One of the biggest issues with these games is that they are rare and at the time, they both were on different consoles. And while you don't need to play Path of Radiance, it is highly recommended as many of the old plot elements are tied in and answered in the sequel. It's kind of like FE1 and FE3 where the second game takes place a few years after the first. So Radiant Dawn is an odd duck when it comes to how it works. So let's dive in and for those who haven't played the game you are in for a treat. And if you thought Fates brought bad ideas, Radiant Dawn has some "what the hell were you thinking moments." It's a good game worth picking up, but it is a mess. Though over time this one suddenly became a classic and well recieved and often gets praised being the second half of the Tellius games. There is a lot to talk about why this game was a failure and why fans pretty much hated it when it came out. There's a lot of good ideas that have come and while it would be cool to see them, I feel like it would sell horribly to today's market. This is the game that nearly killed the franchise and they should never do something like this ever again.
I'm not going to sugar coat anything despite Radiant Dawn being my favorite game in the series and pretty much my favorite Wii game.
So you've probably heard people rave about Tellius and how much they love it. Grab a chair because this is going to be a long one. Fire Emblem Radiant Dawn Review and Retrospect