Parents' Guide to

Fire Emblem: Awakening

By Chad Sapieha, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 13+

Excellent strategy RPG skews older because characters die.

Game Nintendo 3DS 2013
Fire Emblem: Awakening Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this game.

  • Fire Emblem: Awakening Game: Screenshot #1
  • Fire Emblem: Awakening Game: Screenshot #2
  • Fire Emblem: Awakening Game: Screenshot #3

Community Reviews

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age 12+

Based on 6 parent reviews

This dude
This dude Adult
January 26, 2019
age 12+

Exceptional Gameplay and story, but significantly more mature themes than other nintendo games.

I played this game when I was twelve, and I think it's probably the perfect example of what more mature entertainment should be for that age group. Don't get me wrong, I think it's still a lot of fun for adults, but as far as actual mature content goes, this game manages to be serious enough to tell a captivating story without being too adult for younger audiences. Violence: Characters attack and kill each other with medieval weapons and stylized magic attacks. There is no blood, but character death is permanent, and usually accompanied by some sad last words with somber music playing.(Unless the player disables it in the settings.) There is a scene early on in the game where a man is impaled with a beam of light, shows signs of agony, and dies. There is a shocking scene where a main character kills them self,(Not shown in graphic detail.) During certain plot points, characters have somewhat realistic reactions to the deaths of loved ones. During one cutscene, the protagonist kills someone with magic from a first person perspective. Sexuality: Some female characters wear revealing outfits. during one side conversation, there is a moment of comic relief potentially implying a sexual encounter. The phrase "Loins ablaze" is used to describe one character's feelings for another. At one point in the story, two of the main characters marry and have a baby, implying the obvious. Language: Mild cusses like "damn" are used somewhat frequently. There is a perplexing situation surrounding the word "B****rd" as it it used, but censored to "Dastard" in almost every case, ("That Dastard!") except for one scene where a character says the actual word outright. implying this was a last minute change, and they forgot about that specific instance.

This title has:

Great messages
Easy to play/use
Too much violence
Too much sex
CartoonReview11
CartoonReview11 Adult
July 8, 2015
age 10+

I think this is great.

This game sports a very realistic fantasy world, combining strategy and story in a perfect blend. This is a must-own game for those who enjoy strategy. And with the hard mode (permanent death), this is a very difficult game. PS: The art is wonderful.

This title has:

Great messages
See all 6 parent reviews

What’s It About?

Set in a fantastical world filled with political intrigue and nations at odds, FIRE EMBLEM: AWAKENING puts players in control of a big, ragtag band of warriors and mages led by Chrom, a prince questing on behalf of his homeland. However, old feuds and border disputes eventually take a back seat to concerns of a supernatural nature. Players engage in turn-based battles on tiled maps, moving units with varying abilities across the landscape to wage war against enemies with equally diverse skills. Combat is automated and plays out according to attributes and percentages. It's a game of strategic offense and defense, with success depending on the player's ability to exploit his or her units' strengths in working together and using obstacles in the environment to help. On harder settings, characters under the player's control will die permanently when killed in battle, cutting their stories short and making the rest of the game that much more difficult.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (6 ):
Kids say (12 ):

Like its predecessors, Fire Emblem: Awakening offers a deep and challenging play that will likely appeal to serious gamers on a couple of levels. The finely balanced combat system demands a shrewd understanding of your heroes' skills, enemies' weaknesses, and which units best complement each other. At times, it also requires a willingness to make difficult decisions, sacrificing one unit for the greater good. These sacrifices are all the harder because of the other thing the game does so well, which is make players actually care about its characters. Each of the game's dozen heroes has his or her own story, as well as evolving dramas, friendships, and even light romances that play out in cut scenes between battles. Should they perish, their story will end prematurely, with players never knowing what might have been in store for them. Few tactical RPGs combine action and narrative so successfully, making Awakening a real treat for fans of the genre.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the notion of self-sacrifice. Have you ever done anything at great personal cost out of love for a friend of family member?

  • Families can also discuss violence in media. How do you feel if a game character you care about is killed? Does the possibility of a character's permanent death affect how you play the game and how you feel about its cast?

Game Details

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