The history ofFire Emblemis fraught with record highs and perilous lows. Though the franchise has been around for 30 years, it has only been international for 20 years, and has only been widely-popular for 10. The series almostsaw its end before the success ofFire Emblem: Awakening, which resurrected the series into a world-wide sensation. However, among its many historical titles,Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia–the lastFire Emblemtitle for the 3DS that released five years ago–flew under the radar of far too many fans.
Though most games in the series reimagined the features of its predecessors,Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentiamanaged to simultaneously pay homage to the game’s history while breaking the mold in unexpected ways. It retains the core elements of aFire Emblemgame, but its experiments with new mechanics pushed the boundaries of what aFire Emblemgame could be. Though a remake of an oldFire Emblemtitle,Shadows of Valentiaprovided an uncommon experience that laid the groundwork for the success ofFire Emblem: Three Houses.
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A Fire Emblem Game Like No Other
Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentiais a remake ofFire Emblem Gaiden, the second entry in the franchise. As withmany other earlyFire Emblemgames,Gaidenwas never localized for a western audience, soShadows of Valentiawas the first introduction to protagonists Alm and Celica for many players. With a drastic shift in gameplay from otherFire Emblemtitles,Gaidenis often called the “black sheep” of theFire Emblemfamily, and is compared toZelda II: The Adventure of LinkandSuper Mario Bros 2.
In many ways,Shadows of Valentiafollowed in the footsteps of the original. Plenty ofShadows of Valentia’smechanics were evolutions from those only found inGaiden. For example, rather than equipping a character with several weapons like in otherFire Emblemtitles,Shadows of Valentiacharacters carried a single weaponwith no durability. Additionally, the Weapon Triangle–the iconic rock-paper-scissors contest between axes, lances, and swords–was removed, with each weapon having different strengths and weaknesses instead. Each character also had a set class progression available to them, similar to other older titles in the franchise.Fire Emblem: Three Housessaw these systems reverted to their original state.
Shadows of Valentiaalso introduced the concept of dungeons. While otherFire Emblemgames have had optional side missions,Shadows of Valentiaallowed players to explore dungeons as Alm or Celica in a 3D map. Within these dungeons, they could find items and encounter enemies. Players could strike enemies on the world map, granting a bonus incombat akin to JRPGs likeTrails of Cold Steel. Sadly, this popular mechanic didn’t make it intoThree Houseseither.
How Shadows of Valentia Built Fire Emblem: Three Houses
However, many of the systems that the game introduced did make it into future releases.Shadows of Valentiawas the firstFire Emblemgame to be fully vocalized–all support lines and dialogue, save a few minor lines, are voice acted. It also added Mila’s Turnwheel, which allows players to rewind turns on a map. This mechanic appears inThree Housesas the Divine Pulse.
Likewise,Shadows of Valentiawas the first game to have Combat Arts. Characters could learn these techniques by using specific weapons or items for long enough, rather than based on their class as inThree Houses. Using these Combat Arts sacrificed some of the unit’s HP, rather than consuming more points of the weapon’s durability likeThree Houses.
Shadows of Valentiaalso introduced character-specific spellcasting. Each character learns a specific selection of spells they can use while in spellcasting classes–a mechanic similar toThree Houses. However, like Combat Arts,spells inFire Emblem: Shadows of Valentiaconsumed HP, rather than having limited uses per map as inThree Houses.
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ThoughShadows of Valentiawas not a perfect game, it paved the way forThree Housesto become the best-sellingFire Emblemgame to date. Because it was a remake of a less-popularFire Emblemtitle, it was never going to sell as well as a main entry. That said,Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentiawas a strong success, and isworth the time for both old and newFire Emblemfans.
Shadows of Valentia: Fire Emblem’s Diamond in the Rough
Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentiais still an exemplary title in theFire Emblemfranchise five years later. It is the first game truly capture the essence ofold schoolFire Emblemgamesin many years thanks to its shift from the norm.
This, of course, is not without its hiccups. Themap design inShadows of Valentiawas weakand repetitive at times, and the victory conditions suffered from simplicity and straightforwardness further complicated by sudden spikes in difficulty. Likewise, while the muted color scheme gave the game an old-timey feel, it can prove bland after a while. The linear nature of the game, as well as its ties to an old, weak narrative, caused some characters to appear flat and uninspiring when compared to other characters in the series.
This is most evident when comparing characters fromFire Emblem Gaidento those original toShadows of Valentia. The Rigelan royal Berkut, the Zofian noble Fernand, and Celica’s half-brother Conrad are three excellent examples. These three characters shined in the story ofFire Emblem: Shadows of Valentiaby adding layers of complexity and intrigue not present inGaiden. They also enhanced the characterization of Alm and Celica, and some of thebest characters inFire Emblemhistory, so much so that other supporting cast members seemed weak in comparison since they were still bound by their original depictions.
Fire Emblem: Shadows of Valentiashined most when it was unafraid to take risks. Though it was a remake of an older game, it still stood on its own foundation with inspired mechanics, plot threads, characterization, and innovations, topped off with an incredible soundtrack. In many ways,Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentiais what every video game remake should strive to be.
There hasn’t been word of anotherFire Emblem Echoesremake yet, despite the ample ground it could revisit.Genealogy of the Holy War,Thracia 776, andThe Binding Bladehave not been released internationally, and fans would love to experience the stories of Sigurd, Seliph, Leif, and Roy without fan translations. In addition to modern remakes of later GBA, Game Cube, andWiiFire Emblemgames, manyShadows of Valentiafans hopeFire Emblem Echoescould become a full anthology.
