Long ago, the gods Mila and Duma argued vehemently on the path humanity should take. Eventually they agreed to split their territory and guide their respective followers how they saw fit. Mila took to the south and lavished her people with bountiful harvests and grand riches. Duma, on the other hand, taught his people the ways of war. Now, years later, the people of the Regelian Empire have become hardened warriors under the teachings of Duma while the people of Zofia have never known toil thanks to Mila. But tensions between the two ways of life are coming to a boil, and strife within Zofia is only getting worse.
Welcome to Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia, a remake of the second game of the Fire Emblem series. This game does take place between the events of Shadow Dragon and Mystery of the Emblem, but you don’t need to know anything about what’s going on in Archanea to get into this game. That being said, it’s good to know going into this that Gaiden was a Nintendo sequel on the NES. And if you’re not familiar with those, that means Gaiden played completely different from its predecessor, and wound up being a black sheep compared to just about any other game in the series. Despite this, though, Echoes surprisingly decided to stay as true to the original as it could. Whether or not that was a good idea can be subjective, given this means Echoes has some strange design decisions. But Gaiden is too odd a bird to standardize in the first place, so staying true to it was probably for the best. But no matter what you think of the audio, just about nobody could complain about the upgrades the art and dialogue got. When Shadow Dragon dropped the ball in bringing life to Archanea and its characters, Echoes would later pick it up and proceed to run with it. The game looks amazing, and the character writing is just about on par with the modern Fire Emblem games. As it turns out, having just about the opposite focus as Shadow Dragon makes for a far more engaging experience.
It’s been a while since I’ve had a serious spoiler policy, but this is an RPG and the storyline is important. Please don’t spoil anything further in the game than what the LP has reached. I’m also going to say that discussing anything that happened in Shadow Dragon is fair game, since I’ve LPed that and that game’s story doesn’t have much bearing on this anyway.
All seems peaceful in Ram Village. Two children, Alm and Celica, have grown closer over the short time they’ve been together. But the sudden arrival of a group of Zofian knights threatens the budding relationship, as well as the lives of several of the village’s children.
We’re detouring into the Rise of the Deliverance DLC, because no matter what we’ve hit a time skip! But it seems trouble is brewing before Alm can start his journey proper, and unfortunately it looks like Slayde is still on his bullshit after all these years. Now, the knights of Zofia must ride out and save his dumb ass.
Tensions are ramping up in Zofia, but not just between major powers. Even minor knights are beginning to squabble. Lukas, one of Zofia’s knights and a former commoner, finds himself in trouble after winning a duel against a noble. While it certainly won him a notable promotion, it’s also given him an enemy. An enemy who has enough influence to get quite a few soldiers to desert Lukas’s company. Now, with only a handful of soldiers remaining, Lukas must save his remaining allies from a fort that’s sure to fall.
In the middle of the night, Clive’s sister Clair sneaks off for a quick treasure hunt. But Clive’s girlfriend, Mathilda has already spotted her, and is now tagging along to ensure she doesn’t lose an in-law before she’s even married. But just what is this item Clair is searching for, and is it really being guarded by Terrors?
… The answer is yes. It is absolutely being guarded by Terrors.
Kinda Lima is dead, and the only thing keeping Desaix from completely taking over is the Deliverance. But now, Clive and his small band of strong knights face a nearly impossible battle as they must face wave after wave of traitors. Can the Deliverance withstand this battle, or will the kingdom fall under Desaix’s rule?
Zofia Castle has been lost, but Deliverance survives for now. However, if they wish to stay in the game, they need something new to rally behind. And so, we finally return to Alm, now older and stronger than he was the day Slayde visited the village. But even with plenty of training under his belt, Mycen is hard-pressed to let him leave Ram Village. With the timely arrival of another Zofian Knight, though, Alm might be heading out into the world sooner than Mycen would like.
Alm has proven himself good enough to leave the vicinity of Ram Village. But now, he must face his greatest foe yet: Valentian archers. And really, is anybody prepared for ranged units suddenly being able to counter up close?
The bandit sentries are down, but the cleric has yet to be saved. Alm and company must delve into their first dungeon if they wish to save the captive woman from her captors.
Thieves’ Shrine has been cleared of story content, but what about the extras? That’s right, today Alm and the party are retracing their steps in order to kill a bunch of bandits because some random woman asked them to do so! And not only that, we also find a powerful zombie! In an alternate timeline, that spells disaster for the Ram Village squad! Oh no!
The Ram Valley Squad continues their way through the valley, but the closer they draw the more resistance they’ll find. Although Alm and his companions still face bandits, there seems to be another face overseeing the brigands’ activities.
Clair has been captured, but Alm assures a worried Lucas that they can save her. Once again, the Deliverance does battle at the Southern Outpost. Hopefully, this will be the last time they have to fight here.
Alm and company continue their way through Southern Zofia, straight through the ever-strengthening enemy units. Thankfully, it seems a friendly face is on the way to help them!
… Wait, no, never mind. It’s Fernand, that face isn’t friendly at all.
Alm and his companions have finally reached the Deliverance hideout. Unfortunately, their secuirty doesn’t discriminate friend from foe, in that they’ve hidden themselves in the back of a tomb filled with the walking dead. But if they wish to free Zofia, the group can’t let a gaggle of zombies stop them in their tracks.
Alm and his companions have officially joined forces with the Deliverance, but they’ll have to put a hold on taking back Zofia Castle. Today, we’ll be taking a look at the beginner-level grinding maps of the game. And yes, I said beginner-level. There are more for when you’re farther in the game. Hope you like spending money!
With Alm now leading the Deliverance, and a bit of DLC out of the way, it’s the ideal time to take back Zofia Castle. But the battle won’t be easy; Desaix is in high spirits to impress a special guest from Rigel, and he’s got a powerful artifact to back up his bluster. Slayde is also present. It’s time for Alm to prove he’s fit to lead Deliverance’s fight!
Zofia Castle has been liberated, and the Deliverance has earned itself a moment of celebration. But while Alm contemplates what to do next, an old friend of his knows what she must do to save the land. Celica, having grown up on the island of Nova, departs her shelter and must venture to the Temple of Mila. If Zofia is to be saved, Celica must first discover what has happened to its patron goddess in the first place.
Celica arrives at port, but it turns out that brigands haven’t just taken the land. Pirates are everywhere, and most sailors refuse to leave port. But maybe, with a little help from a mercenary hanging around a bar, the mage party can set sail for Zofia.
On her way to the mainland, Celica finds the fortress of the dread pirate Barth. Although her goal is the Temple of Mila, ridding the seas of Barth would do wonders for the people under the threat of his robberies. Not to mention, there’s another group who’s after the pirate king, whose fate may depend on on the timely arrival of allies…
It’s the transitory episode! Between the Pirate Fortress and the Seabound Shrine waits a boat with an incredibly powerful opponent: one old man. Can Celica and crew overcome this beast of an opponent, or will he simply dance around every one of their attacks?
