These nonetheless taking part in Fire Emblem: Fortune’s Weave—which, given the most recent entry’s heft, is most of us—know selecting a primary route issues. Cai appears the meant start line, with opening chapters stuffed with explanations. Hedonic Dietrich is good for Three Homes followers looking for extra Fódlan lore; Theodora affords perception into the cultures of Dagda and Saramis; and Leda is pushed by vengeance after her father’s dying.
Of the 4, Leda stands out like a sore thumb. Her route has little to do with the overarching story of Fortune’s Weave and extra to do together with her private vendetta. But, as somebody who firmly believes in supporting ladies’s wrongs, I eagerly jumped to her route first anyhow. I don’t remorse it, as a result of seeing a lady allowed to be indignant and make errors whereas pursuing her purpose was so, so refreshing. I may consider just one different sport that allowed that: Tales of Berseria, a painfully underrated RPG launched in 2017.
Leda followers, meet Velvet Crowe
Developed and revealed by Bandai Namco, Tales of Berseria follows Velvet Crowe, who witnesses her brother-in-law, Artorius Collbrande, killing her youthful brother, Laphicet. She vows to maintain preventing till she’s avenged Laphicet by slaying Artorius.
The parallels between Leda and Velvet are clear. They’re each witnesses to the deaths of the folks they liked most, and are perpetually modified by it. Not like Leda, nevertheless, Velvet is completely alone for the primary few years afterward, compelled right into a stinking pit stuffed with monsters in a basement cell.
When Leda and Velvet lastly see a chance to get near the boys who ruined their lives—Leda by the Heroic Video games, Velvet throughout her jail break—they seize it with each arms.
As a result of each the Tales and Fireplace Emblem collection are character-focused and have various, expansive casts, each ladies are accompanied by a bunch of companions. Leda’s group is comparatively regular by RPG requirements, whereas Velvet’s contains demons, angels, and an endearingly annoying witch. However the one factor their teams do have in frequent is their loyalty to Leda and Velvet.
Mentioned loyalty does not essentially work out nice for both celebration at first. After years of stewing in her jail cell, Velvet has loads of rage and resentment, and anybody getting in her approach is assured to get harm, whether or not buddy or foe. The identical goes for Leda, whose want for vengeance leads her to threaten and blackmail different contestants out of the video games and shrug off any considerations her associates may need.
The extra they offer in to their base needs, the extra Leda and Velvet isolate themselves. This spiral of despair is exacerbated by their curses: Velvet with a malevolence-sucking demon arm that devours folks (sizzling), and Leda together with her guitar-like vihuela, which urges her to kill and destroy these round her the extra she performs. The additional they inch towards fulfilling their quests for revenge, the extra the 2 ladies deteriorate emotionally and mentally.
Whereas some might argue that this single-minded vengeance makes each characters unlikeable, Leda’s path and Velvet’s story aren’t meant to glamorize their actions. Each Clever Methods and Bandai Namco depict their rage as placing them at odds with the folks round them, with out in the end vilifying them. In spite of everything, Leda and Velvet’s inevitable breakdowns stem from the identical place: deep grief and mourning for those they’ve liked and misplaced. This doesn’t negate the hurt they’ve induced, however it does present context for why Leda and Velvet are the best way they’re.
With out venturing into spoiler territory, Leda and Velvet’s paths ultimately diverge of their targets of vengeance. Nonetheless, each Fireplace Emblem: Fortune’s Weave and Tales of Berseria are thrilling for anybody who giggles and kicks their ft on the considered seeing ladies with blood on their faces and hatred of their hearts. Sure, they might have murdered thousands and thousands, however they made me very comfortable whereas taking part in. And actually, isn’t that what’s most essential?