Fire Emblem: Awakening is the type of game that I would just pass by given the chance. Nothing personal, I just tend to not enjoy JRPGs or turn-based-combat. That being said, I'm glad I didn't - as Nintendo and Intelligent Systems has created a remarkable title with the latest chapter in the long running series. It's gorgeously crafted, poignant, addicting and even poetic at times; all while still being an extremely fun and fulfilling gaming experience. 3DS owners shouldn't miss the latest Fire Emblem, and those without the system; you now have your reason.

Much like another famous Nintendo produced RPG, Awakening opens with your character waking up, but this time you're in the company of the Shepherds, a band of roving soldiers who aim to protect the kingdom of Ylisse. The kingdom has recently been targeted by bandits from the neighboring kingdom of Plegia, who is looking to start a war due to actions taken by the previous rulers of Ylisse. If that's not enough, a mysterious figure is foreshadowing a future in which the world is destroyed because of you and a mysterious new evil is attacking the town. It's an interesting tale, but a lot of the characters, particularly those you'll square off against are so archetypical that it's almost laughable.

"...you should expect a lot of trial and error before you win..."

At its core, Awakening plays like previous games in the series (and most strategy RPGS for that matter), you move single units around a grid, using position and terrain to gain an advantage. Certain weapons and unit types have priorities over others and the game's weapon system uses a paper, rock scissors inspired mechanic to determine winners. It takes a good amount of research to see just where specific units should be placed, and you should expect a lot of trial and error before you win, especially on the higher difficulties where the enemy AI is quite unforgiving.

So what makes the latest Fire Emblem so special? It's all in the way that you're going to build up the strength of your party and choose your strategy. In Awakening, you are able to build relationships with your squad-mates to the point of falling in love, and the relationship of any two characters can have a distinct effect on how a battle takes place. Here, two players with a close relationship will deal out more damage or unleash more powerful level attacks when standing near each other. On the flipside, death is permanent in Awakening and if a character you've invested a ton of time and attention to gets killed, be prepared to feel actual emotion and loss. Of course, perma-death can be turned off from the options menu, but I highly recommend not doing so, as you're sure to miss a major part of the game's appeal.

"...a much less linear experience than previous games..."

Much of the traditional Fire Emblem formula has also seen some changes this go-round. Awakening is a much less linear experience than previous games, and you'll have the opportunity to enter into side quests and fights, which makes leveling up and recruiting new members of your party so much easier. The class system also gets a bit of an upgrade, making key items needed to upgrade skills and levels much more available. One of the biggest changes is the ability to switch classes completely with the right weapon; which also allows your character to keep any items, skills and attacks learned before switching.

Awakening also takes great advantage of the 3DS' streetpass functionality by letting you recruit the custom made avatars of other players by either beating them in a fight or hiring them. The only downfall of this is that the game's avatar creator is extremely limited, so as a result you're likely to have a bunch of similar characters running around the battlefield, which can make it a bit more difficult if you're not paying close enough attention to what kind of relationships you're building.

I couldn't stop thinking about Fire Emblem: Awakening - even when I wanted to. The latest in the long running strategy series may have its faults, but they fail in comparison to the poignant, unforgettable, addicting and almost poetic world the designers have created. Simply put, Fire Emblem: Awakening is the best reason to own a 3DS since Super Mario 3D Land.