So, I'll start out by saying that I really loved this game, I dug all the games previously released (in the US) from this series, and I have a soft spot for tactical RPGs in general.
Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn is a very cool, and often frustratingly difficult game. For those who didn't know (of which there may be a few), this is a sequel to the GameCube title Path of Radiance, the first game in the series to enter the third dimension. Aside from some very minor gameplay differences, these two titles are essentially the same. The story is told through static drawings via text (no VO), and a select few FMVs (though there are decidedly more than the previous title). In the tradition of most strategy RPGs, there isn't an overworld that you are allowed to navigate; instead, the aforementioned cut-scenes segue from one battle to the next.
This is where the gameplay, and obviously the true meat of the game begins. When I first picked up a Fire Emblem game, there were a few features that differ from most games I'd played in the genre. The first major difference I noted between this and others is permadeath. No phoenix downs, no angel trumpets, dead character is dead (unless they are vital to the plot, in which case you either cannot play as them in battle anymore, or you game over). This factor alone adds so much replay value, because depending on who dies, who lives, and what kinds of support relationships you've built (more on that later), the end to the game can actually change. Because of this gameplay element, I often reset the game when any character died, because I want the good ending, haha.
Support relationships: really fuggin cool. The systems boils down to this, you pair up two characters, and based on what element (fire, wind, thunder, light, dark) they are aligned with they get bonuses to different stats. It doesn't stop there though. During the phases in between battles, you are at your base camp and you can do all the normal party adjustments and item buying, but you can also view support conversations which change depending on who is paired with who, what support level they have (C, B, A), and who is still alive. Maybe I'm just a nerd for infinite choices (and therefore massive replay value), but I really dug this feature.
Those were the two big cool things for me that I hadn't seen much of in tactical RPGs, but there were some other nifty things I noticed. Just off the top of my head: diamonds are forever, bows axes swords and lances are not. After a predetermined number of uses, your weapons break, so don't use the super-mega-awesome deathstick too much, because you won't have it for long. There are no user created units, all are introduced via the story somehow. Difficulty: I'm very used to being able to brute force my way through a level, and this game denies me that. You have to actually think. This becomes especially difficult at the end of the game when you have 60+ characters (if you've kept most of them alive) and you have to decide what 11 you want to use.
I wrote way more than I thought I was going to. I liked this game. If you like strategy RPGs, you will most likely enjoy this game. You can't go in expecting more of it; it has a good lengthy story (my chief complaint with the last entry in the series), there is minimal voice-over work and CG, but the gameplay is solid. And that's really what it's all about.
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