There are games that, strangely enough, still do not have many alternatives beyond the works of their original creators. Games with a very recognizable formula that are hardly seen outside the systems for which they were conceived. With Dark Souls there has been an explosion a few years ago, while with Fire Emblem it will finally take off this very 2021. For now on Steam.
It is not that since its origins in 1990 for the Famicom we have not seen any game that fits its guidelines perfectly, because there we have the 2019 Vestaria Saga, but that two extremely similar to the Fire Emblem and with a few months have never coincided difference in terms of launch. But it is like this. And the first of them is already on sale: Dark Deity .
Dark Deity, the most faithful to the classic Fire Emblem
In the midst of the maelstrom of games at E3 2021, the debut of Dark Deity on Steam went quite unnoticed, since its trailer for the fair was accompanied by that practically immediate availability in the Valve service, enjoying a temporary discount of 20%, placing its price at only 16.79 euros.
Visually it closely resembles the Fire Emblem of Game Boy Advance , being practically a copy in terms of the recreation of the battles, not only in the tactical part with an overhead view but also in the scenes that show us the action in 2D, apart from those character designs that are practically indistinguishable from the Intelligent Systems style. A tribute that borders on plagiarism .
Its creators (Sword & Ax) do not mention the Nintendo saga as the main influence, however ironic it may be. They hide behind the handy “inspired by classics of the genre”, but you don’t have to be a lynx to see all that influence, even when it comes to leveling up a character, with a very similar template.
In these cases it is not that it matters much, not in vain it comes out exclusively for Steam, so it does not compete directly with Fire Emblem: Three Houses on Switch or Fire Emblem Fates on 3DS, to name two of the latter. So anyone who looks for a faithful alternative will find in Dark Deity the answer to their prayers , although from the outset it is more permissive with permanent death by leaving the units badly injured before they disappear permanently if it happens to them repeatedly and we do not worry. for properly curing them.
There are plenty of figures, with 28 chapters, 30 characters that can join our cause and a whopping 54 different classes, each with their own abilities, of course. The names will be different from those of the Nintendo saga, but it is not that he has invented the wheel within the genre of the role.
On the other hand, as it happens in Fire Emblem , we can strengthen the bond between each character by fighting together or engaging in conversations (with 400 talks in total, be careful), so we will surely end up catching affection. I certainly want to try it, but I prefer to wait a few weeks to see how their ratings evolve (for now, logically scarce).
Lost Eidolons will bet on a more serious style
Officially presented last March 2021, Lost Eidolons embraces the modern Fire Emblem proposal thanks to its 3D engine. It is rougher, yes, apart from showing a more realistic and darker style than Nintendo’s, without so much color involved . After all, we are at war.
With a successful KickStarter funding from Ocean Drive Studio in April, we can see that it replicates several of the essential pillars seen in the Nintendo console saga, such as permanent death, the way each character evolves or the disposition for battles, with the basic scheme of the SRPG but that Fire Emblem touch to greater to see the combats up close.
Its launch will take place in the last quarter of 2021 on Steam Early Access, with its final version confirmed for both PC and Xbox, with other systems to be announced. Its state is very precarious, therefore, but that does not mean that thanks to the Steam Next Fest we can try a timid preview with its demo.
It is not as attractive as other proposals that have been encouraged to try to emulate such an ingrained formula ( in the case of Wars , Wargroove is undoubtedly the best stopped, with nothing to envy those of Nintendo), but it is also true that still it is under development and has room for improvement. In addition, it has an extra to take into account, as it is a multiplatform game , without sticking only to the PC.