Recently, there was a rumor that a classic Fire Emblem game might be remade soon for the Nintendo Switch. I’m fully aware that Fire Emblem: The Blazing Blade—Or FE7—is not the most popular installment in the series. While it doesn’t sit at the bottom of the barrel amongst Fire Emblem games, it most certainly doesn’t sit at the top either. However, after reading through a fair number of complaints that people have, I’m confident that The Blazing Blade should be more highly regarded than it is.
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One of the most repeated criticisms I’ve seen about The Blazing Blade is it falls short in terms of its plot. Namely, the plot is not very complex, and holes can be poked in the explanations given for different events in the game. While I can’t really disagree with this critique, I’d like to point out that an awe-inspiring plot was not The Blazing Blade’s main focus.
While the ideal situation for a game is obviously for it to have outstanding plot, gameplay mechanics, lore, and character-depth, we all know that it’s rare that one will hit every single mark. For example, Skyrim is a game still loved by countless people, yet it includes clunky melee combat, a lack of player impact on the world, and can hardly claim to include in-depth characters or relationships. But because the lore, ambiance, and other gameplay mechanics are so exceptional, Skyrim has still become one of the greatest RPGs of all time.
The Blazing Blade may not have an excellent overarching plot, but it does boast a spectacular roster of characters. The game includes three separate storylines between Lyn, Eliwood, and Hector. In each path, you get to learn about their different perspectives. The game explores each character’s past and personal struggles, giving each of them the needed depth to make the game captivating. From Eliwood meeting his dying father, to Hector dealing with a complicated relationship with his brother, to Lyn’s strange relationship with her grandfather—The Blazing Blade takes the time to explore these characters and relationships better than many of the other Fire Emblem games in the series.
The game really shines at the climax of its most emotional moments, and that’s not something to brush over. While I maintain that Fire Emblem: Three Houses is the best game in the entire series because it checks almost every box of qualities I’d like to see in a game, The Blazing Blade could at least compete on a character and emotional level.
What’s nice is that it isn’t just the characters that make The Blazing Blade a fun game to play. While some Fire Emblem games have included repetitive and uninteresting maps, the maps in The Blazing Blade were interesting and unique. While a remake would undoubtedly update the graphics, I’d hope that they would keep the general structures of the maps the same.
There are multiple Fire Emblem games that I would be happy to get a remake for on the Switch. Path of Radiance and The Sacred Stones are two other top contenders. And I realize that if you’re into Fire Emblem for the political discussions and intricacies, then you’d probably whole-heartedly disagree with the remaking of The Blazing Blade. But for many of us who become attached to characters and enjoy exploring their backgrounds and seeing how they handle dramatic situations, The Blazing Blade should be a top contender for a Fire Emblem remake on the Switch.
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