Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance for GameCube

GF Rating

9

Excellent

Great game to rent

posted by Iraloss (BELLEVUE, WA) Apr 19, 2006

Member since Jan 2006

13 out of 15 gamers (87%) found this review helpful

Great game, definitely worth a rent.
The Story was fantastic and really what I was playing for.

The graphics were on par with what you would expect from a Tactical strategy RPG.

Some missions were very challenging though those became fewer in number the farther in the game I got.

If you want to get all the characters, I recommend using a FAQ as one or two of them are fairly obtuse to obtain.

Was this review helpful? Report Abuse

GF Rating

10

Perfect

Fire Emblem Path of Radiance

posted by realkoaboy (HONOLULU, HI) Apr 12, 2006

Member since Sep 2005

11 out of 13 gamers (85%) found this review helpful

After I got done playing Path of Radiance I compared it to The Sacred Stones for the GBA. In POR, units can only advance to the next class unlike SS where you choose your desired class. You can teach units skills and unique skills to certain characters, you fight on different maps which can range from villages, forests, marshes, deserts, snow capped mountains, and more. The reason I gave it a ten out of ten is for the replay value, more than 20 characters that have different conversations with other units, three difficulty levels, you can use whoever you want whenever you want, and you can play maps on the extra option which are pretty hard. On the downside: lots of reading(but can be skipped), only 6 cut scenes, and as I stated earlier you can only advance to one class type for each character. "THIS IS MY FIRST REVIEW, SORRY IF I LEFT ANYTHING OUT."

Was this review helpful? Report Abuse

GF Rating

9

Excellent

Good Stuff.

posted by Ragnex (SILVER SPRING, MD) Jun 20, 2006

Member since Jun 2006

13 out of 16 gamers (81%) found this review helpful

SSBM was what originally interested me in the game, but it certainly stands alone as a great RPG. One of my top 5 picks for GC.

Pros:
Great story and developed characters.
Good differentiation between the different classes.
Well animated.
Fun and easy to learn battle system

Cons:
Quite short.
When a character dies, they can not be revived and fade from the story.

Was this review helpful? Report Abuse

GF Rating

8

Very Good

Not a bad game...

posted by Johannes (WILKESBARRE, PA) Apr 14, 2006

Member since Oct 2005

4 out of 5 gamers (80%) found this review helpful

But it wasn't a great game either. I have played every Fire emblem that came to America, and it seems like they are getting progressively worse. Still this game is worth buying, or at the very least, a rent.

Graphics: The graphics of this game are terrific. Not much more can be said. The battle animations are stiff, but as a whole, the graphics are very good.

Game play: The game itself was pretty easy, but if you don't play many strategy games, then you will have a good balance of challenge to ease. Still, there was something about this game that didn't quite measure up to the other games, but I can't place my finger on it. As a whole, the game play is also good, but it took a point off my overall rating.

Length: Far too short. A measly 26 missions (which is bad for Fire Emblem game). If you can ignore this, then good for you. I couldn't, and it's the reason this game didn't get a 9 from me.

Sound: As can be expected from a Fire Emblem game, the sound is great. No complaints from me here.

Story: Also good. The story is one of the least important parts of a game to me, but the story here was worth my recognition.

Overall: The game is very good. I suggest you give it a try.

Graphics: -0
Game play: -1
Length: -1
Sound: -0
Story: -0

Ten minus two equals eight. Final score 8/10.

Rent, buy, or ignore: I say it is worth a buy, but it is short enough to complete in a rent, but the game does not deserve to be ignored.

Was this review helpful? Report Abuse

GF Rating

9

Excellent

Path of Radiance: The good and the bad

posted by Fenrir (BRENTWOOD, TN) Apr 13, 2006

Member since Dec 2005

6 out of 8 gamers (75%) found this review helpful

Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance is the third American release of the series, and one of my personal favorites. At first, the screenshots in all of the gaming reviews I read looked pretty bad, but the new battle scenes can only be truly appreciated in movement. The top-down view used when maneuvering your units has also improved greatly, although this is to be expected. In the GBA installments, all units were designed according to class, and you could tell the difference only by hovering the cursor over your unit. Now, you can see almost every detail in the character, making it much easier.

The story this time around is full of death, betrayal, and heroism, which is pretty much the same as the two GBA games. This is made better, however, by the fully animated cutscenes which mark significant events. Unfortunately, these brilliant animations are few and far between.

The only reason this game didn't get a 10 from me is its class system. The class system in Sacred Stones, which had many different classes, each having either one or two class change options, has changed greatly to this game. Classes only have one class change option, and there are only a handful of items that let you do so. The good news is, classes change automatically at level 20.

I hope my review has helped you make a decision on whether you should rent this game. I bought it, and I am playing it for a second time through, just trying to find all of the secrets. I doubt I will unlock everything unless I play through four or five times!

Fenrir

Was this review helpful? Report Abuse

GF Rating

10

Perfect

Excellent Game

posted by GameDoctor (PLYMOUTH, NH) Aug 21, 2006

Member since Aug 2006

2 out of 3 gamers (67%) found this review helpful

This is one of the best game you will ever find. I will strongly recommend it.

GameDoctor

Was this review helpful? Report Abuse

GF Rating

7

Good

Took forever.

posted by prnxta (BOURBON, MO) Apr 13, 2006

Member since Jan 2005

3 out of 5 gamers (60%) found this review helpful

Game play was great, but cut scenes and dialogue took forever, I wish there was a way to speed it up a little and still get the story. seemed like I spent more time scrolling, than playing, otherwise it was a very cool game.

Was this review helpful? Report Abuse

GF Rating

6

Above Average

not what i was expecting

posted by little85 (PHILADELPHIA, PA) Sep 15, 2007

Member since Aug 2007

2 out of 4 gamers (50%) found this review helpful

After reading a bunch of good reviews of this game, I was really looking forward to play it. And, truth be told, when I first began playing it, I loved it. The graphics were interesting, I could tell the storyline was solid, and the fighting system was really fun to use.

But it wore off pretty fast, as soon as I discovered that there's nothing else.

Maybe I didn't play long enough, but after making it through several chapters I realized this game is essentially a story with occasional battle breaks. You can't walk around, explore, buy stuff, talk to people-- any of the things which, in my opinion, make an RPG different from other fighting games.

Good story, true. But as far as gameplay goes, it's boring and monotonous. Not what I was expecting. :(

Was this review helpful? Report Abuse

GF Rating

10

Perfect

great aether this game is amazing

posted by ragnell75 (LAKELAND, FL) Jan 17, 2010

Member since Jan 2010

1 out of 2 gamers (50%) found this review helpful

Fire Emblem
:path of radiance

Fellow gamers I have played a lot of Fire Emblem games in my days but this game is obviously the best. As young Ike you are faced with great challenges while going through the continent of Tellius. The graphics were nice, the storyline was strait and the final vote for me is 10 out of 10, bravisimo, exelant, 100%,and amazing.My rating on gamefly shouldve been 100,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000

Was this review helpful? Report Abuse

GF Rating

7

Good

On Par

posted by TheWrench (NORFOLK, VA) May 27, 2006

Member since May 2006

1 out of 2 gamers (50%) found this review helpful

FE:POR is a step up for the game cube graphics that you come to expect from the system - so I was a little disappointed to see them revert back to the slide show dialogue between battles. I didn't really spend too much time 'eating up the story,' just skipped a large portion of it and cut to the battle scenes. I liked the battle system and how the game was challengin 'enough.'

This game is VERY similar to games like Final Fantasy Tactics and Orge Tactics so if either of these pequoed your interest then this is a definite rental. Personally, I wouldn't buy it but it's fun to play none the less.

Was this review helpful? Report Abuse

GF Rating

4

Weak

Not loved by everyone

posted by Meekus (ROCKLIN, CA) May 26, 2006

Member since Oct 2005

3 out of 13 gamers (23%) found this review helpful

Fire Emblem has quite the following. Many love it! I don't. Why? The graphics were average at best, the sound was nothing special, the storyline failed to grab my attention, and the gameplay was SSLLLLLOOOOOOOOWWWWWWW and BBOOOOOOORRRRRRIIIIINNNNN- GG... It took forever to get to the first real battle, and then that first battle took forever. It's not that I'm a bad gamer, it's the tactical battle system the game uses takes forever to move foward and is absolutely a bore to sit through.

I'm sure Fire Emblem is an awesome game...but it's not for everyone, including me. Asking for my advice, I'd tell you to play Tales of Symphonia...or go bang your head into a wall a few times...either way you're getting a more exciting gaming experience than by playing FE.

Was this review helpful? Report Abuse

GF Rating

3

Bad

bad plot and RPG

posted by Colten (OLYMPIA, WA) Dec 21, 2006

Member since Jun 2005

1 out of 5 gamers (20%) found this review helpful

the battles you just watch and so much talking I later skiped through it

Was this review helpful? Report Abuse

GF Rating

3

Bad

Yawn..

posted by DarkSamus (ORMOND BEACH, FL) Jun 17, 2006

Member since Dec 2005

1 out of 10 gamers (10%) found this review helpful

I agree with Meekus the game WAS boring, and slow the story was SUCH a steriotypical guy meets pricess guy saves pricess yawn. the graphics were just ugh, the tactical battle screen movement was ps1 quality with smooth edges and the actual battle sequences were okay at best. The worst part is that when a character runs out of health you dont get them back EVER IT IS SSSSSSSSOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO STUPID. i like tactical RPGs but not this one if you like tactical RPGs i recommend fronyt mission 4 for ps2..

Was this review helpful? Report Abuse

GF Rating

1

Horrible

Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance has an 8.1 rating?

posted by Lollykin (SODDY DAISY, TN) Sep 20, 2006

Member since Jun 2006

1 out of 11 gamers (9%) found this review helpful

Ok I know there's ALOT of gamers out there who probably love games like this but I found it boring and slow. It had wayyy too much dialogue. I was hoping for more fighting action or at least better combat scenes. Sad that the same day you get the game you send it back cause it's really boring. But again others may love this game alas I didnt.

Was this review helpful? Report Abuse

GF Rating

6

Above Average

Nice try, but deeply flawed

posted by MichaelO (PITTSBURGH, PA) May 25, 2012

Member since Sep 2010

Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance is the first Fire Emblem game I have played. I love tactical RPGs, but I have to say I was expecting much more from this game. Although it isn't poorly made by any stretch, the mechanics of the game ruined the experience for me.

Cons:
1. The combat mechanics heavily favor offense. It is no unusual event to see one hit kills (from you or enemies), and it is no remarkable thing when one of your characters goes from full health to dead in a single turn. This is not necessarily bad, but...
2. When a character dies, he dies. There is no "life" spell or "phoenix down" to bring him back. This seemed like a neat idea to me at first, but really it ended up being a huge source of frustration. I frequently felt the need to reset and load even when I was winning a battle by a huge margin because a key member of my party died. I felt like I couldn't have fun playing this game because I was stressing out about losing characters. I could be in an absolutely ideal position, but then have an irreplaceable character one-hit-killed. Frustrating!
3. Add to this the fact that all battles are story battles. Put positively, there is no "level grinding" or "random battles," but in light of cons (1) and (2) you can very easily lose some characters and then spiral downward as you have no way to build yourself back up after a loss. In short, this means you can get stuck, ending up in an unwinnable situation on a save game.

Pros:
1. The story was decent--somewhat cliche and run-of-the-mill but decent.
2. The world that the game is set in is fairly imaginative and interesting.
3. The combat system is simple and straightforward.

Conclusion:
In short, everything in this game is a limited resource. Party members die, weapons and spells break, and gold and xp cannot be beefed up by grinding. The game is really more of an exercise in resource management than a fun game. Unless this sounds appealing to you, skip it.

Was this review helpful? Report Abuse

GF Rating

9

Excellent

Not as good as the next one...

posted by Awesomey (FRANKLIN, OH) Jan 14, 2011

Member since Sep 2010

This game is great, I really liked it. Good syoryline. Scratch that, EXCELLENT storyline with compelling events and awesome character design. Good gameplay and even better music. I liked the next one even better than this one[if that's possible]. If you're interested, it is called Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn. It continues with[in my opinion]an even better storyline. Rent this and buy it if you can.

-Awesomey

Was this review helpful? Report Abuse

GF Rating

10

Perfect

the coolest and hardest game ever

posted by drj84096 (HERRIMAN, UT) Sep 13, 2010

Member since Sep 2010

fire emblem path to raidiance is the awsomest game ever!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! but it is the hardest games ever!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Was this review helpful? Report Abuse

GF Rating

8

Very Good

great rent

posted by bacon420 (CEDAR RAPIDS, IA) Dec 27, 2009

Member since Dec 2009

this game was great it was entertaining all the way till the end with interesting plot point that I haven't really seen in any other game.

pros:
as you advance through the story you gain more and more characters, with seemingly no limit to a maximum party size. This is a tactics based game that has pretty video animations with each attack that you can customize letting you choose which characters you want to see make attacks. the game took me approximately 27 hours( I say about because I fell asleep playing a couple times).

cons:
most of the characters you will encounter in battle and have to talk to with the main character to get them to join you. this game seams to emphasize the no second chances idea where if you don't get someone to join you or someone dies you never see them again. there are no random battles and you cannot repeat anything in the game its a very linear story this is counter balanced by the fact that there is plenty of experience to max half of your characters in the game. The level cap is 20 unless you can cross class one time which half of the human characters can then you get to go an addition 1 through level 20 and then you cannot level after that.

conclusion: the game has a solid system a climactic ending and interesting storyline.

Was this review helpful? Report Abuse

GF Rating

1

Horrible

Was never played.

posted by BULLY123 (PRATTVILLE, AL) Jul 17, 2009

Member since Jul 2008

Um see, I didn't play the game when it arrived. :( I was worried it would be some stupid fantasy game where you level up, use items, and power up. I guess all fantasy games are about leveling up! I do not know what Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance is about! SO DON'T LET ME TELL YOU!!! Ask someone who played it insted of sendingg it ack right away! (I just wrote a useless review!)

Was this review helpful? Report Abuse

GF Rating

10

Perfect

My Favorite Game of all time.

posted by DrPikachu (LEAGUE CITY, TX) Jul 5, 2009

Member since Aug 2005

I loved the story. I love the characters. I loved the strategy gameplay. I loved the whole freaking game.

PS: IKE, STAI BAK

Was this review helpful? Report Abuse

GF Rating

9

Excellent

Fire Emblem: Path of Awesomeness

posted by kingboo (BRISTOL, WI) May 1, 2009

Member since Apr 2007

Fire Emblem has long been my favorite strategy game series. And this installment doesn't disapoint.

If you've never played a Fire Emblem game, try it!! They are Amazing! All of them have great Strategy, RPG, and story-telling aspects. The games are so touching, I have actually cried when one of favorite charecters died. And in Fire Emblem, if they die, they're gone for good.

This game takes old Fire Emblem concepts and throws them into a 3-D world, using many of the old components of the other Fire Emblem games. But there are big changes, like, for instance, everything is in the third dimnesion, which changes MANY aspects of the game in a (mostly) good way. Other changes include the abandonment of Dark Magic and Elemental Magic, in place of which are now 3 different kinds of Elemental Magic, Thunder, Fire, and Wind.

The biggest pro to this game is the addition of the weapon forge. Which allows you to create custom weapons from scratch. Often making them more powerful and deadly than even the strongest of weapons.

Beware for you gamers who enjoy a quick play-through, this game is EASILY 30-40 hours of play time.

The only real criticism I have is the mediocre music. It wasn't by any means BAD, but previous fire emblem musical scores have been much more dramatic and provacative.

So, whether you've a life-long fan, (like me), or a newcomer to strategy games, you MUST try this game, rent it, or better yet, buy it and stick it on a shelf to take out whenever those "Impossible-to-lose" games get you down.

Was this review helpful? Report Abuse

GF Rating

10

Perfect

great

posted by weirdo (GOODYEAR, AZ) Feb 7, 2009

Member since May 2007

i thought it was awesome. i love the 3d, but mostly, the customizable weapons were the best

Was this review helpful? Report Abuse

GF Rating

8

Very Good

awesome game

posted by fireemblem (BRIGHTON, MA) Jan 5, 2009

Member since Apr 2008

This is an awesome game. I enjoy playing FE games. This game is the second to last, about to be third to last, game of the series. Ike and his Greil Mercenaries fight other teams. I first played FE 10 (Radiant Dawn) before playing this game. Both games are great.

Was this review helpful? Report Abuse

GF Rating

9

Excellent

You will enjoy it.

posted by ambidgamer (LOCKPORT, IL) Dec 22, 2008

Member since Dec 2008

Path Of Radiance quickly made it into my favorite games not only because of the strategy aspect, but the storyline was great. The only thing i saw that was a flaw other than the fact that it could have had a longer story was the attack seldom vary. If the chosen weapon is an axe then everyone with and axe attacks in the same way. there was very little uniqueness in that aspect of the game, but it only take away a little of the excitement.

Was this review helpful? Report Abuse

GF Rating

10

Perfect

Fire Emblem POR lives up to the legacy, and more!

posted by ChristianX (GRAND RAPIDS, MI) Jul 15, 2008

Member since Feb 2008

I found this game to be be better than Fire Emblem the Sacred Stones, but equal to Fire Emblem (both gba titles I recommend Fire Emblem over the Sacred Stones). I found as fun and challenging as its predecessors and yet it was renewed by the twists and turns added to the gameplay in this version.

It is a fun strategy game and it has a great plot, many many skills, and about forty nine different characters available. Along with extra maps that you receive upon beating the game at it's three different difficulties, as well as a few that you can only gain by linking your gba to the gamecube with the special cable. With either titles inserted into the gba.

One thing though, if you are looking for an easy game that you'll instantly master with zero intelligence and perseverance... Don't play this game or any of the titles in this series. There, I warned you. the games animation is excellent throughout, but i was very impressed with the cut scenes and fighting animations. I also loved the new weapons and classes such as the laguz and halberdier. Music is also something you can handle listening to over and over again. I can't say anymore,just play it.

Was this review helpful? Report Abuse

Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance for GameCube Reviews by Gamers

GF Rating

Number of Players

ESRB