The Fugitive Prince and the Destiny Priestess (Free SRPG) - Introduction, Impressions, and Strategy Notes

This article introduces the free game "The Fugitive Prince and the Shrine Maiden of Destiny: It depends on four sages that whether or not the shaman will be chaos," created using SRPG Studio.
The English subtitle is quite long, so it has been omitted from the article title.
A possible translation would be, "Whether the priestess becomes chaotic or not depends on the Four Sages."
This is a classic simulation RPG that features many original and cool background music tracks.

My completion time on Normal mode was approximately 15 hours.
I completed the post-game Another Mode in about 11 hours.
I highly recommend clearing the game all the way through to Another Mode.

Game Overview

The main character of this story is Prince Mark, the irresponsible second prince of the Fafruft Kingdom.
For reasons unknown, he is forced to flee his country, and together with the knight Zechs, who left with him, and the girl Seara, whom he meets along the way, he travels across the continent.
The dialogue, including the interactions between the characters, is entertaining, and the way major plot points are revealed as you progress through the game is a major draw.

As explained in the text file included with the game, the story branches into several different endings.
To reach the true ending, you must complete all four side stories.
As long as you meet these conditions, you can easily check out the various endings depending on the choices you make in the later stages of the game.

There are two difficulty levels: Normal and Hyper (Another mode is unlocked after clearing the main game).
Normal mode was somewhere between slightly easy and average difficulty (Another mode was about average).
However, the maps become more difficult towards the end of the game, so those who are not good at SRPGs may struggle.
Please note that losing an ally results in their permanent loss, regardless of the difficulty level.

The basic system of this game is that of a traditional SRPG.
Players familiar with SRPGs should not have any particular difficulty.
Examples of rock-paper-scissors relationships include "sword, spear, axe," "fire, lightning, wind," and "reason, darkness, light."
Class changes are possible for units level 10 or higher by using an item, but their level will reset to 1.
Some units may have multiple class change options, and you need to consider the character's characteristics and the overall balance when making your choice.

One of the most notable features of this game is the extensive use of original background music.
When playing free games made with SRPG Studio, runtime assets and free background music are often used, but this game uses its own original background music.
With many catchy songs and a wide variety of them, the game is designed to keep your ears engaged even in the later stages of a long, drawn-out gameplay experience.

Review (no spoilers)

I've cleared the game on both Normal and Another difficulty levels.
The normal version of the main story is enjoyable with its classic plot development, and the Another version draws you in with new developments that tie up various loose ends.
In essence, this work can be described as a single entity that combines the main story (Normal & Hyper) and its sequel (Another).
It's like a combination of "Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon and the Blade of Light + Mystery of the Emblem," offering an overwhelming amount of content to enjoy.

The difficulty level isn't very high.
Since the main characters become quite strong, I don't think you'll get stuck if you focus on using your ace units.
However, the "Another" difficulty level is only available to players who have already cleared the game once, and therefore features many challenging stages.
However, overall, there aren't many stages that are particularly difficult, so I think a wide range of players will be able to enjoy it.

Some stages feature quite large maps, requiring the control of many units.
In such cases, moving units can feel tedious, but having mounted units rescue and move them makes things a bit easier.

Four reasons why I recommend this game are: the classic SRPG fun of the main story in the first playthrough, the unexpected and interesting story of Another, the character development that comes from both stories, and the wonderful background music.

Strategy Notes - Normal Difficulty (Contains Spoilers)

Each unit should be leveled up to level 20 in its lower-level class before being changed to a different class.
Also, since Marc will automatically change classes in Chapter 13, make sure to get him to level 20 by then.

Chapter 5: The Power of Evil

This is a defense map, but in order to proceed to the side story, you must defeat the enemy general within 15 turns.
Completing all the side stories is a requirement for unlocking the true ending, so it's something you definitely want to do.

Let's launch an offensive and head towards defeating the enemy general, Muza.
Since enemies will invade from the narrow passages on both sides of the map, it's a good idea to send units carrying healing items one at a time and have them head south.

On turn 6, Rupert will appear from the rightmost corridor, so have Marc talk to him.
It will go more smoothly if you send Mark there in advance.

Rupert has the key to the treasure, so let's send him to retrieve the treasure chest in the center.
The Night Killer, found in the treasure chest on the left side of the center, can be used by Zex to defeat bosses and cavalry in one hit.
The treasure chest on the right contains a dark magic scythe.
If you hesitate, the enemy will send in more reinforcements, so advance as quickly as possible and clear the stage.

Chapter 8: An Unwanted Reunion

Is the chapter title a typo for "Reunion"? (Sorry if I'm wrong).

The objective is to defend for 15 turns, but if 12 or more allied units survive, you can proceed to the side story.
It's okay if all of our allies near the castle gate are defeated, so let's focus on defending the area near the entrance.
It's easier to fight because allied forces can heal from a distance.

If you have Marc and Marina talk, Marina Phyllis Ferris will retreat.
If many NPC allies are still alive, luring Marina in carelessly may result in her being defeated and leading to a game over.
Either don't approach him at all, or use the Warp Staff to teleport Marc there and talk to him.

The treasure chest contains Cyclone (a long-range wind magic spell) and 10,000G.
After clearing the game, you can obtain Seara's class change item.
By the way, Marc changes classes at the start of Chapter 13.

Chapter 14: The Battle for the Southern Islands

To proceed to the side story, you must capture the entrance to the island's tower, not the base in the lower left.
First, in order to cross the bridge to the island, you will need to activate two switches and visit a village.
Since Marc, while on horseback, cannot be transported by an air unit, this is the only way for him to get to the island.

The tower's entrance is guarded by an allied NPC, Ceres, so it's normally impossible to enter.
Therefore, we need to remove Ceres somehow.
Activating the bridge to the island will cause Dragon Master forces to appear as reinforcements from both the north and the south.
By directing those enemies towards the tower entrance, Ceres and your allies will be defeated, allowing you to seize the entrance after they've been taken down.
It pains me a little, but let's occupy the tower entrance this way.

Added in April 2022Ceres at the tower entrance can be removed without having to be defeated by the enemy if you rescue her with an allied mounted unit (information provided anonymously).

Chapter 14 Side Story: The Thunder Descends from the Heavens

The boss continuously fires long-range lightning bolts with unlimited range.
Units with low magic defense might be safer if you protect them using the rescue function.

The stone statue blocking the path can be removed by examining the lever on the floor.
However, it doesn't seem like each lever simply corresponds to a specific function; rather, it appears to react based on the combination of on/off states of each lever.

The statue right before the boss was difficult to get rid of, but after a while Marc said, "I've tried every pattern," and a hint appeared suggesting it might be outside the tower.
After that, when I moved the unit outside the tower, a lever appeared on the left side.
I'm not sure if simply observing the turn sequence is sufficient, or if I should try every combination of on/off lever settings, but for now, let's try operating them in order.

If you wait on top of the appearing stone statues and then move to an area that you shouldn't be able to access, it can become impossible for anyone to press the switch, leading to a game-breaking situation.
Let's make sure to leave someone at each switch as we go along.

Chapter 17: The Awakening Spirit Bow

It's a large map, but if you capture the throne within 30 turns, you can proceed to the side story.
We need to advance quickly.

When enemy shooters are attacking from a distance, eliminate them with your own Semar or long-range magic attacks.

The treasure chests are as follows: the one closest to the starting position contains the Awakening Gem, the next closest one in the upper right contains the Rewarp Staff (the user warps), the chest to the left of the boss contains Norn's Amulet (immunity to critical hits), and the two chests to the upper right of the boss contain the Coma Staff and 20,000G.
If you go to retrieve the treasure chest, a large number of reinforcements will appear on that side, so it's best not to send someone to retrieve it alone.
In my case, the basic strategy was for everyone to head towards the throne, using rescue and warp abilities to try and retrieve them as safely as possible.

The unit I sent to retrieve the Rewarp Staff was brought back to the main force using the Rescue Staff after being retrieved.

The Norn's Amulet will be retrieved by the enemy gladiators who are carrying the key to the reinforcement treasure, so you'll need to intercept them.

I used warp technology to send units from near the throne to retrieve the two furthest treasure chests just before clearing the stage.
There is one enemy positioned here, so be careful.

Chapter 19 Chaos

The information on the base screen allows you to purchase bargains by paying 10,000G.
- Unappetizing-looking potion → Potion of Doom (HP +5, Movement +1, All other stats +2)
- Scribbled book → Book of Meteors (Skill: Meteor Acquisition)
- A heavy-looking shield → Galahad's Shield (Speed -5, Defense +10, Magic Defense +10)

The time to choose

The story branches depending on your previous choice.

- Make an enemy of Seara
We now proceed to "Final Chapter: Love."
The victory condition is to defeat the enemy army, whose commander is Seara.
Seara is a tough opponent with a range of 3, but you should be able to defeat her if you chip away at her health little by little.
The constant influx of enemy reinforcements from all sides is certainly a nuisance.

- Turning the whole world against you

This also leads to "Final Chapter: Love."
You control Marc, who has sided with Seara, and Seara and the monsters become allies.
The enemies are Zechs, Marina, Kvasir, and the Six Phoenix Generals.
Even allies that haven't been leveled up before have been strengthened to the maximum level, and they possess legendary weapons, making them formidable opponents.
The pre-battle conversations between Marc, who has made up his mind, and each character are well worth watching.

Protect both

This option will likely only appear if you have completed the previous four side stories.
The story continues, moving on to "Chapter 20: The Parents' True Intentions."

Although there are many enemies, if Marc is sufficiently leveled up, you can clear the stage by sending him out alone and having him wait on the throne.

Chapter 22 The Tower Laughs

This is a challenging stage with a vast map and numerous enemy reinforcements.
You cannot defeat the main body of Jagis without defeating its clones that are placed in various locations.

There is a split body to the left of the starting point, but it is a dead end.
Therefore, after defeating the clones, it's efficient to use a combination of Rewarp, Warp, and Rescue to warp to the adjacent area and take a shortcut.
Alternatively, you could leave this clone until the very end, defeat the clone in the upper left corner at the back, and then warp there to defeat it.
Incidentally, when using Warp or Rescue, if the person you're teleporting to is holding a companion, you can teleport both of them at the same time, saving you the use of your staff.

Reinforcements will start appearing from the starting point after a while, so be careful not to advance halfway through, or you'll have a hard time.

The central treasure chest contains a Double Tomahawk (attacks twice, range 1-2), and the upper right treasure chest contains a Staff of Full Recovery.

Final Chapter: Liberation

The evil god is very strong, but it weakens once it takes damage, and Seara obtains the "order".
If you make the most of the support effects, you shouldn't have any trouble.
By grouping together and strengthening characters with command abilities such as Zechs, Marina, Schlesen, and Ghislan, you can fight safely.

After clearing the game, you'll be able to select "Another" difficulty level, which features a new protagonist and story.

Unit usability and difficulty level: Normal

Marc

Unusually for an SRPG, the protagonist is an archer.
It's weak at first, but its growth rate is excellent, so if you raise it normally, it will become your ace.
After class change, its movement range is an impressive 12, making it very practical.

The only drawback is that it cannot attack directly, but when playing a tank role, not being able to counterattack can sometimes be advantageous.
While it's possible to perform melee attacks with the improved Marc's Bow, it's a limited-time item, so it's best to avoid overusing it.
Use your homemade arch with a range of 3-7, repairing it as needed and only using it when absolutely necessary.

Zex

This is a reliable mounted unit that you'll have from the very beginning of the game.
They didn't give the impression of being exceptionally strong, but I could see them steadily getting stronger.
He's an important character in the story, and I really like him because he acts as a cautionary tale for Marc.

・ Seara

This is an ace unit that boasts impeccable performance as a magic-based unit.
Some of its vulnerability to damage can be compensated for by the HP-absorbing effects of Dromi and Acroach.
Because the HP absorption was so powerful, I didn't end up having many opportunities to use the special magic, Einherjar.
Being able to use both light and dark magic is rare, so I find it interesting.

Emilio

This healer joins your party early in the game.
In the second half, many strong units that could use staves appeared, so I ended up being benched midway through the battle.
While the first healer in an SRPG is usually a nun, I think it's unique and interesting to see a corrupted monk like this appear.
I also really enjoy the interactions with Seara.

Shirley

As a flying unit that joins your party early in the game, it played a strategically important role.
Because she has the skill to haggle, she was very useful as a shopper on maps with stores.
It seems like there are many exclusive weapons that are given preferential treatment.
Since his main weapon was a heavy axe, I got the impression that he couldn't easily follow up with another attack.
However, if you give them an amulet to prevent suicide attacks, they're not particularly weak to magic, so they perform well as tough flying units.

・Yamato

Sword Master Yamato.
In the early stages, my speed was poor, making it difficult for me to attack again despite being a swordsman, and my strength was also low.
However, by supplementing with doping items, his parameters steadily increased, and he became stronger.
It was great that when the Meteor skill activated, it was almost guaranteed to kill the enemy.

Natsiri

He's the second cavalryman to join your party early in the game.
Because he overlapped with Zex, I trained him for a while, but ultimately he ended up on the bench.
In terms of abilities, they're average and don't have any particular skills, so I got the impression that they were a little difficult to use.

Vesna

Among the early-game elemental mages, this one was quite fragile, and its skill and speed were low, making it rather difficult to use.
I tried to use him as much as possible by boosting his stats, but since more powerful magic-user units joined later in the game, he felt somewhat underpowered.
I like her because she's cute as a character.

Rupert

Of the magic-user units that join early in the game, this one seemed the easiest to use.
The main reason might be that wind magic, which is light and particularly effective against flying creatures, is powerful.
After changing classes, she gained access to powerful fire magic in the later stages of the game, making her useful until the very end.
Since there aren't many powerful magic-user units among the mounted units, I'm glad I made him a Magical Knight.

・Papancorn

In terms of usability, it seems better than Vesna, but worse than Rupert.
Since it uses powerful fire magic, you can expect to inflict considerable damage on opponents with weak magic abilities.
In terms of stats, their growth seems somewhat sluggish, putting them in competition with the magic-user units that join later in the game.
It's a name with a unique sound, but it seems to be a common name among people in Thailand.

Hildegard

This unit is extremely important for hardcore players thanks to its "Steal" skill.
This unit can steal anything faster than their opponent and lighter than their own strength, so it's a unit where you want to boost their strength early with protein.
You'll be able to steal pretty much any item you want.

As a combat unit, it's simply powerful, and after class changing to an Assassin, equipping it with an Assassin's Knife allows it to land critical hits repeatedly thanks to its skill effects.
By acquiring ambush skills through items, you can unleash a barrage of critical hits and become virtually invincible.

・ Zilka

This unit is all about the convenience of dancing and then acting again.
While it's possible to fight with a sword, it's more convenient to have other units carry keys and equipment, as this allows you to use the unit as a makeshift storage during battle.

Ivan

The fact that the evasion rate is boosted thanks to the skills is a strong point.
In the early stages of the game, on maps where many monster-type enemies appear, this character becomes an extremely reliable asset.
On the other hand, in the later stages of the game, when many advanced classes capable of using light magic are added, it tends to become less prominent.

Marina

This unit could be considered the second main character.
If we consider Shirley to be a power-type flying unit, then Marina can be described as a speed-type flying soldier.
Class changing allows you to use swords and staves, which increases their usefulness.
Command skills are useful, so you'll want to deploy them in a location where they can have an impact on the front lines.

Ferris

Since Ivan was already a Light Mage, this class was hardly used in the main story.
However, it wasn't until I played on Another difficulty that I realized I could easily take on hordes of monsters by combining my ambush skill with light magic.

Phyllis

Since Emilio was already a fan of her as a healer, there was no need to use her.
Even Emilio, in this harsh world, will soon be benched.

・Layla

Since the main character, Marc, is an archer, I didn't see much point in training another archer, so I didn't bother.
He'll be a key player on Another difficulty, so please look forward to it.

Valverdo

He is the only heavily armored soldier in this game.
I used him briefly because of his strong defensive abilities, but ultimately his low mobility became a problem, and he ended up on the bench.
Having a skill that automatically heals you every turn is a huge advantage, but I found it difficult to use effectively in this game where you often have to move around large maps.

Kamil

This is a magical unit that can use various types of magic from the moment they join.
Because his abilities were inferior to those of Rupert and others who were trained from lower ranks, he was relegated to the bench.
Story-wise, he's a mysterious character who seems to know Zex's true identity, among other things.
The true identity will be revealed if you play through Another mode to the end.

Semar

This is the only unit that can be equipped with shooter equipment.
Boosting its movement speed made it much easier to use.
Its speed isn't very high, so it's difficult to counterattack regular enemies, but when combined with Zilka's support, it can quickly eliminate troublesome enemies from a distance.
Long-range archers are particularly useful, and their high accuracy and reliability are a welcome bonus.
At first glance, he looks similar to Kamil.

・ Amina

While their combat ability is only average, their strengths lie in their exceptional magical prowess and their ability to use staves.
This unit will be a reliable asset, capable of both fighting and healing on the front lines.

Kvasir

With his signature weapon, Laevateinn, he is one of the strongest sages in terms of the power of his single attacks.
While its speed isn't particularly high, making follow-up attacks difficult, this character is powerful as it can both heal and cast spells.
If we had known he would join, we might not have bothered training the other magic users.

Skuld

She is a valuable unit who can use dark magic, in addition to Seara.
This character can also use a staff, allowing them to both heal and attack.
While its individual abilities aren't particularly high, its wide-area command ability, which increases the overall accuracy and evasion of the unit, is useful.

Schlesen

This is a mounted unit with almost perfect stats.
While its initial level is high and opportunities for growth are limited, it is characterized by an extremely high growth rate.
Therefore, by using the "reset potion" that Gullveig possesses to reset the character to level 1 and raise them again, it is possible to max out almost all of their stats.
This will probably be the strongest ally unit in the main story.

Gullveig

This is a powerful magic-user unit with strength comparable to Kvasir.
Unlike Kvasir, it also possesses speed and can use the HP-absorbing Acroch, making it feel even stronger.

・ Helmut

This unit is a rank lower than Gullveig.
However, even in this state, it's a fairly usable unit, so it would be useful if you have few other members who can use light magic.

・Ghislan

Gram, who can attack twice, is a powerful swordsman-type unit.
While its raw strength is somewhat low, it boasts high offensive capabilities thanks to its Meteor skill.
With high evasion and being difficult to defeat, this character is best suited to fighting on the front lines while utilizing their command skills.

Strategy Notes - Difficulty: Another (Contains Spoilers)

This is the "Another" difficulty level that appears after clearing the main story.
This game is essentially a sequel to the main story, so I highly recommend you play it.

Compared to Normal mode, there are many situations where technique is required to complete the game.
Players who have completed the main story should be fine, but if you don't properly develop the units you should be raising, the later stages might become difficult.

Compared to Normal difficulty, I get the impression that money is generally insufficient.
There are quite a lot of battles, but opportunities to buy weapons are limited, so you need to be especially careful in the early stages.
Once Hildegard joins your party, you can stabilize your strategy by diligently stealing enemy equipment.

Chapter 4: Stolen Deaths

This map rewards you with a prize for keeping all the villagers alive, so you really want to do everything you can to save them all.
Since you have very few attacks, it's effective to actively enter the enemy's attack range and reduce their numbers as much as possible by counterattacking during their turn.
Position Phyllis and Ferris close together, and use Ferris's light attack, which has the ability to ambush, to launch a relentless offensive.
Villagers will use herbs if their HP is low during their turn, but they won't always use them at the right time.
Be careful.

Chapter 5: Pincer Attack

The goal is to reach the point in the upper right corner.
Buying a Night Killer from a base or weapons shop and having Marina carry it will make things easier.
Let's take the marina first and keep moving forward.
Also, since you'll have fewer opportunities to buy light magic for a while after this, it would be a good idea to buy multiple copies of Light and Ray.

You're strong enough to intercept all the pursuing monsters and flying reinforcements, but be careful as you probably won't stand a chance against the necromancer.

If you wait in the empty space in the mountain in the upper right corner, you can obtain a staff that heals the entire party.

Chapter 12 Conflict

Marina and Trierena are isolated.
If the Trielena is fully grown, you can use the Acrochi to absorb the nutrients while preparing it.
Be careful, as the militia in the upper right corner are much tougher than in other difficulty levels.

On turn 10, reinforcements of dragon knights will appear from around the castle wall in the lower right.
Fighting in an open area is difficult, so it's easier to enter a building where the boss is and ambush them there.

Chapter 14: The End of the Deception

This stage involves traversing a very large map.
First, let's intercept the flying troops that are heading straight towards us.
After that, we'll head north and wait at a point where we can easily intercept any enemy attacking by land.

After defeating all the enemies coming towards you, take down Yannick in the lower left, then head towards Stefan in the center.
To make the bridge appear, visit the village and access the two levers, just like in the other difficulty levels.
If moving to the center is too much trouble, you can have mounted or flying units rescue and move them, which will make things a little easier.

Once you defeat Stefan, he will reappear in various locations on the map.
If you have the time, steal lots of silver knives from Hildegard.
Stefan isn't particularly strong, but be careful as he might steal items if he's adjacent to you during the enemy's turn.
After defeating the real Stefan, defeat Ceres and seize the tower to clear the game.

Chapter 20: The Demon King's True Identity

This is a map for a direct confrontation with the Fafruft army.
The enemy camp near the starting point can be easily defeated by using shooters and long-range magic to whittle them down.
On your third turn, Baldur's soldiers will appear as reinforcements near the starting point, so if you don't anticipate this, you'll be put in a difficult situation.

Gullveig is a particularly tough opponent, so be careful when dealing with him.
If Hildegard is leveled up, the quickest way to get it would be to have her steal Baldr.

The allied unit Navnit, who appears on turn 4, can be spoken to at the marina.
Even if you talk to them here, they remain NPCs, but if you choose "Forgive" from the options, I suspect they will probably become your companions after you complete the game.

Chapter 21 Salvation

The reinforcements that keep appearing around Jagis will not stop even if you defeat Jagis.
Therefore, once Marina defeats Maxes, have her head straight to Dvergr's room.
Every certain turn, Trielena will say something that suggests a time limit, but there are no restrictions on the conditions for defeat, and I had no problems up to turn 30.

The contents of the treasure chest are Vindarfr (the strongest wind magic) on the left and Twin Spears on the right.

Maxes is a formidable opponent, but a well-trained Marina can defeat him with two attacks using Night Killer.
However, since there are enemies that use area-of-effect healing during their turn, the safest approach is to lure them to the area around the southern door and defeat them with multiple people.
After that, have Marina use the Rewarp Staff to warp from the central area to the northern Dvergr area; this is the easiest way to clear it.

Incidentally, after this map, Trielena becomes Seara, and her stats remain the same but her level resets to 1, giving you another chance to grow her further.
It's advantageous to level up to the maximum level before reaching this map.

Chapter 22: The Truth of the Magic Tower

There are a lot of enemies, and they attack twice with dual-hit attacks, so it's tough.
Furthermore, the boss's wide-area command ability boosts its accuracy and evasion, so it will hit you quite often.
If we can withstand the first wave, the reinforcements will stop coming sooner, so let's attack steadily.
By positioning the shooter Semar in the central magic circle and sending Zilka towards it, you can use him as a stationary turret to safely shoot down flying enemies.

The magic circle in the bottom left is close to the enemy, so place plenty of strong units there.
On the right flank, if you fight from a slightly defensive position, the enemy's ranks will stretch out, making the battle easier.

Final Chapter: The World Beyond

This map has a very large number of both enemy and friendly NPCs.
By defeating the "empty shells of powerful souls" placed throughout the area, the boss's abilities will be weakened.
If it's too much trouble, you can ignore the empty shells of powerful souls that are far away.

Since Marina has changed her class to Firmament, if you equip her with Hogni's Protection and Gungnir and send her charging into the enemy, she'll level up very quickly.
Once you reach level 20, you'll be practically invincible, so the number of enemies won't be a problem anymore.

Unit usability and difficulty level: Another

This post will focus primarily on units that didn't appear in Normal mode, or units that were used for the first time in Another mode.

Marina

This is the protagonist in Another Mode.
Since you can change classes a second time in the final chapter, you will ultimately grow to be the strongest character.
If you send him charging into the enemy lines with Gungnir, he'll be unstoppable.

Phyllis

In Another, since he's a party member from the start, I used him until the very end.
Using it in conjunction with Ferris provides helpful support.
However, in the latter half of the game, as more and more units join who can use staves, it started to feel a little less satisfying.

Ferris

This magic unit is formidable, combining ambush tactics with light magic.
He is especially overwhelmingly powerful against monsters, easily defeating them.
In the second half of the game, after he had grown stronger, he became a reliable ace unit, not just against monsters.

・Layla

In the Another version of the story, she joins the party early on, making her a valuable archer unit.
I didn't see much benefit in becoming a sniper, so I went with a ranger instead.
However, after Marc joins the team, the difference in their exclusive weapons makes them seem to lose momentum somewhat.

Valverdo

This character also appears early in Another mode, making them a reliable tank.
Since it's slow and has poor destructive power, it's best to equip it with special attack weapons or dual-attack equipment to increase its attack rate.

・ Seara

I will initially join as Trierena.
Just like in the main story, their high growth rate makes them an extremely reliable asset.
After separating from Trierena, your level will reset to 1, giving you another opportunity to grow and become even stronger.

Trierena

She separates from Seara towards the end and joins the group.
Despite being quite strong, it's still at level 1, so it will get even stronger from there.

Navneet

It seemed like they would join the party much earlier, but in the end, they only joined towards the very end.
However, their abilities are almost fully developed, so they can immediately contribute to the team.
Another strength is that they have a solid defense for Hogni.

Chelsea

This is a flying unit that joins Navnit.
Since I already have Navnit and Marina, I don't see the point in having any more flying units, so I haven't used any.
If I had joined the team before Shirley, I might have used her with a fresh perspective.

Alfred

Among the Six Phoenix Generals, he has the most unremarkable abilities, but his strength lies in his ability to use both swords and axes.
He usually comes across as a calm and composed character, but when he was appointed commander to intercept Maxes, his tone of voice changed, and it felt like his character had completely transformed.

Angela

He might be the most useful of the Six Phoenix Generals.
Above all, the skill that prevents equipment durability from decreasing is extremely powerful and very easy to use.
He's a highly capable general who's strong just by firing his long-range Thunderstorm attack.

Review (contains spoilers)

This section contains many spoilers for both Normal and Another modes.
If someone who hasn't played the game yet reads this, it might spoil the fun.
please note.

I initially thought this game would end with just the Normal difficulty, but playing Another mode made me realize that it truly concludes the story.
At first, I thought it would be just a few minor differences, like in Hector's story in Fire Emblem: The Blazing Blade.
However, as the story progressed, I was surprised to find that it was more of a "sequel" than simply playing as a different protagonist.

The fact that the Normal mode ended on such a positive note, only to discover that a tragedy actually occurred afterward, was as shocking as when I learned what happened after the previous game in Chrono Cross.
While Normal depicts the romantic relationship between Marc and Ceara, Another portrays the yuri (girls' love) relationship between Marina and Trielena, making it a story that offers two different experiences in one.

During my playthrough of Normal mode, there were some things that bothered me, like how Alfred, who seemed like the main character among the Six Phoenix Generals, died so easily, how the Dvergr were rather inconspicuous, and the mystery of Kamil's background. But I think it was great that all of those issues were neatly resolved in Another mode.

I think it was great that the characters were the same in both the Normal and Another scenarios, which added depth to the character portrayals.
I think there were many fascinating characters, including the Six Phoenix Generals of the Empire.

Below, I will talk about some of the scenes that left a lasting impression on me.

・Marc and Zechs

The contrasting pairing of Marc and Zechs was fun right from the start.
There was even a certain charm to Zechs' frequent disparaging remarks and actions towards his lord, Marc.

That's why the pre-battle conversation in "Final Chapter: Love" was so moving.
The contrast between the two, who often engaged in comedic banter, and their serious expressions as they faced a life-or-death situation was very striking.

Zechs tries to persuade Natziri.

It felt like an homage to the line Shiida uses to persuade Navarre in Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon and the Blade of Light.

Shirley and Yamato

The scene where the phrase "a ridiculous possessive case" was used was particularly memorable for its sharpness.
Come to think of it, I never imagined back then that the yuri elements, which I thought were only present in Normal, would be featured prominently in Another as well.

- Zechs and Hildegard

I think people who can casually use the word "stingy person" are very knowledgeable.
So, in the end, does this mean Hildegard was a spy from the time when Zechs was royalty?

- Zechs and Schlesen

Since they were both knights serving the prince, they were probably often compared to each other.
Schlesen has a goofy demeanor, while Zechs is calm and collected, but I liked this scene because you could feel a burning fighting spirit between the two of them.
I've taken a lot of screenshots of scenes involving Zechs, so I guess I really like Zechs.

Marina, Phyllis, and Ferris

While they didn't stand out much in Normal mode, the twins Phyllis and Ferris appear from the beginning in Another mode and have many interactions with Marina.
The fact that they don't seem to respect Princess Marina very much is interesting.
Both characters in the image are labeled as Phyllis, but it's unclear whether this is intentional or a typo.

Jagis and Alfred

I like it when a villain of the highest caliber, who is usually the mastermind behind the scenes, is shown panicking in an unexpected situation; it makes them seem more human.
With Alfred at the forefront, each of the Six Phoenix Generals seems to have an untold backstory, which really sparks the imagination.

Kamil's true identity

I had completely forgotten about their existence until this moment, but I was moved by the fact that their mere presence in this place revealed their true nature.

- Reinforcements from the Six Phoenix Generals

The scene where reinforcements arrive in the final chapter is cliché, but it's exciting and thrilling.
However, since it appeared right before the clear, I felt it was a little too late.
Character-wise, I like Ghislain, and in terms of gameplay, I like Angela because she's strong.

As I mentioned in the game overview, this game makes extensive use of original background music, which I felt greatly enhanced the story.
The songs are generally quite long, and it takes a while to listen to them all once, so I feel like I don't get bored of them easily.
Also, I like how the songs have a consistent feel, perhaps because the same person is composing them.
Below is a list of my favorite background music tracks (the song titles are those displayed in the sound room).

・2
I like how it captures the feeling of a deep forest, and how the variety of instruments increases and the sound becomes richer in the second listen.

4
I love the unsettling and tense piano melody that flows endlessly.

6
It's a memorable song with a pastoral atmosphere, yet somehow tinged with melancholy and loneliness.

9
The flowing melody of the flute is so impressive that it keeps looping in my head.
I'm quite familiar with it, perhaps because it played during maps that took a relatively long time to complete.
The addition of percussion in the second loop sounds really cool.

18
This song has the feel of a battle about to begin.

・A-23
This song is perfect for the climax scene in the story.
I love how the song matches the way the emotions of the two characters in the spotlight intensify.

AF
The fact that the final stage song started with the same opening as the main theme was a truly delightful touch.
It feels like background music that's fitting for the end of a long story.
Because it's the intro you hear every time you start the game, it strongly gives the impression of being the main theme of this title.