Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn By LeftyNoob on Dec 13, 2007 - Updated Oct 15, 2011

Anyone who thinks that Nintendo has abandoned the hardcore gamer with the Wii need only look at Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn to discover otherwise. The latest in the long-running, Intelligent Systems developed strategy RPG series, and the fourth entry to reach the States, this is an intense game that will appeal to a specific audience - those familiar with the series, or those with a passion for turn-based strategy.

For the most part, the game follows the traditional Fire Emblem formula, alternating between plot advancement (done mostly through still images and text, not voice overs), camp (where you can buy and sell equipment, talk to party members and otherwise prepare for the trials ahead), and the battlefield (where your army locks horns with an opposing force, with permanent death awaiting supporting characters who fall in combat). The plot is solid, though not as strong as the game's predecessor, Path of Radiance for the Gamecube. The gameplay is suitably challenging and the game clocks in with a solid 30-40 hour length. Graphics could've stood to be a little better, and more cinematics and voice overs would've been welcome, but in the end, Radiant Dawn is an involving tactics title that will definitely appeal to fans of the genre.