I have qestions: How are you calculating this 9.3 number? What is it supposed to mean?

Good question. My system for rating games is similar to GameInformer's, which scores games in intervals of .25 (producing scores like 8.25, 8.5, 8.8, ect.). I always found it to be one of the better 1-10 scoring systems, but there's one pet peeve I have about it - Metacritic rounds up the score (to 83 or 88, or something to that effect). So, on my scale, I replace .25 with .3 and .75 with .8. Is it cmpletely rational? No. But as I touch on lightly in this review, I have a tendency to obsess over certain things.

Now, with a scoring framework set, I set a certain bar of quality and reccomendability that the game must pass to reach a certain score. If I love the game and would reccomend it to just about anyone, I'd probably score it in the 9-10 range. Awakening, is a bit on the lower end of that range, because although I really enjoyed the game and it's a good place to start for strategy neophytes, the style of the game will most likely keep it rooted in the niche scene (outside of Japan, of course, but this review is of the North American version). I don't have any fancy calculations or fine science to it, but I have a general opinon and a general scoring system to accompany it. And I do try my best to put a large amount of thought and context into both, hence the size of the review.

Preferably there would be no score, just whether or not I reccomend the game, and who I'd reccomend it to. But I'll cater to those who like review scores anyway.

Paid DLC shouldn't exist, I agree with that. But what was so broken? The only broken character is Donnell and you don't have to use him. 

Pairing up is extremely broken when you know how to use it. And in some cases pair up is practically impossible to avoid.

@bold I concur. Oh! Gravity was not their best album and context is optional at best.

I had a few initial misgiving about Awakening (which I put in the review, by the way), but then had a great deal of fun micromanaging unit classes and skills to a much higher degree than I usually bother with. Worth changing how Fire Emblem progresses and plays out on the battlefield? I suppose that's the main question. Final Fantasy Tactics fans would be right at home, at least.

To me, "broken" is a term meaning that the game is unplayable at points. Is Awakening imbalanced? Yes. In fact, if people read my review, especially the part about pairing up, I addressed that issue. And went on to explain why I stopped caring so much.

First game I will get when I get a 3DS.

Isn't Lucina voiced by Laura Bailey?

Yep. If you notice that Lucina sounds a bit like Chun-Li, that's why.

She's Chun-Li too?

I just thought she sounded like the other million VG characters she has played.