I don’t think I’ve ever done a 180 on a game quite as hard as I have for Fire Emblem Engage. When it was leaked months before the official reveal, I was very lukewarm about it. I found Three Houses an okay game, but I struggled to get through it and had no desire to play again (Blue Lions for life). So when Engage was finally revealed, I was expecting to skip it, thinking it would just be more of the same “kitchen sink” design philosophy. But as the launch grew closer and more people got their hands on it, I saw it was a refreshing and welcome return to a focus on the tactical battle gameplay instead of being a dating/raising sim that occasionally broke out into a Fire Emblem game. I went to pick it up on launch day, and I have only put it down to participate in my weekly game nights. Yes, it’s that good.
The Story of Fire Emblem Engage
After two releases focusing on sprawling split narratives, Fire Emblem Engage brings us back to one story with one path to the same ending. Some will be disappointed by this change, but I believe Fates and Three Houses suffered due to their ambition. Both games would have benefited from a trimmed-down story that merges all the routes. Engage trims the fat and then some, leading players down a familiar tale: a Big Bad Dragon is waking up. Go and defeat it. Absolutely classic Fire Emblem fare. And the developers are deftly aware of it.
Existing characters are, admittedly, a bit more shallow than they are in their home games. But you’re given just enough to spark interest without spoiling their home games. The overall tone is much lighter, and story beats are less complex, allowing for a less bleak story with plenty of comedic relief. Tension rises when needed, but never to the heights of previous entries like Genealogy of the Holy War.
Fan service abounds in the form of references to older games, going as far as to remake combat maps from older titles, but it’s not the sole focus. I get the sense that Nintendo really struggled to figure out how to market this entry, as I expected nothing more than a mishmash of overt fan service at the expense of combat and character depth. Luckily, that’s not the case. New characters take center stage, and existing characters are fun additions. You could remove them entirely, making their powers just costume swaps, and not much would change in the main plot.
Where the game and writing truly shine is how it revels in the lighter tone and is completely self-aware. I got the sense that the developers are winking at the player through it all without breaking the fourth wall or undermining its identity. Do you want dragons? We got them. Cartoonishly evil, sexy villains? Check. Fantasy plot devices? In droves. The story is nothing groundbreaking, but it’s not trying to be, and the creators know it. This may be a turn-off for some, and that’s fine, so you can skip the cutscenes. I will say that by the end, the story does make some interesting twists. Regardless, the story takes a backseat to…
The Engaging Gameplay
Fire Emblem Engage is the tactical gameplay loop of the series sharpened to a razor tip. Some deep customization from earlier games has been scaled back to allow for a much tighter and more focused experience. Both the map designs and gameplay tweaks emphasize this beautifully. The wide-open arenas of Three Houses have been replaced with brilliant layouts that are sure to test the player on their knowledge and strategies at every turn.
The series’s famed weapon triangle (Sword beats axe, axe beats lance, lance beats sword) makes a grand return and brings with it an addition I didn’t know I needed until now: on a successful advantage, most units will drop their weapon for the remainder of this round combat and the next, preventing counterattacks. This opens up so many new avenues of planning. No longer is it just a question of, “will my sword unit even do damage to this lance?” Now you can plan for the disarm and bring in units that would otherwise be in danger to finish them off. Weapons don’t break in this title but require upgrades to keep pace with the enemy levels, while staves are limited use. The rewind system previously introduced in Echoes also makes a welcome return.
And that’s saying nothing of this title’s main gimmick, the titular Engage. Whatever character you Engage with gets that Emblem’s signature moves and mechanics, along with situational combat buffs and some really sick, almost sci-fi outfits. It’s like a sentai Fire Emblem, and I am here for it. Just change out “Emblem, Engage!” with “Emblem, HENSHIN!” and we’re already there. It’s limited in use and takes time to charge, so choosing when and how to use it is paramount to your success. Maps and enemies are well-balanced around the mechanic. Even boss units that would otherwise go down from a single Engage attack begin carrying a self-revive, completely negating the ability to rush the boss and win sooner than intended.
This game gives you the tools to succeed and the knowledge to apply those tools. Yet it will punish you brutally for mistakes and blind rushes. My first play-through was on Hard, which I feel is a good start for series veterans. I felt more challenged in the opening maps of Fire Emblem Engage than I ever did in Three Houses, Awakening, or Fates. Support conversations between units are still in, but they are optional if you choose. Other additions include adopting pets for your home base (finally!), minigames for temporary boosts, and very light crafting.
Of Character and Colors
Another divisive point I’ve seen for Fire Emblem Engage is the art style. Helmed by Mika Pikazo, the art is full of color with an expansive palette using brilliant primary colors. It’s definitely the most “anime” of the series so far. But it feels tonally appropriate and meshes well with the lighter story and more comedic moments. I saw some ironic complaints saying these characters looked like Vtuber designs. The irony is that Mika Pikazo has done Vtuber designs for years. Several, in fact. These include Hololive’s Hakos Baelz, Vic Inc’s Kaguya Luna, and Pinky Pop Hepburn.
Fire Emblem, as a series, has never been defined by a single artist’s style and always stays close to current market trends. Remember, this series has had a range of artists, including Japanese media legend Masamune Shirow (Ghost in the Shell). We even sell the artbook containing those very illustrations!
I can see how it doesn’t appeal to everyone, but personally, the art style grew on me, and I was impressed by how good it looked graphically. Despite some apparent cut corners (in-game cutscenes once again take place in front of static background images most of the time), the game excels at combat animations. And I still adore seeing the map and combat zoom-ins blend perfectly together.
I usually turn off animations after a few hours, but I’ve kept them on here. Critical animations and Engage attacks have some of the best stuff the series has seen. If I had to fault anything about the graphics and art, it’d be the loss of character portraits for dialogue. The 3D models have a purpose, but I’d have loved to have seen more of Mika Pikazo’s 2d art.
Closing Thoughts on Fire Emblem Engage
Fire Emblem Engage won’t please everyone, especially modern fans who play for the social sim aspects or the more serious tone. But in eschewing the raising sim aspects and focusing solely on the combat, it excels. For fans of the classic gameplay and map design, this is an entry that you shouldn’t skip. It won me over very quickly and commanded my attention in a way that a title from this series hasn’t since Echoes.
The characters and story are pretty generic, but with a knowing wink and nudge that doesn’t become grating. It won’t reach the same popularity as other titles, but I have no doubt in my mind that this will go down as one of the best entries among Fire Emblem fans.
Fire Emblem Engage is available exclusively on Nintendo Switch, with an MSRP of $60. Can’t get enough of the series? We have several beautiful figures for fans of Three Houses and Marth.
