The Birth of the Tactical RPG Genre
Sometime in 1987, a visionary Japanese video game developer named Shouzou Kaga began a dōjin project that combines the in-depth narrative of an RPG with the multiple characters of a tactical game called Shadow Dragon and the Blade of Light. Unbeknownst to the young developer that his passion project (known today as now iconic Fire Emblem franchise) would influence the creation of the Tactical RPG or the TRPG genre. Despite the poor reception of the first Fire Emblem entries, the franchise stood its ground and soon amassed its community of fans.
Today, the Fire Emblem franchise houses 13 main series titles, 3 remakes, and 5 spin-offs under its wing. The best part is that each of the entries is highly acclaimed by both critics and players.
What is Fire Emblem Heroes?
Fire Emblem Heroes is an award-winning spin-off of the Fire Emblem series. This free-to-play game not only follows the tactical RPG gameplay structure of the franchise but also features 418 out of the 506 characters of the entire franchise. Just like the original series, Fire Emblem Heroes features an immersive narrative, a highly detailed environment, and immersive gameplay.
You play as a summoner in a world dominated by two factions: the Kingdom of Askr and the Emblian Empire. Your allegiance lies with the Kingdom of Askr to which you must use your abilities to fend off the Emblian aggressors.
Hundreds of Characters to Discover
The overwhelming number of characters is what separates Fire Emblem Heroes from other TRPGs out there. To give you an overview of the game’s vast number of characters, check out the Fire Emblem Heroes character tier list created by the Fire Emblem Heroes community through the TierMaker website.
(Do take note that tier lists are personal opinions of veteran players and are not official. The tier list above is the result of 35 tier lists submissions on the TierMaker website. You can view more of the lists through this LINK)
The tier list highlighted above is just a single example of the vast number of available lists. After all, a single tier-list could not possibly contain a roster made up of over 400 characters and still growing.
Action-Packed Adventure
Fire Emblem Heroes features an expansive action-packed adventure, unlike anything you have experienced before. Immerse and challenge yourself to an expansive narrative divided into four books. Each book contains 13 chapters and each chapter contains 5 stages. In addition to the four books are 44 Paralogues with each one containing three stages. The game also features five Xenologues you can explore after the Paralogues.
Also, keep in mind that Fire Emblem Heroes is an expansive game, which means that additional chapters and levels may still come in future updates.
Fire Emblem Heroes Arena
Fire Emblem Heroes Arena is the place where competitive players meet. The arena comes with three categories: Offensive Score, Defensive Score, and Rank. With that said, let’s do a quick overview of all three categories.
First is the Offensive Score, which, as the name suggests, is a summation of your high scores in a maximum of five wins. Players can choose between beginner, intermediate, and advanced levels of difficulty. Each hero slain during battle will reduce the player’s score while summoning or using a bonus hero will double the points.
Next is the Defensive Score which, similar to the offensive score, is calculated according to the total defense score collected. The defensive score also depends on the strength of the player’s opponent, meaning, strong opponents provide high defense scores. Also, just like the offensive score, using a bonus character doubles the score obtained.
Both Defensive and Offensive Scores will become the determining factors of the player’s rank. Players can check their ranking by clicking on the check rewards button and refreshes every hour.
Fire Emblem Heroes is a one of a kind game fans of TRPG should not miss. This direct descendant of the genre-defining franchise is more than just a masterpiece but is also a piece of gaming history by itself.
