The reception and review scores for Fire Emblem: Three Houses were incredibly high, setting the bar for any game in the series afterward. Many Fire Emblem devotees are speculating whether or not the upcoming game, Fire Emblem Engage, has what it takes to meet these high standards, with the official release less than a month away. Based on what’s been shown in the trailers so far, the consensus from fans is they’re excited to jump into the game, but they’re wary about if the final product’s story can live up to the narrative expectations from Three Houses.
Fans have seen a lot of gameplay, mechanics, and a handful of mini-games they’re going to play through several of the Fire Emblem Engage trailers over the past several weeks. Additionally, Nintendo has shared a handful of story trailers for Engage, but these trailers don’t dive into too many details and only offer summaries and lingering hints about the main narrative.
Related: A new Fire Emblem Engage trailer invites you aboard the Somniel, your floating island home base
From what has been shown, fans worry that many party members will have too many positive and friendly personalities. There’s a worry about a clear-cut good versus evil narrative that doesn’t create friction for the players to wrestle with as they delve deeper into the plot against the villains, known as the Four Hounds, as they attempt to release the Fell Dragon, Sombron.
What set Three Houses apart was players could choose which faction they wanted to play at the beginning. The factions had several iconic characters that set each of them apart, with the big difference being the significant changes to the story. The big twist, for those who don’t already know, was that one of these houses would turn against the others, igniting a massive war that ensnared everyone in the country. Going into the game for the first time, this meaningful twist set the stage for the story’s second half and any future playthroughs.
There was a surprising amount of depth for many of the characters featured in Three Houses, and players haven’t seen that from the recent trailers. There’s a lot of doubt surrounding this part of Fire Emblem Engage. Regardless, based on the gameplay videos Nintendo has posted, many still are excited to get their hands on it and dive into the complex and rewarding tactical strategy challenges awaiting them in the next mainline Fire Emblem game.
