the two versions of LUCT to make a separate case between them, FFT refined TO's battle system for the most part. TO's characters and writing more than make up for it though. That's not to say FFT's is -bad-, it's just a lot more subtle and most people aren't going to bother reading all of the optional text made available to them in the game.

[eclipse]

EDIT: But Eclipse, have you played Tactics Ogre yet?

I played a GBA one, and got really bored with it. I have the PSP one, and will try it out one day.

[Zera]

My votes go to to the Advance Wars series... and Dillon's Rolling Western series, which is not an SRPG but I still think you'll like it.

[Locke087]

Final Fantasy Tactics, Advanced Wars, and XCOM, none them are as good as Fire Emblem (imo) but they are all fantastic series I recommend that you play.

[Draco]

Devil survivor is pretty good, but it's got more RPG than srpg in it. Like, the map is like what you'd see in FE.

[Tangerine]

I played a GBA one, and got really bored with it. I have the PSP one, and will try it out one day.

The GBA title is generally considered mediocre compared to LUCT. You should definitely give it a shot!

[Baldrick]

FE is fairly unique in that AOE attacks don't exist and the combat is generally short-ranged. Apart from FE clones, the game that plays most similarly to FE is Yggdra Union.

It's tricky to get the hang of compared to Fire Emblem, it demands precise positioning and gives you more control over the flow of combat.

[DancingDanny]

Uh...They're kind of old, but the Shining Force games on the Sega Genesis were pretty good and played a LOT like Fire Emblem.

[ruadath]

It's been a while since I last played Tactics Ogre, so this could be the case there as well, but one of the subtler unique things about FE that other SRPG's don't have (I'm looking at FFT, Disgaea, Ogre?, and a few others) is fixed damage from an attack. Granted you can miss/crit stuff, and in more recent games there are a bunch of proc skills you can activate, but you can always have a clear idea of the amount of damage you'll do in FE, whereas in other games damage tends to wobble up and down based on random factors (like in most RPGs)

[Dr. Tarrasque]

Did you get into the series because of Awakening?

Do you love the anime aesthetics of the series?

Have you ever been called a weeaboo?

Try the Luminous Arc games.

As for finding other SRPGs, you'll want to research them a bit and try and see if they're your cup of tea. Comparing games of this genre is not the same as comparing games of the FPS genre for example.

Edited May 2, 2016 by Sirius

[Tangerine]

It's been a while since I last played Tactics Ogre, so this could be the case there as well, but one of the subtler unique things about FE that other SRPG's don't have (I'm looking at FFT, Disgaea, Ogre?, and a few others) is fixed damage from an attack. Granted you can miss/crit stuff, and in more recent games there are a bunch of proc skills you can activate, but you can always have a clear idea of the amount of damage you'll do in FE, whereas in other games damage tends to wobble up and down based on random factors (like in most RPGs)

FFT and TO both have "fixed" damage. You can calculate how much damage you will do on the fly because the formulas are easy due to them not having a defense stat. The only "random" factors are weather, terrain and zodiac signs/elements (plus brave/faith for weapon types and spells they apply to). Some weapons have variable damage as well, like axes and flails, or a special ability proc, but none of these are different from crits and skill activations or random enemy defensive stats in FE.

Edited May 2, 2016 by Tangerine

[Captain Karnage]

FFT is more popular and has better gameplay. I wouldn't really compare them though, FE is a lot more focused on individual character development.

Tactics Ogre has better characters and writing than both and it's not even close, but I wouldn't say it has better gameplay.

Either way the SRPG genre is so diverse you're not going to find directly comparable titles.

TBH I think some for people the only SRPG series they really like is FE because of it's simplicity

for me I love it because the battelfields aren't isometric making it easier to play

that stats stay in the double digits

and skills are easy to understand

[Sire]

Here be a list of various games.

Base - Fire Emblem (Tactically difficult SRPG that focuses on characters. As of late, getting more and more accessible and arguably fan-servicey. Story is hit and miss.)

Ogre Battle (There is a massive difference between the gameplay of Ogre Battle and Tactics Ogre, despite sharing the same universe. Ogre Battle's combat is done more automatically, the player sets up a unit, gives them general orders, equips them with items, and moves them around the battlefield. I recommend Ogre Battle 64, which is my favorite game of all time.)

Tactics Ogre (I personally have a SNES version. The mechanics seem a bit more complex than Fire Emblem, but it still remains fun to play. The stories of the Ogre games are also pretty good.)

Final Fantasy Tactics (A refined Tactics Ogre, reskinned into Final Fantasy. While some like their FF, I say this move killed the Ogre Battle franchise, which I loved. I wanted more Ogre Battle, man...)

XCOM (Tactically difficult game where one goes up against Aliens in ranged combat engagements. One can get attached to their squad members, especially when they are customized, giving a hint of an RPG aspect.)

Battle for Wesnoth (Not really an RPG and more of a tactics game, it is free and available on PC. It relies on RNG and troop positioning, and well as proper countering, to win the day. Link)

Advance Wars (Made by the same people who made Fire Emblem, is more of a tactics game than an RPG. Use your CO powers and soldiers to capture cities, gain more funding, and use a variety of units to crush your opponent.)

[Augestein]

Vandal Hearts is another one that is kinda old now, but they were pretty fun. Onimusha Tactics is another one. Is kind of strange though.

[Zera]

I'd like to add a couple more recommendations. Valkyrie Profile: Covenant of the Plume and Code Name S.T.E.A.M.