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For the past twenty or so years, Intelligent Systems has been steadily producing a series of Strategy RPGs in Japan that rivals any other series out there, including Final Fantasy. Now nine games strong, Fire Emblem has only recently made its way across the shores with Fire Emblem 7 (confusingly named simply Fire Emblem in America), a Gameboy Advance game meant to ease Americans in to the series. It was followed up shortly after with Fire Emblem 8 (also known as Sacred Stones), again for the GBA, but it received far less criticial acclaim than the previous game. Many felt it was too easy, the story was too simple, and it felt far more cliché than other entries in the series. Now, Nintendo unleashes upon America Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance for the Nintendo Gamecube, the first console Fire Emblem since the SNES. Is it a step forward or two steps backwards?

The first thing you'll notice about Path of Radiance, obviously enough, is that all the characters are now 3D models. This is the series' first attempt at 3D and one of the few 3D games Intelligent Systems has ever made. It may disappoint many that love the smooth and fluid animations of previous titles, but you'll eventually come to appreciate some of the amazing things the new graphical style can do. Critical attacks now pack that much more emotional oomph when viewed with a cheesy lens flare. To tell the story, you're given large character portraits, a background, and a text box below. Not exactly overwhelming. The portraits, however, look amazing. I'm disappointed that they couldn't work multiple portraits in to the game, so characters only ever present one emotion: stoic. There are a few cel-shaded CG sequences throughout the game to animate important story points, complete with some light voice acting. They're easily the highlight of the game's visual presentation, but there are sadly not enough of them.

Music in the game is just sort of there. When you take the time to sit there and listen to it or go out of your way to pay attention, you'll love what you hear. When progressing through the story, you are far more likely to notice awkward silence than you are any of the music. It's good music, don't get me wrong, it just suffers from the all-too-familiar RPG quality of being distinctly immemorable. Cut-scene voices are some times great and some times laughable (Ike panting while running through the forest had me rolling on the floor in a fit of hilarity), but they serve their purposes well. Sound-effects are particularly satisfying, like hearing a Laguz beast roar right before she does a critical attack.

Okay, so that's all the negative stuff out of the way. Now, I can safely say this: Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance is my favorite game of the series and is a serious Game of the Year contender in my mind. Yes, I'm fully aware of the implications of saying this. Path of Radiance is that good. Now, I will have to supplement that statement by saying it's certainly not a game for everyone. For every one person that likes the mind-bending difficulty, cliched but well told story, and reading twenty minute scenes after every battle, there will be ten people that don't. That's okay, this is a very niche game. If you are one of the people that loves this sort of thing, however, you'll find more enjoyment in this game than you'd ever think possible. After the first few chapters, you're left with a very ho-hum feeling, like the game is nothing special. As you go further on, though, you start thinking about the game and story more and more, until you start blowing off responsibilites just to get the Greil Mercenaries through one more fight.

The battle system, if you're not familiar with it, is brilliant in its simplicity. Fire Emblem is all about risk management. You know full well what the result will be before you attack, but you need to decide if it's worth it. Throw in the Weapon Triangle (Swords > Axes > Spears > Swords) and the Trinity of Magic (Fire > Lightning > Wind > Fire) and you have to think long and hard before you press the button to confirm an attack. Let's say your Axe user can easily take out the mage up there without so much as a counter-attack. But, on the next turn, the Paladin with the Sword can come in and take down your axe user if you move that close. Simple, right? Just don't attack the Mage and let them come to you. Wait, but the mage can come at your axe user next turn and blast him away for 27 damage if you don't kill him first. So...what do you do?

Ideally, I would be able to sit here and tell you that you have to buy Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance, because it's one of the most engaging and amazing games to come out this year - and it is, really. But it won't jive with most people, given how difficult it is (when characters die, they die forever) and what a slow start it gets off to. Not even a lot of SRPG fans will put up with what the game puts them through. For those of you that can go through with it, though, I can't recommend the game enough. The last time I was so gripped with an RPG that I had to keep playing, regardless of sleep, was way back in the old days of the SNES. Are there negatives? Of course. For example, Nintendo didn't think much of the American audience and actually removed the final boss from the game. It bothers me that someone would even consider that. But it's such a good game that I can't find myself staying mad for long.

5 out of 5 Silver Swords. It's a hard game to love, but my God, if you can get in to it, you won't regret it. I easily put it as one of my top ten games of this generation.

Also Available:

Official Nintendo Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance Player's Guide (Paperback)