Fire Emblem Fates

The thing that makes this title -- and indeed all the games in the franchise -- so memorable isn't solely its terrific turn-based combat or bevy of interesting activities between missions, but it's really the characters and story that stand out. By diving deeply into the personalities of our warriors, exploring who they are, where they come from, and what motivates them, we come to care for them much more than we do the faceless units in other strategy games. And what makes the game so intense is that -- assuming you're playing on classic mode -- they're all terribly mortal. Any of them can die, permanently, at any moment due to a player's mistake. You'll never know what they could have become or whom they could have loved. It's tragic. And compelling. And with three story lines -- each full of original characters -- to play through, there's more epic narrative here than in any other Fire Emblem game to date.

All of this said, the top-notch combat is a pretty strong draw, too. It facilitates a variety of play styles, ranging from cautious to bold to strategic. Players need to develop a good understanding of each character's strengths and weaknesses and -- thanks to the game's complex relationship-building system -- whom they fight well with. And the new fortress-based activities between missions provide a wealth of ways that players can give their units extra advantages, from cooking up bonus-bestowing meals to equipping individual warriors with special accessories built from rare resources. It's a massive package for a hand-held game. All you need to decide is whether you want to side with the good guys in Birthright or the not-so-obviously good guys in Conquest, or if you want to experience both stories plus the game's "true" ending in the Special Edition.