FE Hack Reviews: Midnight Sun Chapter 3 - Sister Tiresias

Channel:

MarkyJoe

Subscribers:

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Published on June 24, 2014 5:50:57 AM ● Video Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RSY11gfRi08

Game:

Fire Emblem: The Binding Blade (2002)

Category:

Review

Duration: 41:14

12,031 views

226

Something I've noticed about this hack that is lacking in most Fire Emblem games is the prominence of super natural elements. Most hacks just stick with the bare bones of Fire Emblem fantasy. Magic? Check. Staves? Check. That's it.

I think the reason why is because people tend to assume magic and plot devices are crutches. Things to only be used by poor writers who need them to make a workable story.

And yet, here we are. A hack whose story is both magical and far more compelling than any of the pretentious "realistic" hacks we've seen so far. Why is that?

Well for one, I feel that Alfred understands that magic and plot devices can work, so long as they are used EFFECTIVELY.

Faratrass is a perfect example of this. Obviously in real life, we don't have people repressing a dark god within themselves for the good of mankind, but it represents the very real situation of being alienated and treated differently because of your title and role.

Let's also look at Shiori. She has the ability to see people's malicious intentions, and throughout the chapter, this ability is EXPLORED. We see how useful it is, but also that because of it, Shiori is condemned to be surrounded by the wickedness of others. It's a fascinating ability, and we can see that Shiori's character is formed around it. I mean, I'm pretty sure the reason why she wanders the world alone ISN'T because she's lost!

It certainly helps that these magic elements have a clear purpose in the story's themes.

Another thing that makes Midnight Sun's story so much more compelling than other hacks is that it has a clear emotional core. Our main character, Faratrass, just wants to be seen for and loved for who she really is, not for her position and role. And we SEE why she feels that way. Her soldiers put her on a pedestal, the queen is cold and sees Faratrass as an obstacle. She is put through harsh training to control the demon king inside her. Everything about her life has been determined by her heritage and role as the vassal of the demon king rather than her own merits as a person. How do you NOT relate to that?

Compare to Renair from Dream of Five. Renair has a dream too: she wants to become famous. Yet, why should we care? She seems to have a nice lot as a guard, and we barely know anything else about her except that she's a bit of a jerk. When she is humbled by the valkyrie chick who kicks her rear, we don't feel for her. Instead, we feel for Chester the thief, who tells her to pick herself up and relates to her situation with an incident of his own.

Let's look at Chadwick as well while we're at it. He's more relatable than Renair because while he has similar aspirations, we see what he and his men have lost. The Black Fang was their home. It was an organization united by the ideal of destroying corruption. That is something worth fighting for.

...And then Chadwick's character is shafted in favor of the disgustingly embarrassing love relationship between him and Hannah.

Fire Emblem hacks need to understand something. You can make your story DARK and GRITTY, but it means nothing if we never cared in the first place.

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