Fire Emblem Fates: Birthright (Nintendo 3DS, 2016) New

Personally I did like this game mostly because of the little town hub and the customizability. Story-wise I wasn't really invested. It was alright. This was my first Fire Emblem game when it first came out, so I didn't have anything to compare it to at the time.

Animal Crossing New Leaf is an AWESOME Game!

Nintendo Animal Crossing New Leaf game for 3DS is AWESOME! I hesitated to buy it having played an Animal Crossing game on the Wii and getting hooked. I finally gave in... also decided to go with a second hand game...took a chance & it's like new. I learned how to delete or erase the old file and start new. I'm hooked. I have to limit myself so I can get other things done. SO GLAD I bought this!!!!

Birthright- Choosing Hoshido

I've played a few of the Fire Emblem games along with the two other version of Fates, Conquest and Revelations.As a Fire Emblem game, this one has many refined improvements. All the weapons can be infinitely used except for staffs and consumable items. The "My Castle" incentivizes me to come back and level everyone to max with all their skills. The cards that you get at the end of the game are the most important, since Revelations is my "true" version.In terms of the three versions, this version is definitely the easiest. Even when playing on the highest difficulty on normal, I found it fairly easy. This is mostly due to lots of money and experience being widely available. Scouting made things a lot easier. This game is different from the dual releases of ... MoreI've played a few of the Fire Emblem games along with the two other version of Fates, Conquest and Revelations.As a Fire Emblem game, this one has many refined improvements. All the weapons can be infinitely used except for staffs and consumable items. The "My Castle" incentivizes me to come back and level everyone to max with all their skills. The cards that you get at the end of the game are the most important, since Revelations is my "true" version.In terms of the three versions, this version is definitely the easiest. Even when playing on the highest difficulty on normal, I found it fairly easy. This is mostly due to lots of money and experience being widely available. Scouting made things a lot easier. This game is different from the dual releases of Pokémon. This game is a completely different perspective from Conquest. I would recommend though to play this game first, Conquest second, and Revelations third. This is because it is easier to pay attention to the foundation that Birthright sets, before throwing your 3DS to the ground in frustration with Conquest.Pros:+Amount of in-game content is pretty large.+The new classes and characters are amazing+Phoenix mode is great for newcomers or young players+Great worthwhile DLC (Recommend the DLC Packs 1 & 2) and easy/convenient to obtain in game.+Voice work is pretty good.+Still things to do after endgame.+You can visit other people's castles and obtain characters and items.Cons-Can be way too easy for older or more experienced fans of the series- Visiting all the locations in My Castle after every battle gets tedious.- Marriage scenes aren't as good as Awakening

Different but disappointing

After loving Fire Emblem Awakening I was very excited to have a brand new Fire Emblem. However, Birthright failed to capture me with its characters the way Awakening did. All of the pieces are there to replicate the amazing experience of Awakening, but it ultimately fails to deliver memorable characters. The majority of the characters feel one-note or uninteresting, lacking any kind of complex personalities. The gameplay has received some fun twists that refresh the experience. New classes and twists on classic ones bring new kinds of strategies to experiment with, leading to fun character combinations. This is definitely a more difficult than Awakening, so if you’re looking for gameplay over story or character you may enjoy this game. Ultimately I’ve loved this ... MoreAfter loving Fire Emblem Awakening I was very excited to have a brand new Fire Emblem. However, Birthright failed to capture me with its characters the way Awakening did. All of the pieces are there to replicate the amazing experience of Awakening, but it ultimately fails to deliver memorable characters. The majority of the characters feel one-note or uninteresting, lacking any kind of complex personalities. The gameplay has received some fun twists that refresh the experience. New classes and twists on classic ones bring new kinds of strategies to experiment with, leading to fun character combinations. This is definitely a more difficult than Awakening, so if you’re looking for gameplay over story or character you may enjoy this game. Ultimately I’ve loved this series for its story and characters, leaving me disappointed.

Excellent Casual Game for Relaxation. Very easy gameplay.

This game is quite fun and as a new player to the series, I really enjoy the casual gameplay. If your looking for an action game, this probably isn't for you. In this game you can plant trees to collect fruit, break rocks for money or gems, fish, shake trees for random loot, dig up fossils, dive, and catch bugs. Each day you can do all these things and find different items (especially as seasons change). By collecting bugs, fossils, and fish, you can donate them to the local museum, where you can view your critters up close in habitats and tanks. Each day you will be visited by random characters, including ones like "Gulliver" (the washed up pelican, who will quiz you on a country. If you answer correctly, you will receive a gift from him themed from that country). ... MoreThis game is quite fun and as a new player to the series, I really enjoy the casual gameplay. If your looking for an action game, this probably isn't for you. In this game you can plant trees to collect fruit, break rocks for money or gems, fish, shake trees for random loot, dig up fossils, dive, and catch bugs. Each day you can do all these things and find different items (especially as seasons change). By collecting bugs, fossils, and fish, you can donate them to the local museum, where you can view your critters up close in habitats and tanks. Each day you will be visited by random characters, including ones like "Gulliver" (the washed up pelican, who will quiz you on a country. If you answer correctly, you will receive a gift from him themed from that country). It's a very simple concept and a great way to pass the time. As time progresses in real life, so does it progress in the game. As mayor, you can build new facilities. The more you do, the more shops will open up on main street. Don't forget, you also get your own house. You can decorate as you like and even upgrade to a bigger home.

Fantastic strategy game

Fire Emblem Fates Birthright will feel instantly familiar to fans of Awakening, the previous game in the series, while offering meaningful improvements. These include a better base management system, an expanded weapon triangle (the game's equivalent of rock/paper/scissors) and branching story lines. On a side note, to see both storylines you will need to purchase Fire Emblem Fates Conquest. I will avoid commenting on whether that split was a wise decision or not by Nintendo, but is widely agreed that the games offer different experiences and are both fully fleshed out in their own right. Birthright maintains Awakenings relationship building, side quests to continually level up, and the ability to turn off permanent-death (though my preference would be to leave it ... MoreFire Emblem Fates Birthright will feel instantly familiar to fans of Awakening, the previous game in the series, while offering meaningful improvements. These include a better base management system, an expanded weapon triangle (the game's equivalent of rock/paper/scissors) and branching story lines. On a side note, to see both storylines you will need to purchase Fire Emblem Fates Conquest. I will avoid commenting on whether that split was a wise decision or not by Nintendo, but is widely agreed that the games offer different experiences and are both fully fleshed out in their own right. Birthright maintains Awakenings relationship building, side quests to continually level up, and the ability to turn off permanent-death (though my preference would be to leave it on in order to keep the stakes high).For newcomers to the Fire Emblem franchise, or those that have played previous entries but are picking up these first Fates game, this is a solid starting point. The difficulty is reasonable, and there is always a joyful moment when beating a mission with all troops surviving (again, this is enhanced with perma death on).Story line is adequate. It has its twists and turns, but is fleshed out nicely by Post-battle interactions between troops. I found those to be charming, and certainly increased my attachment to the characters.Overall, this is a good buy for anyone looking for a strategy game with well-rounded RPG elements.

Fire Emblem Fates

To review just Fire Emblem Fates Birthright, I'd give it 3.5 out of 5 stars. It builds upon the Fire Emblem Awakening gameplay with a handful of balance tweaks and a couple of new abilities, such as Dragon Veins, which allow certain characters to permanently alter areas of any given map in real time. While the writing is characteristically good for a Fire Emblem game, the story fails to maintain any real interest, and is flat out cringeworthy at times. Thankfully, the strategic gameplay is as solid as ever, and doesn't detract from the game all that much. Those looking first and foremost for a rich story in an RPG won't find it here.Fire Emblem Fates Conquest brings with it a different approach to the same conflict presented in Birthright, with a marginally better ... MoreTo review just Fire Emblem Fates Birthright, I'd give it 3.5 out of 5 stars. It builds upon the Fire Emblem Awakening gameplay with a handful of balance tweaks and a couple of new abilities, such as Dragon Veins, which allow certain characters to permanently alter areas of any given map in real time. While the writing is characteristically good for a Fire Emblem game, the story fails to maintain any real interest, and is flat out cringeworthy at times. Thankfully, the strategic gameplay is as solid as ever, and doesn't detract from the game all that much. Those looking first and foremost for a rich story in an RPG won't find it here.Fire Emblem Fates Conquest brings with it a different approach to the same conflict presented in Birthright, with a marginally better story/plot, and trickier gameplay. Enemy units are more often outfitted with skills that will trip you up if you aren't mindful, and some map objectives present a higher difficulty than that found in Birthright.Fire Emblem Fates Revelation serves as the ultimate version of the branched storyline in Fire Emblem Fates, bringing both games' casts and gameplay together to bring the story to a full and proper conclusion. I've yet to beat Revelation, but so far it is shaping up to give Conquest (my favorite) a run for its money.For those looking for a no-frills Fire Emblem game out of Fates, I'd recommend starting with Birthright. For those who are already familiar with Fire Emblem and/or want a challenge, start with Conquest. The music is absolutely excellent in all three games, and the gameplay is generally solid. Overall, I'd give Fire Emblem Fates in its entirety 4.5 out of 5 stars.

Hooked for life!

This RPG has a great deal to it! There are events that happen throughout the year in this game that sync with your 3DS' clock and calendar. Small things like the leaves changing in real time to big things like Thanksgiving. You earn money (bells) by harvesting fruits, catching fish, and DOZENS of other things. You can collect up to ten residents in your town and they will give you items so you can customize your own home. There are hundreds of furniture pieces that you can design your own home with, or barter with your town's residents. You can plants trees and gardens to customize your town to your liking. As you progress though the game, you can unlock various features to add to your town like water fountains, cafes, windmills. The Wifi features allow you to ... MoreThis RPG has a great deal to it! There are events that happen throughout the year in this game that sync with your 3DS' clock and calendar. Small things like the leaves changing in real time to big things like Thanksgiving. You earn money (bells) by harvesting fruits, catching fish, and DOZENS of other things. You can collect up to ten residents in your town and they will give you items so you can customize your own home. There are hundreds of furniture pieces that you can design your own home with, or barter with your town's residents. You can plants trees and gardens to customize your town to your liking. As you progress though the game, you can unlock various features to add to your town like water fountains, cafes, windmills. The Wifi features allow you to invite three other players into your town, or you can go visit theirs, and earn bonuses. You can visit thousands of other players towns in the "dream" function, that they don't even have to be online for you to visit. Sadly, those are not in real time. The treat however comes where if they last saved their town to the database, you could end up seeing snowmen in the middle of summer. ^_^ If your a fan of streetpass features, this game allows you to visit up to ten peoples homes that you walked by. you canvisit only their home, but you can order furniture you might not have obtained in your own game. Sometimes you can upload special Mii's from WiFi from Nintendo who can give out EXCLUSIVE items! I HIGHLY recommend this for ANY age! It's fun for friends to spend time with one another in-game, but the best part is that ANYONE can play it. You don't have to have a special set of skills like marksmanship in order to play this. Really, I am hooked for life! If I never play any other game again, this will be the only one!

Open-ended fun and relaxation, years of play!

A great game for children and even adults. It is a relaxing, slow-paced game with no linear story and open-ended goals that allow you to choose your own path with no one expecting anything from you even though the animal villagers welcome you as their town's mayor. There's lots to do, many things to collect if the player wishes to, and cute villagers to interact with. You can have fun decorating your house, landscaping your town, designing clothes, and donationing art, bugs, fish, and fossils to the town museum. Game time flows with real time, with in-game holidays and events to celebrate many real-world holidays and even birthdays for you and your fellow villagers. The graphics and sound are both lovely, and even after several years of playing I am still not tired ... MoreA great game for children and even adults. It is a relaxing, slow-paced game with no linear story and open-ended goals that allow you to choose your own path with no one expecting anything from you even though the animal villagers welcome you as their town's mayor. There's lots to do, many things to collect if the player wishes to, and cute villagers to interact with. You can have fun decorating your house, landscaping your town, designing clothes, and donationing art, bugs, fish, and fossils to the town museum. Game time flows with real time, with in-game holidays and events to celebrate many real-world holidays and even birthdays for you and your fellow villagers. The graphics and sound are both lovely, and even after several years of playing I am still not tired of it. Also, this game is a nice escape for individuals who suffer from things like anxiety and depression, like I do. Parents of younger children should be aware that there is an online component, though it is not a default mode or a required state (most gameplay is offline and done solo). To interact online, players must be within range of another 3DS/2DS or would have to exchange Friend Codes on the 3DS/2DS in order to purposefully interact with other players, or they can acquire an in-game item on the island thatwill allow the player access to an online version of the island (called Club Tortimer) in which random people from around the country/world can be found. There are of course options to leave if the interaction is not fun or making the player uncomfortable, and options to block a particular person on the island. Disable the wifi on the 3DS/2DS and there definitely won't be an issue.

Sweet family fun

Animal Crossing New Leaf is not an action game. The game play is fairly slow, in that you build up your town slowly and have certain requirements of befriending the villagers, building work projects, etc. But it is very engaging and entertaining! My son started playing around age 5, before he could read (you have to read conversations with the animal villagers, rather than hearing them, since they talk "Animalese" instead of English). He's now 9 and still plays it off and on. He's abandoned it several times for more action-packed games, but he always comes back to it. As a grown-up, I also play it. I've been more of a steady player, and have built several towns. If you're in to online interactions, you can find an Animal Crossing Facebook page and play interactively ... MoreAnimal Crossing New Leaf is not an action game. The game play is fairly slow, in that you build up your town slowly and have certain requirements of befriending the villagers, building work projects, etc. But it is very engaging and entertaining! My son started playing around age 5, before he could read (you have to read conversations with the animal villagers, rather than hearing them, since they talk "Animalese" instead of English). He's now 9 and still plays it off and on. He's abandoned it several times for more action-packed games, but he always comes back to it. As a grown-up, I also play it. I've been more of a steady player, and have built several towns. If you're in to online interactions, you can find an Animal Crossing Facebook page and play interactively with other people, but it's just as fun if you don't do that. Overall, we've enjoyed it very much, and I highly recommend it!