Developer/Publisher: Intelligent Systems/Nintendo Released: April 2013

Played on: 3DS

Triumph early on in Fire Emblem: Awakening is a thrilling shot of satisfaction that becomes a time-sucking addiction. Repeated failure in the last third of the game becomes a humiliating cycle of rage. Awakening is one of my favourite games of 2013, but if I ever touch it again I’ll probably snap my 3DS in two.

Fire Emblem: Awakening is a tactical RPG with incredible depth and a variety of difficulties to suit both hardcore and less experienced gamers. You can choose a low difficulty and turn off perma-death, or you can disallow mid-game saves and make absolutely every move count. You gradually build up a party of characters to control in turn-based strategy battles on moderately sized maps that take between 15-45 minutes to complete. Additionally, you can customise each character’s gear, have them develop personal bonds on and off the battlefield to assist each other, and level them up through successful combat. Each of these is essential to strengthening your party.

This level of depth and customisation is extremely impressive and well executed, but is ultimately where I failed. I didn’t build a party with broad enough skills nor spend enough time improving equipment loadouts and upgrades. By the time I got to final third of the game I just didn’t have a strong or versatile enough army to progress. I don’t think this is a failing in the game, if I wanted to I could build up my forces by playing the re-spawning side missions, or just start again and play a little more patiently, but I simply don’t have the heart to do it.

The game’s fantasy narrative is quite a saga, told with good humour and a dash of pathos. What distinguishes Awakening further from more traditional turn-based strategies is the quality of its characters. Each member of your party has a unique personality and a seemingly infinite amount of dialogue, much of which you would miss in a particular playthrough. Growing fond of each character makes their actions on the battlefield all the more significant, and watching one cut down in one of the fast-paced battle sequences becomes a gut wrenching affair, particularly if perma-death is enabled.

Verdict: If you want a handheld turn-based tactical game, you will not find better than Awakening. I just suck at it.

Should Bradley play this: Yes, he should take my copy as far away from me as possible.