Current Events > Just got a 3DS and FE: Echoes: Shadow of Valentia. Which FE game next?

(+) Yeah! (+)

Thoroughly been enjoying Shadow of Valentia, thou I hear it deviates/is simpler a fairly good deal from past FE games.

Then when I go to look up other 3DS FE games, I find loads of them, each of which I know nothing about.

So what game in the series is the best purchase? Is there a sort of starter game, not to gameplay but the story of FE.

The only other 3DS game I own is Shin Megami Tensei IV, simply because I trust the people who made it and its slight (very slight) connection to the Person series. Haven't played it yet. Though that is not really important to my initial question.
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Fire Emblem Fates: Conquest

I mean my personal favorite Fire Emblem games on the system are SoV and Conquest, even though I haven't finished SoV yet.

I didn't like Revelations, Awakening, or Birthright that much. They weren't very fun imo.

Awakening.
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Ignore the other 3DS games.
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Conquest on hard with permadeath is some bullshit. And Valentia was too easy for me to enjoy with being able to turn back time in every battle
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New Mystery of the Emblem: Heroes of Light and Shadow (translated ofc)

This game is canonically right after Shadows of Valentia and even stars some of the characters in that game. Iirc it's also the most popular FE game in Japan, and the game itself is pretty great.

The game you're starting in is the second game in a certain timeline. There's a game before it, but it's notorious for being one of, if not the worst Fire Emblem game. I recommend advancing to the game above as it's very solid and traditional, in addition to being a sequel to the game you're playing right now.
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Awakening = great story, above average gameplay
Birthright = above average story, below average gameplay
Conquest = awful story, great gameplay
Revelation = average story, above average gameplay

Revelation can't be played unless you buy either Birthright or Conquest first, and shouldn't be played until fully beating both. So if you can only get one individual 3DS game, I'd recommend either Awakening or Conquest. Awakening is probably the better of the two for an individual experience, since part of Conquest's enjoyment comes from also playing Birthright and experiencing both sides of the story.

If you can, look into the older FE games (specifically the GBA and GC games) as well, since those are generally considered the best ones. New Mystery Of The Emblem on DS is Japan-exclusive, but is also great if you can "acquire" a translated version.
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Going for Birthright or Conquest first (it was also recommened by someone on another board. Or being the key operative, can't afford both at the moment (ahh, the way payday)
So if the two which is superior? Is there any sort of chronology between them? Or is it like Shadow of Valentia where I can just play and not have a hard time figuring out what's going on.

My eventual plan is to play all of them. Quickly become one of my favorite series (I played a bunch of the old ones as well but that was years upon years ago)

Leading toward conquest but I'm one of those people big on chronolgy so, if events in one game effect the other, I'd prefer the later first even if it isn't as good as the game it precedes.
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sacred stones

it's a gba game
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Guerrilla Soldier posted...

sacred stones

it's a gba game

I'll check it out. Felt like getting a bit of a retro trip anyway. Not sure if I have already played it, a friend sent me a few FE roms for the older generation. Played a few. Loved them, hence my reinterest in the new ones.
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Conquest and Birthright happen at the same time. They follow the result of a choice the protagonist makes. He chooses one way, it goes Conquest, he chooses the other, Birthright. So they are both two separate time lines.

Awakening
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From best to worst of the others:

Conquest is great. Story is lacking, but the gameplay is arguably the very best of the 3DS FEs. Interesting and varied maps and refined mechanics make this a fun and challenging game. I also liked the Nohr cast more than the Hoshido cast or the Awakening cast.

Revelation has a weak first half but a great second half. Story is flawed but more interesting than the other Fates games. It gets pretty overcrowded, but if you want to REALLY mess with characters, pairings, and class customization, this is the most open and accessible FE for customizing everything and is very fun on that level.

Birthright is pretty flat. So-so characters and decent mechanics but a really forgettable story and straightforward maps. Very skippable unless you're a diehard FE fan and are committed to beating everything.

Awakening is pretty bad and has fallen to one of my least favorite FEs over time. The characters are pretty forgettable aside from like, the really important ones and a few decent ones (Gaius, Maribelle, and Henry), the maps are all open fields with no real variety, and the mechanics are very busted and not in a fun way. It was okay at the time but aged awfully, avoid it.
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Is there continuity between games? Even small connections? Do they take place on the same world?

Sorry for so many questions.

I prefer to play them in order, even if they're only loosely connected. If they aren't really connected, I'll just go for what was recommended here.

I'm a continuity whore. For example, I still haven't played Witcher 3, which I own and know many people consider it one of the greatest games ever, because I haven't finished Witcher 1 and 2.
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Fire Emblem Fates: Conquest
Then Birthright

Then Fire Emblem for GBA
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All the 3DS games are worth playing, ignore the nerds. Hell, I bought a 3DS just for Awakening.

Fates is my personal favorite, but I suppose it doesn't help that I have the Special Edition cart.
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Is it worth playing Conquest first? I'd rather play Conquest if it's better.
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Virus731 posted...

Is it worth playing Conquest first? I'd rather play Conquest if it's better.

Birthright first because Hoshido sucks lol

You'll want to take your time with Conquest and Rev
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Conquest's story was so awful that I consider it my least favorite in the series, gameplay be damned. Hell, it may have one of the worst stories of any video game I've played, period. I don't even consider myself to have high standards when it comes to story, seeing as I've played every single game in the series and Conquest is the only one that I dislike so strongly - though to be fair, Birthright and Revelation had some pretty terrible story moments of their own (they just weren't quite as often or consistent).

If I had to rank my favorites from the 3DS, it'd probably go Awakening > Echoes >>> Revelation > Birthright > Conquest. If we're including other systems and limiting it to just the English releases, I'd personally recommend Path of Radiance, Sacred Stones, or Fire Emblem (i.e. Blazing Blade/Rekka no Ken) before Fates, but I know that's not feasible for a lot of people. I've noticed that opinions tend to be all over the place when it comes to this series, though, so good luck, and if you go with Conquest, I really hope you enjoy it more than I did.
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Lazy_Haar posted...

Conquest's story was so awful that I consider it my least favorite in the series, gameplay be damned. Hell, it may have one of the worst stories of any video game I've played, period. I don't even consider myself to have high standards when it comes to story, seeing as I've played every single game in the series and Conquest is the only one that I dislike so strongly - though to be fair, Birthright and Revelation had some pretty terrible story moments of their own (they just weren't quite as often or consistent).

If I had to rank my favorites from the 3DS, it'd probably go Awakening > Echoes >>> Revelation > Birthright > Conquest. If we're including other systems and limiting it to just the English releases, I'd personally recommend Path of Radiance, Sacred Stones, or Fire Emblem (i.e. Blazing Blade/Rekka no Ken) before Fates, but I know that's not feasible for a lot of people. I've noticed that opinions tend to be all over the place when it comes to this series, though, so good luck, and if you go with Conquest, I really hope you enjoy it more than I did.

Lolwut

Conquest was loads better than Birthright (I gotta fight Corrin even though I just killed Elise by accident BECAUSE) and Corrin isn't as much of a goody goody as she was in Birthright as well.
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thompsontalker7 posted...

Lolwut

Conquest was loads better than Birthright (I gotta fight Corrin even though I just killed Elise by accident BECAUSE) and Corrin isn't as much of a goody goody as she was in Birthright as well.

I'm not going to get into a debate about this, given that it's largely a matter of opinion and no one's going to win - not to mention it's been done to death, and then some. There are plenty of people who like it, and plenty who hate it. Heck, even in this small thread, there are people on both sides.
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Lazy_Haar posted...

thompsontalker7 posted...

Lolwut

Conquest was loads better than Birthright (I gotta fight Corrin even though I just killed Elise by accident BECAUSE) and Corrin isn't as much of a goody goody as she was in Birthright as well.

I'm not going to get into a debate about this, given that it's largely a matter of opinion and no one's going to win - not to mention it's been done to death, and then some. There are plenty of people who like it, and plenty who hate it. Heck, even in this small thread, there are people on both sides.

That split in opinion is exactly why I don't understand why people nerd rage over the 3DS versions because of the waifu mechanics.

Sure, let's ignore all the gameplay improvements and length as well!

I love PoR/RD but there's not nearly as much to it as the 3DS installments.
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Alright, thanks. I think I'll follow that order.
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