Fire Emblem Engage is the latest game in the long-running Fire Emblem series. It came out on January 20th and I started playing (and streaming Twitch.tv/Jamaiplays) it a couple of days after its release usurping Hades as my main game on the Nintendo Switch (at the moment). A couple of dozen hours in I am not sure I feel about Engage so far. Some things I like but there are some things I really dislike. At this point in my Fire Emblem Three Houses journey, I was sold on the game. However, Engage with its story and gameplay revolving around “engaging” with rings from previous games is a different animal. Let’s talk about what I like and dislike about my experience so far.
Things I like in Fire Emblem Engage
This game really has some Amazing Music – from the epic to the quirky – the music in Engage really stands out and adds to the experience. I am now in the desert kingdom and enjoy some really interesting tracks but when the important battles start the music gets me really pumped and ready to smash things.
The Battle System is the best it has ever been – the weapon triangle is back with an extra layer for tomes, bows and knives. levelling up and promoting your characters feel significant and the maps you fight on are all well-designed and populated with enemies. You really feel the tactical strategy elements shining and by far this is my favourite thing about this game.
Multiple Playthroughs are encouraged not just by the difficulty settings but also by the huge cast of characters you unlock as you play. There is NO WAY you will be able to play all the characters in one go. I am already deciding on who I will take during a hard mode playthrough as there is no way I can play with everything in this initial normal-mode classic run even if I like the character.
The Japanese voice-acting – I have been playing more and more of my games in Japanese. My improving Japanese has made me less reliant on subtitles but the real benefit is just how much better most characters sound. I want to stab Alfred when I hear him in English but when he speaks Japanese I am ready to ride into battle with him.
Things I DONT like in Fire Emblem Engage
There are just Too Many Systems, and too many things to keep track of and so many of them are unnecessary and not worth the effort. I got do gotcha for rings, level up individual kingdoms, collect animals, play online maps for drops, dress people up, clean bond rings, pick up shinies, check off achievements, care for a cute creature, cook meals, sleep, fish, be mindful of a day-night cycle, play multiple minigames and so on. Just let me promote characters, raise affection, cook meals, craft weapons and a few other things and dump all the rest.
Fire Emblem use to have a unique style and look to other characters. Now it seems that it’s just Anime turned up to 11. Whatever happened to the medieval fantasy flair? Maybe the success of Persona, Genshin Impact and other products that are heavy on the anime look has leeched into the series but everything from the box to the character designs really doesn’t scream Fire Emblem to me like before.
Fire Emblem Engage has had a Terrible Story so far. Moments that were obviously meant to be epic have fallen short, plot twists are obvious and underwhelming and I really don’t care about the vast majority of these cookie-cutter characters. The high point in the story so far is when the dragon ate that moron and even then I was just laughing instead of being surprised.
What is up with all these Forgettable Characters in Fire Emblem Engage? Three Houses experimented with telling the story in a different way but most of the characters in the different houses were interesting in their own way and would affect which one you chose. Other than Vander and the obvious child soldiers, most of these characters suck!
Will it get better?
That’s it, my current thoughts on Fire Emblem Engage. How will my feelings change after seeing the credits roll or playing through another campaign? I am not sure been I will be playing and streaming my experience on Twitch @Jamaiplays – come follow me over there and watch me play! Also remember to join my discord community where we often meet up to play other games such as Monster Hunter Rise, Apex Legends and more!