PAX 07 hands-on: Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn
The Wii version of Fire Emblem should be quite familiar to anyone who's played Fire Emblem. The graphics and presentation are basically identical to the Gamecube version. That's not really a complaint-- the semi-cel-shaded style still looks nice. The game doesn't depend on motion controls for anything but cycling through camera views. However, for a turn-based RPG like Fire Emblem, this is a welcome decision.
The demo started me in a town square in the midst of a bandit attack; I took on a group of three or four bandits with swords and magic. Movement is done on a grid, just like before, and attacks zoom into the more cinematic view seen above. After I had taken care of the first bandit, a new character named Leonardo showed up and joined in the fight, allowing me the use of an archer.
People who liked Fire Emblem enough to want another one probably already have their minds made up: this is another one. But people who were afraid that waggle would ruin a strategy RPG have no reason to fear (this time).
