19/06/2020

Fire Emblem Echoes - Shadows of Valentia: What now?



My first 25 hours of FEE went by without a hitch. Sure, there were a couple of tough battles here and there, some of which I barely escaped alive; but overall, it was smooth sailing. However, things took a turn for the worst upon entering the Fifth Act: that basterd Berkut sent me packing, wiping away a good chunk of my advance in the process. I was rightfully salty, but also a bit discouraged: to encounter sudden resistance after nearly a whole run spent progressing swiftly is ten times more disheartening than to struggle right off the bat. The game led me to expect an easy ride all the way to the end, and now it's slapping me in the face with tough-as-nails battles? Not fair! This sudden change of gaming fortunes led me to take a step back and ponder my next move. After a bit of musing, I see four courses of action:

 To put my run on hold: Not only do I feel like I've had my fill of FEE already, but Three Houses is stamping its feet and screaming for attention. Wouldn't it be better, then, to humour my gaming instinct and come back to FEE later with a fresh mind and renewed fondness?

To force my way through: Berkut was nearly done for when he put an end to my prowess and progress by nastily taking Alm down; this makes me think that I could win that battle with a bit of strategic tweaking. Of course, I would hate to cross the Temple of Duma only to lose again against Berkut; but still, that's definitely worth trying.


To grind like a beast: A.k.a. Me Life and my go-to solution when I struggle in an RPG. I could go back to the Fear Mountain Shrine and farm some Silver Marks there to improve my weapons. That dungeon also hosts a Cantor, which is a most convenient foe for grinding purposes: its sole move is to summon Gargoyles, thus providing potentially endless waves of leveling-up fodder. The only thing that stops me from running there right away is the game's stinginess when it comes to granting XP; with my crew boasting the levels they boast, it could take hours before I manage to buff them enough to steamroll Berkut.

To restart a more streamlined run: A very tempting option, I must admit. I resorted to it when playing Fates, and it just saved everything my run, my fun, my love for that game, you name it. Not only that, but I really enjoyed Echoes' early stages, and I totally wouldn't mind replaying them again with added mastery of the gameplay's ins and outs.

I'm still on the fence right now, with all four options looking equally appetizing. I'll tell you more when my gaming instinct is done settling the matter, dear fellow gamers; until then, take care and keep gaming!

4 comments:

  1. Just press on as best as you can. Minimal grinding and more patient strategizing should see you through... maybe. It's because of stuff like this that I play FE on Casual Mode these days.

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    1. Oh, I am playing in Casual Mode allright...😜 But even in Casual, it's instant Game Over if the MC falls in battle. A real pain, especially when the battle in question is almost over... Oh, well. I haven't firmly decided what to do yet, but pressing on looks more and more like the best option. After all, I WAS close to winning...

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  2. Heh, if you liked this entry, I'd say stick with it. Grind and thought the last boss out.

    But since you liked how streamlined this version is, Three Houses is not for you. It's not even for me, I still enjoyed playing Fates, flaws and all. But Three Houses, ugggh, just thinking about it makes me sick. Only had two play sessions with it since I bought it, and boy do I have no urge to go back. I don't want to run around the same boring hub world in a bloody fire emblem game (and the school is ugly to boot), especially since you have to check every place to see if one of your stupid students has a new sidequest for you. Speaking of sidequests, no, I don't want to have a bloody garden in a FE game either! And I especially don't want the constant stress because of the stupid calendar system. I hate feeling like I might miss something or even not get to marry the character I like because I missed something obscure. That's why Persona games are my least favourite Megaten games, screw that calendar!

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    1. But Berkut is not even the last boss; there's more pest coming after him!😅 Jeez, I really hate when RPGs go hard on you at End Game's doors. When it's hard from the get-go, you at least know what to expect, and grind accordingly. Oh, well...

      "But since you liked how streamlined this version is, Three Houses is not for you": I'll give it a go still; my ever-faithful gaming instinct wants that game so bad that I have to humour it 😜 And if it doesn't gel, then to the pawning shop it goes!

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