Best Fire Emblem Game for a Beginner

[Mr.Munchlax]

For any & all Fire Emblem players out there, I need some advice. I never got into the games before since I didn’t know they existed until a few years ago & by then I thought it would be too confusing to try them out. However, after seeing this video, it really got me interested in the series & now I want to try it out myself. Plus, I’m currently working on a secret project at the moment, so I thought I’d try the game out to give me a few ideas.

However, I still don’t know anything about Fire Emblem outside of this video, so I’m not sure what would be the best game to start out with for a noob/beginner like me. As far as consoles go, I currently have a 3DS, a DS, a Gameboy Advanced SP, & a Steam account. If anyone has any advice on which game I should start out with, I would greatly appreciate it.

 

[Hydreigonborn]

I'm a relative newcomer to the series, and I've played them in this order:
Awakening
Birthright
Conquest
Revelation
Fire Emblem (GBA)
Sacred Stones
Shadows of Valentia

From what I've heard Awakening is the best to start with.

 

[BurbleBurble]

Well, as far as English releases go, the first one released in English was Fire Emblem: Blazing Sword, but was just translated as straight up Fire Emblem. And it's pretty good for a starter game! But the next one, Sacred Stones, is just as accessible and just as good as Blazing Sword. I cannot recommend the DS games (Shadow Dragon and New Emblem, the latter of which never got officially translated) because if I'm being honestly they are ugly as all get out. I also can't recommend the games for Gamecube and Wii, Path of Radiance and Radiant Dawn, as they are quite different and hard to find in comparison. Then we get into the 3DS games- I personally think either Fire Emblem Awakening or Fire Emblem Fates: Birthright are a good choice here. They both have serviceable stories and have adjustable difficulty. One last place I'd recommend is the mobile game, Heroes, as it introduces the characters out of several games.

HOWEVER. If you want to delve into the world of Japan releases...
Avoid the NES games. They are slow, clunky. Just don't.
SNES games are touted pretty well, and most are translated. Do avoid one known as Thracia 776, because that is the hardest game in the series.
Of course, you must understand that you probably have to use a *cough*emulator*cough* for these games.

Yeah, so essentially Awakening or one of the English GBA titles, and if you want more recent there is Birthright. Also there is Shadows of Valentia, the newest entry in the series, which is a very pretty but incredibly dull game. Play for the story and presentation, but definitely not the game there.

 

[Keleri]

I love Fire Emblem. I started with Blazing Sword on an emulator since I wasn't sure if I would like Awakening, and I liked it so much that I played it, Sacred Stones, and Shadow Dragon.

 

[Aura]

Personally whenever people ask this, I recommend Sacred Stones to start with. Mainly because it's quite an easy game, the mechanics easily extend to other games in the series, it's got a really engaging plot in my opinion, and overall is just a blast. It's simply the kind of game that really get's to the heart of what Fire Emblem is, while being easily accessible to newcomers. Blazing Sword also works for this as well, I just find Sacred Stones to be a more enjoyable game.

If that doesn't suit, I would suggest Awakening, only because the flaws in that game aren't nearly as noticeable if you don't have any knowledge of previous games. Thing's like the terrible map design, gimmicky characters, lack of strategy, OP mechanics, and terrible balancing on lunatic difficulties are much harder to forgive later on. Don't get me wrong, you can still really enjoy it, but I just find that I don't have nearly as much fun with it than when I got into the series (starting with Awakening). Basically, if you're really craving strategy, don't start with Awakening, but if you just want to have a fun romp, go for it.

 

[OnePiecefan11]

I started off with Fire Emblem Blazing Sword and I feel like it's a great start for anyone who wants to get into the series. It's not insanely difficult and gets you the hang of how the mechanics work for the rest of the series.

 

[What Did You Do To Snoke?]

The only Fire Emblem game I have played is, I believe Sacred Stones. I got it as one of those wierd free renewed games from the 3DS e-shop. Despite people saying it was easy in this thread, I haven't been able to complete one particular level in the game.

 

[Brendan Savem]

Any of the games that allow gaining experience outside of the story maps is good for beginners, it lets you grind up your units and makes them better prepared for the story ones. Off the top of my head, that's Sacred Stones, Awakening, and Fates:Birthright. I personally found Awakening to be the easiest, due to the way pair-ups worked back then. In terms of engagement, I find myself torn between Awakening and Sacred Stones. SS got me interested, and Awakening sealed the deal for me, so really I can't say which one is the better game.