Fire Emblem Engage comes out on 20th, Previews out today and really positive.

Avatar image for Maroxad
Maroxad

23804

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 0

Poll Fire Emblem Engage comes out on 20th, Previews out today and really positive. (15 votes)

10 0%
9 33%
8 53%
7 7%
6 or below 7%

Tears of the Kingdom may be the most promising Switch game of the year, but that doesn't change the fact that there are other tasty morsels on the way. The most promising of the bunch being Fire Emblem Engage. What definately left a bitter taste in people's mouths over the honestly awful artstyle (especially the hideous Pepsiman/Colgatechan protagonist), has only gotten more and more promising with every new bit of gameplay that has been shown every week since the Direct Trailer.

Fire Emblem Three Houses was for all intents and purposes a solid entry, but replay value was seriously diminished due to Garrech Mach. In Engage, that part does seem toned down quite a bit. Being more a thing for optional buffs, rather than making long term permanent investments in your platoon. Mission design also seems vastly improved. And the game seems to have far more restrictions in your resources and opportunity costs in general, which should make for a more engaging experience (pun not intended).

Fire Emblem Engage is a grid based, phase based tactical RPG. Based on the Advance Wars games, but every unit is more of an individual with their own quirks, strengths and weaknesses. Among the game the game's features include the weapon triangle, in which swords beat axes which in turn beat lances (which beat swords), this feature returns after being mostly absent in Three Houses, and it has seen a makeover this time. Rather than a bonus to damage/defense and hit/dodge chance, attacking with a weapon advantage now causes the defending target to drop their weapons preventing them from counter attacking for the rest of the turn.

The most interesting mechanic are the engage rings. Of which, there are 12 and each represents a past protagonist in the franchise. Mechanically speaking, each ring comes with passive bonuses in the form of sync skills, utility can be further increased by activating in an engage, which gives access to more potent engage passive skills as well as weapons, attacks and utility skills. Whom to apply these skills on is not as straight forward as it might initially seem, even the healer ring, can provide some really useful utility to your berserker. Turning him into a makeshift healer should you so desire.

Resource management I feel a bit mixed on. Durability is gone (again), but previewers noted always being short on cash. If the economy is gonna be stingy enough that managing your gold becomes an actual part of the game. That certainly makes me very happy though. Fire Emblem hasn't had the best history of gold management, as they have often been too generous.

Then there is solheim, which replaces the monastery, you even have a pet cat this time around. It has its own minigames, thankfully fishing and the professor level seems to be gone. Most buffs are for temporary stat boosts, rather than long term investments. There are also arenas, an excercise minigame (should have included the option for using the ring con), and a tower which allows you to create your own maps as well as play on maps other players have made online. You also have a cat, which you can pet, that does seem to matter a lot for some people :P

Overall, the package here looks really solid. The story and art looks pretty bad, but where the game seems to truly shine is in the game and mechanics. The emblems do not only seem to encourage some really aggressive play, but also opens up the game to be more emergent than ever, not to mention the opportunity costs. As for my hype level, I would say an 8, but you know what, I have said 8 for too long now, time to take some risks just so you guys can laugh at my expense if it flops. That said Three Houses got a 9 here, and this looks to be an improvement in the area that truly counts (Gameplay).

I will be ironmanning Lunatic/Classic. Fire Emblems and strategy games are the most fun in general that way.

 • 
Avatar image for Maroxad
Maroxad

23804

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 0

#1  Edited By Maroxad
Member since 2007 • 23804 Posts

I think I have been playing too much Valheim xD

It is Soranel, not Solheim. Keeping the mistake there because it's funny.

I recommend people to give Ironmanning Classic Mode a chance. Finishing these games are so much more (bitter)sweet and satisfying, when you are on the last stretch, and you are hanging on to your remaining reserves, as most of your favorite units died along the way. You get to try out characters you would never use otherwise.

Avatar image for SolidGame_basic
SolidGame_basic

44938

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 0

#2  Edited By SolidGame_basic  Online
Member since 2003 • 44938 Posts

I’m really excited for this game, but I don’t think I will be dyeing my hair blue.

Avatar image for mysticaldonut
MysticalDonut

2502

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 5

#3 MysticalDonut
Member since 2021 • 2502 Posts

9/10. This one looks like it goes back to the Tellius games (even before them) roots of the series.

Avatar image for mesome713
Mesome713

7146

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 6

User Lists: 5

#4 Mesome713
Member since 2019 • 7146 Posts

Loving what I’m hear that it’s a return to the older school Fire Emblem games. This will be fun.

Avatar image for hardwenzen
hardwenzen

38111

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 3

User Lists: 0

#5 hardwenzen
Member since 2005 • 38111 Posts

Looks like some weeb shovelware, sorry to be so direct.

Avatar image for PurpleMan5000
PurpleMan5000

10531

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 0

#6 PurpleMan5000
Member since 2011 • 10531 Posts

I have pretty high hopes for this one. My biggest gripe with 3 Houses was that I spent more time running from person to person at the Monastery to try to max out relationships than I did actually playing the strategy RPG that I signed up for. This one seems to have brought back at least some of the complexity of previous entries and hopefully it's streamlined the hub world to the point that I don't have to spend more than 15 minutes doing crap in it between missions. Guessing it will score an 8.

Avatar image for Maroxad
Maroxad

23804

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 0

#7 Maroxad
Member since 2007 • 23804 Posts

@PurpleMan5000 said:

I have pretty high hopes for this one. My biggest gripe with 3 Houses was that I spent more time running from person to person at the Monastery to try to max out relationships than I did actually playing the strategy RPG that I signed up for. This one seems to have brought back at least some of the complexity of previous entries and hopefully it's streamlined the hub world to the point that I don't have to spend more than 15 minutes doing crap in it between missions. Guessing it will score an 8.

Yeah, the monastery definately outlasted its welcome. The class system was also too open ended, which resulted in everyone ending up a wyvern lord, falcon knight or gremory.

Avatar image for onesiphorus
onesiphorus

5233

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 6

#8 onesiphorus
Member since 2014 • 5233 Posts

I had to wonder whether having spiritual incarnations of heroes from previous Fire Emblems summoned from Emblem Rings is a gimmick to draw gamers to play Engage. There is also issues with the character designs which has a more anime aesthetic (especially the eyes from the female characters) than the character designs found in previous titles.

Avatar image for Archangel3371
Archangel3371

43988

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 4

User Lists: 0

#9 Archangel3371
Member since 2004 • 43988 Posts

Looking and sounding very good. Am definitely interested in getting it myself. 9/10.

Avatar image for Maroxad
Maroxad

23804

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 0

#10 Maroxad
Member since 2007 • 23804 Posts

@onesiphorus said:

I had to wonder whether having spiritual incarnations of heroes from previous Fire Emblems summoned from Emblem Rings is a gimmick to draw gamers to play Engage. There is also issues with the character designs which has a more anime aesthetic (especially the eyes from the female characters) than the character designs found in previous titles.

It greatly impacts the game on a tactical level. I didn't want to overload people with information on the OP, so I can tell you right now what each does, in a spoiler tag for those who want to see for themselves rather than the rather strong marketing campaign,

  1. Marth: Provides a bunch of Swords (Rapiers, Mercurius, Falchion). Bonuses to speed and ability to penetrate defenses.
  2. Celica: Allows the user to Teleport And unleash a really powerful spell. Probably the best ring.
  3. Sigurd: Exceptional Mobility, even comes with Canto+
  4. Leaf: Provides a sword, axe and lance, and then allows you to decide what weapon enemy uses against you. When attacked by a ranged foe. Swap to a ranged weapon. When at a weapon triangle advantage user also takes 3 less damage.
  5. Roy: As long as a unit has at least 30% HP remaining, they will survive an attack. He also comes with an AoE attack. That also sets the ground ablaze
  6. Lyn: Speedster, But has an attack that lets her snipe enemies.
  7. Eirika/Ephraim: Swaps between the two characters. Allowing the user to use a buffed up Sol and Luna. The higher the def, the more damage Eirika does, and ephraim has life steal.
  8. Ike: Definition of a tank. He gets increasingly more powerful the more damage he takes and his special skill is a skill that boosts his defense for one turn, and on the next turn the user unleashes a powerful AoE.
  9. Michiah: Allows ANY user to use white magic, regardless of class. Also boosts the range of these spells, and lightens up fog of war when they are cast. User can also sacrifice all HP, save for one hit point, to cast a powerful AoE healing spell.
  10. Lucina: Gives nearby units a chance to assist when attacking. The Engage skill: Bond Shield, allows the user to nullify damage taken to nearby allies. In other words, it is Awakening's Pair Up Mechanic.
  11. Corrin: Alters the actual terrain itself, what terrain there is depends on the class.
  12. Byleth: Can provide buffs to other users. Can also refresh (restore the turn) for the 4 adjacent units.

Had all of the 12 engage rings been pretty much the same, and not really interacted with the game mechanics in any interesting way. I would have called it a gimmick. But this looks to shake up the gameplay in unique and interesting ways. I for one always wanted an actual geomancer in a Tactical RPG. Divinity: Original Sin had this, and it was awesome there. It is nice to see it in Fire Emblem now as well.

Avatar image for SolidGame_basic
SolidGame_basic

44938

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 0

#11 SolidGame_basic  Online
Member since 2003 • 44938 Posts
Loading Video...

This looks so good, I don’t get why Conan isn’t hyped for this.

Avatar image for dracula_16
dracula_16

15969

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 26

User Lists: 0

#12 dracula_16
Member since 2005 • 15969 Posts

Thanks for bringing this to my attention. I'm looking forward to this game. Probably a 9/10, I would say.

Avatar image for ConanTheStoner
ConanTheStoner

23706

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 0

#14 ConanTheStoner
Member since 2011 • 23706 Posts
@SolidGame_basic said:

This looks so good, I don’t get why Conan isn’t hyped for this.

2weeb4me

Nah, got my fill with Tactics Ogre. Probably be a bit before I get the itch for another Tactical RPG.

Avatar image for lamprey263
lamprey263

44503

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 10

User Lists: 0

#15  Edited By lamprey263
Member since 2006 • 44503 Posts

Pulling a Pokémon with Fates totally turned me off of the series.

Avatar image for texasgoldrush
texasgoldrush

14827

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 12

User Lists: 0

#16 texasgoldrush
Member since 2003 • 14827 Posts

Huge step back compared to Thee Houses/Hopes when it comes to story and characters.

Avatar image for Maroxad
Maroxad

23804

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 0

#17  Edited By Maroxad
Member since 2007 • 23804 Posts

@girlusocrazy: THat would be cool. Resurrect Shining Force Sega, please! Bring out a sequel or successor to Valkyria Chronicles too while you are at it.

Sega's best games are strategy games without a doubt, Total War being my favorite Sega IP.

Avatar image for Maroxad
Maroxad

23804

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 0

#18 Maroxad
Member since 2007 • 23804 Posts

https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2023/01/round-up-the-previews-are-in-for-fire-emblem-engage1

If I get to do Tactics in my tactical RPG, I couldnt be happier. Here is Gamespot's opinion,

"We've played the first eight chapters of Fire Emblem Engage, and already found that it makes some significant changes from the precedent set by Three Houses, and to the series as a whole...combat feels balanced and satisfying. No one unit is overpowered, and every character serves a specific role. So far, almost every battle apart from the first few have required a lot of forethought and careful planning."

That is just what I like to hear :3 Another preview noted the mid battle stuff is pretty much entirely gone too. the Soranel stuff is optional and brief.

And since people seem to like this channel, it is worth noting their impressions too,

Loading Video...

Avatar image for lebanese_boy
lebanese_boy

18036

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 1

User Lists: 0

#19 lebanese_boy
Member since 2003 • 18036 Posts

Engage is looking great, definitely looking forward to play this game but I don't think I'll be able to for a while 😅

Avatar image for sabertooth91
Sabertooth91

13

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 5

#20 Sabertooth91
Member since 2022 • 13 Posts

They did a great job on Three Houses, so I'm hyped for this. Hope for 9 but expecting an 8.

Avatar image for hrt_rulz01
hrt_rulz01

22367

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 0

#21 hrt_rulz01
Member since 2006 • 22367 Posts

Looking awesome... Yet another Switch gem it looks like. Can't wait to play it.

Avatar image for Maroxad
Maroxad

23804

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 0

#22  Edited By Maroxad
Member since 2007 • 23804 Posts
Loading Video...

The more I see, the more I want this.

I like how they are going back to sword cavs, lance cavs and axe cavs like they did in the Jugdral and Tellius games. Having access to 2 weapons unpromoted is one of the many things that made cavalry so OP in FE.

Loading Video...