Fire Emblem: Dying

We're finally on the Fire Emblem:Awakening train! Choo choo. To be honest, we've never really played a Fire Emblem game and until the last few installments they've been somewhat stealth releases in Europe (hence why a mint copy of 2008 Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn for the Wii will set you back £70-£100).

It wasn't until Super Smash Brothers that I even knew this series existed. The latest game, Fire Emblem: Awakening for the Nintendo 3DS widely received rave reviews and we can see why. It's a great little turn based tactical role playing game (for non-gamers you move little people around on a map) but an important element of the game is building up relationships between units that fight with each other so that your characters can fall in love. Aaaaaaah. Also, the game features 'perma-death', actually characters are 'retired', so if a character falls on the field of battle you're left with the decision to either go back to your last save sometimes undoing hours worth of progress or soldier on with the death of a character on your conscience. Already there are some characters I've totally fallen for (Miriel you have my heart, sorry I-can't-even-remember-your-name we're done), protect dearly and go back to my last save point if they befall a tragic death. Others. Meh. They probably deserved it. Here's the three that have died so far. 

Donnel. Early on in the game there's a side quest that if you play the right way will allow you to recruit farmhand Donnel to the team. Enough reviewers have spoiled the fact that this is something you very much want to do. In our game Donnel lays face down in the dirt in the ruins of a bandit camp we saved his mother from. What do you expect with a saucepan for a helmet?

Gaius Another failed recruitment drive. In another mission you have to protect the ruler of a kingdom from an attack on her castle. The game makes it clear that one of the enemies in this mission, thief with a heart of gold Gaius, is a character you might be able to recruit (the teddy bear badge gives it away). The problem is his face is just too weak to counter attacks. What can I say? It was self defense. R.I.P Gaius.

Sumia Sumia is very much a lovable clutz who is very green on the battlefield. She finds her stride when she befriends a stray ornery pegasus (breaking it in doesn't sound quite as nice). She also finds that she becomes extremely vulnerable to arrows in the face. What can I say? War is a cruel mistress and what goes up....

We're only six hours into the game. I expect there will be more, ahem 'casualties'. Especially characters I find quite tiresome. They might find themselves on the somewhat over exposed flanks of my columns if they aren't careful hey Maribelle? Hey? Why don't you go and check out that blind valley Maribelle? We'll wait here for you. Sure. Don't wander out of eye shot. That's it Maribelle. A little bit further...