Fire Emblem Fates - My Personal Problem with Corrin

For reference before we begin this post will only cover Fire Emblem Fates and not Corrin's inclusion to Super Smash Bros and the whole Fire Emblem 'controversy' surrounding the franchise and host of characters in Smash. If I am honest my opinion on that as a whole is covered a lot better then I could by Schaffrillas Productions in the following video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j_Dg8qOYZzU so please watch that.

When I saw the image above it was the first thing I saw of Fire Emblem Fates and I loved it. Combine it with the concept and I found it interesting a character torn between his birth family and the family he grew up with, what the internal struggle for Corrin could be, how would his two families react and the kingdom themselves. I was hooked in on concept alone and coming off of being one of the many people who got their first taste of Fire Emblem with Awakening I was really looking forward to this.

And then the game happened. 

Look, Fates it isn't the worst game I have ever played but the story just lacks. For reference I have Birthright and Revelation and never played Conquest. I hope to explain my reasoning for the issues I have with this game and how it all revolves around Corrin and how the character is mangled between three games. 

Fire Emblem Fates in all it's forms is positioned around Corrin for me was defined as a compassionate character, he wants peace between kingdoms and nobody let alone his families to be hurt. Only taking to arms when needed he'd prefer to unite Hoshido and Nohr in peace. Which is why I think Corrin works best in Revelation it's just a shame the game doesn't. 

Revelation is troublesome as a story chapter from chapter. I think it starts off really strong with a great premise that a hidden enemy is in your way you cannot name and through your actions and words alone you have to unite your two waring enemies with a small group becoming a full army by the end. It's around chapter 11 I think this idea starts to feel rushed and falls apart. each chapter from here you gather characters on mass and while ok your group bloats out so quickly you can't bond with these characters. There's a reason Kaze is a loved character you have a long time to bond with him before another 400 character join you get an never speak to again unless it's a non-optional support and a side quest if they have children like who remembers anything about Reina, I'd argue if Revelation was the only path the game would be better all focus on one story instead of three not splitting the path and all in for one clear story the game would be better.

And here lies the problem. Splitting your game up into three is and was a recipe for disaster from a character standpoint alone. As I said before to me Corrin was compassionate I don't see him going in and helping to kill people who hold tight bonds to his family (either one). It always struck me as odd this character felt like he just changed to fit the what the plot needed instead of the plot focusing on him. There's a disconnect to him. Robin from the previous game felt resolute while he evolves as a character and the story takes hold he still feels like the same guy from Chapter 1 till the end I don't feel like he just changes for the strangest reasons that do not fit him. This feels like the games fault. The team seems to have learnt from this with Three Houses and it's branching paths that Byleth didn't feel out of place due to his bonds with the characters (I mean he was mute but that's a different issue). Corrin just changes whatever way the wind blows. 

Maybe it's because Three Houses has stronger characters or even those more loosely connected to Byleth. You are fighting former students not family in Three Houses and although you spend a lot more time with them there's more of a bond with family it always felt like Corrin connected more with the other character than a mute Byleth did. 

I think this issue can be down to the fact once you pick a path you only meet the other character to battle or to save and that's it. I picked Black Eagles but at the same time I felt sad to battle Claude and Dimitri they had been there for over half the story and had more interactions then that Xander or Ryoma who had around 3 chapters each before you battle or recruit them how am I supposed to care? How am I supposed to understand Corrin? By playing another path? It feels like a lack of development. 

In the end would Fates had benefited from the branching path that Three Houses did? I don't think so as at heart these are two different stories at heart. I think branching paths are a good idea and story concept for video games depending on the setting and characters and for Fates it wasn't that. Two paths don't work with the main character and the path I feel does is rushed and have no breathing room. In the end sadly for a cast of characters I really like and I think had some great chapters and moments (I loved the Revelation chapter when fighting Silas brining back your memories and saving him - again the same Corrin who ends up aiding in killing his family in other paths) are wasted split too thin and not developed. You shouldn't have to play three paths of one game to care in one path. If anything Fire Emblem Fates should serve for the developers of the series of the game of what not to do when it comes to this style of story telling as it has a lasting impact on the characters created even when some are so strong in the story they won't get the credit they deserve.