10-20-2015, 11:14 PM
Actually, after playing it a few times I don't think it's as hard as it's reputation. The real difficulty comes from the unfamiliar mechanics, where if you get used to them there's not many huge challenges. Gimme a sec, I'm gonna break into analysis here.
Chapter 4 is very difficult, especially because you lose all your weapons at first. Keeping the prisoners alive and letting them escape can be challenging because I'm pretty sure the reinforcements are random. Also, if you don't pick up enough items then chapter 4x can be a bit tough, especially if you let Sety steal too many kills. Keeping Tanhya alive in chapter 8x can be tricky, but with some good tactics she'll survive. Chapter 11 can be difficult with bad positioning, but once you know how it works you shouldn't have any problems. Chapter 12x is hard if you want to get everything, although it's extremely easy if you just want to finish the chapter. Chapter 14 is one of the hardest in the game, no way around that. It's hard enough on it's own, and it's a god damn nightmare if you also want Dean's lance. The only safe way to get it is to warp him over and then rescue him. 16B is annoying because of the warp tiles, but if you look up a map of where they are then they aren't an issue. 17A can be tremendously difficult because of Cyas, but if you can beat it in 10 turns then he won't even show up. Chapter 18 on it's own is not hard, but doing everything in it is near impossible. Xavier is far and away the hardest unit to recruit in any Fire Emblem game, and getting him as well as the members card probably make up the toughest challenge of the game, which might be arguably the toughest challenge in the whole series. Recruiting the shitty units in chapter 19 can be a pain and the map is enormous, but it's not actually that difficult. Chapter 21 is tough, because of all the ballistae and reinforcements, but by this point you should have enough units that are strong enough to take a few ballistae hits and still be alright. Chapter 22 is probably the hardest chapter in the game in terms of sheer difficulty (as in not all the extra shit from chapter 18). Cyas once again makes your life a living hell, but this is one of the many chapters that can be made significantly easier with a warp staff. You can make him leave the map immediately, making it much easier.
So that's 11 hard chapters out of 36. The early chapters aren't that difficult if you understand the mechanics and the later chapters aren't too bad once your units are trained. I was ready to mention that everything from chapter 18 on is hard, but then I looked at the maps and remembered that the end of this game isn't really that difficult (other than chapter 22 of course, and even then you can cheat it with a rescue staff). Yes this game is hard, and yes the mechanics are a bit wacky. But it's definitely not old school Nintendo hard.
/rant
Chapter 4 is very difficult, especially because you lose all your weapons at first. Keeping the prisoners alive and letting them escape can be challenging because I'm pretty sure the reinforcements are random. Also, if you don't pick up enough items then chapter 4x can be a bit tough, especially if you let Sety steal too many kills. Keeping Tanhya alive in chapter 8x can be tricky, but with some good tactics she'll survive. Chapter 11 can be difficult with bad positioning, but once you know how it works you shouldn't have any problems. Chapter 12x is hard if you want to get everything, although it's extremely easy if you just want to finish the chapter. Chapter 14 is one of the hardest in the game, no way around that. It's hard enough on it's own, and it's a god damn nightmare if you also want Dean's lance. The only safe way to get it is to warp him over and then rescue him. 16B is annoying because of the warp tiles, but if you look up a map of where they are then they aren't an issue. 17A can be tremendously difficult because of Cyas, but if you can beat it in 10 turns then he won't even show up. Chapter 18 on it's own is not hard, but doing everything in it is near impossible. Xavier is far and away the hardest unit to recruit in any Fire Emblem game, and getting him as well as the members card probably make up the toughest challenge of the game, which might be arguably the toughest challenge in the whole series. Recruiting the shitty units in chapter 19 can be a pain and the map is enormous, but it's not actually that difficult. Chapter 21 is tough, because of all the ballistae and reinforcements, but by this point you should have enough units that are strong enough to take a few ballistae hits and still be alright. Chapter 22 is probably the hardest chapter in the game in terms of sheer difficulty (as in not all the extra shit from chapter 18). Cyas once again makes your life a living hell, but this is one of the many chapters that can be made significantly easier with a warp staff. You can make him leave the map immediately, making it much easier.
So that's 11 hard chapters out of 36. The early chapters aren't that difficult if you understand the mechanics and the later chapters aren't too bad once your units are trained. I was ready to mention that everything from chapter 18 on is hard, but then I looked at the maps and remembered that the end of this game isn't really that difficult (other than chapter 22 of course, and even then you can cheat it with a rescue staff). Yes this game is hard, and yes the mechanics are a bit wacky. But it's definitely not old school Nintendo hard.
/rant
Here's where I would write something I think is witty at the time, and later realize I'm an ass.