Fire Emblem 12 has some really sexy gameplay. Why?
- Best Map Design in the Series: Fire Emblem 12 gets my vote for “Best Map Design in the Series”. It took everything that was great about the original’s map design and improved upon it. Part of the problem with the original’s design came from the fact that it was (at least partially) undermined by how weak the enemies were. This meant that positioning didn’t matter as much since you could wreck enemies with a strong unit. Oh did Fire Emblem 12 fix that problem.
In addition this game also had some meticulous enemy positioning. I don’t think I’ve EVER had to pay as much attention to where enemy units were and where I placed my units. You can tell that the designers really put a lot of love and effort into where certain enemies went and because the game put so much effort it makes the player in turn put so much effort into where their units go. It’s really fantastic and it adds so much to the overall strategy of the game. Also, this game has the deadliest ballista in the series. Enemies in this game are powerful and accurate and this applies to the ballista in this game. This is the game where I take ballista the most seriously because I know that they can hit me and can do some real damage.
That review I linked to earlier has this to say about the game: “Maps are better designed than FE:SD, with plenty of variety and unique conditions. Frequent enemy movement and reinforcements encourage the player to keep moving. There are few choke points for the player to turtle up and hide in, and if there is a choke points, you can be sure there will be large numbers of enemies trying to pass through it.”
- Highest Difficulty Variety in the Series: This game has a whopping 5 difficulty settings: Easy, Hard, Maniac, Lunatic, Reverse Lunatic. That’s more than any other single game in the series. The best part about this is the huge variation between them. This game is capable of catering to every skill level in the fanbase. Are you picking up Fire Emblem for the first time? Well you’re in luck. This game invented Casual Mode and has an Easy difficulty. Are you a masochistic tryhard that only finds enjoyment through LTC strats? Then you’ll love Reverse Lunatic because it’s the most challenging difficulty in the entire series. It’s also fair and non-RNG reliant (unlike a different challenge mode). Are you somewhere between these two extremes? Well then you’ve got three extra difficulty modes to choose from. This game is the poster child for how to do difficulty right. It’s a real shame that Awakening didn’t learn from this game’s success (and frankly I’m not a fan of how Fates tried to appeal to the entire fan base either).
Once again here’s what the review had to say: “The easiest mode is a walk in the park, perfectly suited to beginners or those who aren't interested in a hard slog. Hard mode is most comparable to the original Super Famicom version - it can get a little stressful here and there, but you probably won't be losing any sleep over it. Maniac mode is fairly difficult, but it doesn't go all out like Lunatic mode. Lunatic and Lunatic Reverse mode is a sadistic test of skill, patience, and planning that only gifted tacticians will be able to dominate.
One major difference in Lunatic mode [is that]... enemies promote earlier, come in vastly greater numbers, show up as reinforcements earlier or more frequently, wield powerful forged weapons as soon as the first chapter, and always have the highest weapon rank with a bonus +10 to hit. By the mid-late game enemies have almost fully capped stats with very powerful forged weapons. Having characters who can take more than one hit before dying are a valuable commodity on Lunatic. Finally, Lunatic mode has an anti-boss farming feature that awards decreasing amounts of XP for hitting any boss with regenerating HP. Getting low turn counts, every possible item, and every recruit on Lunatic Reverse is a worthy challenge for even the most experienced tactics veteran.”
- Amazing AI: Fire Emblem 12 gets my vote for “Best AI” in the series. Instead of being able to bait the enemy to come towards you the AI will usually just sit and wait until you’re so far into enemy territory that an entire swarm of them can get you. The review mentions that “the many scripted events and tactical map design ensures most players won't get bored or feel like they are dealing with a brain dead opponent.”
“Glass Cannon Emblem”: The reason why I gave this game the nickname of “Glass Cannon Emblem” is because this game is notorious for making it so that 99 % of your army dies in 2 hits or less while enemies have perfect accuracy. While I’m about three quarters finished with my Lunatic file and I have to say that playing on Lunatic felt like I was bashing my head against a brick wall. I had to reset a ton in each and every level. It was infuriating. Another major reason why this game can be so difficult is because the cast got dodging lessons from Gohan. No seriously, enemies in this game almost never miss. It’s scary!
This doesn’t just apply to Lunatic and Reverse Lunatic mode either. I normally play on Maniac mode and generally speaking I have to watch out because most of my units will still get killed in 2 hits by a very accurate enemy.
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