This series has always tried to endear its characters to the player, hopeful that you'll be crushed if one is downed in battle with the permanent death option flicked on (as it should be), but Three Houses takes that commitment to another level. ![]() The result is an incredibly smart addition to Fire Emblem. The player takes on the role of Byleth, one of the teachers at the monastery. On some days they'll grind away in the classroom, while on others they'll head out to battle troublesome bandits out in the wilds. Each is the head of one of the school's houses, and the school is preparing them for life as a head of state. It's Hogwarts for the nobles of Fire Emblem's world - in fact, the three heirs to the three nations surrounding the monastery all attend it. That zone is the monastery, a school and religious hub that sits in a sort of neutral zone between the three major powers in the region. Three Houses is still this, but rather than a motoring story that shuffles you from battle to battle, this entry breaks it up with a hub zone that's probably best thought of as being like Mass Effect's Normandy or Dragon Age's Skyhold - a home for you and your elite squad of fighters, and a place where you can not only prepare for the next battle but also enjoy downtime getting to know your allies better. Think XCOM, Disgaea or Final Fantasy Tactics - grid-based, isometric battles with a focus on strategy, with character progression and growth influencing your available skill set. If you're not familiar, Fire Emblem is at heart a strategy game. ![]() What has been taken from Echoes feels more nebulous, but it is absolutely there - it's a sense of focus and understanding of what Fire Emblem is at its core, something perhaps only obtainable by returning to one of the oldest titles in the series. Here, players must choose between the titular Three Houses. In that game you're forced to choose between two regal families, with each path finding you brutally fighting familiar faces from the other on the battlefield. Both are fine games in their own right, but after playing Three Houses I now can't see them as much more than a stepping stone toward Three Houses, which is a better, more confident and tighter game despite a sprawling scope.įrom Fates the game inherits a deep focus on choice. We got an iterative sequel in Fates and then a remake, Echoes. What do you do with a storied series after a success like Fire Emblem: Awakening? To be honest, it always felt like Nintendo and Intelligent Systems were a bit unsure. ![]() With deeper RPG elements and a surprisingly intricate branching story, Fire Emblem: Three Houses feels like a true step forwards for Nintendo's strategy series.
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