10-13-2013, 08:33 PM
As a fan of the series, I can safely say that, no, playing the other games is not necessary to enjoy Fire Emblem: Awakening. I won't spoil the story, but while there are references and a certain character from previous games, they are rather meaningless since the story Awakening tells is largely self-contained within its own mythology, even with the aforementioned character.
As for what it's about, the main goal is to defeat all the enemies on a map and avoid losing units. there's a ton of depth behind it all, like the support system, Dual Strike (a reference to the first DS Advance Wars game) and so on, as well as a plethora of content, not counting DLC.
Awakening is the best in the series mechanically, but as an experience, Fire Emblem and Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance rank higher overall. If you're new to the series, it's perfect for you, with a casual mode so that losing units in one doesn't cause them to disappear throughout the entire game, and a much better tutorial than Fire Emblem.
As for what it's about, the main goal is to defeat all the enemies on a map and avoid losing units. there's a ton of depth behind it all, like the support system, Dual Strike (a reference to the first DS Advance Wars game) and so on, as well as a plethora of content, not counting DLC.
Awakening is the best in the series mechanically, but as an experience, Fire Emblem and Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance rank higher overall. If you're new to the series, it's perfect for you, with a casual mode so that losing units in one doesn't cause them to disappear throughout the entire game, and a much better tutorial than Fire Emblem.