The land of Fódlan needs your help in Fire Emblem: Three Houses. Presented by Intelligent Systems and Koei Tecmo, this RPG challenges you not only to win battles, but to have an active social life as well. The Fire Emblem Series has always been about a fun and deep fantasy adventure. How does the first main game on the Switch stack up to others in the series?
The three kingdoms are now at peace. The Adrestian Empire to the south and west, the Holy Kingdom of Faerghus to the north, and the Leicester Alliance to the east. The player named Byleth is forced to become a teacher after their father is forced back into the army. Byleth must choose what house to teach. There will be battles and a chance to build relationships with different people. Events conspire to bring tension in all three places and the peace might not stand.
I can not stress this enough, the decision of what house you will teach effects the entire game. Play it three times if you must, and you will want to, to experience all the story this game has. There is a major twist and you suddenly find yourself locked into your choice. This is not as simple as choosing a house based on color or different structure. Each kingdom has it’s own set of values and goals. Once you are in, you are in.
Fire Emblem: Three Houses is divided into two parts. The first is a social game where you interact with the students and people in your house. There are plenty of romance options if that is something you want to explore. You can get married and the game allows for same-sex pairings. You just can’t flirt, however, You are ranked in how successful your relationship status. The other part is the battles. This is simple turn based combat in which you match your units with another. The battle system is fun, but the social part is where Three Houses really shine. Battles are a big part and the later part of the game focuses almost exclusives on this.
The art style is jaw dropping. This looks like an anime series come to life. The sights and sounds of Fódlan make it feel like a real place. You will want to see and experience everything. This does require a little bit of backpedaling, but the characters you meet make it worth the wait. There is already DLC in the works, so the world will get even bigger.
Fire Emblem: Three Houses is an excellent addition to the franchise. New players can jump into the game and learn as they go. The social aspect is the most fun in my option, but the battles have their moments as well. I have never played any other Fire Emblem games, but this one sucked me in. See where your allegiances lay and who you will lead to victory.
8/10
Available on Switch.
https://www.nintendo.com/games/detail/fire-emblem-three-houses-switch/
