Fire Emblem returns, and it's anything but a letdown.
The biggest disappointment with Fire Emblem is the cinematics. They look great, but there are very few of them throughout the game. Other small annoying details with the game include reading through thousands of dialouge boxes. Although this adds a great role-playing sense to the game, depending on how many allies you have, you may spend a long time acquiring vital information, help, or support before engaging in the actual battle. In this sense, it feels like you're directing a movie; it's really bitter-sweet.
However, the gameplay is surprisingly entertaining, though there isn't much action and alot of precaution to take into consideration. The basic Fire Emblem mechanics are back again, with a few modifications and minor changes that are hardly noticeable and pleasant anyways. One example is the lack of bards; you now use a heron's chant for the double turn.
Which leads me to the biggest change from the GBA-GameCube translation- you are now involved with half-breed "sub-humans" called laguz. These creatures can transform into an animal form and do major damage. Most of the story revolves around the conflicts between the laguz and the "beorc", or humans. There are cats(domesticus, lions, tigers), birds(hawks, crows, herons), and dragons(red, black, and pink). As I said before, these creatures do heavy damage, but with a catch- they can only remain animals for a short period of time. When they're human, both movement and power are greatly reduced.
The graphics are improved to standards better than the GBA games, though I must say I disagree with Greg's opinion about the quality; in my opinion, the GameCube graphics make Fire Emblem more enjoyable. The battles are definitely more picturesque. The special moves are beautifully animated, and it adds a glow to the battlefield.
While we're on the subject of battle, I may be picking, but sometimes the not-so-critical damge animation is rather dull. Most charcter don't have combo animation, so it looks like they're doing the exact same attack over and over and over again.
The most moving part about Path of Radiance is the storyline. It will keep you on the edge and playing battlefield after battlefield just to find out what happens next. It's a compelling masterpiece that shouldn't be missed by any RPG fan.