Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones
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| Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones | |
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| Developer(s) | Intelligent Systems Co., Ltd. |
| Publisher(s) |  Nintendo Co., Ltd. Nintendo of America Nintendo of Europe |
| Series | Fire Emblem |
| Release date(s) | October 7, 2004 May 23, 2005 November 4, 2005 |
| Genre(s) | Tactical RPG |
| Mode(s) | Campaign (Single Player), Link Arena (Multiplayer) |
| Rating(s) | ESRB: Everyone |
| Platform(s) | Game Boy Advance |
| Media | 128-megabit Cartridge |
Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones (ファイアーエムブレム 聖魔の光石 Faiā Emuburemu: Seima no Kouseki?) is a Japanese tactical role-playing game for the Game Boy Advance developed by Intelligent Systems Co., Ltd. and published by Nintendo. It is the eighth game in the Fire Emblem series, the last game in the series to be released for the Game Boy Advance and the second game in the series to be released in North America.
The game builds on the game mechanics used in the previous two GBA Fire Emblem titles Fire Emblem: Fūin no Tsurugi and Fire Emblem but is set in a different universe. Set on the continent of Magvel, the plot focuses on royal twins Princess Eirika and Prince Ephraim as they seek to discover why a longtime ally has chosen to invade their nation's borders and the sudden appearance of monsters all over Magvel.
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[edit] Gameplay mechanics
Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones introduces several new concepts and revives some old ones used in previous Fire Emblem games.
A notable difference that separates The Sacred Stones from the previous GBA Fire Emblem titles is the use of a navigable world map, a mechanic first used in Fire Emblem Gaiden. Rather than limit the ability to train units and buy items to story battles, the ability to traverse the world map allows players more freedom in choosing how to play the game. It is possible to purchase weapons and items by visiting shops at points scattered across Magvel. Basic iron weapons and low-level tomes can also be purchased at an inflated cost from the armory in the supply caravan before battle, and units can pull items from the supply caravan during battle when standing adjacent to a lord character (i.e. Eirika or Ephraim). It is also possible to enter "Skirmish" battles against monsters unrelated to the story. This system introduces new aspects into the game's strategy as it is possible to have characters attain their maximum level less than halfway through the game. In addition, finishing the game will unlock the "Creature Campaign." Players can enter the Tower of Valni or Lagdou Ruins and climb the tower by fighting battles against monsters. Reaching certain floors will unlock secret characters.
The Sacred Stones also introduces a branched promotion system. Like the previous GBA titles, units are still promoted using specific items (except for Trainee classes, who auto-promote at Level 10), but the player is now given a choice in what type of advanced unit a character can become. The only units that do not have a branched promotion are the Lords, Eirika and Ephraim, who each promote into their own unique Great Lord class. A rudimentary skill system was also reintroduced, which gives some classes unique skills. For example, the Bishop's "Slayer" skill triples a weapon's might when fighting monsters.
Like the previous game in the series, The Sacred Stones suffers from a few minor glitches. Among these is a harmful glitch which causes the game to freeze when battle animations are turned on and a Wyvern Knight uses the "Pierce" skill while equipped with a ranged weapon such as the javelin or spear. A glitch also found in the previous game, Fire Emblem, also reappears, allowing the player to control enemy units in the map, although it is more difficult to perform.
The Sacred Stones features a multiplayer Link Arena structured identically to that found in the previous game.
[edit] Overview
[edit] Setting
Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones takes place on the pangaen continent of Magvel. It is home to six nation-states of diverse leadership. With the exception of Carcino, they share a history of 800 years since the War of the Stones and are responsible for their own Sacred Stone, from which their governments draw legitimacy and credibility. The nations have enjoyed a long lasting peace but recently, the empire of Grado has attacked its neighbor Renais for inexplicable reasons.
- Renais
The kingdom of Renais is ruled by Fado, the peerless Warrior King. It enjoyed a long-standing treaty with its southern neighbor Grado until the year 803. It is the home of the twin lords Ephraim and Eirika and houses the Sacred Twin weapons Sieglinde, the Storm Blade and Siegmund, the Fire Lance.
- Frelia
The kingdom of Frelia is ruled by Hayden, the venerable Sage King. Hayden's heirs are Prince Innes and Princess Tana and his house cares for the Sacred Twin weapons Vidofnir, the Winged Lance and Nidhogg, the Serpent Bow. Frelia is also home to pegasi which are trained for military purposes.
- Jehanna
The kingdom of Jehanna is ruled by Ismaire, the Queen of the White Dunes. She has ruled since her husband's death several years previous. However, Joshua, her only heir, had run away to become a mercenary. Jehanna has a very arid desert climate, interspersed with oases and houses the Sacred Twin weapons Audhulma, the Ice Blade and the Anima magic tome, Excalibur, the Wind Blade. Several notable mercenaries originally lived in this nation. It may be noted that many characters from Jehanna have red hair.
- Rausten
The theocracy of Rausten is ruled by Mansel, the Divine Emperor. Since the reemergence of monsters on Magvel, his niece and heir apparent, L'Arachel, has become obsessed with purifying the land of demons. Rausten houses the Sacred Twin weapons of its founder, Latona, in the forms of his staff and Light magic tome Ivaldi.
- Grado
The Grado Empire is ruled by Vigarde, the Silent Emperor. His son, Lyon, is a good friend of Ephraim and Eirika, who are appalled and confused by Grado's sudden betrayal. Grado is the largest country of Magvel and its eponymous founder, Grado, was the leader of the heroes who stood against the Demon King. Grado's Sacred Stone, also known as the Fire Emblem, houses the soul of the Demon King who was trapped in it during the War of the Stones 800 years ago. Grado also houses the Sacred Twin weapons Garm, the Black Axe and the Dark magic tome Gleipnir.
- Carcino
The mercantile republic of Carcino is governed by a council of elders, and, unlike the other nations of Magvel, is more of a democratic-republic than a monarchy or theocracy. It is a relatively young nation and does not have its own Sacred Stone. However, it lends considerable political clout because of its extensive trade network and its mercenary services. Carcino was originally divided in the issues concerning the alliance of Grado and its hostility. Eventually, one of the political factions within the council allied with Grado. Despite this, not all of Carcino was willing to be Grado's ally.
[edit] Characters
Although seemingly large, The Sacred Stones has a relatively small cast of characters compared to other Fire Emblem games.
[edit] Story
"In an age long past... evil flooded over the land. Creatures awash in the dark tide ran wild, pushing mankind to the brink of annihilation. In its despair, mankind appealed to the heavens, and from a blinding light came hope. The Sacred Stones. These five glorious treasures held the power to dispel evil. The hero Grado and his warriors used the Sacred Stones to combat evil's darkness. They defeated the Demon King and sealed his soul away within the stones. With the darkness imprisoned, peace returned to Magvel. But this peace would not last..."
In the Year of the Stone 803, the Grado Empire, a long-standing ally of Renais, launched a surprise attack on Renais, ordered by Emperor Vigarde. Renais is unable to mount resistance against such a swift and forceful attack. Prince Ephraim of Renais, who is striking his own blows against the traitorous empire with a small band of loyal knights, is nowhere to be found as Grado sweeps through territory after territory. King Fado of Renais orders his trusted general, Seth, to take his daughter Princess Eirika to safety in neighboring Frelia while he stays behind in order to discover the motives behind Grado's sudden attack. Along the way, Seth is severely wounded by Grado's general Valter, who is ordered to capture Eirika. Since Valter is a Wyvern Knight, equipped with the Pierce skill, he pierced Seth's high defense. Upon reaching Frelia, King Hayden suggests that Eirika remain until Prince Ephraim returns, however she is determined to find him and goes to Grado. Aided by several of Hayden's retainers, Eirika travels towards Grado where her brother was last seen. Passing through Renais once again, they see first-hand the devastation caused by the war. Even more troubling is the appearance of foul undead creatures throughout the world. In the village of Serafew, Eirika encounters a former Grado cleric called Natasha. She tells Eirika of Emperor Vigarde's plan to destroy the Sacred Stones that safeguard the land from evil. Meanwhile, Prince Ephraim has been causing havoc in Grado territory. As part of his guerrilla campaign to disrupt Grado's military efficiency, he decides to capture the strategic Fort Renvall. However, after a brilliant tactical victory, he is forced to flee by Grado's army. After passing through Serafew, Eirika's band of fighters pass through an unpopulated region of Grado, where they are attacked by a powerful shaman and his small army who steal Eirika's bracelet of some importance unknown to all but Seth and threaten to kill a small girl from Renais. After recovering Eirika's bracelet from this mysterious man, Seth reveals its true importance; along with Ephraim's bracelet, they open the secret door in the imperial palace that leads to Renais's Sacred Stone. Eirika presses on to Fort Renvall, hot on Ephraim's trail. Inside, she finds Orson, one of Ephraim's guards who offers to lead her to Ephraim's prison cell. However, Seth exposes Orson as a traitor and Eirika and her crew are trapped inside the fort. During the battle to escape, Ephraim arrives with his knights and with their combined strength, they seize the fort and kill Tirado, Valter's trusted aide. After their reunion, they return to Frelia to plan their next move in liberating Renais from Grado's hand. They wonder what happened to their old friend, the peace-loving Prince Lyon of Grado, who would surely disapprove of his father's war.
[edit] Eirika's Quest
Eirika and Ephraim decide to enlist the help of the other nations in combating the global threat posed by Grado's aggressive campaign to destroy the Sacred Stones. To save time, they decide that Eirika will sail to warn Rausten of the war, Prince Innes of Frelia will go to warn Jehanna and Ephraim will attack Castle Grado directly. At Port Kiris in Carcino, no ship will sail because of a ghost ship that terrorizes the seas (dealt with on Ephraim's route). She has no choice but to take the overland route to Rausten, which goes through the Republic of Carcino, the only country in Magvel with no ties to a sacred stone. Eirika finds Prince Innes, Mercenary Gerik and Dancer Tethys under attack by Carcino armies lead by Councilman Pablo, who has allied with Grado. After triumphing against the mercenary army, they discover Councilman Klimt, the man who Pablo was hunting and trying to assassinate with his mercenaries. Klimt tells her that Pablo was the one who decided to side with Grado, and that not all of Carcino was against Renais. United with Innes, they continue their march towards Jehanna. During a run-in with some monsters along the way, they are joined by a zealous monster-hunter called L'Arachel and her cheerful bodyguard Dozla. To avoid more conflict, they take a mountainous route through the secluded village of Caer Pelyn, lead by a young mage called Ewan. In a mountain valley on their journey to Jehanna, they are confronted by Glen, the Sunstone general of the Grado empire. Eirika convinces him to let her proceed, and a few short moments after she leaves, Valter shows up and assassinates Glen. Once the army makes it to Caer Pelyn, they are attacked by yet again, more myriads of monsters. Ewan's mentor Saleh offers to guide them to Jehanna. At the mid-point from Caer Pelyn to Jehanna, the group passes through Hamill Canyon. Meanwhile, Valter has returned to the Grado capital and shown Glen's brother Cormag the corpse of the former general. Valter, being the treacherous man that he is, tells Cormag that Eirika was the cause of Glen's death. Outraged, Cormag flies to Hamill Canyon, where Eirika was last reported to reside. The two forces meet, and Cormag is set straight by Eirika and swears revenge on Valter. When they finally arrive in the desert country, they find Jehanna Palace under siege from Grado. After a long and tiring battle, Eirika discovers the Queen Ismaire of Jehanna, mortally wounded by the axe of Grado's Tiger Eye General Caellach. Even worse, Jehanna's Sacred Stone has been destroyed. With her dying breath, Queen Ismaire calls to her child, Joshua, a young myrmidon whom Eirika met in Serafew and unknowingly, the prince. While these events took place, enemy soldiers had set fire to the palace. Barely escaping with their lives, Eirika finds herself trapped between the forces of two of Grado's generals: Caellach and Valter. In the middle of a desperate escape, Ephraim rushes to her aid with reinforcements. The joined quest begins.
[edit] Ephraim's Quest
After splitting up with his sister, Ephraim ventures to Grado. During this journey, he finds Grado forces everywhere, with mercenary groups attempting to catch him. First, in Fort Rigwald, Ephraim finds Tana, the princess of Frelia, and frees her from her kidnappers, before getting Amelia to betray Grado and join Ephraim. Next, he recruits Duessel the Obsidian, a general in Grado's army and the man responsible for Ephraim's weapon training, who is dubious of the intentions of Emperor Vigarde. Duessel mentions a "Dark Stone" to Ephraim, a substance that Lyon extracted from the Grado Sacred Stone. The group suspects that the occult powers of the Dark Stone are the cause of Emperor Vigarde's change in personality. During the same battle in which Duessel switches allegiances, Duessel encounters Cormag, a Wyvern Rider whose brother, Glen, has been murdered (see Eirika's story). Duessel convinces him to join Ephraim. Ephraim takes a sea route to Grado, but is hindered by a ghost ship said to be sinking any ships it encounters. After he arrives in Grado, he is attacked by Grado forces combined with monsters sent by the Blood Beryl general Riev. Shortly after, in the Z'Albul Marsh, Ephraim defeats General Selena Fluorspar, receiving a Dragonstone stolen from his friend Myrrh. Ephraim arrives in Grado Keep and annihilates Emperor Vigarde, who bizarrely cannot speak. Following the battle with Ephraim, Vigarde crumbles to dust. Lyon appears to Ephraim, and tells Ephraim that they are now enemies and that it was him that started the war. Ephraim learns the secret of the Dark Stone (also known as the Fire Emblem) from Knoll, a researcher of ancient magic and assistant to Lyon before he discovered the Dark Stone. Ephraim then learns of his sister being ambushed by Caellach and Valter at Jehanna Hall. He rushes to meet her, still burdened by the knowledge that his former best-friend was the cause of the country feud. He eventually reaches his destination and the two siblings are rejoined.
[edit] Joined Quest (15- Epilogue)
Ephraim meets up with Eirika in the desert, and they defeat Caellach and Valter. When Ephraim and Eirika reunite their forces, they find Renais in a state of chaos, and must defeat the person assigned to guard Renais, the traitor Orson. They are disgusted by the creature in Orson's sleeping chambers, which oddly resembles Orson's wife. Orson's wife's actions resemble that of Emperor Vigarde's, and they kill her and discover that it was created by the same dark sorcery as the Emperor. After securing their homeland, Ephraim and Eirika receive Renais' legendary weapons Siegmund and Sieglinde and the Sacred Stone; they decide to head to Rausten to secure the last remaining stone. As they continue, they are supposed to meet up with Frelian reinforcements, but all are killed by Grado remnants apart from Syrene, their commander and Vanessa's sister, who then joins Ephraim and Eirika's army. The twins meet Lyon, who has radically changed from the friend they once knew. He retreats into the mountains, and the twins give chase. This leads them into a trap, intending to defeat them with Gorgons and their hatching eggs that dot the mountains. However, the army is victorious over the sulfur fumes, demons, intense heat and molten magma, and one of the twins goes to confront Lyon. When following Ephraim's quest, Ephraim approaches Lyon, who freezes Ephraim, takes the Sacred Stone, and crushes it. Ephraim argues with him and asks whatever happened to him. Lyon says that the possessed form is a drama and that everything he had done had been under his own free will, but the Demon King controls him as he says that. However, the Demon King lies because he really is controlling Lyon. Along Eirika's journey, Lyon is completely possessed by the Demon King, and manipulates Eirika into giving him the Sacred Stone with her feelings for the old Lyon, whose soul was almost completely gone, then crushes the stone like a walnut. Lyon says that he will be in Darkling Woods, and teleports away. Eirika and Ephraim take time to rest at Rausten Court and to obtain Rausten's Sacred Stone, the only surviving one. Rausten Court is invaded by the last Grado General, Riev, who seeks revenge for his exile years before. After repelling the attack, the army gives chase to Darkling Woods to stop Lyon from performing a ceremony which he has tricked the last remaining piece of the real Lyon into believing will stop a natural disaster from occurring in Grado in the future. However, the ceremony only leads to the full resurrection of the mastermind behind all of these events... Formortiis, the Demon King. Formortiis will then try to wipe out the army. However, Erika and Ephraim are able to defeat Formortiis due to the help of their friends and the five countries Sacred Twin tomes. Formortiis will dissipate, captured in the remaining Sacred Stone of Rausten.
[edit] Reception
Most of the scores for Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones have been positive. It has received a solid 8.8/10 from GameSpot and a 4.5/5 (with an Editor's Choice award) from GameSpy. Sacred Stones currently holds an 84.9% on Game Rankings. However, this is lower than Fire Emblem: Rekka no Ken which averaged 88.2%.
