Best Fire Emblem Games For Beginners

Fire Emblem is a little different compared to other Japanese role-playing games, due to its emphasis on grid-based gameplay and risk-reward management. As a result, many new players who aren't used to the kind of gameplay Fire Emblem offers can find the game a little confusing, regardless of its actual difficulty.

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While Fire Emblem games can range from being fairly easy to quite difficult, any game can be tough if the player lacks an understanding of the main mechanics. Here are the best Fire Emblem games that do a good job of teaching the series' gameplay concepts to beginners.

Updated June 23, 2024 by Danny Guan: Fire Emblem continues to grow and grow in popularity each and every year, and fans of the franchise wait with bated breath for a new release in the series. While there hasn't yet been a new entry in the franchise since Fire Emblem Engage, there are surely plenty of new fans hoping to get into the landmark turn-based strategy RPG series.

The series' gameplay is well-known and iconic at this point, though there are still plenty of challenges for new fans to the series. With that in mind, here are the best Fire Emblem games in the series for beginners to check out.

1 Fire Emblem: New Mystery Of The Emblem

A Re-Imagining Of A Classic

• Platform(s): Nintendo DS
• Released: July 15, 2010
• Developer(s): Intelligent Systems
• Genre(s): Tactical RPG

Mystery of the Emblem is the third entry in the Fire Emblem series, being both a remake and sequel to the first game, Shadow Dragon and the Blade of Light. The game received a remake in 2010 called New Mystery of the Emblem, which removed the remake section of the original and expanded the sequel section, including brand new story sections and original characters.

The game is similar in difficulty to other games in the franchise, but it is also the first game in the series to feature a Casual Mode, which removes the permadeath mechanic from the game. Though the game has never been localized and can be hard to find, it is a great starting point for anyone who happens to find a copy.

2 Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon And The Blade Of Light

The Precursor To An Iconic Franchise

The very first Fire Emblem game, Shadow Dragon and the Blade of Light was one of the earliest examples of a tactical role-playing game, helping to establish the archetype for many future titles. At the same time, it shows its age very much, lacking many basic mechanics (like the iconic weapon triangle) and many quality-of-life additions that make later games easier to play.

However, Shadow Dragon and the Blade of Light is also a very simple game, simple enough that even beginners can quickly get a handle on the gameplay without too much fuss. There are plenty of units to use in case anybody dies, and stat numbers never go higher than 20. While the first Fire Emblem game can be very difficult, it isn't the worst starting point for newcomers.

3 Fire Emblem: The Binding Blade

The First 21st-Century Fire Emblem Game

The Binding Blade was the first Fire Emblem game to be made for the Game Boy Advance, marking a huge change in the series' gameplay. The move to a smaller, portable system meant the gameplay needed to be simplified, and while the GBA Fire Emblem titles can be difficult, they are also more approachable for newer players.

The Binding Blade can be very troublesome for new players, with gimmicky stages and odd balancing decisions, making Roy's campaign against Bern a very difficult trial. Still, it is a very approachable entry for beginners, and it makes the gameplay loop very clear for those unfamiliar with the franchise.

4 Fire Emblem: Path Of Radiance

A Well-Rounded And Balanced Entry

Path of Radiance is neither a very difficult entry nor a very easy entry in the series, which makes it a decent first entry into the franchise. The game may lack a casual mode, but it does a good job of showing new players the different kinds of scenarios they can expect when playing through a Fire Emblem game.

Nowadays, Path of Radiance is a very hard-to-find game, and it's unlikely that the game will be ported to modern consoles any time soon. Nevertheless, this is definitely a good game to start the series for those who manage to get their hands on it.

5 Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows Of Valentia

An Idiosyncratic Entry With Unique Functions

Fire Emblem Gaiden was a wild departure from the main series, and its remake Shadows of Valentia retains those bizarre changes, making it a very different experience for Fire Emblem indeed. Beginners may not necessarily choose to start with this game due to how different it is from other games in the franchise.

However, those who do will find a few mechanics that will ease their playthrough quite a bit, with casual mode being available and Mila's Turnwheel allowing players to redo their turns. While Shadows of Valentia can be difficult in many other ways, these mechanics will keep beginners from getting too frustrated.

6 Fire Emblem Fates: Birthright

Fire Emblem Fates has three different games for players to go through, but Birthright is generally accepted as the easiest, due to lacking the challenge of Conquest and the gimmicky maps of Revelations. While that might not sound appealing to veterans, it does make it a good game for new players to check out.

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As a modern Fire Emblem game, Fates has several mechanics that make the game a little easier, such as pair up. Weapons also lack durability, meaning players do not have to worry about managing their resources on top of everything else.

7 Fire Emblem Engage

The Newest Entry Featuring More Quality Of Life

Fire Emblem Engage is possibly one of the easiest entries in the series. With powerful Emblem rings that grant a variety of powerful abilities as well as a Time Crystal that allows players to redo their turns infinitely, the difficulty curve in Engage is demonstrably much lower than in other games.

Engage does have difficult stages at times, and its nature as a crossover game can mean beginners may avoid it due to not recognizing any of the callbacks or references to previous games. However, those who do not care about that will find that Fire Emblem Engage is a good game to learn the basics of Fire Emblem.

8 Fire Emblem: Three Houses

A Familiar Franchise With Experimental Mechanics

The incredibly popular Three Houses features a lot of gameplay changes that radically redefine the concept of Fire Emblem. With elements inspired by Persona, the lack of a weapon triangle, and the addition of giant monsters and battalions, it may seem odd to recommend Three Houses to beginners.

Nevertheless, Three Houses is a great game to check out for those who are starting Fire Emblem. With its lower difficulty curve, simpler map design, and easily customizable roster, most players will find themselves getting used to Fire Emblem's gameplay very quickly.

9 Fire Emblem: Awakening

The Classic That Revived The Franchise

Fire Emblem Awakening is one of the most popular entries in the series and is most likely the main reason for the series' current popularity. It popularized the use of casual mode (though it was not the first to do it), and its melding of various game mechanics from all over the series gave it a lot of complexity.

Beginners may find that Awakening is not nearly as easy as some of the other games on this list. However, Awakening is a great game for beginners since it offers a snapshot of the various mechanics that appear throughout the Fire Emblem series.

10 Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones

A Breezy Campaign With Plenty Of Optional Battles

Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones is quite similar to Fire Emblem Awakening, with both featuring an overworld allowing players to find random battles to their satisfaction. In comparison, however, The Sacred Stones is much easier than Awakening, even though it lacks the option to use casual mode.

The Sacred Stones is a fairly short game that can be beaten even without tackling the optional towers or fighting the random battles that frequently appear on the overworld. With powerful characters like Seth and Gerik on the squad, it's almost surprising how easy it is to blow through some of these stages.