The Fire Emblem gamesare some of the most well-known Tactical JRPGs by Nintendo. With 14 main series games, 3 remakes, and 5 spin-offs, it is no wonder that the series has made its roots in the video game world.
Considering there are so many games in the series, you may be wondering which one is the best and which you should play in order to get yourself into the series. Here is a list of the best ones ranked by their features, Metacritic Scores, and units sold.
10Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon (2009 - DS)
Metacritic Score: 81
What Makes This Game Great:
Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragonfollows Marth (made popular by Super Smash Bros.) as he works to destroy the evil Shadow Dragon, Medeus. This game (or the original version of it) is arguably the most important game in the series. ConsideringShadow Dragon and the Blade of Lightwas the first Fire Emblem game ever, this remake ensured that players who never got the chance to play the game were able to enjoy it and see where it all started.
The true reason you’ll love this game is that the game offers players the chance to save mid-battle, something that a lot of fans want to see return. Something else that truly makes the game stick out is that the DS dual screens make battling inFire Emblemmuch easier. While the original game was on one screen, the double screens allow you to truly immerse yourself in what’s happening in the game and to your team throughout. Overall, this game offers the originalFire Emblemexperience in a more modern package.
Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon
WHERE TO PLAY
9Fire Emblem Warriors: Three Hopes (2022 - Switch)
Metacritic Score: 80, Units Sold: 1 Million
Fire Emblem Warriors: Three Hopesis a spin-off of theFire Emblem: Three Housesgame. In the original game, you will play as Byleth, a professor at the academy. In this game, you get to play as Shez, a student at Byleth’s academy. What makes this game so interesting is that it is actually an alternative timeline. In the original game, Byleth is a mercenary-turned-professor, and in this game, he’s a mercenary—he’s the antagonist.
One reason thatFire Emblem Warriors: Three Hopesisn’t as well perceived as the original game is because it isn’treallyaFire Emblemgame. The truth is that, while the game certainly has some of the same features as before, it also features a vastly different gameplay experience. Instead of being a strategy game, it is a hack-and-slash where you will kill anything and everything. This game certainly isn’t thenormal Fire Emblemexperience, but it is a worthwhile one, especially if you likedFire Emblem: Three Houses.
Fire Emblem Warriors: Three Hopes
8Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance (2005 - GameCube)
Metacritic Score: 85, Units Sold: Around 500,000
WhileFire Emblem: Path of Radiancewasn’t well-perceived at the time due to graphics, having the advantage of hindsight shows that the game’s graphics weren’t any worse than some of the GameCube’s other video games. The 3D maps actually became essential in planning out attacks since you could easily see and understand obstacles as opposed to the 2D maps done on all games before this.
The game follows Ike (who garnered attention for the game due to his role inSuper Smash Bros) as he tries to rid the Daein from Crimea. The game was well ahead of its time, dealing with heavy-hitting topics such as racism, violence, and death in heartfelt and meaningful ways. The game may not have received the love that it deserved back in the day, but it has certainly shown that it can hold up to all other games on the console.
Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance
7Fire Emblem: The Scared Stones (2005 - GBA)
Metacritic Score:85, Units Sold: Around 800,000
Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stoneswas released for the GBA and featured some new and exciting additions. For starters, thisFire Emblemgame allowed you to play with friends. This meant that you could connect your GBAs and fight in the Link Arena, where you could fight to the death as individuals or groups. Thankfully, Permadeath and other frightening mechanics were turned off during this mode.
What truly makes this game stand out is the storyline. The game follows siblings, Eirika and Ephraim, as they work together (but usually separated) to save their homeland of Renais from those invading it. The storyline will have you truly caring about the twins, and when the horrific events (such as their best friend becoming a slave to the antagonist) happen to them, you will truly feel heartbreak for the characters you have come to love. The game works well at keeping players invested until the end.
Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones
6Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia (2017 - 3DS)
Metacritic Score - 81, Units Sold: 1 Million
Just like withFire Emblem: Shadow Dragon, Fire Emblem:Shadows of Valentiais a remake of an older game in the series. The game follows the storyline ofFire Emblem Gaiden,the second installment in the franchise while also improving upon it entirely. While very little was rewritten, there was a small amount of rewriting done in order to ensure that players from outside of Japan were able to understand the game. This remake ensured that younger players would experience the game that was only released for the Famicom (and via Virtual Consoles later on).
What will make you want to play this game is the additional features that have been added to the game. The most exciting feature for players was the ability to turn Permadeath on and off by playing Classic or Casual Mode. Permadeath was found in almost everyFire Emblemgame before this and meant that if a character fell in battle, they were dead. Another addition was revamping the Dungeon Crawling feature from the original game. Finally, another interesting feature is that the Weapons Triangle System was removed entirely, meaning that all characters had standard weapons, which made the game more accessible.
Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia
5Fire Emblem Fates (2015 - 3DS)
Metacritic Score: 88, Units Sold: 3.1 Million
Fire Emblem Fatesis one of the most controversial games in the entire series. While a ton of fans absolutely loved the game, there were some who were not impressed, and some critics also weren’t happy with the game. The reason for this is thatFire Emblem Fatesactually has three different versions:Birthright, Conquest,andRevelations. This means that if you want everything that the game offers, you would need to purchase all three versions. In each version, you will be fighting for a different side (or being an enemy of both) in a devastating war. This makes the game replayable, but mainly if you have each version.
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One of the most spoken-about features of the game is the “My Castle.” This feature allows you to create a village for your team. you may decorate it with different themes, depending on which version of the game you have. You could use the Hoshidan Style, where your castle is surrounded by beautiful cherry blossoms, or you could use Nestrian Style, which makes your castle a beautiful castle by the sea. While other games in the series offer a home base similar to My Castle, this feature makes use of the StreetPass feature on the 3DS. This means that other players can come to your base and use your amenities; so, you never know who you may find when you head back to your base.
Fire Emblem Fates
4Fire Emblem: The Blazing Blade (2003 - GBA)
Metacritic Score: 88, Units Sold: Around 980,000
Fire Emblem: The Blazing Blade, also known as justFire Emblem, was the first game in the series that was released outside of Japan, meaning it was the first time that anyone in the West was able to get their hands on the series. Considering this was a prequel to an earlier game, it was an interesting game to start the Western World on, and it featured several long introductory chapters to catch players up with the story and gameplay.
What makes this game so interesting is that it truly exceeded expectations when it came to the design of the game. The sprites and artwork for the game were intricately done and have stuck out as some of the best artwork to date for aFire Emblemgame. While today’s games are more advanced, the amazing 2D sprites used inThe Blazing Bladetruly captivated players and will keep you wondering how they look so amazing for a game that has been out since 2003. They were impressive for the time and are even more impressive now that we know what other GBA games looked like. Whether you are traveling around Elibe looking for your next adventure, or you are watching the characters grow old, this game looks absolutely amazing.
Fire Emblem: The Blazing Blade
3Fire Emblem: Engage (2023 - Switch)
Metacritic: 80, Units Sold: 1.61 Million
Why This Game Is Great:
Fire Emblem: Engagewas the second game to be featured on the Switch, and it deviated from the norm of the series a lot, which is one reason it is so interesting. One thing that the game did well was that it brought back the main characters from the past games without it being a fan service. The characters truly had a reason to all be back, and so many fan favorites were seen again. When the game was first announced, a lot of players worried that the game would be bringing back old characters just for the sake of saying they were back. However, the team did an amazing job at ensuring that fans saw their favorite characters for a reason.
This game is made for a certain type of player. One reason that the game isn’t always ranked high on lists is that you truly do not have to build relationships in the game. While mostFire Emblemgames want you to focus on building ateam,this game focuses on buildingyourself.Your team is important, and you can make lasting relationships with them, but the game isn’t nearly as social as the others in the franchise. Depending on how you feel about those relationships, you may or may not enjoy this game. Considering the removal of an emphasis on relationships attracted players who have never played before, this game deserves a mention.
Fire Emblem Engage
2Fire Emblem: Three Houses (2019 - Switch)
Metacritic Score: 89, Units Sold: 4.12 Million
Fire Emblem: Three Houseswas the firstFire Emblemon the Switch, which allowed it to be played on the TV from the beginning. This meant that players could truly see their game at a much larger resolution, allowing for more strategizing since more of the battlefield was visible. Before this, almost allFire Emblemgames were on the much smaller screens of handhelds. The ability to have the game on a hybrid console took it to a new level and allowed players to truly take control of the game and each situation.
What truly makes the game great is that it has amazing replayability that will encourage you to replay and connect with other characters. Like mostFire Emblemgames, the relationships that you build with other characters will be so important as you fight your way through the game. With this game, you can replay as many times as you want, working to get closer to different characters each time. These characters will offer fresh insights into the world, the lore, and the content that is within the game. As you play through the game, getting close to different characters, you will begin to feel connected to each one.
Fire Emblem: Three Houses
1Fire Emblem: Awakening (2012 - 3DS)
Metacritic Score: 92, Units Sold: 2.37 Million
Fire Emblem Awakeningwasthe Fire Emblemgame that made the franchise go mainstream. Before this moment,Fire Emblemwas known, but it wasn’t as well-received, especially in the West. Chrom and Robin are some of the most well-known and loved characters in the series. While Marth and Ike may be well-known because they were inSuper Smash Bros(even before the franchise made it out of Japan), Chrom and Robin are actually known for theFire Emblemgame they came from, which was rare at the time.
Furthermore, the relationships between these characters truly cement this game as one of the best. As the game plays out, you will slowly begin to realize that these characters are inextricably linked together, even if they don’t know it. The ties cause them to grow and will make you truly care about them in a way that wasn’t seen before in any otherFire Emblemgame. In the end, depending on your choices, the characters can die or live, and you will want to see both Chrom and Robin make it to the end. The way that the two are connected along with being connected to “Marth”, who turns out to actually be Lucina, Chrom’s future daughter, truly makes the game a unique experience. Together, the three can create a better future for Lucina.
Fire Emblem: Awakening
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