FIRE EMBLEM HEROES
Nintendo’s third stab at mobile gaming could be its deepest yet, with Fire Emblem Heroes delivering an experience that pays homage to the beloved series while also carving its own identity. By combining familiar gameplay mechanics with dozens of iconic characters, Fire Emblem Heroes crafts a deceptively deep SRPG perfectly suited for mobile.
THE GOOD
Fire Emblem Heroes does an excellent job of translating the existing gameplay formula to iOS and Android. Admittedly, it lacks some of the depth of the 3DS entries, yet often feels just as challenging. Managing your capable squad of heroes still requires a keen sense of strategy, albeit on a smaller and somewhat simplified scale. Every battle is controlled with a swipe of your finger, ensuring each move takes advantage of your enemy's hidden weakness.
The solo campaign is a nostalgic trip through Fire Emblem history as you encounter characters from previous entries summoned into your world by an evil sorceress. Each chapter has you battling through a series of skirmishes before coming across the iconic individual in question. Duking it out with them is a blast, even if at times the difficulty feels lacking.
The core appeal of Fire Emblem Heroes is arguably in its addictive recruitment system. By sacrificing hard earned orbs, the game’s main currency, you can recruit Heroes from across the Fire Emblem universe. These are all picked at random, with the likes of Marth, Chrom and Lucina ruling the top spots. Additional orbs are obtained through completing challenges and story missions, with new characters acting as occasional rewards.
best action games for android
It's worth noting that Fire Emblem Heroes is utterly gorgeous, setting a potential benchmark for the franchise in visual fidelity. The HD character models make their 3DS counterparts look ancient by comparison, awash with a sequence of gorgeous colour and animation. This quality carries over to the dialogue, which turns a nonsensical plot into a fun, charming tale that doesn't take itself too seriously.
THE BAD
At times it can feel like Fire Emblem Heroes relies far too heavily on loot mechanics, expecting players to grind for endless orbs before praying their favourite hero appears. Building up your squad of regal fighters is great fun, but being stuck with a load of generic nobodies can be frustrating. However, it does make your eventual drenching of luck all the sweeter.
The constant stream of identical missions can also grow repetitive. Unlike other Fire Emblem titles, Heroes has no fleshed out base to explore. Instead, you are relegated to a single screen with characters having little of interest to say. Training modes and weekly events will likely alleviate the tedium, but long-term players may grow tired overtime.
THE VERDICT
Fire Emblem Heroes is a solid adaptation of the beloved franchise to smartphones, even if there are a few stumbles along the way.
Nintendo’s third stab at mobile gaming could be its deepest yet, with Fire Emblem Heroes delivering an experience that pays homage to the beloved series while also carving its own identity. By combining familiar gameplay mechanics with dozens of iconic characters, Fire Emblem Heroes crafts a deceptively deep SRPG perfectly suited for mobile.
THE GOOD
Fire Emblem Heroes does an excellent job of translating the existing gameplay formula to iOS and Android. Admittedly, it lacks some of the depth of the 3DS entries, yet often feels just as challenging. Managing your capable squad of heroes still requires a keen sense of strategy, albeit on a smaller and somewhat simplified scale. Every battle is controlled with a swipe of your finger, ensuring each move takes advantage of your enemy's hidden weakness.
The solo campaign is a nostalgic trip through Fire Emblem history as you encounter characters from previous entries summoned into your world by an evil sorceress. Each chapter has you battling through a series of skirmishes before coming across the iconic individual in question. Duking it out with them is a blast, even if at times the difficulty feels lacking.
The core appeal of Fire Emblem Heroes is arguably in its addictive recruitment system. By sacrificing hard earned orbs, the game’s main currency, you can recruit Heroes from across the Fire Emblem universe. These are all picked at random, with the likes of Marth, Chrom and Lucina ruling the top spots. Additional orbs are obtained through completing challenges and story missions, with new characters acting as occasional rewards.
best action games for android
It's worth noting that Fire Emblem Heroes is utterly gorgeous, setting a potential benchmark for the franchise in visual fidelity. The HD character models make their 3DS counterparts look ancient by comparison, awash with a sequence of gorgeous colour and animation. This quality carries over to the dialogue, which turns a nonsensical plot into a fun, charming tale that doesn't take itself too seriously.
THE BAD
At times it can feel like Fire Emblem Heroes relies far too heavily on loot mechanics, expecting players to grind for endless orbs before praying their favourite hero appears. Building up your squad of regal fighters is great fun, but being stuck with a load of generic nobodies can be frustrating. However, it does make your eventual drenching of luck all the sweeter.
The constant stream of identical missions can also grow repetitive. Unlike other Fire Emblem titles, Heroes has no fleshed out base to explore. Instead, you are relegated to a single screen with characters having little of interest to say. Training modes and weekly events will likely alleviate the tedium, but long-term players may grow tired overtime.
THE VERDICT
Fire Emblem Heroes is a solid adaptation of the beloved franchise to smartphones, even if there are a few stumbles along the way.
