for anyone who doesnt know, fire emblem awakening was planned to be the last of the franchise if it didnt do well. it ended up exploding in the west, and really putting fire emblem on the map. leading to all the other awesome fire emblem games we've gotten. so yes, awakening very much so saved the franchise
Iirc it was just planned to be the last of the franchise full stop. Even if awakening had done average by the series standards or just a little above average the franchise would have been cancelled.
@@char1194 The line was 250,000 copies. Even the worst selling games in the franchise history had beaten that line. According to interviews it wasn't just a threat that Awakening faced, it was something that apparently pretty much every Nintendo franchise had to deal with, but with the lower numbers that FE11/FE12 pulled plus releasing on the (at the time) less popular 3DS the developers felt it was a legitimate concern. At the end of the day though? What saved the franchise wasn't Awakening (not to say awakening wasn't good, I had a lot of fun with it, makes my top 5 FE games easy). It was Marketing. Nintendo barely did any marketing for the Fire Emblem franchise in the past, especially overseas (The only advertising outside Nintendo Power I remember for FE was the infamous "What happened to Dorcas?" commercial). Awakening received a substantial amount of marketing in comparison. It wasn't that people hated old FE games, it's that they didn't know they existed.
ID purpose is Robin’s theme that’s the most interesting. It’s not the boss theme for Grima it’s Robin’s purpose. It’s them accepting themselves and what they need to do. It’s such a fantastic theme
While I do believe it is Robin’s theme, I do believe part of it also reflects Grima as well. Particularly the choir of men in the latter half that sing in harmony with the women singing the Fire Emblem theme. In the official FE Premium Arrange version of Id (Purpose), they actually have the song sung in Japanese lyrics, and that part is sung by Grima.
@@ArdorG. Good point. However, they, Grima and Robin, are one and the same, in a way. It may be a headcanon, but I imagine that Grima is Robin's beastly, animalistic, destructive part, while Robin is Grima's human, creative part.
@@miruneverdies I’m with you to an extent. Robin and Grima are the same person. Though imo, the only thing separating them is the fact that Robin has amnesia, thus not remembering the trauma of Forneus, their creator and father figured backstabbing them, of Alm slaying them for no reason other than the fact that they were a dragon, and of Validar and the Grimleal raising and worshiping them as a god of destruction. In the Future Past DLC and in FE Heroes, its confirmed that Grima did truly care for Chrom and the others. But they betrayed them because they were afraid of being backstabbed first. Of being killed for WHAT they are rather than WHO they are, just as Forneus attempted and Alm did. As Grima says in Fire Emblem Heroes, “It’s the world that wants me to be evil,” and thus, in their fear, they obliged and gave the world exactly what they asked of them. Robin is just Grima given a fresh start. All fears and worries buried in the past. A chance to choose their own fate instead of having everyone else choose for them.
@@ArdorG. That is a interesting way of looking at it. The only plot hole with this idea is that Robin is Validar's child, and that Robin's mother ran off with them to get away from the Grimleal. Robin was simply the vessel for Grima, after a long line of failed vessels who did not have the qualities to be the perfect vessel for Grima. However, it could still make sense if we consider the possibility of the chosen vessel inheriting part of Grima's consciousness and memories. It would explain how Validar is able to manipulate Robin, he might have been using Dark magic to temporally awaken Grima's conscious. Also, it may explain why Robin knew Chrom's name in the Prologue despite having never met before, the shared memories between Robin and Grima may transcend time and space (wouldn't be the first case of Awakening having space-time shenanigans)
Something that helps build up this theme is the music before this. Specifically: Id [Darkness] and Id Return Id [Darkness] is exactly what it sounds like. A very dark theme that feels empty. There’s nothing around. All that exists is despair. Then, Id [Return] begins. You’re still in the darkness, but you hear hints of Id [Purpose]. Like the light at the end of a tunnel. As the song progresses, the melody becomes more clear. The player wants to grasp that light and escape the darkness. Then, once the main character has resolved themselves, Id [Purpose] kicks in. There’s no more darkness, just light; you have become the light. Darkness doesn’t have any power over you anymore. It can fight you all it wants. Nothing is gonna drag you down anymore. You’re here to fight and shine.
The buildup to Id (Purpose) is absolutely phenomenal. Fire Emblem Awakening holds a very special place in my heart, and the Id (Return) into Id (Purpose) is just so fantastic, seeing all your allies that you've grown to know over the course of the game urging you to push back and fight the final boss. Awakening is the game that really opened my eyes that characters in not just games, but stories in general can be more than just cardboard cutouts. I am not exaggerating when I say that I likely would not like my favorite games anywhere near as much if I had not played FE Awakening.
That build-up is the best I've ever heard. Always gives me goosebumps. I remember when I heard Id [Return] for the first time, when I pressed the button and a silence fell for a second and then exploded in Id [Purpose]. I literally cried. It was so majestic and awesome
Most songs in Awakening have both a calm version and an Ablaze version. Id has a Purpose version. If you have the time, check out Lost in thoughts all alone and Fòdlan winds. They're pretty good.
Everytime i listen to Id Purposs, I cant help to think like this : The male vocal at 04:01 representing Grima. And then comes female vocal representing Lucina at 04:14. Then comes male tenor part singing along with the female vocal at 04:29, representing Chrom. 04:41 the rest of the vocal shows up, which i think representing the rest of the Sheperds. And lastly at 04:56, only Lucina, Chrom, and the Sheperds vocal remain, Grima's part completely gone. And the fact that Id Purpose Japanese vocal version is sung by Male Robin/Grima's and Lucina's VA and the lyrics is actually about Grima trying to instigate Robin that their struggle is useless, and Lucina's part is denying it, saying that all of his friends believe in him makes it even better.
If you want more where this is coming from check out "Lord of a Dead Empire" From Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia. Themes relating to Berkut from that game like "Prince of Darkness", "Pride and Arogance", "Praise This Despair!", and "A Scion's Dance in Purgatory" could provide interesting opportunities for discussing vocal techniques and developing a theme over multiple tracks.
@@MarcoMeatballDid you have the link to it? I can't seem to find it whatsoever and as a singer as well I'm interested to see you react to the operatic "wailing" of Lord of a Dead Empire.
I am forever thankful for Awakening for saving the franchise. As a longtime fire emblem fan, it makes me happy that this game has blown up the way that it has.
This song actually plays directly after Id (Return), which establishes the instruments and teases the motifs that are fully expressed here. Once Return ends, there’s a brief pause and Purpose begins, which is incredibly hype especially considering they’re for the final chapter. The release of tension is even repeated in Purpose, around 3:30 here, and the build back up is done amazingly. I recommend listening to them in order, Return is pretty short but it really adds a lot to the whole experience. Really hope to see more Fire Emblem music on here, so many amazing tunes across the different games. Loved watching as always!
I love how they set it up, too. Robin returns to themself and then the next piece is them deciding their purpose and their own destiny rather than being forced into becoming nothing more than a corrupted puppet. Fire Emblem does such a stunning job with telling stories with their music.
This was my first Fire Emblem game, and this theme plays at the very culmination of this deeply personal journey. It is quite literally about giving your last, best shot against a dark future - both story wise, as well as for the series itself that saw itself flounder and was meant to end with this game. There is a true sense of bittersweet bravery and finality to it, and the male solo vocal is the main antagonist of the game gloating about his power, with the choir raising against him in defiance, placing their hopes into the true purpose of the titular Fire Emblem - the sealing shield that will contain this evil. What makes this track especially poignant is the culmination of leitmotifs from throughout the game. These tracks are all named Id, and the track that plays right before this one, Id/Return is such an incredible lead-up. It is muffled, distant, yet hopeful, playing right as every character you've put your effort into building up and helping now reaffirming their devotion and hopes to your player character - ended with the words of devotion from the character you choose to marry. It is truly beautiful.
I legitimately believe that I would not enjoy my favorite games anywhere near as much had I not played Fire Emblem Awakening. It was the first game that showed me that characters could have depth to them and not just be cardboard cutouts on my screen. Awakening is a game that you can tell the developers poured everything they had into it.
Well said. Id (Purpose) is a very beautiful "final battle" track, there is so much emotion and effort put into it. I always feel my hairs stand on end each time I hear Grima's solo, but then the choir kicks in and I feel reassured. Their voices grow louder and stronger as they come together, while Grima sings alone, stuck in a pattern of hatred and despair. Nothing could ever fully describe how much I love this track, or the game it's from.
I always cry listening to this, I love this song so much. Edit: I didn´t wanted to mention it in the beginning, but Fire Emblem Awakening has so much emotional involvement for me since at that time I wanted my life to end but I found this game randomly and when I reached the last battle in this game and everyone is there to fight against their fate, to live and see another day I coudn´t stop crying and since then I never wanted to give up on life ever again. So this song which plays in the last battle is so special to me and makes me always cry but tears of joy and fullfillment. Edit2: Since you are my favorite reactor it makes me super happy to see you cover fire emblem songs since I think many of them are hidden gems and it makes me happy to see more people listening to them and how they feel about it.
This was the game that got me into Fire Emblem. The soundtrack is absolutely incredible, especially when you remember this was for a handheld console title. It still makes me emotional to this day. If I'm having a bad day I can cry to this song and feel better afterwards.
If you haven’t heard the "Premium Arrange" version of Id Purpose, I highly recommend. Not to upload, it’s a Nintendo copyright magnet, but listen to it on your own time. It’s sung by the Japanese VAs for Lucina and Robin.
I love how this track brings back both the main leitmotif associated with the main party in this entry (that of the Shepherds) but also more importantly, the main Fire Emblem series theme for this particular final battle. I love how defiantly the main series anthem pops up in the later parts of this song and eventually grows stronger like a battle cry leading the decisive charge. Your analysis of how motivating the feelings this track brings is spot on; it's great to listen to as you make the final push across the final map of the story's campaign! It's wonderful how the composers went all out with Id: Purpose as a "final battle" theme for future of this series at the time this game came out. The emotions in it are so strong, even after all this time. I believe that other fans have mentioned how pivotal Awakening was, true to its name, for the uncertain future of the series. Yet, much like how the characters in FE Awakening have challenged their future fates, this series thankfully managed to live to fight for another day, giving us a lot more newer entries in the 10 years since its release across the world. I have cherished memories with the series itself and have appreciated how it's continued to change and keep going. Thank you for this reaction once again, Marco!
Id purpose is an amazing track. And a lot of what you're saying about it makes a lot of sense from a narrative standpoint. Also this track does seem to be in your vocal range, so I think that if you were to make a cover of it, it would be insanely amazing👀 And my favorite part of the track is from 3:31 onward till the track loops. the way the music calms down then slowly builds itself back up again is immaculate
I was just thinking the same thing as I'm listening to Marco talk about it. It really is Robin's theme and the lyrics are so reflective of their Journey
Fire Emblem awakening has my favorite soundtrack out of the fire emblem games. I love how militaristic it sounds and it’s not afraid to throw in some emotional songs. Please do “Don’t Say Her Name” next! The moment that song played in the game made me tear up, such a brilliantly composed track
Oh my god this song brings back memories!! Fire Emblem Awakening was my first FE game! I had no idea about this series until (pretty much everyone who wasn't familiar with the series) was when we saw Marth and Roy in Smash Melee. I was curious on the series and the day came when I was introduced to Awakening. LOVED it so much that I've replayed it over and over several times up until Fire Emblem Fates (Birthright, Conquest, and Revelations) released. The characters, the story, the MUSIC!!! It's become the game that has made me love this series! I'm so incredibly happy you got to hear this epic song from this game! Thank you!! Definitely play it if you ever get the chance!
Fire Emblem’s got a lot of really great songs through the series, I think my favorite’s Road Taken from Fates, especially the mix of the Calm/Roar version.
Awakening is something special for anybody who watched or played it. Id [Purpose] being the culmination of the avatar MC (Robin) & his/her journey throughout the Halidom of Ylisse & beyond, venturing with Chrom, Lissa, Frederick, & all these other characters you'll come across. The best part about this song & this battle in particular is how the dynamic circulates around Robin & Grima & the parallels that tie them both. When the game begins, the player (Robin) wakes up an amnesiac tactician & fights as a Shepherds militia member for a good chunk of the game, unaware of their previous life, or lives rather. At the homestretch, all is revealed about Robin, about Grima, & how Robin was founded by Grima's unsuccessful attempt to influence him, hence their amnesia. Grima is known as the Fell Dragon, an slumbering entity that once nearly sowed mass destruction upon the world. It's also revealed how Robin was meant to be a vessel for Grima. At the end of it all, battling on the back of a gigantic soaring dragon against an incomplete avatar for Grima, Chrom's moment arrives to seal away Grima with a decisive strike OR, if the player allows it, Robin will choose to end it instead by delivering the final blow against Grima. This would mean that by destroying Grima for good, Robin would also destroy him/herself due to the underlying influence from Grima. I love this game, & how this game put FE back on the map. Thank you Marco for covering this song & also fun fact, when the chorus kicks in, the female singing is the signature theme of Fire Emblem
Still my favorite song from the series til this day. And still my favorite FE. Definitely a recommend for "Don't Speak Her Name" makes me tear up Spoiler: this is the final boss battle theme and I love that it's not about the boss it is about Robin, Chorm, and the Shepherds on the stage of their world.
If you're getting into Fire Emblem music now, I hope you'll react to "Thorn in You" from Fire Emblem Fates. Technically there are two versions of the song, the "Calm" arrangement that plays while you're looking at the map and moving your units around, and the "Roar" arrangement that plays during the combat animation. During gameplay, the two versions synch up perfectly (that also applies to the battle music of every FE game from Awakenomg onwards) which is something that can't really be done while listening to the two tracks independently, and it's sad because that sense of rising and falling action makes the song even more intense. Or, for a more simple song (simple in the way that there aren't two versions that convey very different emotions), "Girl of Hresvelg", the theme song of Fire Emblem Three Houses, isn't just a tearjerking banger, it's the song that marks the series dipping its toes into the dubstep that everyone pretends to hate but secretly loves (y'all know you love Shambalah and the Four Hounds' themes).
Something you'll notice with the OSTs of modern FE soundtracks is the very predominate presence of leitmotivs that functions as the basis of the main theme, final map theme, and many tracks in-between. Awakening has "Id", Fates has "Lost in Thoughts" and so on. Even SoV, despite being a remake of an old game was given a few new tracks with reoccurring motifs that function, to a lesser extent, as a leitmotiv for the game.
Id: Purpose is one of my favorite tracks in FE, since it represents something much greater than just the fight it showcases. This is the song of the Final Map, when you face off against the God that ended the world in another timeline, and could easily do so again if you fail here. Though in Id Purpose, I've always felt like the feeling of love and loss is very present, this was a game that was supposed to end a decades long series, with many great and wonderful stories, hundreds of beloved characters, and passionate developers, and this was supposed to be the song for not just the final map of Awakening, but the entire series. With this kind of context, it makes the song somewhat painful to listen to, especially as someone who's come to adore this series so deeply as myself. You should check out Twilight of the Gods from Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia, or Apex of The World from Fire Emblem Three Houses. If you're willing to put up with SNES Sounds, I'd also recommend giving Disturbance of Augustria or Lionheart Eldigan listens from Fire Emblem: Genealogy of The Holy War. Fire Emblem is a series with gorgeous music, and it means so very much to me, and it's awesome seeing you cover one of the best and most emotional tracks in the series.
I'm not sure if you remember, but I recommended this almost a year ago on your "Twilight of the Gods" video. To this day, this remains one of my favorite musical arrangements; helping lift me out of my own darkness & reminding me that a better future is always possible. I've got a tattoo of the Exalt's Brand, the mark of one of the main characters who fought against all odds to save his friends and kingdom from despair.
Oh wow im so mad i missed this, I remember recommending this one to you some months ago, glad you gave it a chance. real happy to hear you react to this.
Interesting you would say that about the main villains part haha! Man I live Grima as a FE Villain. It's him trying to convince Robin at the same time trying to drown out the voices of his friends while putting them down, that's the middle part with the deep voices. Then they cry back out towards Robin. Welcome to Friendship is Magic my friends. Welcome, to Fire Emblem.
As the potential final farewell for this franchise, my love for this piece will never end. Wonderful reaction Marco. If you're so inclined, one song from Fire Emblem I'd like to see you react to is called 'Lord of a Dead Empire'. You will be blown away and fall in love with it, I guarantee.
@@MarcoMeatball I know you did God Shattering Star, but this song is from Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia. I apologize if I missed it, I'll see if I can find it. Also, thanks for responding!
@@MarcoMeatball That's wonderful! Can't wait to see it! Sorry for the confusion. As a classically trained vocalist, you are a huge inspiration for me. Thank you for being so passionate and amazing.
I love this song because it is a rallying cry, you hear it and something in your soul awakens as though whatever challenge you are facing will not stand against your will and your determination. To me, it perfectly captures Awakening and the team behind it, that though our series has not sold well, that though the odds are stacked against us, that though this may be our final game, we will not go quietly. We will not give up, we will not be forgotten, we will not let this be the end. We will fight for our name, our series, our game to be heard! It is truly an amazing game and soundtrack, I was happy that I was able to get the full soundtrack when I went to Japan. I'm glad that you covered this song, it is quite special. As an aside I will leave a suggestion for the theme to The Last Story for you if you have time in the future. I bring it up in part because after looking back at the character designs of the game, I'm 98% sure that the dark magician children were the design inspiration for Robin, the protag, as they look almost identical. Anyways, I'm rambling so have a great rest of your day.
One of my very favorite video game songs ever! It's so hauntingly beautiful yet uplifting, not at all what you'd typically expect for the endgame boss music. It makes me so happy to hear you gush over it.
You're exactly right about what the spirit of the song is about. There is a song that plays right before ID Purpose and it's called ID Return and it plays when one of the protagonists inspires the other who is in a fallen state and about to be consumed with corruption not to give in and to remember all the friendships and bonds made along the way. To fight it and to come back to his friends. Then when the fallen protagonist is able to resist and join everyone else to fight the antagonist, ID Purpose plays. It really is a beautiful climax with beautiful music.
This song is actually what got me interested in Fire Emblem as a series and has become my default pump up music. I played this in my headphones before most of my med school and residency interviews. It’s so special to hear you break down how each of the movements build on each other.
Id (Purpose) was a huge surprise for everyone, then in Fates, we got wowed again with End of All. We thought, "Ok, there's no way they can make a better Final Boss theme than this." Then we got the absolutely jaw dropping symphonic arrangement of Twilight of the Gods for Shadows of Valentia. "How can they possibly top this?" we thought. Then they gave us God Shattering Star.
I've been playing the Fire Emblem games since as far back as Blazing Blade, years and years ago, but for some reason this song makes me the most nostalgic. Awakening will always hold a special place in my heart for giving the series a new lease of life and introducing it to such a wider audience. I'm still holding onto hopes for Jugdral and Tellius remakes sometime in the future. They are my absolute favourites, and I'd love for the newer fans of the series to experience them! 😌
Aaaaaahhhhh it finally happened *~* When I first played that game you can bet your four letters that I've turned up the volume to max - even if it'd blast my head away when wearing headphones. It feels like one of the most unique final songs in gaming history to me. There aren't many that many themes going this hard yet being so soft at the same time (I'm also a sucker for this kind of instrument). It really feels like a giant journey came to an end, not even that there's a big evil entity that destroys the world (also best story twist ever, let your protagonist be the evil entity the whole time, fighting you with...you). This probably reads all over the place and I surely forgot the half of it but who cares, I'm EXITED at this:D
Awakening, like for a good many, was my first introduction to Fire Emblem and this track really made me reminisce through all of the characters that remained by my side while also underscoring the importance of why we were fighting. Thanks for covering it!
I swear whenever I see you react to all these different songs it always just makes them ten times better hearing it from such a professional perspective, it was just fantastic hearing your thoughts on one of my favorite songs from the Fire Emblem franchise
I felt like requesting this song for such a long time, glad to see you broach it Marco. Easily one of the best tracks in the Fire Emblem franchise, its like the entire game builds up for this particular song, it blew me away. So much symbolism with the accordeon "leading" the song too. From Awakening I would recommend "Dont speak her name", "Destiny" (both normal and Ablaze versions) and definitely "Divine Decree". All of them bring so much emotion that I sometimes wonder if they went all out in the soundtrack for this game because they thought it would be the last.
Awakening was my start into the FE franchise. I love the OST of it so much! I‘d love to see you do a deepdive into it and see all the little things it has to offer, it‘s overarching leitmotiv, and some of my favorite tracks like „don‘t speak her name“…
Unless Fire Emblem Awakening did HELLA NUMBERS, Intelligent Systems was planning on this being the end of the franchise. Not just above average sales, it needed to be the peak sales for any fire emblem game ever released up until that point. And they had no faith it could achieve that. Guess what it did, against all odds? And it was mostly due to sales in Western countries. It really put FE on the map in the west and single-handedly saved the franchise. We wouldn’t have gotten 3 houses or engage without the unexpected overwhelming success of Awakening.
LETS GOOOO! I WAS SO HAPPY WHEN I SAW THIS VID POP UP! Fire Emblem Awakening was my entry point to this series. Its one of my top favorite series and the music these games have are exquisite. I hope you find as much joy in them as I do!
This theme always gets me to tears. It's an encapsulation of the franchise and the story at its most pivotal point, crying for the hope of the player and Lucina's party.
There are so many good tracks in Awakening. Don't Speak Her Name is another majestic piece IMO. There are a bunch of others but its hard to name them off the top of my head, if I'm honest.
Thanks for the vid! Interesting to note how the breakdown of the music works really well here: -The choir and opening speaks of hope and joy, and standing up -The middle switches over to a rising and sturdy hope in hammering the main Fire Emblem theme (with such pride it sounds almost like a national anthem!) -The end of the song suddenly tenses down into quieter focus (before we loop back to the beginning, as you do for a lot of game OSTs) The end of the song, after 'examining' joy and hope before tensing down into a focus, seems to greatly symbolize (spoilers for Awakening!): ---- Robin's choice at the end to lay down his life for his friends. (or her life - since you can choose male or female for Robin - but you get the idea) In full context, the song seems almost like someone weighing the joys of life and their friendships, and not just recognizing, but embracing fully that their friends are worth dying for. That seems to be what the 'dialing down' into a focus in the song is: right at the end of the fight, where Robin has to embrace striking down Grima (and thus themselves, due to Grima being a part of Robin). And "A greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends." (John 15:13)
4:14 One thing I never noticed as a sorta dumb kid until about five years later or so is that they snuck in the Fire Emblem original theme at the second half of the piece, and now I can never unhear it which I like to think was their intention all along. Smash Bros Brawl made a majestic choir cover of that theme for their game, and I believe it's worth a listen.
It's been a decade and this song still brings me to tears. FE:A is very precious to me, there's a lot in my life that I can tie back to having played it. Lucina is my beloved daughter, forever and always.
Fire Emblem! That's my favorite game series. I love songs like: "You may call me Marth", "You have power like mine" (calm songs) "Duty", "Destiny", "Mastermind" (epic songs) and "Don't speak her name" (both of the above) I still remember waiting for this game to release, the weeks leading up to it fealt like an eternity. Another good and rather surprising soundtrack is "Heritors of Arcadia" from FE Shadows of Valentia, I did not expect the credits to have such a nice song.
i was introduce to the fire emblem series with Awakening, never had a 64 or gamecube, but i had a DS and 3DS that i afford myself when i was 11 and 18. a friend at work let me borrowed Awakening and now im forever in love with all the characters of previous games and all those that i played that came out after Awakening. The OST is so beautiful, im almost crying xD
The whole vocal layering still gives me goosebumps, it always felt like a call and response to me, the low voices heralding the forces of evil and then the higher vocals singing out the main Fire Emblem series theme in hope to challenge the darkness… it’s so good.
If you get the chance, I think you should try listening to Fire Emblem’s Premium Arrange 1 and 2! It has many different FE soundtracks from all the games and some might even surprise you!
FE Awakening was my first FE game, and now it's one of my favourite series. All the games since have been great, whether it be a deep and interesting story like Three Houses or just a fun game to play over and over like Engage
I highly recommend listening to *Twilight of the Gods* from Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia. The game is a remake of the second Fire Emblem game, Fire Emblem: Gaiden, and the song is an 8 minute orchestral remake of the Battle Map 5 BGM which was 8-bit and only a minute long.
i know this is an insanely late comment but heres a fun personal story The first time i heard this song was in smash bros, and i wasnt super into it back then. I didnt get why a song this slow was in a game like that. Then i played fire emblem awakening many years later. The moment this song's *first note* played, i started CRYING.
No Fire Emblem game, regardless of public opinion, can ever be told that its soundtrack is any less than masterful. Every single game has incredible music, and that is the binding force, the final touch that elevates this series above its competitors.
Heyo Marco ! Incredible analysis as always !! This theme is so majestic. Sorry i was absent for a long time, but im back now to support you as always ❤ There's a 3ds game which doesn't have enough recognition and is one of my favorites of all time, and it's Kid Icarus Uprising. It's music is so unique, still astonishing. If someday you wanna check, there's a glimpse of themes i really like: -"Destroyed Skyworld" is a really majestic peace of music -"Dark Pit" and "Dark Pit's Theme" go together to have the whole picture of the eponymous character and are the most famous music of the game for a reason (Luis would like it i think xD) -"Mysterious Invaders" depicts all this weird-but-awesome mood i really like about the game -"Hades's infernal theme" is a real banger -"Boss Fight 1" because boss fight themes are always good Hope you'll react on at least one of these in the future Keep going we love ya and all your work ❤❤❤
Even better is playing/watching/listening to the previous scenes, the music is great connecting each part Id:Darkness, Return and lastly Purpose of course. I think that's what makes the moment, the final boss and its theme (Technically Robin's) even better
This is my favourite verson of ID by a couple orders of magnitude. It's SO GOOD. Every time I hear it I'm filled with energy and, appropriately, purpose. Awakening's OST is the best of the recent FE games in my opinion.
I love the music and gameplay of Fire Emblem Awakening and Fire Emblem Echoes and while the most recent fire Emblem games don't really tickle my fancy, it's a great series for music! Marco, I think you would absolutely love the music from Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia because it has some pretty heavy opera themes. Specifically, 'Lord of a Dead Empire' and 'Scions Dance in Purgatory.' When it comes to something peaceful, a personal favorite of mine is 'In a Silver Garden With You.' Great video, Marco, as always!
Every time i hear this now i am literally blasted back to 2013 or just those early 3ds years, i was in early high school and remember just replaying playing the demo that was available before the it came out over here in the US almost every day on my way to school on the bus maybe getting a streetpass tag on my system. Hard to believe it's been 10 years and am nostalgic for those early 3ds years 😵
makes me so nostalgic listening to this again after a long while. I love the whole song but I enjoy the chorus portion the most ✨ also 👀maybe 'Id (Purpose)' cover in the future? Maybe? Hopefully?
top 5 videogame final boss sound tracks of all time also quick reminder this was one of the older 3ds games, there were 4 fire emblem games (counting fates as 1) after this on the 3ds
There's nothing like playing Awakening for the first time, in my opinion. Nothing in the entire series even comes close to what the ending of Awakening made me feel.
If you listen to this song knowing this was supposed to be the last game, and this was the last thing they wanted you to hear, it makes it so much more powerful. Such a beautiful song!
Absolutely love how this song starts playing in game, starting in the cutscene before the fight begins and continuing into the fight. Awakening was my first FE game, so it always has a bit of a special place in my heart. I'd love to see you talk about "The Dark Priestess" and "Priestess in the dark" from FE6
When I heard this track for the first time the sensation of hearing the Id motif in a such heroic style was so mesmerizing, but when the Fire Emblem theme started to play by the end and I got goosebumps. By the way, there's an old japanese ad for Fire Emblem which is a small opera. It's so cute and the lyrics are so funny.
Awakening was my first fire emblem game, so it has a special place in my heart, despite it's flaws. I still come back to the tracks even so many years later. I think my favourite part about Id specifically is that not only are they a musical representation of Robin's character arc, but that the different Id pieces flow together like movements in a symphony, it's especially prominent with Id/Return into Id/Purpose, where return has the exact same percussion as purpose does, and return is entirely buildup with no climax, because return and purpose are just one continuous piece, and purpose IS the climax. I also think it's especially poignant that Awakening is about refusing to accept defeat, even when all hope seems lost (As Chrom puts it in maybe my favourite critical quote IN fire emblem, "Anything can change!"), and that your bonds with others are your strength in your darkest hour, that instead of making the track for the final map (a map that literally has you fighting your way across the final boss' body) the final boss' theme, they chose to make it the protagonist's theme. I think it's a stroke of absolute genius, and a fantastic example of non-traditional storytelling. I also like the poetry that is a game about refusing to give up hope, saving a franchise that seemed destined to end, it exemplified its own thesis in a real, tangible way.
at first, when i first heard this song, i wasn't really feeling it until the melody switches to the choir heavy rehash of the fire emblem theme right before the song loops. really sells the (at the time) finality of the series to me.
Id/Purpose is the second part of a two-part song, with Id/Return serving as its preamble. In my opinion, Purpose NEEDS Return for its full impact to land. At the risk of tainting a first impression, I would like to describe why. “Return” is quiet. Little by little, instruments pile in as well as lift the song through a near Bolero-esque crescendo. In tandem with each other, “Return” and “Purpose” serve as the faded darkness before dawn yielding to the fiery roar of the sunrise. The build up when played together is simply heavenly. It always breaks my heart to see a first impression leave that out. The song is often divided, and Return is often always left behind when Purpose is mentioned as the “Final Boss Song” of the game. Not that “Return” on its own is the most amazing or exciting song, but the fact that it IS the build up grants power to “Purpose.” Still, your reaction has shown me that even “Purpose” on its own IS powerful. I’m honestly glad to hear you enjoyed it. o7
My best friend introduced me to the Fire Emblem series way before it was popular in the west. I had no idea such a game had existed, (especially for handheld). Fire Emblem Awakening was my first FE game. I love it so much! The only other game that came anywhere close to this type of gameplay was Final Fantasy Tactics: The war of the Lions, for psp. I never got a chance to play it on the original PS1. I'm a Tharja enjoyer btw.
This game is very special to so many peoples hearts not only because it saved a game serious but because of the lesson its teaches you this game has a game mode called classic mode but durring this mode you have not only units or generic heros you had people of all kinds from all kinds of backgrounds and in classic mode if one of those units hit zero health.that unit of course would die but you would also get a death qoute from the character why? Because if that happens that unit that character is gone. Forever durring that playthrough and it hurts even more when the game gives you so many chances to connect to those units.many people have played this multiple times just to get the good ending with everyone alive.thats why this game is so special
for anyone who doesnt know, fire emblem awakening was planned to be the last of the franchise if it didnt do well. it ended up exploding in the west, and really putting fire emblem on the map. leading to all the other awesome fire emblem games we've gotten.
so yes, awakening very much so saved the franchise
Iirc it was just planned to be the last of the franchise full stop. Even if awakening had done average by the series standards or just a little above average the franchise would have been cancelled.
Thankfully we are in the timeline where it continues, i can't imagine not having all the games that came after.
@@char1194 The line was 250,000 copies. Even the worst selling games in the franchise history had beaten that line. According to interviews it wasn't just a threat that Awakening faced, it was something that apparently pretty much every Nintendo franchise had to deal with, but with the lower numbers that FE11/FE12 pulled plus releasing on the (at the time) less popular 3DS the developers felt it was a legitimate concern.
At the end of the day though? What saved the franchise wasn't Awakening (not to say awakening wasn't good, I had a lot of fun with it, makes my top 5 FE games easy). It was Marketing. Nintendo barely did any marketing for the Fire Emblem franchise in the past, especially overseas (The only advertising outside Nintendo Power I remember for FE was the infamous "What happened to Dorcas?" commercial). Awakening received a substantial amount of marketing in comparison. It wasn't that people hated old FE games, it's that they didn't know they existed.
It makes it poetic the Fire emblem theme is used in what could’ve been the final boss battle in FE history
I wouldn’t say Engage is awesome, but Three Houses was fantastic.
ID purpose is Robin’s theme that’s the most interesting. It’s not the boss theme for Grima it’s Robin’s purpose. It’s them accepting themselves and what they need to do. It’s such a fantastic theme
'Id' as a whole is Robin's leitmotif, reflecting their path from the beginning to the end.
While I do believe it is Robin’s theme, I do believe part of it also reflects Grima as well. Particularly the choir of men in the latter half that sing in harmony with the women singing the Fire Emblem theme.
In the official FE Premium Arrange version of Id (Purpose), they actually have the song sung in Japanese lyrics, and that part is sung by Grima.
@@ArdorG.
Good point. However, they, Grima and Robin, are one and the same, in a way.
It may be a headcanon, but I imagine that Grima is Robin's beastly, animalistic, destructive part, while Robin is Grima's human, creative part.
@@miruneverdies I’m with you to an extent. Robin and Grima are the same person. Though imo, the only thing separating them is the fact that Robin has amnesia, thus not remembering the trauma of Forneus, their creator and father figured backstabbing them, of Alm slaying them for no reason other than the fact that they were a dragon, and of Validar and the Grimleal raising and worshiping them as a god of destruction.
In the Future Past DLC and in FE Heroes, its confirmed that Grima did truly care for Chrom and the others. But they betrayed them because they were afraid of being backstabbed first. Of being killed for WHAT they are rather than WHO they are, just as Forneus attempted and Alm did.
As Grima says in Fire Emblem Heroes, “It’s the world that wants me to be evil,” and thus, in their fear, they obliged and gave the world exactly what they asked of them.
Robin is just Grima given a fresh start. All fears and worries buried in the past. A chance to choose their own fate instead of having everyone else choose for them.
@@ArdorG. That is a interesting way of looking at it. The only plot hole with this idea is that Robin is Validar's child, and that Robin's mother ran off with them to get away from the Grimleal. Robin was simply the vessel for Grima, after a long line of failed vessels who did not have the qualities to be the perfect vessel for Grima. However, it could still make sense if we consider the possibility of the chosen vessel inheriting part of Grima's consciousness and memories. It would explain how Validar is able to manipulate Robin, he might have been using Dark magic to temporally awaken Grima's conscious. Also, it may explain why Robin knew Chrom's name in the Prologue despite having never met before, the shared memories between Robin and Grima may transcend time and space (wouldn't be the first case of Awakening having space-time shenanigans)
Something that helps build up this theme is the music before this. Specifically: Id [Darkness] and Id Return
Id [Darkness] is exactly what it sounds like. A very dark theme that feels empty. There’s nothing around. All that exists is despair.
Then, Id [Return] begins. You’re still in the darkness, but you hear hints of Id [Purpose]. Like the light at the end of a tunnel. As the song progresses, the melody becomes more clear. The player wants to grasp that light and escape the darkness. Then, once the main character has resolved themselves, Id [Purpose] kicks in.
There’s no more darkness, just light; you have become the light. Darkness doesn’t have any power over you anymore. It can fight you all it wants. Nothing is gonna drag you down anymore. You’re here to fight and shine.
The buildup to Id (Purpose) is absolutely phenomenal. Fire Emblem Awakening holds a very special place in my heart, and the Id (Return) into Id (Purpose) is just so fantastic, seeing all your allies that you've grown to know over the course of the game urging you to push back and fight the final boss. Awakening is the game that really opened my eyes that characters in not just games, but stories in general can be more than just cardboard cutouts. I am not exaggerating when I say that I likely would not like my favorite games anywhere near as much if I had not played FE Awakening.
That build-up is the best I've ever heard. Always gives me goosebumps. I remember when I heard Id [Return] for the first time, when I pressed the button and a silence fell for a second and then exploded in Id [Purpose]. I literally cried. It was so majestic and awesome
Most songs in Awakening have both a calm version and an Ablaze version.
Id has a Purpose version.
If you have the time, check out Lost in thoughts all alone and Fòdlan winds.
They're pretty good.
Id is tons of songs with the same motif. Purpose being the final map theme, but others way less important, although still resonant
speaking of lost in thoughts all alone, End of All and End: Lost in the Waves are both great
Id has Purpose, Serenity, Sorrow, and Hope
This one is the best one for Id though.
Fòdlan Winds is overrated.
Love this song because it incorporates Fire Emblem’s main theme into the climax.
Next "don't speak her name"
Was legitimately about to comment this, we need to see it Marco!
One of the best soundtracks of the game for sure 🥺
the best part of Awakening, by far. The use of the game over theme in the cutscene before as well
My favorite of the game, so much emotions in it
Yes. Please!
Everytime i listen to Id Purposs, I cant help to think like this :
The male vocal at 04:01 representing Grima. And then comes female vocal representing Lucina at 04:14. Then comes male tenor part singing along with the female vocal at 04:29, representing Chrom. 04:41 the rest of the vocal shows up, which i think representing the rest of the Sheperds. And lastly at 04:56, only Lucina, Chrom, and the Sheperds vocal remain, Grima's part completely gone.
And the fact that Id Purpose Japanese vocal version is sung by Male Robin/Grima's and Lucina's VA and the lyrics is actually about Grima trying to instigate Robin that their struggle is useless, and Lucina's part is denying it, saying that all of his friends believe in him makes it even better.
man i don’t hear any male in the lucina part. just sounds like her getting louder to me?
It even sounds like they're slowly overpowering the Grima voice.
If you want more where this is coming from check out "Lord of a Dead Empire" From Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia. Themes relating to Berkut from that game like "Prince of Darkness", "Pride and Arogance", "Praise This Despair!", and "A Scion's Dance in Purgatory" could provide interesting opportunities for discussing vocal techniques and developing a theme over multiple tracks.
Filmed and on its way
This game blew me away. I hope more consideration is given to Fire Emblem remakes in the future
@@AdalHRivera If rumors are to be believed on this, a combined fe4/fe5 remake is going to release sometime within the next 18 months
@@giroaleks He already did
@@MarcoMeatballDid you have the link to it? I can't seem to find it whatsoever and as a singer as well I'm interested to see you react to the operatic "wailing" of Lord of a Dead Empire.
I am forever thankful for Awakening for saving the franchise. As a longtime fire emblem fan, it makes me happy that this game has blown up the way that it has.
still coping for PoR and RD remake
This song actually plays directly after Id (Return), which establishes the instruments and teases the motifs that are fully expressed here. Once Return ends, there’s a brief pause and Purpose begins, which is incredibly hype especially considering they’re for the final chapter. The release of tension is even repeated in Purpose, around 3:30 here, and the build back up is done amazingly. I recommend listening to them in order, Return is pretty short but it really adds a lot to the whole experience.
Really hope to see more Fire Emblem music on here, so many amazing tunes across the different games. Loved watching as always!
I love how they set it up, too. Robin returns to themself and then the next piece is them deciding their purpose and their own destiny rather than being forced into becoming nothing more than a corrupted puppet. Fire Emblem does such a stunning job with telling stories with their music.
This was my first Fire Emblem game, and this theme plays at the very culmination of this deeply personal journey. It is quite literally about giving your last, best shot against a dark future - both story wise, as well as for the series itself that saw itself flounder and was meant to end with this game. There is a true sense of bittersweet bravery and finality to it, and the male solo vocal is the main antagonist of the game gloating about his power, with the choir raising against him in defiance, placing their hopes into the true purpose of the titular Fire Emblem - the sealing shield that will contain this evil.
What makes this track especially poignant is the culmination of leitmotifs from throughout the game. These tracks are all named Id, and the track that plays right before this one, Id/Return is such an incredible lead-up. It is muffled, distant, yet hopeful, playing right as every character you've put your effort into building up and helping now reaffirming their devotion and hopes to your player character - ended with the words of devotion from the character you choose to marry. It is truly beautiful.
Oh hey, this was my first FE game, too!
I think its pretty obvious this game has marked me for ever. I love it so much.
I legitimately believe that I would not enjoy my favorite games anywhere near as much had I not played Fire Emblem Awakening. It was the first game that showed me that characters could have depth to them and not just be cardboard cutouts on my screen. Awakening is a game that you can tell the developers poured everything they had into it.
Well said. Id (Purpose) is a very beautiful "final battle" track, there is so much emotion and effort put into it. I always feel my hairs stand on end each time I hear Grima's solo, but then the choir kicks in and I feel reassured. Their voices grow louder and stronger as they come together, while Grima sings alone, stuck in a pattern of hatred and despair. Nothing could ever fully describe how much I love this track, or the game it's from.
I always cry listening to this, I love this song so much.
Edit: I didn´t wanted to mention it in the beginning, but Fire Emblem Awakening has so much emotional involvement for me since at that time I wanted my life to end but I found this game randomly and when I reached the last battle in this game and everyone is there to fight against their fate, to live and see another day I coudn´t stop crying and since then I never wanted to give up on life ever again. So this song which plays in the last battle is so special to me and makes me always cry but tears of joy and fullfillment.
Edit2: Since you are my favorite reactor it makes me super happy to see you cover fire emblem songs since I think many of them are hidden gems and it makes me happy to see more people listening to them and how they feel about it.
I also cry when I listen to this song, Awakening was my first Fire emblem game and I have very fond memories of it
Lord of a Dead Empire from Echoes: Shadows of Valentia is another operatic Fire Emblem piece. It's worth checking out!
I second this!
Omg yes!
This was the game that got me into Fire Emblem. The soundtrack is absolutely incredible, especially when you remember this was for a handheld console title. It still makes me emotional to this day. If I'm having a bad day I can cry to this song and feel better afterwards.
Can't wait for "Don't speak her name"
Also, "Lord of a Dead Empire" and "A Funeral of Flowers".
He already reacted to "Funeral of Flowers"! :)
@@ZakkamDevanam I actually forgot he reacted to it lol
i want him to react to A Song for Bygone Days. Shadows of Valentia has the best FireEmblem OST
Id Purpose feels so powerful within context of all the other Id tracks, can't get enough of it.
If you haven’t heard the "Premium Arrange" version of Id Purpose, I highly recommend. Not to upload, it’s a Nintendo copyright magnet, but listen to it on your own time. It’s sung by the Japanese VAs for Lucina and Robin.
I love how this track brings back both the main leitmotif associated with the main party in this entry (that of the Shepherds) but also more importantly, the main Fire Emblem series theme for this particular final battle. I love how defiantly the main series anthem pops up in the later parts of this song and eventually grows stronger like a battle cry leading the decisive charge. Your analysis of how motivating the feelings this track brings is spot on; it's great to listen to as you make the final push across the final map of the story's campaign!
It's wonderful how the composers went all out with Id: Purpose as a "final battle" theme for future of this series at the time this game came out. The emotions in it are so strong, even after all this time. I believe that other fans have mentioned how pivotal Awakening was, true to its name, for the uncertain future of the series. Yet, much like how the characters in FE Awakening have challenged their future fates, this series thankfully managed to live to fight for another day, giving us a lot more newer entries in the 10 years since its release across the world. I have cherished memories with the series itself and have appreciated how it's continued to change and keep going. Thank you for this reaction once again, Marco!
I think it having the fire emblem theme may have been why I loved it. Its an amazing theme.
Id purpose is an amazing track.
And a lot of what you're saying about it makes a lot of sense from a narrative standpoint.
Also this track does seem to be in your vocal range, so I think that if you were to make a cover of it, it would be insanely amazing👀
And my favorite part of the track is from 3:31 onward till the track loops. the way the music calms down then slowly builds itself back up again is immaculate
Yeeees, operatic cover
I was just thinking the same thing as I'm listening to Marco talk about it. It really is Robin's theme and the lyrics are so reflective of their Journey
How RUclips tells me your comment is from 2 weeks ago while the video is uploaded since only 5 hours, weird. Am i the only one to see that ?
@@bloodust7356 No, you're seeing right. It was probably unlisted and only available for patreon members and only now it's been unveiled to the public.
@@Bylov6812 that's what it is
Fire Emblem awakening has my favorite soundtrack out of the fire emblem games. I love how militaristic it sounds and it’s not afraid to throw in some emotional songs. Please do “Don’t Say Her Name” next! The moment that song played in the game made me tear up, such a brilliantly composed track
Oh my god this song brings back memories!!
Fire Emblem Awakening was my first FE game! I had no idea about this series until (pretty much everyone who wasn't familiar with the series) was when we saw Marth and Roy in Smash Melee. I was curious on the series and the day came when I was introduced to Awakening. LOVED it so much that I've replayed it over and over several times up until Fire Emblem Fates (Birthright, Conquest, and Revelations) released.
The characters, the story, the MUSIC!!! It's become the game that has made me love this series!
I'm so incredibly happy you got to hear this epic song from this game! Thank you!!
Definitely play it if you ever get the chance!
That part with the higher choir has the same motif as the Fire Emblem series theme. It’s a nice to have the tune pop up in themes like this
Fire Emblem’s got a lot of really great songs through the series, I think my favorite’s Road Taken from Fates, especially the mix of the Calm/Roar version.
Awakening is something special for anybody who watched or played it. Id [Purpose] being the culmination of the avatar MC (Robin) & his/her journey throughout the Halidom of Ylisse & beyond, venturing with Chrom, Lissa, Frederick, & all these other characters you'll come across.
The best part about this song & this battle in particular is how the dynamic circulates around Robin & Grima & the parallels that tie them both. When the game begins, the player (Robin) wakes up an amnesiac tactician & fights as a Shepherds militia member for a good chunk of the game, unaware of their previous life, or lives rather.
At the homestretch, all is revealed about Robin, about Grima, & how Robin was founded by Grima's unsuccessful attempt to influence him, hence their amnesia. Grima is known as the Fell Dragon, an slumbering entity that once nearly sowed mass destruction upon the world. It's also revealed how Robin was meant to be a vessel for Grima.
At the end of it all, battling on the back of a gigantic soaring dragon against an incomplete avatar for Grima, Chrom's moment arrives to seal away Grima with a decisive strike OR, if the player allows it, Robin will choose to end it instead by delivering the final blow against Grima. This would mean that by destroying Grima for good, Robin would also destroy him/herself due to the underlying influence from Grima.
I love this game, & how this game put FE back on the map. Thank you Marco for covering this song & also fun fact, when the chorus kicks in, the female singing is the signature theme of Fire Emblem
Still my favorite song from the series til this day. And still my favorite FE. Definitely a recommend for "Don't Speak Her Name" makes me tear up
Spoiler: this is the final boss battle theme and I love that it's not about the boss it is about Robin, Chorm, and the Shepherds on the stage of their world.
If you're getting into Fire Emblem music now, I hope you'll react to "Thorn in You" from Fire Emblem Fates. Technically there are two versions of the song, the "Calm" arrangement that plays while you're looking at the map and moving your units around, and the "Roar" arrangement that plays during the combat animation. During gameplay, the two versions synch up perfectly (that also applies to the battle music of every FE game from Awakenomg onwards) which is something that can't really be done while listening to the two tracks independently, and it's sad because that sense of rising and falling action makes the song even more intense.
Or, for a more simple song (simple in the way that there aren't two versions that convey very different emotions), "Girl of Hresvelg", the theme song of Fire Emblem Three Houses, isn't just a tearjerking banger, it's the song that marks the series dipping its toes into the dubstep that everyone pretends to hate but secretly loves (y'all know you love Shambalah and the Four Hounds' themes).
Something you'll notice with the OSTs of modern FE soundtracks is the very predominate presence of leitmotivs that functions as the basis of the main theme, final map theme, and many tracks in-between. Awakening has "Id", Fates has "Lost in Thoughts" and so on. Even SoV, despite being a remake of an old game was given a few new tracks with reoccurring motifs that function, to a lesser extent, as a leitmotiv for the game.
Id: Purpose is one of my favorite tracks in FE, since it represents something much greater than just the fight it showcases. This is the song of the Final Map, when you face off against the God that ended the world in another timeline, and could easily do so again if you fail here. Though in Id Purpose, I've always felt like the feeling of love and loss is very present, this was a game that was supposed to end a decades long series, with many great and wonderful stories, hundreds of beloved characters, and passionate developers, and this was supposed to be the song for not just the final map of Awakening, but the entire series. With this kind of context, it makes the song somewhat painful to listen to, especially as someone who's come to adore this series so deeply as myself.
You should check out Twilight of the Gods from Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia, or Apex of The World from Fire Emblem Three Houses. If you're willing to put up with SNES Sounds, I'd also recommend giving Disturbance of Augustria or Lionheart Eldigan listens from Fire Emblem: Genealogy of The Holy War. Fire Emblem is a series with gorgeous music, and it means so very much to me, and it's awesome seeing you cover one of the best and most emotional tracks in the series.
He’s actually already listened to Apex of the World and God Shattering Star.
@@phntmthf5505 well dang, thanks for telling me!
To think this would be one of the last tracks we would hear and now we have tracks like "End of All" and "A Funeral of Flowers" 😭💜
I'm not sure if you remember, but I recommended this almost a year ago on your "Twilight of the Gods" video. To this day, this remains one of my favorite musical arrangements; helping lift me out of my own darkness & reminding me that a better future is always possible. I've got a tattoo of the Exalt's Brand, the mark of one of the main characters who fought against all odds to save his friends and kingdom from despair.
Oh wow im so mad i missed this, I remember recommending this one to you some months ago, glad you gave it a chance. real happy to hear you react to this.
Interesting you would say that about the main villains part haha! Man I live Grima as a FE Villain. It's him trying to convince Robin at the same time trying to drown out the voices of his friends while putting them down, that's the middle part with the deep voices. Then they cry back out towards Robin. Welcome to Friendship is Magic my friends. Welcome, to Fire Emblem.
As the potential final farewell for this franchise, my love for this piece will never end. Wonderful reaction Marco. If you're so inclined, one song from Fire Emblem I'd like to see you react to is called 'Lord of a Dead Empire'. You will be blown away and fall in love with it, I guarantee.
I got it done!
@@MarcoMeatball I know you did God Shattering Star, but this song is from Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia. I apologize if I missed it, I'll see if I can find it. Also, thanks for responding!
@@ezraanimusphere7673 no i mean i recorded it!
@@MarcoMeatball That's wonderful! Can't wait to see it! Sorry for the confusion. As a classically trained vocalist, you are a huge inspiration for me. Thank you for being so passionate and amazing.
I love this song because it is a rallying cry, you hear it and something in your soul awakens as though whatever challenge you are facing will not stand against your will and your determination. To me, it perfectly captures Awakening and the team behind it, that though our series has not sold well, that though the odds are stacked against us, that though this may be our final game, we will not go quietly. We will not give up, we will not be forgotten, we will not let this be the end. We will fight for our name, our series, our game to be heard!
It is truly an amazing game and soundtrack, I was happy that I was able to get the full soundtrack when I went to Japan. I'm glad that you covered this song, it is quite special. As an aside I will leave a suggestion for the theme to The Last Story for you if you have time in the future. I bring it up in part because after looking back at the character designs of the game, I'm 98% sure that the dark magician children were the design inspiration for Robin, the protag, as they look almost identical. Anyways, I'm rambling so have a great rest of your day.
One of my very favorite video game songs ever! It's so hauntingly beautiful yet uplifting, not at all what you'd typically expect for the endgame boss music. It makes me so happy to hear you gush over it.
You're exactly right about what the spirit of the song is about. There is a song that plays right before ID Purpose and it's called ID Return and it plays when one of the protagonists inspires the other who is in a fallen state and about to be consumed with corruption not to give in and to remember all the friendships and bonds made along the way. To fight it and to come back to his friends. Then when the fallen protagonist is able to resist and join everyone else to fight the antagonist, ID Purpose plays. It really is a beautiful climax with beautiful music.
Come back to this vid every once in a while it’s that good
This song is actually what got me interested in Fire Emblem as a series and has become my default pump up music. I played this in my headphones before most of my med school and residency interviews. It’s so special to hear you break down how each of the movements build on each other.
I love your music reaction/analysis videos!
It's fun seeing your reactions to music and breaking down what makes us feel the way the songs do.
Id (Purpose) was a huge surprise for everyone, then in Fates, we got wowed again with End of All. We thought, "Ok, there's no way they can make a better Final Boss theme than this." Then we got the absolutely jaw dropping symphonic arrangement of Twilight of the Gods for Shadows of Valentia. "How can they possibly top this?" we thought.
Then they gave us God Shattering Star.
I've been playing the Fire Emblem games since as far back as Blazing Blade, years and years ago, but for some reason this song makes me the most nostalgic. Awakening will always hold a special place in my heart for giving the series a new lease of life and introducing it to such a wider audience.
I'm still holding onto hopes for Jugdral and Tellius remakes sometime in the future. They are my absolute favourites, and I'd love for the newer fans of the series to experience them! 😌
still gives me goosebumps every single time
Aaaaaahhhhh it finally happened *~*
When I first played that game you can bet your four letters that I've turned up the volume to max - even if it'd blast my head away when wearing headphones. It feels like one of the most unique final songs in gaming history to me. There aren't many that many themes going this hard yet being so soft at the same time (I'm also a sucker for this kind of instrument). It really feels like a giant journey came to an end, not even that there's a big evil entity that destroys the world (also best story twist ever, let your protagonist be the evil entity the whole time, fighting you with...you). This probably reads all over the place and I surely forgot the half of it but who cares, I'm EXITED at this:D
Awakening, like for a good many, was my first introduction to Fire Emblem and this track really made me reminisce through all of the characters that remained by my side while also underscoring the importance of why we were fighting.
Thanks for covering it!
I swear whenever I see you react to all these different songs it always just makes them ten times better hearing it from such a professional perspective, it was just fantastic hearing your thoughts on one of my favorite songs from the Fire Emblem franchise
I felt like requesting this song for such a long time, glad to see you broach it Marco.
Easily one of the best tracks in the Fire Emblem franchise, its like the entire game builds up for this particular song, it blew me away.
So much symbolism with the accordeon "leading" the song too.
From Awakening I would recommend "Dont speak her name", "Destiny" (both normal and Ablaze versions) and definitely "Divine Decree".
All of them bring so much emotion that I sometimes wonder if they went all out in the soundtrack for this game because they thought it would be the last.
Oh my gosh Marco thank you so much for doing a video on this!
oh wow! I was just listening to this and ur my favourite music reaction channel keep it up!
So happy you did this one. It's my favorite track from Fire Emblem Awakening
Awakening was my start into the FE franchise. I love the OST of it so much! I‘d love to see you do a deepdive into it and see all the little things it has to offer, it‘s overarching leitmotiv, and some of my favorite tracks like „don‘t speak her name“…
Unless Fire Emblem Awakening did HELLA NUMBERS, Intelligent Systems was planning on this being the end of the franchise. Not just above average sales, it needed to be the peak sales for any fire emblem game ever released up until that point. And they had no faith it could achieve that.
Guess what it did, against all odds? And it was mostly due to sales in Western countries. It really put FE on the map in the west and single-handedly saved the franchise. We wouldn’t have gotten 3 houses or engage without the unexpected overwhelming success of Awakening.
Really glad to see you get back to Fire Emblem, and with a strong start here. Can't wait for more.
LETS GOOOO! I WAS SO HAPPY WHEN I SAW THIS VID POP UP! Fire Emblem Awakening was my entry point to this series. Its one of my top favorite series and the music these games have are exquisite. I hope you find as much joy in them as I do!
This theme always gets me to tears. It's an encapsulation of the franchise and the story at its most pivotal point, crying for the hope of the player and Lucina's party.
Ah the late 2013 vibes. This was my first fire emblem. It will always hold a special place
Man it is a tough pill to swallow that Awakening is turning 10 this year. And I still can’t bloody play it!
There are so many good tracks in Awakening. Don't Speak Her Name is another majestic piece IMO. There are a bunch of others but its hard to name them off the top of my head, if I'm honest.
Hearing this brings back so many memories. Awakening was my first Fire Emblem game and boy did I pick a heck of a game to start in the series 😊
This really deserves more views. Great analisys!
Check out the Fire Emblem Fates's OST, especially the final map theme, "End of All", with 3 different lyrics for the 3 different paths.
Thanks for the vid!
Interesting to note how the breakdown of the music works really well here:
-The choir and opening speaks of hope and joy, and standing up
-The middle switches over to a rising and sturdy hope in hammering the main Fire Emblem theme (with such pride it sounds almost like a national anthem!)
-The end of the song suddenly tenses down into quieter focus (before we loop back to the beginning, as you do for a lot of game OSTs)
The end of the song, after 'examining' joy and hope before tensing down into a focus, seems to greatly symbolize (spoilers for Awakening!):
----
Robin's choice at the end to lay down his life for his friends. (or her life - since you can choose male or female for Robin - but you get the idea)
In full context, the song seems almost like someone weighing the joys of life and their friendships, and not just recognizing, but embracing fully that their friends are worth dying for. That seems to be what the 'dialing down' into a focus in the song is: right at the end of the fight, where Robin has to embrace striking down Grima (and thus themselves, due to Grima being a part of Robin).
And "A greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends." (John 15:13)
This one near made me cry from happiness due to Id Purpose being one of my favorite gaming soundtracks of all time. I'm so happy you reacted to this
4:14
One thing I never noticed as a sorta dumb kid until about five years later or so is that they snuck in the Fire Emblem original theme at the second half of the piece, and now I can never unhear it which I like to think was their intention all along.
Smash Bros Brawl made a majestic choir cover of that theme for their game, and I believe it's worth a listen.
It's been a decade and this song still brings me to tears. FE:A is very precious to me, there's a lot in my life that I can tie back to having played it.
Lucina is my beloved daughter, forever and always.
Fire Emblem!
That's my favorite game series.
I love songs like:
"You may call me Marth", "You have power like mine" (calm songs)
"Duty", "Destiny", "Mastermind" (epic songs)
and "Don't speak her name" (both of the above)
I still remember waiting for this game to release, the weeks leading up to it fealt like an eternity.
Another good and rather surprising soundtrack is "Heritors of Arcadia" from FE Shadows of Valentia, I did not expect the credits to have such a nice song.
i was introduce to the fire emblem series with Awakening, never had a 64 or gamecube, but i had a DS and 3DS that i afford myself when i was 11 and 18. a friend at work let me borrowed Awakening and now im forever in love with all the characters of previous games and all those that i played that came out after Awakening.
The OST is so beautiful, im almost crying xD
Awakening started the trend of Fire Emblem games having very good soundtracks. Fates and Three Houses are chock full of bangers.
The whole vocal layering still gives me goosebumps, it always felt like a call and response to me, the low voices heralding the forces of evil and then the higher vocals singing out the main Fire Emblem series theme in hope to challenge the darkness… it’s so good.
If you get the chance, I think you should try listening to Fire Emblem’s Premium Arrange 1 and 2! It has many different FE soundtracks from all the games and some might even surprise you!
FE Awakening was my first FE game, and now it's one of my favourite series. All the games since have been great, whether it be a deep and interesting story like Three Houses or just a fun game to play over and over like Engage
I highly recommend listening to *Twilight of the Gods* from Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia. The game is a remake of the second Fire Emblem game, Fire Emblem: Gaiden, and the song is an 8 minute orchestral remake of the Battle Map 5 BGM which was 8-bit and only a minute long.
I have :)
@@MarcoMeatball Well. Not sure how I missed that. Now I gotta go find that.
i know this is an insanely late comment but heres a fun personal story
The first time i heard this song was in smash bros, and i wasnt super into it back then. I didnt get why a song this slow was in a game like that.
Then i played fire emblem awakening many years later. The moment this song's *first note* played, i started CRYING.
No Fire Emblem game, regardless of public opinion, can ever be told that its soundtrack is any less than masterful. Every single game has incredible music, and that is the binding force, the final touch that elevates this series above its competitors.
Heyo Marco ! Incredible analysis as always !!
This theme is so majestic.
Sorry i was absent for a long time, but im back now to support you as always ❤
There's a 3ds game which doesn't have enough recognition and is one of my favorites of all time, and it's Kid Icarus Uprising.
It's music is so unique, still astonishing.
If someday you wanna check, there's a glimpse of themes i really like:
-"Destroyed Skyworld" is a really majestic peace of music
-"Dark Pit" and "Dark Pit's Theme" go together to have the whole picture of the eponymous character and are the most famous music of the game for a reason (Luis would like it i think xD)
-"Mysterious Invaders" depicts all this weird-but-awesome mood i really like about the game
-"Hades's infernal theme" is a real banger
-"Boss Fight 1" because boss fight themes are always good
Hope you'll react on at least one of these in the future
Keep going we love ya and all your work ❤❤❤
Even better is playing/watching/listening to the previous scenes, the music is great connecting each part Id:Darkness, Return and lastly Purpose of course. I think that's what makes the moment, the final boss and its theme (Technically Robin's) even better
This is my favourite verson of ID by a couple orders of magnitude. It's SO GOOD. Every time I hear it I'm filled with energy and, appropriately, purpose. Awakening's OST is the best of the recent FE games in my opinion.
Your reactions are always the best ! thanks for sharing
I love the music and gameplay of Fire Emblem Awakening and Fire Emblem Echoes and while the most recent fire Emblem games don't really tickle my fancy, it's a great series for music!
Marco, I think you would absolutely love the music from Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia because it has some pretty heavy opera themes. Specifically, 'Lord of a Dead Empire' and 'Scions Dance in Purgatory.'
When it comes to something peaceful, a personal favorite of mine is 'In a Silver Garden With You.' Great video, Marco, as always!
Every time i hear this now i am literally blasted back to 2013 or just those early 3ds years, i was in early high school and remember just replaying playing the demo that was available before the it came out over here in the US almost every day on my way to school on the bus maybe getting a streetpass tag on my system. Hard to believe it's been 10 years and am nostalgic for those early 3ds years 😵
I love that even Latin doesn't escape being Japanesified.
The middle part is the fire emblem's theme song
makes me so nostalgic listening to this again after a long while.
I love the whole song but I enjoy the chorus portion the most ✨
also 👀maybe 'Id (Purpose)' cover in the future? Maybe? Hopefully?
top 5 videogame final boss sound tracks of all time
also quick reminder this was one of the older 3ds games, there were 4 fire emblem games (counting fates as 1) after this on the 3ds
Climacticly chanting "Fire Emblem" to the OG FE theme is such a flex in this song. I miss this game.
There's nothing like playing Awakening for the first time, in my opinion. Nothing in the entire series even comes close to what the ending of Awakening made me feel.
The way he's enjoying this is good
ADD this to Fire Emblem reaction playlist!
Fixed!
@@MarcoMeatball thanks and like your input!
If you listen to this song knowing this was supposed to be the last game, and this was the last thing they wanted you to hear, it makes it so much more powerful. Such a beautiful song!
i love how he can literally translate the music into movements and feelings
Absolutely love how this song starts playing in game, starting in the cutscene before the fight begins and continuing into the fight. Awakening was my first FE game, so it always has a bit of a special place in my heart. I'd love to see you talk about "The Dark Priestess" and "Priestess in the dark" from FE6
Battle of Heaven and Earth - Fire Emblem Three Houses.
Oh was not expecting to see this here. This was my favorite FE game, so I was happy to see you covering this.
When I heard this track for the first time the sensation of hearing the Id motif in a such heroic style was so mesmerizing, but when the Fire Emblem theme started to play by the end and I got goosebumps.
By the way, there's an old japanese ad for Fire Emblem which is a small opera. It's so cute and the lyrics are so funny.
this is literally one of my favorite games ever.
Awakening was my first fire emblem game, so it has a special place in my heart, despite it's flaws. I still come back to the tracks even so many years later. I think my favourite part about Id specifically is that not only are they a musical representation of Robin's character arc, but that the different Id pieces flow together like movements in a symphony, it's especially prominent with Id/Return into Id/Purpose, where return has the exact same percussion as purpose does, and return is entirely buildup with no climax, because return and purpose are just one continuous piece, and purpose IS the climax.
I also think it's especially poignant that Awakening is about refusing to accept defeat, even when all hope seems lost (As Chrom puts it in maybe my favourite critical quote IN fire emblem, "Anything can change!"), and that your bonds with others are your strength in your darkest hour, that instead of making the track for the final map (a map that literally has you fighting your way across the final boss' body) the final boss' theme, they chose to make it the protagonist's theme. I think it's a stroke of absolute genius, and a fantastic example of non-traditional storytelling.
I also like the poetry that is a game about refusing to give up hope, saving a franchise that seemed destined to end, it exemplified its own thesis in a real, tangible way.
at first, when i first heard this song, i wasn't really feeling it until the melody switches to the choir heavy rehash of the fire emblem theme right before the song loops. really sells the (at the time) finality of the series to me.
Id/Purpose is the second part of a two-part song, with Id/Return serving as its preamble.
In my opinion, Purpose NEEDS Return for its full impact to land. At the risk of tainting a first impression, I would like to describe why.
“Return” is quiet. Little by little, instruments pile in as well as lift the song through a near Bolero-esque crescendo. In tandem with each other, “Return” and “Purpose” serve as the faded darkness before dawn yielding to the fiery roar of the sunrise. The build up when played together is simply heavenly.
It always breaks my heart to see a first impression leave that out. The song is often divided, and Return is often always left behind when Purpose is mentioned as the “Final Boss Song” of the game.
Not that “Return” on its own is the most amazing or exciting song, but the fact that it IS the build up grants power to “Purpose.”
Still, your reaction has shown me that even “Purpose” on its own IS powerful. I’m honestly glad to hear you enjoyed it. o7
Damn okay I'll keep that in mind when i get there
5:46 "I will am going to put my best foot forward". Strong sentiment for a game without any feet to put forward.
Haven’t played awakening but man this a track I’ll remember probably forever
My best friend introduced me to the Fire Emblem series way before it was popular in the west. I had no idea such a game had existed, (especially for handheld). Fire Emblem Awakening was my first FE game. I love it so much! The only other game that came anywhere close to this type of gameplay was Final Fantasy Tactics: The war of the Lions, for psp. I never got a chance to play it on the original PS1. I'm a Tharja enjoyer btw.
This game is very special to so many peoples hearts not only because it saved a game serious but because of the lesson its teaches you this game has a game mode called classic mode but durring this mode you have not only units or generic heros you had people of all kinds from all kinds of backgrounds and in classic mode if one of those units hit zero health.that unit of course would die but you would also get a death qoute from the character why? Because if that happens that unit that character is gone. Forever durring that playthrough and it hurts even more when the game gives you so many chances to connect to those units.many people have played this multiple times just to get the good ending with everyone alive.thats why this game is so special