Just finished Act 3 of 6, about 17 hours in. Opened both sluice gates and started marching on the upper half of the continent. Slight spoiler: Celica promotes once she reaches the Temple of Mila, just FYI. You’re encouraged to promote as soon as possible in Fire Emblem Echoes so it’s not that big a deal, but it still caught me by surprise.

Once I did move forward, though, I realized my unpromoted troops just weren’t cutting it any more. That Dread Fighter in the Dead Man’s Mire, rrghhh. Back to the Temple of Mila. On Alm’s side but I’m not impressed with the damage output from jokesters like Lukas, Python and Forsyth, so I’ve beaten a strategic retreat to the Sylvan Shrine to class everyone up up. Promotions for everyone! C’mon Clive, you can do it! You can stop being the squishiest cavalier known to man. Well at least now we know why the Deliverance was so eager to have Alm take over as leader.

Okay, all done! Hmm, Forsyth and Lukas as Knights, eh? Lukas’s speed is horrible. Forsyth has better speed and Res. But they’re just level 1 so there’s no telling how the chips will fall. I like Knights in Fire Emblem games. Knights and Mages and Archers. Of course I enjoy the other classes as well, but I have a special place for the slow and vulnerable… though Archers are ridiculously hardy and dangerous in Echoes. But only when they’re on the enemy side, hmm Python?

Now if you’ll excuse me, I suddenly have a whole bunch of new toys to play with. I wasn’t sure what to think when I heard of all the new twists to the FE formula (the dungeons in particular) but Echoes is a pretty awesome game 😀 Gameplay-wise, anyway. About the only thing I don’t like is that sometimes your party members will start out far away from the enemies in random battles and never get a hit in before the battle ends. On the other hand I love the way enemy bosses make a mad dash for your party as soon as the battle starts. That’s the kind of boss guts I like to see. Of course those guts will soon be splattered across the battlefield, but it’s the same whether they come to me or I go to them so I admire their courage either way.

The story, though… the main characters are just too dumb – seriously Celica, you can’t figure out who this masked guy is? And Alm, aren’t you going to press Mycen for a few answers? Question the old man in the castle about the past? Send someone to Ram Village to make a few inquiries? I don’t mind clueless protagonists. I don’t even mind willfully clueless ones, but you’d better not come crying “You tricked me!” or “Why didn’t you tell me!” down the line, got it?

This would have been a joint update with Shin Atelier Rorona, but after a heavy gaming session yesterday I’m about 10 game days away from finishing the last assignment from the palace. Thoughts and impressions when I’m done.

Ooh, I just leveled Clive up once and he got some speed and luck. There is hope for him yet. Okay I really must go. See you next time for a final review of Rorona!