Fire Emblem: Awakening is a tactical role-playing game where Chrom, the prince of Ylisse, must lead his fellow soldiers, the Shepherds, in defending their kingdom from the undead Risen and the warring nation of Plegia. With the help of a masked swordswinger using the name of legendary hero-king Marth, the Shepherds must keep these forces at bay.
Fire Emblem: Awakening features a deep combat system where players can move their soldiers around the field and attack enemy soldiers on their own or paired with another ally. The relationship between any two soldiers will build as they fight together, making them stronger when paired. Players can also form romantic relationships with opposite-sex soldiers and get married, having children who become soldiers.
The game offers four difficulty modes, including Casual mode, where fallen heroes recover after a battle, or Classic mode, where fallen heroes are lost forever. Players can form teams to send to other players via StreetPass, who can then parley with the team to purchase items or battle. Additional chapters and heroes from previous games can be downloaded for free or purchased, as well as a co-operative Dual Tag mode to fight against enemies as a team.