What other TRPG series rivals Fire Emblem?

[Harvey]

To me, Fire Emblem is the definitive Tactical RPG experience and the only series that does the genre justice.

When I play other TRPGs, I feel bored cause they are either less complex or don't implement enough mechanics that FE does.

So since TRPGs are better than ever despite it being niche, what series rivals that of FE? By rival I mean that it sells the same level as Fire Emblem and it does nearly everything that FE does only better.

[maybe]

valkyria chronicles is a really good game, does that one count

[Jedi]

I wouldn't exactly call FE complex, its really simple tbh. Nor do any games really play that much like FE aside from the older Shining Force games and even those have drastic differences.

Tactical RPG is also a very very wide genre, I could probably put my favorite games ever in that category, that being the Ogre Battle series, could also mention the older Shining Force games, Disgaea, Jagged Alliance 2 (For the PC), Devil Survivor and tons of other tactical rpgs all do things really well.

Edited June 1, 2016 by Jedi

[Captain Karnage]

tbh nothing I've ever played has come anywhere close to what FE plays like

in controlls, skills, map design, and unit movement (all reasons why FE is my choice srpg)

[Tryhard]

it's not a series, but shadowrun returns

there's a lot of games that could count even if they aren't strictly tactical rpgs, and if so the baldur's gate games are better than any fe

jagged alliance was also good as above

edit: also x-com fucking hell

Edited June 1, 2016 by Tryhard

[Soledai]

it's not a series, but shadowrun returns

I'd say you probably could if you add Shadowrun Dragonfall and Hong Kong

[Locke087]

In terms of sales the only real competitor in this genre is XCOM in the current market (at least in the US), as many of the great SRPG series have not seen a sequel in many years sadly... Sadly this genre is still mostly niche.

But since sales means all of crap as far as the quality of the game goes to I am suggest you games that are awesome regardless of how actually popular they are. For me none of these series are on par with Fire Emblem but considering the fact that Fire Emblem 7 is my second favorite game of all time it's an impossibly high bar to meet. That being said just because they're not as good does not make them any less incredible games.

Keep in mind most of these games play very differently from fire emblem....

-> Final Fantasy Tactics as a man with zero nostalgia or love for the Core final fantasy series Final Fantasy Tactics series is absolutely incredible all three games are great and it is a crime that there haven't been any more made. Be aware that they are first an RPG and second a strategy game these titles are a lot more about customization.

-> XCOM if you're looking for something more fire emblem like then this game is closer to what you're looking for, it features perma-death and it's set in the future so you'll be using guns and the sort, this game is also very heavy on the randomization elements is far more rogue like then fire emblem.

-> Advanced Wars this game has quite the fundamental difference from fire emblem, do not go in this game expecting many RPG elements it is far more like a real time strategy game just made turn based. This is the series that introduced me to turn-based strategy games (Though fire emblem is what made me love it).

-> Age of Empires for the DS, it's basically advanced wars (with a heavier emphasis on emulating real-time strategy) in the past really good and underrated game...

-> Pokémon Conquest it's a pretty good game not very deep and pretty easy but it is an interesting concept and pretty fun. Hopefully this will see some sort of sequel as this game could be absolutely incredible with just a couple improvements.

-> Banner Saga I have never played this myself but I heard it's good and like fire emblem...(I plan on playing at some point though).

Edited June 1, 2016 by Locke087

[animeapple]

Stella Glow is good

go play it, it has a great story

[Harvey]

In terms of sales the only real competitor in this genre is XCOM in the current market (at least in the US), as many of the great SRPG series have not seen a sequel in many years sadly... Sadly this genre is still mostly niche.

But since sales means all of crap as far as the quality of the game goes to I am suggest you games that are awesome regardless of how actually popular they are. For me none of these series are on par with Fire Emblem but considering the fact that Fire Emblem 7 is my second favorite game of all time it's an impossibly high bar to meet. That being said just because they're not as good does not make them any less incredible games.

Keep in mind most of these games play very differently from fire emblem....

-> Final Fantasy Tactics as a man with zero nostalgia or love for the Core final fantasy series Final Fantasy Tactics series is absolutely incredible all three games are great and it is a crime that there haven't been any more made. Be aware that they are first an RPG and second a strategy game these titles are a lot more about customization.

-> XCOM if you're looking for something more fire emblem like then this game is closer to what you're looking for, it features perma-death and it's set in the future so you'll be using guns and the sort, this game is also very heavy on the randomization elements is far more rogue like then fire emblem.

-> Advanced Wars this game has quite the fundamental difference from fire emblem, do not go in this game expecting many RPG elements it is far more like a real time strategy game just made turn based. This is the series that introduced me to turn-based strategy games (Though fire emblem is what made me love it).

-> Age of Empires for the DS, it's basically advanced wars (with a heavier emphasis on emulating real-time strategy) in the past really good and underrated game...

-> Pokémon Conquest it's a pretty good game not very deep and pretty easy but it is an interesting concept and pretty fun hopefully this see some sort of sequel as this game could be absolutely incredible with just a couple improvements.

-> Banner Saga I have never played this myself but I heard it's good and like fire emblem...(I plan on playing at some point though).

Advance Wars is a turn based strategy game not real time tactics. I never played it but from the looks of it, its more of a strategy one.

Yeah....its really sad that this genre is niche despite the market being there. Maybe Fire Emblem might change that, who knows? I would love to see this genre not being niche anymore personally.

it's not a series, but shadowrun returns

there's a lot of games that could count even if they aren't strictly tactical rpgs, and if so the baldur's gate games are better than any fe

jagged alliance was also good as above

edit: also x-com fucking hell

Shadowrun.....is odd. Because there's only a few games that are Tactical.

X-com isn't exactly TRPG is it? I never played it but from the looks of it, its not even close to Valkyria Chronicles where you make your units stronger if I'm not mistaken.

[EricaofRenais]

All the SMT and spin off SMT games that I have played reminded me of FE in terms of them being turn based and having some thinking involved plus deciding what skills/demons to use. The stories tend to be good and interesting.

[PeaceRibbon]

The only other strategy games I can remember playing are Pokemon Conquest which has more management elements and wasn't the most successful game but still really good, and Advance Wars which bored me so hard I stopped before the tutorials were over.

So yeah, Fire Emblem is the best.

[Zera]

Nintendo strategy games I recommend include -

- Advance Wars (Made by Intelligent Systems, the developer of FE.)

- Pikmin

- Dillon's Rolling Western

Edited June 1, 2016 by Zera

[Locke087]

Advance Wars is a turn based strategy game not real time tactics. I never played it but from the looks of it, its more of a strategy one.

Yeah....its really sad that this genre is niche despite the market being there. Maybe Fire Emblem might change that, who knows? I would love to see this genre not being niche anymore personally.

X-com isn't exactly TRPG is it? I never played it but from the looks of it, its not even close to Valkyria Chronicles where you make your units stronger if I'm not mistaken.

I said Advanced Wars was LIKE a real-time strategy game in its structure, it was the best way I could think of to describe it.

Also yes XCOM is a SRPG 100% and it's far more like fire emblem then most of the candidates mentioned (just with a heck of a lot more randomization and customization in short it is far more of an RPG than fire emblem is).

Edited June 1, 2016 by Locke087

[Captain Karnage]

-> Pokémon Conquest it's a pretty good game not very deep and pretty easy but it is an interesting concept and pretty fun. Hopefully this will see some sort of sequel as this game could be absolutely incredible with just a couple improvements.

what about Pokemon Birthright

[Harvey]

I said Advanced Wars was LIKE a real-time strategy game in its structure, it was the best way I could think of to describe it.

Also yes XCOM is a SRPG 100% and it's far more like fire emblem then most of the candidates mentioned (just with a heck of a lot more randomization and customization in short it is far more of an RPG than fire emblem is).

In what sense is X Com more like Fire Emblem?

[Katie]

Advance Wars isn't a SRPG. It's a straight TBS.

[Locke087]

what about Pokemon Birthright

Its coming soon as a mini game in Pokemon Sun.

that got a laugh out of me

In what sense is X Com more like Fire Emblem?

it has Perma-Death and in both you need to play careful as every decision counts... Otherwise XCOM is 100% it own thing.

Advance Wars isn't a SRPG. It's a straight TBS.

Correct, still a good game worth mentioning though...

[Tangerine]

Yeah....its really sad that this genre is niche despite the market being there. Maybe Fire Emblem might change that, who knows? I would love to see this genre not being niche anymore personally.

Doubt it, no FE title has approached FFT's sales numbers yet. If the genre was going to break out, FFT would've been the game to do it. Granted it did inspire more to be made, but it didn't make the TRPG any more mainstream.

[eclipse]

Stella Glow is good

go play it, it has a great story

Stella Glow's gameplay is amazing. Its story/premise is extraordinarily shaky. If y'all thought Fates was bad. . .

Advance Wars is a turn based strategy game not real time tactics. I never played it but from the looks of it, its more of a strategy one.

Your topic talks about Fire Emblem. Advanced Wars is very similar to Fire Emblem. . .if your allies had to be recruited at the beginning of every map, and cost money to do so.

---

If you're looking for things like forcefully moving your allies and memorable characters, Disgaea works (though the level system is. . .uhh. . .insane).

[Harvey]

Doubt it, no FE title has approached FFT's sales numbers yet. If the genre was going to break out, FFT would've been the game to do it. Granted it did inspire more to be made, but it didn't make the TRPG any more mainstream.

Well now, Fates and Awakening came close to Tactics. By the end of the year, Fates may end up selling more than 2 million so it may have a chance to beat tactics overall.

And again, FFT was released on PSone at the time. Obviously, it would guarantee sales. Not to mention that it loosely borrows elements from Fire Emblem.

[Tryhard]

X-com isn't exactly TRPG is it? I never played it but from the looks of it, its not even close to Valkyria Chronicles where you make your units stronger if I'm not mistaken.

Characters do get better with experience and equipment, but they are randomized. It's as much in regards to how VC is because while characters aren't developed (Advance Wars too) you're still assuming their role while VC eschews traditional grid movement. Edited June 2, 2016 by Tryhard

[blah the Prussian]

This one isn't Japanese, but the Banner Saga is an amazing game; the best part of it is that you make choices through the game that often lead to vastly different results; this makes you often second guess your decisions. It also has a story far superior to any FE game, IMO. In terms of gameplay it has a strategic element as well as a tactical element, and for big battles you act as a commander for your entire army while fighting yourself at the same time. The tactical gameplay kicks ass, although FE somewhat beats it out in that regard. Still, the other elements of the Banner Saga make it beat out FE in general, IMO.

Edited June 2, 2016 by blah the Prussian

[eclipse]

Banner Saga's a solid game. . .but it's short. I think it's so that the player can run through it multiple times, and change things through choices. It also feels like Radiant Dawn, in terms of unit availability.

[blah the Prussian]

Banner Saga's a solid game. . .but it's short. I think it's so that the player can run through it multiple times, and change things through choices. It also feels like Radiant Dawn, in terms of unit availability.

Eh; I never thought that was a bad thing in RD either. I haven't finished my first run, mind you. I know an average first play through it 10 hours, but it has more replay ability than any FE game.

[Tangerine]

Well now, Fates and Awakening came close to Tactics. By the end of the year, Fates may end up selling more than 2 million so it may have a chance to beat tactics overall.

And again, FFT was released on PSone at the time. Obviously, it would guarantee sales. Not to mention that it loosely borrows elements from Fire Emblem.

FFT doesn't borrow elements from FE. FFT is entirely based on Tactics Ogre...which also doesn't borrow from FE in any discernible way, borrowing much more from dungeons and dragons and other western media than anything else. You can't attribute grid-based combat to FE and that's where their mechanical similarities end (TO is also much better written than any FE game lol). If anything, modern FE borrows elements from TO and FFT.

FFT has sold nearly 1 million more copies than Awakening including the Android re-release, and it's unlikely Fates will get close to it. I find it interesting you would dismiss FFT's sales because it was on PS1, but ignore the fact that a significant portion of Fates' sales aren't real for the purpose of this discussion because it demands users double-dip or buy a special edition for the full experience - those aren't new people buying the game, it's a bunch of people needing to buy two games and having it counted towards Fates' total instead of being tracked separately, whereas FFT's sales are all one game. I'm a fan of FE, obviously, but lets not blow things out of proportion and act like FE is making the genre more mainstream than it has been in the past.

Edited June 2, 2016 by Tangerine