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Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance (ファイアーエムブレム 蒼炎の軌跡 Faiā Emuburemu: Sōen no Kiseki, lit. Fire Emblem: Path of the Blue Flame) is a tactical role-playing game developed by Intelligent Systems and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo GameCube video game console. The game was released on April 20.

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Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance
Developer(s)	Intelligent Systems[a]
Publisher(s)	Nintendo
Director(s)	Masayuki Horiwawa
Producer(s)	Toru Narihiro Hitoshi Yamagami
Designer(s)	Taeko Kaneda
Artist(s)	Senri Kita
Writer(s)	Ken Yokoyama
Composer(s)	Yoshito Hirano Saki Haruyama Naoko Mitome Atsushi Yoshida Kanako Teramae
Series	Fire Emblem
Platform(s)	GameCube
Release	JP: April 20, 2005 NA: October 17, 2005 EU: November 4, 2005 AU: December 1, 2005
Genre(s)	Tactical role-playing
Mode(s)	Single-player

Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance^[b] is a tactical role-playingvideo game developed by Intelligent Systems and Nintendo SPD, and published by Nintendo for the GameCubehome console in 2005. It is the ninth main installment in the Fire Emblem series,^[c] and the third to be released in the west. As with previous installments, gameplay revolves around positioning characters on a battlefield to defeat an opposing force. If characters are defeated in battle, they are removed from the rest of the game.

The story takes place in the continent Tellius, inhabited by the humanoid Beorc and the shapeshifting Laguz. The game begins when the Beorc nation of Daein invades fellow Beorc nation Crimea. The mercenary Ike journeys to restore Crimea's heir Princess Elincia to the throne. Ike and his group travel across Tellius, allying with other countries to free Crimea from Daein's control and confronting racial tensions and long-standing resentment between the Beorc and the Laguz along the way.

Path of Radiance began development for the GameCube after the overseas success of the Game Boy Advance game Fire Emblem, becoming the first home console entry in the series since Fire Emblem: Thracia 776. The game is the first entry in the series to feature 3D graphics, full motion cutscenes, and voice acting. The series' transition to 3D caused multiple difficulties for the developers. The localization team worked closely with Intelligent Systems to ensure the localization was as true to the original Japanese as possible. Upon release, the game received widespread critical acclaim for its gameplay and story, but several journalistic sites and magazines made negative comments about the game's graphics. The game debuted at the top of Japanese gaming charts, and was considered to have sold well. A direct sequel for the Wii, Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn, was released in 2007 in North America and Japan, and 2008 in Europe and Australia.

• 2Synopsis
• 4Release

Gameplay[edit]

Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance is a tactical role-playing video game in which players control protagonist Ike and a group of characters across multiple battle scenarios. At the game's opening, multiple difficulty settings can be chosen: in the Japanese version, the options are Normal, Hard, and Maniac modes, while the western version has Easy, Normal, and Hard modes.^[4][5][6] In all modes, characters who fall in battle are permanently dead and removed from the rest of the game. If Ike falls in battle, the game will end and the stage must be restarted.^[7][8]

Before entering battle, players can choose a certain number of characters to use from a roster of up to 46 characters. The roster grows as the game progresses and more characters are recruited, and the number of characters able to be used varied between battles. During battle, players have access to two species: the humanoid Beorc and the shape-shifting Laguz. Beorc use weapons and magic, while Laguz use close-quarters melee attacks. Laguz have a gauge which fills up during battle, filling at varying speed depending on their status and whether they are under attack. When the gauge is full, they transform into their animal form for a set number of turns, becoming far more powerful than Beorc characters. However, they are unable to attack while in human form, and are vulnerable until they transform again. The time between transformations can be shortened using special items.^[9][10] Playable Beorc characters are each assigned a character class. These classes affect a character's skills and how far they can move on the battlefield. Some classes are exclusive to certain characters: for example, the Ranger class and its skills are exclusive to Ike. Laguz characters also have different movement speeds and strengths depending on their transformed form.^[10]

Character skills are additional abilities each character possesses. These classes can be tailored to a degree, with some skills available to award to any character, but skills inherent to a particular character cannot be removed or changed, and the amount of skills able to be awarded is restricted by the character's skill limit.^[11]

Characters used in battle gain experience points, with larger amounts of experience being awarded depending on a character's performance in battle. Bonus experience is awarded by fulfilling secondary requirements outlined at the beginning of the level.^[9] Once a character earns 100 experience points, they automatically levels up. At level 21, a character's class is automatically upgraded. This upgrade can also happen at level 10 if the player uses an item called a Master Seal. Once the class changes, the character receives set stat bonuses, and their level is reset to level 1, while carrying over all the random stat increases aggregated up to that point.^[7][12] After promotion, the level-cap is 20, and no character can earn experience points after achieving this level.

Between battles, characters can be managed at a Base. In this location, skills can be assigned, weapons can be traded, purchased, and forged, and bonus experience points earned in battle can be given to characters. There is also a Support system accessible through the Base where player characters can talk with each other and improve their relationships. These conversations improve affinity between characters and grant stat boots in battle. Supports are ranked from C to A, with A being the highest rank and granting the best bonuses.^[8][13]

Battles take place on a grid-based map with multiple teams: the player team, the enemy team, allied characters, and neutral characters. A character's class (animal form for the Laguz) and the map's terrain can affect how far they can move and the range of their attacks.^[10] Gameplay is turn-based, with the player moving their characters during the player phase. Once the player's turn ends, the enemy phase begins. If allied or neutral character are present, their phases will follow. During each phase, a character can move once and follow one command. Once this is done, the unit turns gray and cannot be moved or commanded until the next turn. Each turn can be ended manually by the player, or automatically when all characters are given their orders.^[7] The standard commands for characters include attacking characters, using items, rescuing characters (temporarily removing wounded characters from play at the cost of a stat-drain for the rescuing character), trading items with other allied characters, 'shoving' characters to an adjacent space, and waiting until a later turn to receive a command. Special commands include talking to characters in battle, opening chests, visiting buildings on the map, stealing items, and in some cases having characters escape from the map. If each character is not given a command, Ike has the exclusive ability to command all free characters, giving general orders to characters who have already moved for the next turn, or to unmoved characters for the current turn. If the level involves escaping the battle, Ike's escape will end the level.^[14]

The Fire Emblem series' Weapon Triangle mechanic is featured again, in which the three main close-combat weapons are strong or weak against each other: axes are strong against lances, lances are strong against swords, and swords are strong against axes. Other similar mechanics exist, such as fire magic being more damaging to some beasts, and arrows being more effective against airborne enemies.^[9] Weapon durability decreases over time, with weapons eventually breaking when used a certain number of times. Weapons have different levels of strength, with its assigned letter (E to A and S) denoting the level of skill required to wield it. Weapons forged at Base can also be customized with a unique name.^[13] Magic is governed by a similar system to the Weapons Triangle; fire is weak to wind, wind is weak to thunder, and thunder is weak to fire.^[15]

Synopsis[edit]

Setting and characters[edit]

As with previous Fire Emblem games, Path of Radiance takes place in a continuity and setting separate from the rest of the series.^[16] The game's setting is the continent of Tellius, inhabited by two species: the humanoid Beorc, and the shape-shifting Laguz. According to legend, the goddess who made the world created Beorc in her image, and created the Laguz to fill the gap between herself and beasts. The two races have struggled to coexist, leading to racial tensions and conflict on both sides. By the events of Path of Radiance, Tellius is divided into seven nations which remain at peace.^[17] A key item in Tellius is Lehran's Medallion, the world's incarnation of the recurring Fire Emblem. It is a bronze medallion said to contain a dark deity who brought chaos to the world 800 years before and caused all the world but Tellius to be engulfed by the sea. To prevent the dark god being freed, war must be prevented in Tellius.^[18][19]

There are forty six characters encountered through the story that can be recruited, each offering their own contribution to the story.^[8] The majority of the main cast comes from the Greil Mercenaries group, led by its eponymous founder, Greil (voiced by Stephan Weyte).^[20] The protagonist is Ike (voiced by Jason Adkins),^[20] Greil's son. He is accompanied on his travels by Mist (voiced by Elsbeth Nathanson),^[20] his sister, and Elincia (voiced by Erica Evans),^[20] the lost heir to the Crimean Throne. Other Beorc characters include Titania, a former knight of Crimea, and Soren, a mage and tactician serving under Greil. The Laguz characters include Lethe, a cat Laguz with a strong hatred of Beorc; and Caineghis, the lion king of the beast Laguz who wishes for peaceful co-existence with the Beorc. The main antagonists are Daein generals called the Four Riders, which include the enigmatic Black Knight (voiced by Mark Dias),^[20] and their master King Ashnard, the ruler of Daein.^[21]

Plot[edit]

The game opens with Greil allowing his son, Ike, to fight in his band of mercenaries. While on a mission near the Crimean border, Ike rescues a woman from a Daein patrol who is revealed to be Elincia Ridell Crimea, a princess who narrowly escaped being killed with her family during the Daein invasion of Crimea. Daein attacks the mercenaries shortly after this, and they are forced to flee over the border into Gallia, a Laguz nation. They are pursued by the Black Knight, who kills Greil in single combat before being driven off by the Gallians.^[22] Ike and Elincia decide to work together to drive the forces of Daein from Crimea. Over the course of the game, Ike and his companions overcome long-held racial tensions between the Beorc and Laguz in order to form an alliance against their true enemy, Ashnard, king of Daein. In particular, Ike manages to re-establish relations between the Beorc empire of Begnion and the few remaining members of the heron Laguz clan, which was annihilated in an act of genocide known as the Serenes Massacre.^[23] During the course of their journey, they discover that Ashnard is provoking the war to try and release the dark deity contained inside the Medallion, using Daein's invasion as a template for his plan.^[24] In the final assault, Ike and his mercenaries manage to defeat both the Black Knight and Ashnard, thwarting the scheme. With Ashnard defeated and the Daein occupation ended, Elincia is crowned as Crimea's new queen, who works to make the land a place where Beorc and Laguz can live in peace.^[25]

Development[edit]

Development on Path of Radiance began at Intelligent Systems after the international success of the first localized game in the series, released overseas under the title Fire Emblem. Due to high development costs, the team had been unwilling to develop a title for the GameCube, but after Fire Emblem's success overseas, they decided to return from portable to home consoles for its next release. Nintendo SPD was also involved in development.^[26]Path of Radiance was the first Fire Emblem to have 3D in-game graphics, full-motion video cutscenes and voice acting. It was also the first home console game since Fire Emblem: Thracia 776 for the Super Famicom.^[27] Transitioning from 2D graphics to 3D graphics was one of the biggest challenges during development, especially the transition from the tilted overhead view to a character-to-character battle in third-person. One of the features left out due to this process was a dedicated battle arena. At the same time, they introduced the base as members of the development team wanted a place where characters could interact separate from the battlefield. As there was no combat gameplay involved, other types of activity were created, such as special support conversations. To make moves in battle and cutscenes realistic, the team used motion capture, then made sure it appeared a little over the top so the fantasy feeling of the Fire Emblem series remained intact.^[5] By the end of development, Narihiro had some regrets about the quality of the game, saying in an interview that he considered it to be only 70% complete when released.^[26]

The character designs were done by Senri Kita, an artist new to the series.^[28] In contrast to previous Fire Emblem games, where the protagonist was of royal blood, the main character Ike was intended to be of lower social rank, a mercenary who becomes involved in royal politics and conflict rather than being born into it. Ike was born from the many ideas for new directions being suggested for the new 3D game, with many people wanting the protagonist everyone could empathize with. His status as a mercenary was a highly requested character trait by male staff. A character that returned from previous games was Jeigan, who was this time designed as a female character named Titania. Designing all the characters to be unique under the new conditions proved a challenge. This also resulted in higher-quality character artwork being produced during the initial design stages.^[5] The full-motion videos were created by Japanese animation studio Digital Frontier.^[5][29] Introducing the cutscenes into the game proved challenging for the team.^[5] The game's subtitle does not refer to a specific object or place, but instead acts as a metaphor for the journeys of Ike and other characters.^[16]

Release[edit]

A new Fire Emblem title was first announced in April 2004, with the full reveal coming in an issue of Weekly Shōnen Jump.^[30] The game's title, story details and chosen platform were announced in Weekly Shōnen Jump, with a release date announced as some time during 2004.^[1] The game was first shown publicly by Nintendo at their Nintendo World Touch DS event in early 2005. The version of the game displayed there was an early model, and between its reveal and release, it underwent some changes to improve the usability and quality.^[5] As a pre-order bonus, Nintendo created a special CD containing selected tracks from the game, and a special calendar commemorating the series' 15th anniversary.^[31] The game released in Japan on April 20, 2005.^[32]

The first western demonstration of the title was at E3 2005. It was the third Fire Emblem title to be localized, after Fire Emblem and The Sacred Stones.^[27][33] Players with save data from the Game Boy Advance Fire Emblem games are able to connect with Path of Radiance and access concept art and special maps revolving around characters from those games.^[16]Path of Radiance released in North America on October 17.^[34] It was subsequently released in Europe on November 4;^[35] and in Australia on December 1.^[36]

Localization[edit]

The localization of Path of Radiance was handled by Nintendo of America's localization branch Nintendo Treehouse. During the process, the team worked closely with Intelligent Systems staff members. The biggest challenge for the team was translating from Japanese to English, which required staff from Japan to come over and check their work. When translating the dialogue, the localization team wanted to preserve the story's depth and serious tone, despite often having a limited text and character space for interaction and expression. While they had the option to add extra text boxes, this would potentially have made going through conversations tedious for players, so they worked to match the number of text boxes used in the Japanese version. The western version's difficulty was also toned down: the Japanese version's Maniac setting was removed, Hard Mode was toned down, and a new Easy was introduced. These adjustments were based on both western test player feedback, and feedback from Japanese players complaining about the game's high difficulty.^[6] The amount of dialogue and text that needed translating was estimated at less than that in Animal Crossing, but still enough to take several months to complete. Due to its serious nature, the team needed to take a different approach to its localization than other Nintendo titles. As far as possible, the team remained faithful to the original script, aside from pieces like jokes which would not have made sense to people unfamiliar with Japanese humor. While most of the time they refrained from putting out-of-context remarks in character dialogue, an exception was Anna, a recurring Fire Emblem character who featured in optional tutorial missions. As she existed outside the game to a degree, they had more freedom to have her make pop culture references.^[16]

Reception[edit]

Reception
Aggregate scores Aggregator Score GameRankings 85% (47 reviews)[37] Metacritic 85/100 (42 reviews)[38] Review scores Publication Score 1UP.com B+[4] Eurogamer 8/10[39] Famitsu 34/40[40] GameSpot 8.6/10[41] IGN 8.7/10[9] Nintendo World Report 9.5/10[15] RPGamer 4.5/5[8] RPGFan 85%[12]

In Japan during its opening week, Path of Radiance sold 100,357 copies, selling through 64.16% of its initial shipment. By the end of 2005, the game had sold 156,413 copies.^[42] In its UK debut, it reached the top of the GameCube charts.^[43] Although no exact sales figures have been published, Nintendo cited the game as being among its successful GameCube titles for 2005.^[44] According to the developers, the fact that it was released near the end of the GameCube's lifespan affected sales, but it still managed to help sell the hardware and convinced Nintendo that the Fire Emblem had selling power on home consoles.^[26]

Reception of the game was generally positive: on aggregate sites GameRankings and Metacritic, it received scores of 85% and 85/100 based upon 47 and 42 critic reviews respective.^[37][38] In IGN's GamerMetrics List for 2005 and GameSpot's 2005 Readers' Choice award, Path of Radiance was at #2 in their respective lists behind Resident Evil 4.^[45][46] The game was among those nominated at the 2006 Golden Joystick Awards in the 'Nintendo Game of the Year' category.^[47] The game was named by GamesRadar was one of the best GameCube games of all time in 2014, and Destructoid listed it among the five best Fire Emblem games in the series in 2013.^[48][49]

Famitsu's reviewers each praised the gameplay, story, and the introduction of full-motion movies. One reviewer cited it as the series' new exemplar, while another pointed out rough edges in the graphical redesign and that the new 3D perspective made seeing some parts of the map difficult.^[40]1UP.com's Shane Betternhausen was positive overall, saying '[Path of Radiance] delivers a superbly paced and rewarding adventure'.^[4] RPGamer's Chris Privitere said 'While Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance doesn't necessarily add anything new to the tactical genre, it does everything very well', recommending it to players while stressing the need for patience.^[8] Peer Schneider of IGN called the game 'yet another worthy installment in Intelligent Systems' venerable strategy RPG series'.^[9] RPGFan reviewer Mark Tjan said that while not the best Fire Emblem game he had played, 'it's certainly a good game and worth picking up if you're searching for an SRPG worth your time and money'.^[12] Nintendo World Report's Karl Castaneda was also highly positive, though commenting that its graphical quality were more suited to the early days of the GameCube's life and that it might have been a great success if released during that period.^[15] Eurogamer's Tom Bramwell, despite feeling that the game was flawed by inherent problems in the Fire Emblem formula, enjoyed the game and was willing to replay once he had finished.^[39] Greg Kasavin, writing for GameSpot, saying that 'by replacing the traditional random battles that typify most Japanese role-playing games with a fun and exciting turn-based combat system, and by going out of its way to deliver a memorable and genuinely emotional story, Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance accomplishes what all role-playing games attempt, but very few actually manage to do'.^[41] The majority of praise went to the game's story and gameplay, while criticism was focused on the graphical quality.^{[4][8][9][12][15][39][41]}

Legacy[edit]

The team's successful return to a home console convinced them to carry on the story of Tellius in another home console release. The next entry, Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn, began development in May 2005 for the Wii.^[26] It was released in 2007 in Japan and North America, and 2008 in Europe and Australia.^{[32][50][51][52]} Protagonist Ike has also appeared as a playable fighter in all installments of the Super Smash Bros. series since Super Smash Bros. Brawl. ^[53][54][55]

External links[edit]

• Official website(in Japanese)
• Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance at Fire Emblem World (in Japanese)
• Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance at Fire Emblem Museum (in Japanese)

References[edit]

1. ^Co-produced and supervised by Nintendo Software Planning & Development.
2. ^Known in Japan as Fire Emblem: Sōen no Kiseki (ファイアーエムブレム 蒼炎の軌跡Faiā Emuburemu: Sōen no Kiseki, lit. Fire Emblem: Trail of the Blue Flame^[1])
3. ^Sources disagree on the exact numbering: it is variously called the 9th,^[2] and 10th^[3] entry in the series.

References

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19. ^Intelligent Systems (2005-10-17). Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance. GameCube. Nintendo. Level/area: Chapter 25: Strange Lands. Ike: What manner of being is this dark god? What would happen if it were freed from its prison? / Caineghis: I fear the world would once again be beset by natural calamity—much like it was 800 years ago. At that time, all the world, save Tellius, was drowned beneath the seas. / Elincia: That is a true story? I thought it nothing more than a fable... / Caineghis: We have living proof: Goldoa's King Deghinsea. He and two other heroes fought alongside the goddess herself to defeat the dark one. [...] The Black Dragon King is a living fossil, and as stubborn as anything alive. He's been trying to control the rest of us for years, and he always says the same thing. 'Do not fan the flames of strife. As long as Lehran's medallion exists, you must never begin a war that engulfs the entire continent.'
20. ^ ^abcde'Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance – Characters/Actors Images'. Behind The Voice Actors. Retrieved 19 May 2017.
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22. ^Intelligent Systems (2005-10-17). Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance. GameCube. Nintendo. Level/area: Chapter 9: Gallia.
23. ^Intelligent Systems (2005-10-17). Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance. GameCube. Nintendo. Level/area: Chapter 16: The Atonement. Nasir: It begins with the assassination of the previous Begnion apostle. It was twenty years ago... One year after the declaration of emancipation was made. The leader at the time was the Apostle Misaha, who was more adored by the public than any apostle before...or since. When she was assassinated, the citizenry was wracked with grief. All of Begnion despaired. And then, a rumor began to circulate that the assassination was the work of the Serenes herons. In the twinkling of an eye, the rumor spread throughout the Begnion capital. One night shortly thereafter, it happened. The citizens grew violent. They massed at the edge of Serenes Forest, home of their supposed enemy, and set it to burn. The crowd raged on for three nights, and in the end, the heron clan was lost.
24. ^Intelligent Systems (2005-10-17). Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance. GameCube. Nintendo. Level/area: Chapter 25: Strange Lands. Soren: King Goldoa said that a conflict which engulfs the entire continent would free the dark god from the medallion. Let us assume that the war would have such an effect on the medallion no matter where it was...or who possessed it. And let's also assume that the king of Daein thinks this as well. I can hear him now...'Where is the tinder for the blaze I need?' The answer to this question proved to be an easy one. Yet he had to find a way to test his theory...So, he attacked neighboring Crimea. It had to be Crimea. Begnion was too big, too powerful. Daein would have lost. Crimea, however, is a country known more for its scholarship than its military strength. Daein probably felt that a surprise invasion would let them win while taking minimal casualties themselves. And they were right. Crimea was easy prey.
25. ^Intelligent Systems (2005-10-17). Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance. GameCube. Nintendo. Level/area: Epilogue. Text: The war is over. The Crimean people, who suffered gravely during the harsh Daein occupation, have at last regained their freedom. These same Crimeans have a saying: 'No matter how harsh the winter, spring will ever follow.' This popular proverb proves true as the warm winds of change begin to blow across the countryside. The war has left the country in ruins, but the people rise from the ashes and take the first steps towards rebuilding their nation. Though once scorned and despised as sub- humans, the laguz put aside past enmity and come to the aid of their neighbors. And the Crimeans never forget it was Gallia that fought beside them and helped free them from the yoke of Daein oppression. Led by the examples of Elincia and her retainers, Crimea begins transforming into the land its king had dreamed of. A land where beorc and laguz live together in harmony and equality. As the reconstruction efforts progress, the administrative government announces the enthronement of Elincia as the new queen. And now, the day of her crowning arrives.
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Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance

Name (JP)

, Fire Emblem: Path of the Blue Flame

Music

Platforms & Release dates

Nintendo GameCube

^JPApril 20, 2005
^NAOctober 17, 2005
^EUNovember 4, 2005
^AUSDecember 1, 2005

Predecessor	Successor
Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones	Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn

Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance is a tactical role-playing game developed by Intelligent Systems and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo GameCube video game console. The game was released on April 20, 2005 in Japan, October 17, 2005 in North America, November 15, 2005 in Europe and December 1, 2005 in Australia. It is the ninth Fire Emblemtitle, and the third Fire Emblem title to be released in North America. It was the first Fire Emblem title to feature voice acting and the first to be rendered in a three-dimensional, cel-shaded style. It is also the first Fire Emblem game to be released for a home console in North America, Australia, and Europe. It introduces a new system for battle preparation and a new set of races, collectively known as laguz. A sequel to Path of Radiance,

The Blue Flame Car Video

Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn, was released in Japan for the Wii on February 22, 2007 and in North America on November 5, 2007.

Path of Radiance averaged 86% on Game Rankings, which makes it the seventh highest rated Fire Emblem game. In Super Smash Bros. Brawl, the game's main character, Ike appeared as a playable character. Sothe, Elincia, The Black Knight, and Ashnard appeared as trophies. It is also represented in the form of music tracks and stickers.

SettingEdit

Path of Radiance is set on the fictional continent of Tellius. Tellius is divided into nations that are either governed by beorc or laguz. There are seven nations:

• Crimea - A beorc kingdom that is home to the Greil Mercenaries. At the start of the game, it is invaded by Daein. It was ruled by King Ramon until his death at the hands of King Ashnard. He is succeeded by his daughter, Elincia.
• Daein - A beorc kingdom that had become antagonistic ever since King Ashnard ascended the throne.
• Begnion - A beorc theocracy worshiping the goddess Ashera. Its figurehead is Apostle Sanaki.
• Gallia - Home to the beast laguz, it recently improved relations with Crimea. Its ruler is King Caineghis.
• Phoenicis - Home to the hawk laguz, its ruler is King Tibarn.
• Kilvas - Home to the raven laguz, who are considered more cunning and dishonorable than the Hawks. Foreigners are not welcome unless they pay well. Its ruler is King Naesala.
• Goldoa - Home of the dragon laguz, it isolates itself from the rest of Tellius. Its ruler is Dheginsea.
• Serenes Forest - A forest located in northwestern Begnion, home to the heron laguz. However, it was burnt down 20 years before the events of the game and the herons were wiped out, save for its king Lorazieh, Prince Reyson and Rafiel, Princess Leanne and Lillia.

PlotEdit

Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance is set on the fictional continent of Tellius. The storyline is all-new and un-related to any other Fire Emblem titles. The protagonist, Ike, the son of Greil, begins the game as the newest member of his father's mercenary company, the Greil Mercenaries. The company operates within the borders of Crimea, a nation of humans (referred to as 'beorc') that shares its southern border with Gallia, a nation of Beastlaguz, or humanoids capable of transforming into animals. A few chapters into the game, a neighboring beorc nation, Daein, invades Crimea. Soon after, Ike comes across an unconscious woman in a forest that turns out to be the Crimean princess, Elincia Ridell Crimea. Faced with the ruthless Daein assault, Greil leads the mercenaries out of Crimea and towards Gallia, but is mortally wounded by a Daein general known only as the Black Knight. These events mark the beginning of a long journey that will take Ike, Elincia, and the mercenaries across the continent and back in an effort to defeat Daein and restore Crimea's royalty to the throne.

Over the course of the game, Ike and his companions must overcome long-held racial tensions between the beorc and laguz in order to form an alliance against their true enemy, Ashnard, King of Daein. In particular, Ike manages to reestablish relations between the beorc nation of Begnion and the few remaining members of the heron laguz clan, which was annihilated in an act of genocide known as the Serenes Massacre. With this accomplishment, Ike is given command of a patchwork army that he leads into Daein and finally back to Crimea, where he confronts the Black Knight and ultimately King Ashnard himself.

CharactersEdit

See main article: List of characters in Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance

ChaptersEdit

See main article: List of chapters in Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance

The Fire EmblemEdit

In the fictional world of Tellius, the Fire Emblem takes the form of a simple bronze medallion also known as Lehran's Medallion. It holds the soul of an evil god whose energies disrupt the level of chaotic energy in a person. For example, when Greil touched the medallion, it caused him to go berserk and kill everyone in sight, including his wife, Elena. It was only when she took the medallion from his hand in her final moments that Greil regained his sanity. Only a person with a high level of balance is capable of holding the medallion without losing his or her mind. Ike's mother, Elena, and his younger sister, Mist, are two such people.

The medallion once belonged to the Heron clans that dwelt in the Serenes Forest within Begnion. They were charged with protecting the medallion so that the evil god would not be released. However, the Serenes Massacre forced Lillia, a member of the Heron royal family, to flee with the medallion, only to be captured by Ashnard (or his subordinates). Lillia was ordered to free the dark god, but she could not. She befriended Elena and gave the medallion to her. Mist eventually inherited it from her mother.

In the final chapter of the 'Difficult' difficulty (and 'Maniac' in the Japanese version), Ashnard uses the medallion after his initial defeat to gain godlike power. Despite this strength growth, he is still defeated by Ike and the party.

Gameplay mechanicsEdit

The game retains the fundamental gameplay mechanics of the Fire Emblem series, such as the weapon triangle and grid-based battlefields. However, there are some changes to the gameplay, such as the way in which the group prepares and units support each other, as well as a change to the magic system.

New RaceEdit

Path of Radiance introduces the laguz changelings—humanoid creatures that transform into powerful animals when their transformation gauge is full. The bar within the transformation gauge increases each turn; the laguz spend roughly an equal amount of time in each form, though the humanoid form can be completely bypassed if the laguz is equipped with either a Demi Band or a Laguz Band—the former of which decreases the user's battle statistics. When in animal form, laguz use the natural weapons of their species—claws for beasts, beaks for birds, and breath attacks for dragons. The natural weapons of a laguz will never break with use, unlike normal beorc weaponry, but laguz do not use beorc weapons and are thus unable to attack when not in animal form. There are three species of laguz—beasts, birds, and dragons. These species are further divided into three classes each, although not all of them are playable. Beast laguz are divided into Cats, Tigers, and lions; birds into ravens, hawks, and Herons; and dragons are divided into red, white, and black dragons. Each laguz species has an elemental weakness: fire for beasts, wind for birds, and thunder for dragons. Birds can fly in either form, but also have the weakness to bows associated with flying units.

Unit classesEdit

This installment of the Fire Emblem series—like the previous two released in the West—allows the player to change a unit's class once he or she reaches a certain level. However, unlike in the Game Boy Advance games (which used specially designated items for promotion) a unit automatically promotes upon reaching level twenty-one. Players can also use the Master Seal item to immediately promote any unit at any point between levels ten to twenty. Laguz characters cannot promote.

Path of Radiance introduces some new classes while omitting some that were present in earlier Fire Emblem installments. There have also been changes to which weapons some classes can wield. Ex: Paladins have the option of using bows, where in previous games they could not.

Battle PreparationEdit

Path of Radiance is the first Fire Emblem game to feature a 'Base screen' along with the 'Battle Preparations' screen. Before the Base screen appears, Soren provides information on the previous battle, including the weapons and the distribution of Bonus Experience and skills. Furthermore, players can engage in Support conversations and the new 'Info' conversations, chapter-specific conversations rated on a scale of one to three stars. One star denotes conversations that provide story background, two stars mark conversations that provide hints on how to proceed in the coming battle, and three stars indicate that the conversation may yield a special ability, item, or new playable character.

Skill SystemEdit

The skill system, which was introduced in Fire Emblem: Genealogy of the Holy War, has different mechanics in this game. Each character has a capacity gauge that allows for mastery of skills. By using a skill scroll, the character learns the corresponding skill and a certain amount of slots are taken up in the capacity gauge, usually determined by how useful the skill is. The space of the capacity gauge varies between classes and characters. Any unit can learn any skill, although there are exceptions. Skills vary in how useful they are and what they do. Most give the unit an advantage in battle; Ike's Aether, for example, allows Ike to deal damage as if his opponent has half their real defense, while healing him for half the damage he would deal. However, if you unassign a skill from someone, that skill disappears forever.

ExperienceEdit

Bonus Experience was introduced in this game. At the end of every chapter, Bonus Experience is awarded based on certain factors such as number of enemies remaining and turns taken to complete the chapter. It can be distributed to units at the Base Screen. Just as in the previous Fire Emblem installments, one hundred Experience Points are required to level up.

Another unique feature to Path of Radiance is Fixed mode, which is an alternative method for unit growth that is available after completing the game once. Random mode—the method used in all other titles in the series, as well as in the first playthrough of Path of Radiance—gives units a set percentage chance to increase a given stat upon level up. This chance is termed a 'growth rate.' Due to the 'chance nature' of this system, a unit that levels up may gain many stat increases or none at all. In Fixed mode, units instead earn experience towards a stat increase as they earn standard experience. This 'stat experience' is kept per stat, and if enough has been accumulated, that stat will increase the next time the unit gains a level and 'stat experience' will return to zero; otherwise, it will carry over to the next level. Units earn stat experience based on their individual growth rates, which can be modified by the items a unit has equipped and the class of the enemy that it is attacking.

WeaponsEdit

For a list of weapons in the game see: List of weapons in Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance

The weapon forging system, introduced in this game, allows players to create improved versions of some of the weapons available in shops. Players can forge one weapon during every visit to the Base screen. To forge a weapon, the player first chooses a base weapon to modify. Choices of base weapon are initially limited, but more options become available as the player progresses through the game. The player can then increase or decrease several statistics of the weapon, such as strength and weight. The further away from the statistics of the base weapon, the higher the cost; making no changes to the base statistics results in the same price as the base weapon. After statistics are adjusted, the player can choose a new color for the weapon and give it a unique name. These features have no effect on price.

Support SystemEdit

The support system remains the same in how the support conversations affect each unit and how statistical boosts are determined. However, instead of the support level being determined by the number of turns units are adjacent in a battle, it is now determined by the number of battles two units have been in together. Furthermore, the support conversations take place at the base instead of in the battlefield. An option to re-read the support conversations as an extra feature is not available in this game as it was in previous Fire Emblem games. However, there is a section on the unit information screen that shows the specific statistical gains from support conversations; this wasn't available in the previous Fire Emblem games.

Changes from Japanese versionEdit

The difficulty modes are changed: Non-Japanese copies have easy, normal and hard, whereas the JPN version has normal, hard, and maniac. In the localized versions, the Swordmaster, Berserker, and Sniper unit classes receive a 15% boost to their critical rate (the chance to triple the damage of an attack), similar to those present in Fire Emblem: The Blazing Blade and Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones. Path of Radiance was the first Fire Emblem game to feature voice acting. In the Japanese version, there was voiced narration for all of the overworld map scenes and the ending cinema scenes. However, the narration was mostly omitted in the English version, leaving only the ending cinema narration and the cutscenes.

Link Connection with the GBAEdit

The Game Boy Advance Fire Emblem games (Fire Emblem: The Binding Blade, Fire Emblem: The Blazing Blade, and Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones) could be connected with Path of Radiance via a Gamecube-Game Boy Advance link cable. Doing so would unlock a character portrait gallery for their respective games. The portrait gallery for The Binding Blade is removed entirely from English versions. If The Blazing Blade is connected, a game does not have to be started to get a full character portrait. Oddly enough, the character portrait gallery for The Sacred Stones does not provide portraits for all in-game characters. (Only some of the main characters and the trainee characters are included.) Linking with the GBA games also unlocks three special trial maps for Path of Radiance after the main story has been cleared once. The maps unlocked depend on which games have been connected. The first trial map is unlocked in the Japanese version by connecting The Binding Blade, but in english versions is unlocked by connecting both The Blazing Blade and Sacred Stones. The second is unlocked in all versions by connecting The Blazing Blade and the Third is unlocked by connecting Sacred Stones.

Graphics engine and musical scoreEdit

For a list of music from the game see: List of Music in Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance

Path of Radiance is the first Fire Emblem title to feature three-dimensional graphics on the battlefield, replacing two-dimensional sprite animations and landscapes with fully rendered 3-D models. It is also the first game in the series to make use of full motion video to present cinematic sequences at key points in the game. The FMV sequences were animated by Digital Foundry, which would later create the FMV sequences for its sequel.12

The Fire Emblem series' veteran music composer, Yuka Tsujiyoko, was actively involved in providing the musical score. Path of Radiance is the first Fire Emblem game to feature an in-game theme song with vocals, 'Life Returns,' which is sung in the fictional language of the heron tribe. (The Binding Blade previously used lyrics for the main theme in the game's retail soundtrack)

Despite being one of the three worst sellers in Japan (The other two being Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn and Fire Emblem: Thracia 776), the game received mostly positive reviews after its release. Game Rankings, a website that provides video games with percentile scores based on the score average collected from a variety of review sources, rated the game with an 86 percent, giving it a higher average ranking than Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones.

The game was praised for its deep story, excellent cinema cut-scenes, and pseudo-orchestrated music. However, it was criticized for outdated in-game graphics and extended periods of dialogue, as well as the lack of innovation in gameplay and presentation. Eurogamer cited the gameplay as 'single-minded', stating that some gameplay elements lack complexity compared to games of a similar genre such as Final Fantasy Tactics. Furthermore, they proceed to mention the occasional burden of ensuring unit's safety as a result of permanent death, and the frustration when losing a unit. Despite this, the game was praised for retaining the charm that made the previous installments popular.

Trivia Edit

• In the Nintendo DS game, Trace Memory, one can find a book titled 'Path of Radiance' during Chapter 2; an obvious nod to this game.
• This is the first Fire Emblem game to be made in full 3D, contain Full Motion Video cutscenes, and feature some voice acting (though only in the FMVs, as voice grunts in the dialogue sections would not be incorporated until Awakening, 8 years later, while full voice work would not be implemented into both FMVs and dialogue scenes until Echoes: Shadows of Valentia, 12 years later).
• This is currently one of the most expensive Fire Emblem games ever released internationally, second to Radiant Dawn, due to it having a very limited release.

GalleryEdit

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Spin-offs	Fire Emblem: Archanea Saga - Tokyo Mirage Sessions ♯FE - Fire Emblem Heroes - Fire Emblem Warriors
Cancelled	Fire Emblem: Ankoku no Miko - Fire Emblem Wii

Playable	Ike - Titania - Boyd - Oscar - Rhys - Shinon - Gatrie - Soren - Mia - Ilyana - Mist - Rolf - Marcia - Lethe - Mordecai - Volke - Kieran - Brom - Nephenee - Zihark - Sothe - Jill - Astrid - Makalov - Stefan - Tormod - Muarim - Devdan - Tanith - Reyson - Janaff - Ulki - Calill - Tauroneo - Ranulf - Haar - Bastian - Lucia - Geoffrey - Largo - Elincia - Ena - Nasir - Naesala - Tibarn - Giffca
Trial Map	Oliver - Shiharam - Petrine - Bryce - Ashnard
Non-playable	Black Knight - Caineghis - Dheginsea - Gareth - Greil - Izuka - Kurthnaga - Leanne - Lorazieh - Nealuchi - Sanaki - Sigrun - Lotz - Zawana - Ikanau - Havetti - Maijin - Dakova - Emil - Balmer - Kamura - Nedata - Kotaff - Danomill - Mackoya - Seeker - Norris - Gashilama - Kimaarsi - Kayachey - Homasa - Kasatai - Schaeffer - Tomenami - Lillia - Rikard - Gromell - Bertram - Hafedd - Heddwyn - Ramon - Lekain - Hetzel - Rajaion

Artbooks	Fire Emblem 20th Anniversary Encyclopedia - Fire Emblem 25th Anniversary Staff Book - The Making of Fire Emblem 25th Anniversary Development Secrets, Awakening and Fates - Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance Memorial Book Tellius Recollection: The First Volume
Card Games	Fire Emblem 0 (Cipher)
Merchandise	Fire Emblem: One Hundred Songs of Heroes - Fire Emblem Music Collection: Piano ~Faith & Engagement - Sounds of Fire Emblem from Cipher Caravan – Horse and Rider as One