This is probably the best Strategy Turn-Based RPG I've played since Path of Radiance and Radiant Dawn despite some technical issues, especially the laggy cutscenes on PC, but they ran perfectly on my Steam Deck.

I'm gonna tell my story with the genre in the following paragraphs so if you wanna listen/read to what I wrote to justify how much I liked this game, you're welcome to it.

I've played a fair share of strategy turn-based games over the years since the first time I got to own a copy of Fire Emblem 7 (shoutouts to Sakurai for introducing Fire Emblem to the west via Marth and Roy in Smash Bros Melee) and I became a fan of the franchise for life after that.

The aspect I like the most of those games is directly in the name of the genre: strategy makes you get creative to achieve the objectives of every map as maybe Rushing might work better in some situations, Turtling in case you need to endure waves of enemies and such, there's not really a limit on what you can come up with to win and that's the beauty of it (like abusing the Warp mechanic in some games).

However, since Awakening saved that franchise from falling into oblivion due to the low sales of the previous 3 games, Fire Emblem has become a weeb paradise that I just don't enjoy. The gameplay has gotten better, especially on the last one, but the aesthetics and writing of the games has gone in a direction that actually made me question if I like the franchise anymore.

This is where my journey with Strategy Turn-Based RPGs began to look for a replacement to actually fill the void I've had for the last couple of years.

I have played the ones that are well-rated, enjoyed them and even left reviews to entice people that are interested in them to give them a try but this is THE ONE that clicked with me the most.

The tone of the story is dark and grim, which deviates from the usual light-hearted storytelling of the games I've played and reminded me how mature the story of Path of Radiance and Radiant Dawn was.
I would've liked a bit more closure at the end but I think the ending fits the characters as you get to know their background.

The gameplay in this game is magnificent, you have a very limited squad to achieve your objectives and this instantly makes you be more pragmatic on the way you play as EVERYONE in the squad has a role to fill and it's your job to master their roles to succeed. Being efficient grants you Bonus EXP, which is a concept that was also used in PoR and RD, to slightly level up your units in the Base menu between chapters.

Each character wields different types of weapons and all of them can be upgraded to deal more damage and be more accurate, and they can also be repaired as long as you have the funds which leads me to the fact that you have access skirmishes in maps you've already cleared to farm for upgrade materials or gold in case you need them or if you didn't have the chance to get chests or relics that are scattered around.

The game also has accessories which allow you to set mini builds for the units like dealing more damage or endure more when wounded, heal on kills, and such that serve as complement to the skills the characters have, which are incredibly flashy and serve a niche purpose.

The music is stellar, it does it's job really well and sets the tone for the situation perfectly. The Base theme for the advanced stages of the story is gonna live rent free in my head for the foreseeable future.

What I've read in other reviews and forums is that this game had a mixed reception on launch which probably led to sales not being the best compared to Ender Lilies and Ender Magnolia, the other games from this developer, but I hope they don't stop here and are able to make more games like this one because it was great.

I'd say the game is worth its current price tag but if you like strategy RPGs and are able to get it on sale, do not hesitate to get it.