Current Events > Attention FE or SRPG fans: Berwick Saga is really really good

(+) Yeah! (+)

Just about finishing up my first playthrough of it, and it's a pretty sweet game.

For those not in the know, Berwick Saga was the second game released by the Fire Emblem series creator following his departure from Nintendo. Unlike Tear Ring Saga, which was basically Fire Emblem with a fresh coat of paint, Berwick is much more distinct, featuring traits such as a hex grid layout, a system where the player and AI trade individual unit actions on the same turn instead of swapping phases, mercenary units you can hire on a chapter by chapter basis, flier units being safe from melee grounds units initiating combat against them, and horses that also take damage and can die in battle.

The cast is relatively small but there's a greater emphasis on unit skills and personal gear, making them generally highly distinct from each other. There's also a much greater amount of focus on character writing, both for the non-main playable units and the npcs in the hub area. Yes, there's a hub you return to after each mission, but it's much more streamlined than the monastery from Three Houses.

Also the plot is just excellent, building subtly and with care toward some excellent late game climaxes, and the difficulty is generally pretty challenging but fair.

If I have any criticisms it's that the game can be intimidating for a new player, so definitely get help from more experienced ones. So yeah, give it a try sometime, you won't be disappointed!