Save the world...yada yada
The problem with Path of Radiance is that there are just so many problems to begin with. Add up all those little problems, and you have one monster mess on your hands. To begin with, the graphics were horrible. With most games, screenshots don't do the game justice; they make the game look grainier than it actually is. The complete opposite is the case with Path of Radiance. The battle graphics are nice-looking, but they are very, very repetitive. With the handheld games, this was not so much of an issue, because the sequences were very short. In Path of Radiance, though, these animated battle sequences can take as long as 30 seconds. When you're seeing this same 30-second action 20-plus times in a single chapter, you'll start to get really annoyed. In fact, you're better off just playing with the battle graphics turned off.
Another huge problem lies with the game play itself. What with the move to a console, I would have expected a few changes in the game play mechanic. However, there's nothing of consequence new in the Path of Radiance. IS tried to throw in something called biorythm, which changes your character's stats as time goes on through the battle. However, this stupid little change in the system has no noticeable effect; decreasing or increasing one of your character's stats by .25% or something will be of interest only to the most die-hard (and lifeless) of Fire Emblem fans.
Aside from this, though, game play is incredibly similar to that of previous Fire Emblem games. You select the characters you wish to bring into battle, equip them with weapons, then engage the enemy on a large map in turn-based style. Map objectives vary slightly; the most common objectives involve simply defeating every enemy of capturing the throne. There's also an RPG aspect to the game as well, though. Every time one of your characters defeats an enemy -- or even engages in battle -- he or she will earn experience. Earn 100 experience, and you'll level up. Each character can gain a maximum of 40 levels-up, and also gains the ability to upgrade classes. This system allows for a fair amount of customization, but it's nothing that fans of the series haven't already experienced -- twice.
The plot it slightly better than the rest of the game, but not by much. It's hugest issue lies in the fact that it's such a mess of a cliché, and every aspect of the story is entirely too guessable. A young man, named Ike (draw any stupid U.S political connections yet?), has to take control of a small elite band of mercenaries after unfortunate circumstances put his father out of commission. At the same time, he encounters the young Princess Elincia, a young noble whose life is in danger, along with the life of the entire continent of Tellius. Naturally, then, it falls upon Ike protect the princess and save the continent. Along the way, he runs into an enigmatic-wannabe called…(cue dramatic music) The Black Knight. This teaser of a character is suppose to be a reason for you to keep playing, but it really just gets annoying. Every couple chapters, ye olde Black Knight shows up out of the blue, just to spice things up a bit.
The one good thing about the story, though, is the mature themes that it explores. Taking the forefront is that of racism. See, along with humans, a half-human, half-animal race called Laguz shares Tellius. These two races have been in a constant struggle since the beginning of history, and the tension is certainly present throughout the whole of the game. One of the biggest emotional points that Path of Radiance is able to make is the horrible consequences of racism, and the good that can come when everyone bands together and works as a team. It's clichéd, for sure, but it's great because this isn't a moral the game is shoving down your throat. Instead, this is something that you, the player, comes to learn after several hours of play time.
Another of the few upsides to the game is the music. Fire Emblem games have always sported excellent music, and Path of Radiance is, luckily, no exception. There are tons of tunes throughout the game, and each one is played depending on the situation currently going on in the game. It's a nice, atmospheric touch, and helps to somewhat immerse you in the game -- at least, it does a better job than the plot or graphics do. What's disappointing, though, is that unlike past Fire Emblem games, there's no opportunity to go to a sound room and listen to songs that you've already unlocked.
Path of Radiance sports quite a lot of play time -- somewhere around 25 or 30 hours -- but the game is disappointingly easy. Oftentimes, difficulty and length go hand-in-hand, but such is not the case with Path of Radiance. In fact, this Fire Emblem sports the most chapters of any U.S. game to date, but it's also one of the easiest (actually, Sacred Stones was easier, but no matter). The chapters are simple, straightforward, and are incredibly simple to clear. It's a shame, really, because often a hard-core difficulty can off-set other poor aspects of a game.
Overall, Path of Radiance is a bad game. It feels rushed; nearly every aspect of the game is poorly executed. Game play is same old and monotonous, the plot has some good points, but is overall a huge mess of a cliché. The graphics are nice at first, but quickly become far too repetitive for their own good. The game had plenty of potential, and the change from a handheld to a home console could have really been something explosive, but it fell sadly flat. All in all, if you're in need of a Fire Emblem fix, you'd actually be better of importing one of the Japanese games. Path or Radiance is terrible, considering the high standards past Fire Emblem games have been held to. Hopefully, Fire Emblem 10 will fix Path of Radiance's huge problems.