Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Nintendo Switch | www.nintendo.com/
THE FIRE EMBLEM series is all about relationships. Human tales of loss and redemption are hidden in the grit of beautifully designed grid-based combat have made Fire Emblem different from other games with similar mechanics. Every character, even the weakest farm boys who would go on to be powerful knights, feels important with their own backstory, relationships, and specialties. Losing a soldier was never an option.
Fire Emblem: Three Houses takes this idea and puts it center stage, realising a direction the series has been taking in a way that has never been done before. It priorities stories like these over combat – a poor girl living in poverty turned songstress or a shut-in archer with a childhood of abuse – with a Persona- like relationship simulator that tasks you with learning likes, dislikes, histories, and ambitions in order to build an army you care about. The tight, challenging turned-based combat is still there, it’s just not all that Fire Emblem is anymore.
As the series has evolved over the years, the focus has increasingly moved towards the character-focused elements of each game. If you’re a fan of the series then you’re familiar has ditched that, instead focusing on stories behind each character. While you’ll still share tea (and “observe” characters to increase relationship points) the story feels serious. I was attached to the plot all the way through, although I wish the player character had an actual personality and not act as a surrogate for whoever is holding the controller.
