Fire Emblem If - Another round of Famitsu interview details (gameplay, characters, classes and more)

- game’s movie scenes are typically observed from a first-person perspective
- reminder: Phoenix Mode is the mode where fallen characters are resurrected on the next turn
- this was designed for newcomers; not existing Fire Emblem fans
- playing in this mode, there may be complicated victory conditions on certain maps
- this includes reaching a destination within a certain number of turns
- one of the major challenges was to find ways to help newcomers enjoy the game without feeling too stressful
- one thing considered was the timing of when to use valuable weapons
- this form of intense micro-management was too much for newcomers to properly enjoy
- by removing the durability of weapons and giving them more interesting properties, it allows for more enjoyable play
- weapon Weight isn’t in, but there are “strong weapons that are harder to double attack with”
- Javelins and similar ranged weapons (such as Hand Axes) can no longer double attack
- Yusuke Kozaki retained his role as character designer because the staff all wanted him back
- Fire Emblem If has more characters than Awakening
- there were worries about who to call if Yusuke Kozaki didn’t accept the offer
- game takes place in a “completely new world"
- there are familiar elements that are sure to bring a smile to those who have played Awakening
- while Nohr is Western-themed, it also carries a dark atmosphere
- its castle even stands in the middle of a giant hole in the ground
- Hoshido is a pacifist kingdom with exceptional peace and order
- Nohr is subject to terrible weather conditions, leading to poor crop yields and a lack of law and order
- in order to expand Nohr’s influence, King Garon orders his children to invade Hoshido
- the royal siblings fight for Nohr, although they each harbor their own hidden thoughts
- Hoshidan royals take up arms to repel the Nohrian invasion
- as this happens, the hero is stuck in between and forced to make a difficult choice
- classes available largely depend on the campaign chosen
- in Nohr, you will typically see more characters in familiar classes, like Cavaliers
- in Hoshido, most of the characters are in Japanese-themed classes, like Samurais
- weapons you can obtain depend on the campaign as well
- in Nohr, you will commonly obtain “swords”
- in Hoshido you are more likely to find “katanas”, which have slightly different properties
- Pegasus Knights technically do not exist in this game, as they are replaced by the “Pegasus Warrior” class
- Pegasus Warriors can be male or female
- after reclassing, they can wield Bows in addition to Lances
- one screen has Joker the Butler about to use a new Parallel Seal to reclass into a Paladin, Great Knight or Strategist
- the Strategist is a horseback unit that wields Tomes and Staves
- Parallel Seals, unlike Second Seals, do not reset a unit’s Level afterwards
- characters may have only two class branches, unlike the three they had in Awakening