Fire Emblem Awakening: The Game That Changed My Life (A 10 Year Retrospective)

On February 4th 2013 Fire Emblem Awakening released in North America. The game gave the Fire Emblem series a second wind of life leading to an explosion in popularity and prominence. For a teenage Rio it also significantly altered my life. In this video I cover what led up to Awakening, how Awakening is a decade later, the legacy on the series, and finally my Awakening experience. Hope you enjoy.

[@00Siebes]

I get teary eyed just listening to that opening theme after all these years

[@jaderotaski1]

As someone who has played through awakening 20+ times? I can say I agree with the vibes and is pretty much my favorite.

[@fogblades6811]

I remember a school field trip. A buddy of mine at the time had a 3DS and loaned me a copy of Fire Emblem Awakening for me to play on my console. I didn't understand it at first, but when I started to really stay up those school nights to soak in and really get to knowing how the systems operated, I was in love and wanted to know more about the series. This game is holding my #1 spot next to Sacred Stones as my favorite FE game and one of my favorite JRPGS of all time (Slowly being taken over by the Ys series).

[@CommRio]

Love to hear stories like this, and that additional Ys touch at the end. Great taste

[@fogblades6811]

My man@@CommRio

[@wockomtosh]

I had a very similar experience with Fire Emblem Awakening, it had a huge impact on me. I had always loved games before, but it resonated with me so much and helped me see that the different elements of a game can come together to make something truly special.

[@celesticnova]

This was a fantastic retrospective of my favorite Fire Emblem and what I once considered to be my favorite game. Awakening will always be special to me, no matter how the series evolves.

[@AppleMouth]

New fan, just finished my first playthrough after my Three Houses Maddening run. So many fun and surprising "hell yeah" moments that Awakening offered me. Shoutouts to my boy Donnie and Cynthia for making it such a blast.

[@angelsonic999]

This game will always hold a special place in my heart. I'm so glad that it was my introduction to the series

[@yukiizura]

Genuinely a little scary how everything you said about your personal relationship with Awakening almost *perfectly* fit me, too. I must have played Awakening the first time when I was around 12 in 2015 or so after finding it randomly in CEX, and it really was the catalyst for me moving into more "adult" series - Persona, Final Fantasy, Dragon Age, Xenoblade, and of course the rest of the FE English releases. I was completely blown away by Awakening, since before that, I had only really played the Pokémon series, Donkey Kong Country, and Mario Party. The story, characters, and gameplay were all so much more complex than anything I'd ever seen before and it absolutely dragged me into the pit of craving more, but as a kid from a very poor family, that wasn't in the cards, so I did what I had always done; I just... replayed it. Over and over again. Had Awakening not been SO replayable, it's possible my interest wouldn't have stayed with it by the time I was given another chance for a new game. But now I can say I've played every English release (barring 9, because,,, yeah. it's fe9). Will never forget Gaius, Cordelia, and Cherche absolutely carrying my first two times, granting them guaranteed passage to my teams every playthrough without fail. I think a lot of opinions around Awakening tend to be overly harsh, and I know I personally will always be grateful for what the game brought to the table for the series and for myself. Kinda think people should remember that we wouldn't have anything else had it not been for Awakening. It's a very flawed game, absolutely, but deserves respect for jumpstarting the series back to life, and for opening the door to a new audience. Great video as always (sorry for overly long comment lmao)

[@CommRio]

No problem on the long comment, I'm glad to hear from someone with a very similar experience to mine (and I hope you someday can play FE 9 because oh boy is that a good game too).

[@nebaidossarkans3306]

When I was little, most of the games I played were the games my big brother played. He was the one that knew about games and I just tagged along because it was a nice way to spend time with him. Not because I absolutely loved gaming like he did. We were in my grandma's house one day and he was playing a new game I didn't know about in his 3ds. Fire emblem awakening. He kinda explained what it was about and a few days later, I picked up the 3ds and started playing. Crack. It was like crack. For the first time I understood the fun of playing a game alone for myself. For my own enjoyment without anyone else being involved in my journey with the game. From there, I played my own games. Not all of them were strategy games, but the important thing is that awakening taught me that games were something I could enjoy and seek on my own. And that's why I am eternally grateful to Awakening. The same way fire emblem can be divided in pre-Awakening and post-Awakening, my appreciation for videogames (one of the biggest aspects of my life rn) can be divided in pre-Awakening and post-Awakening.

[@CommRio]

I definitely feel that last part. While I played games before Awakening, Awakening serves as the bridge between the way I played before and after.

[@thechronicler803]

this is an amazing video, I gave it a like Fire emblem awakening is my favorite game of all time due to how influential it is for me.This was my first fire emblem game and the first play through i didnt know about supports, pair ups, or that you could even change the chracters weapons lol, but the game just drew me into the world, its story and characters. I still remember how id always sneak playing the game late into the night due to my parents not allowing me to play games for more then an hour a day. This game for me just grows better and better like fine wine. Yes its not perfect and i do have some criticisms, but I love this game so much. it genuinely changed my life, which the only other game i can say did that was fire emblem 3 houses. This game brought me into loving anime, strategy games, and the games art style helped me to get into drawing. SO thank you fire embelm awakening for changing my life

[@CommRio]

Your story is very familiar, it's amazing how this game has had such a marked impact on so many people

[@br3bid10]

I’m playing this for the first time in 2024, loving it!

[@amib1971]

I've never played Awakening, but I loved listening to you talk about it. Hearing your nostalgia was very sweet!

[@CommRio]

Glad you enjoyed!

[@DaDinkler]

I didn't start with Awakening but it is the game that really drew me in and made me fall in love with the series. It's the First Fire Emblem I actually finished. I later went back and fell in love with those older games that didn't hold me before but it was only because of awakening that I was able to do that. There is something special about this game, and no bitter elitist can take that away from it.

[@joksimradovic4040]

I really love your videos mate. Even tho I do not play most of the games you talk about it is fun ti listen how you talk about them. Cheers!

[@CommRio]

I'm really glad you enjoy the videos regardless of the game I'm talking about. I definitely have creators I feel that way about and it's flattering to think someone would feel that way about my content

[@MasterSage117]

I recently replayed through awakening and just finished it last night. This video happened to show up in my recommendations at the perfect time. It was also my first fire emblem ever and also the catalyst that influences the games and stuff I’m into nowadays. Such a great video and such a great game

[@CommRio]

Sounds like you and I had a very similar experience to Awakening so I'm glad you enjoyed the video as well.

[@HeeminGaminStation]

Great video for a great game! glad you made it so I can subscribe your stuff looks awesome!

[@CommRio]

Happy to have you here!

[@nishquikpops]

This game is still one of my favorites of all time. I owe a lot to it since it kept me in the gaming loop during a massive drought in the mid 2010s. My Wii U collected piles of dust, while I played through Awakening 3 times. It also introduced me to the JRPG genre which is now my favorite genre in video games.

[@Garvant_]

Awakening will always be my favorite game of all time, blew me away when i was a kid and introduced me to the series and genre.

[@nestormakhno7406]

I'm playing awakening right now

[@Zombiezay]

Wonderful video ! Replaying Awakening now !

[@CommRio]

Always a nice game to replay

[@JukeboxJaw_]

My first Fire Emblem game was Awakening and was so excited to be a part of this fanbase, come to find out what I thought was one of the best tactical RPG's I've ever played it so HATED by the community along with the community itself HATING the fans of Awakening and the games that's come after. I was disappointed with Fates, only really liking the Conquest branch and thought Awakening was a fluke but when I picked up Echoes, I honestly can't tell if I like Awakening as much as I did Echoes. I loved the plot, along with the differences in how classes and levelling worked compared to Fates or Awakening. I just feel bad because I constantly see older fans of the franchise look down their nose at folks like me that jumped on with Awakening.

[@EnGageJackson]

This is still my favorite video game of all time.

[@ViddysVids]

I think you made an amazing video, and I hope this video gets more attention as time goes on! This video is such a passionate love letter in a way I admire! I can feel your personality brimming from this video and thank you for making this!

[@CommRio]

Thank you! This video was a special one for me so I’m glad that connection and passion was evident in the end result.

[@Placeholder501]

THAT chapter gets to me too.

[@lowfade3273]

high quality video

[@coopermcneil5552]

I love this video and the game. Fuck makes me just wanna curl I up in a ball with my 3ds

[@CommRio]

I hope you get the time to do just that

[@richardtust6355]

I think FE awakening was popular because people got 30$ in credit for the nintendo shop in America and it could stack

[@CommRio]

While that would help explain the US popularity, the game sold incredibly well in Japan as well without the same credit

[@SmashBros2009]

Awakening is such a fun game! So much so I keep playing Lunatic+ over and over again.😂

[@Ilia_Salnicov]

That was my second fire emblem (first was sacred stone) and one of my favorite games now. I just finished it few hours ago and I am already can say, it's deep in my heart. Is this my problem or not? Because I had much problems with chapter 25 and 26.

[@johnzrock]

In my opinion, fire emblem in SNES and GBA are the best :P

[@TitansSoul]

Nice video ❤

[@CommRio]

Thank you!

[@UnrealNeoBat]

So Awakening is like the FF7 of the series?

[@jordanhurst6555]

I love path of radiance so it baffles me that it done so bad

[@dotmbarricade3424]

Try front mission series I'd you love this series'. They are pretty good imo

[@CommRio]

I've heard good things from friends who have played them. It's not my usual Strategy RPG fare, but I definitely won't rule it out.

[@wasifahsan2718]

Zis, is Good documentary °^°9

[@Haarwyvern]

Yeah, I'm glad you see this game as you did. Really. It's pretty much the exact opposite for me. :( Awakening is probably the worst thing that happened in my life if we only talk about hobbies. (Also because FE is the most important thing to me) It remove everything I like about my favorite series, and put everything I dislike on it. It could have been okay if it wasn't an influencal game but because of his success new fans who want games like this became the majority and IS try to follow those steps (even if Fates did the thing better on non-narrative aspect). I hate how they remove almost all the narration that you have when you play GBA games or PoR/RD. Sometimes you are on the map without even an introduction. Prior in RD you would have the story pre-camp, the story who put context on the map and after the battle the ending part of the chapter story. Awakening maps are probably the worst of the series (with FE2), which is imo the most important aspect on an FE Game. The objective are the same, the placement of ennemies doesn't make sense, everything is bad design. It could have been okay if the context of the map was interesting but nope. + the total lose of balance of difficulties (and I don't even talk about duos) make this game the worse FE as a tactical game. And it probably my biggest complain about the game. It's so bad that I can't be agree about the fact that Awakening is the most replayable game in the series. You have to be good on what you do to be replayable. Very subjective point but Awakening has for me the only bad chara-design of the franchise, and if we add the characters just being the worst possible way of one of the japanese anime cliché that makes Awakening's the worst cast of the franchise for me. Maybe Fates is a the same level because of the fanservice who is even more present. I hate the avatar even if isn't worse that Byleth and Corrin (but I do prefer Alear), I think it doesn't help to have a great story, that he has to much importance, and he is boring af. By far to kind, I hated his support. I have to be fair tho the first avatar was in FE12 and it was already totally bad because it changes the story and overshadow Marth for being praise by the cast. Another horrible aspect in a sense the fact that avatar are being praised everytime in new FE games is so cringe.. The story is really bad too. I know FE never (except FE4) had good stories, but they were still fun to play. I had my issues with Shadow Dragon but ok, the game is a remake of an 1990 game. But Awakening was the start of the horrible stories in the franchise. The writer is so bad and we've seen that with Engage recently that I can't understand how they were ok to accept the script. (I'm not only talking to Valm part) Since then Fates and Engage did worse so I don't understand IS anymore. (Amnesic avatar AGAIN ? With the same writer ?? ) I know that some people like the story, but I think that's a big problem that jrpg fans (because it's not only about FE) can like really bad stories. Other problem for me in a fantasy experience (and Fates did the same) there is almost no world building. It was the strong point of the series even if some less ambitious games like Sacred Stones, how could they sink this low. The support were horrible too (once again Fates is the same), the dialogue are the worst of the franchise once again. Echoes does far better but there wasn't much to read in the game. So what was good ? The game does have an okayish aesthetic for a 3DS game and above all the QoL was excellent. It's maybe what helps the game to be liked by new player. New players that doesn't understand what is an tactical game and can't see how Awakening is bad on this. The other part is the OST. Don't speak her name is maybe my favorite OST of the franchise, and overall musics are great. Obviously if we except the gameplay part (there is so much to say about it), what I dislike about Awakening was a personal take of nowadays jrprg and anime. If I think it's not as bad as Awakening and Fates, I see the difference between trails games too. And it's not about nostalgie like it could have been for FE because I played ALL trails games in few month. So I have seen with my own eyes how Cold Steel was really different on the way to say things, use the anime cliché etc.. It was almost Fantasy Light Novel-like. The difference is that Cold Steel has a disturbing writing in a lot of way i does have really good ideas that makes the game works. FE can't follow the Trails world... All in all I have a lot of problem with the waifu slash anime invasion in jrpg. And I could have forgive Awakening if FE wasn't my favorite series, and if it was a good tactical RPG. I still think that people who aren't tactical lovers can like the game if they aren't as harsh with jrpg as me, but If you love the genre and you've played a lot of game in it it's really difficult. For exemple, I find Engage story even worse than Awakening but because the game is by far more interesting has a tactical : Better gameplay, better balance but most important better level design. At the end I like the game. I want to add to be fair on this comparison that I was like "this will be the worst fire emblem ever, with fanservice everywhere", so I didn't have the high expectations like with Awakening so it helps + I had already played two FE with really bad stories so it wasn't a first time. If Fates had been release before Awakening it probably would have been the game I hate in this franchise (even if not as much as Awa because of the okay level design) , I would have still dislike Awakening but not in the same way. What to say know ? Awakening did broke me, I'm still really confuse about it 10 years later. It's by far harder than my girlfriend leaving me I'm probably totally crazy 🤣🤣 but at the same time. Awakening did give me more FE games because of it success and I can't change this fact. So thank you, and f**k you Awakening !! PS : For all people reading this, don't feel insulted it's really cool that everybody has different story with differents games. Yeah I will hate you because you like my nemesis but hey, its life. (I'm obviously joking, but be prudent you never know..) And Comm I'm sorry to destroy your comment section and you're playing my psychologist, But I'm pretty sure that there will be a lot of Awakening lovers around here !

[@CommRio]

Yeah I figured I'd hear from you on this video since I know we have drastically different experiences with Awakening (although a comment of this length was a surprise). I was curious how you were getting on with Engage since it's the best gameplay we've gotten for Fire Emblem in years. Glad to know that Engage surpassed your expectations in the most important area. I'm always happy to hear different opinions even if they're from someone that is apparently my nemesis because of Awakening (always prudent to mention the joking part, internet sarcasm is hard to parse).

[@Haarwyvern]

@@CommRio Yeah I really was like "omg it will be so bad. It reminds me FE with fanservice like Awa and Fates + with the Emblem it won't make sense" And now, okay I find the story ridiculous (and the wb isn't really there) but wow it was at the same time so much fun ! The emblems are really dynamic, and you can find some twist that you didn't think first time like Micaiah with range +1 who can do AoE teleport with the staff, Ike who can annihilate miasma with ether etc.. And the maps themselve which are far better than Three Houses tedious and repetitives maps. A good level design in FE = a good way to use the gameplay. And in Engage it mean a good way to test your emblems. I think this spin-off vibe and the fact that it already seems bad story-wise with the trailers help me to get past this aspect and enjoy more the other ones. I couldn't really with Fates because I was so hype by the war with those to empire and I hate the result. But here with no hype, I'm just playing it for what it is. Okay it won't be my favorite FE game, but I'm glad that I like it. And it's fun because probably a lot of people will hate it like I hate Awakening, and now I'm on the side of the guy liking it haha. I didn't talk about it an it's pretty surprising to me but I even like some characters. Maybe more because I like to play the but still. But it's too good to be true and as always I dislike the avatar. Really something that I don't want in any fantasy story. Haha yeah sometimes you don't know about jokes in internet. I have to maybe show it a little, because I think it's good to my health to crying about my Awakening experience but I the same time I know that I'm a bit rude haha.