Fire Emblem Engage is the latest addition to the Fire Emblem series, which has seen a resurgence in popularity thanks to the success of Fire Emblem Awakening on the Nintendo 3DS. Compared to its predecessor, Fire Emblem Three Houses, which focused more on the story, characters, and social systems, Engage is a combat-heavy game that places emphasis on battles and unit placement.
The game is set in the continent of Elyos, which is comprised of four kingdoms surrounding the land of the Divine Dragons. The story follows the protagonist, a Divine Dragon named Alear, as they embark on a journey to recover the twelve Emblem rings that have been spread across the four nations of Elyos in order to thwart the returning threat of the Fell Dragon. While the story may feel like a step back from Fire Emblem Three Houses, it doesn’t fully reveal its impact until the latter part of the game.
Engage’s combat system is based on the traditional rock-paper-scissors formula that fans of the series will be familiar with. Each class in the game has an advantage over another class, e.g. lancers over swords, and this plays into forming a party and overall strategy.
The game also introduces the Engage mechanic, where each unit can wear an Emblem Ring, which gives them the ability to tap into the power of a hero from Fire Emblem’s past, such as Marth, Roy, and more. This could be seen as a gacha mechanic, similar to those found in mobile games, except this time it’s being implemented in an offline console game. This allows the unit to physically change in appearance, become more powerful, and gain special one-time moves, increased standard attacks and improved dodging or withstand abilities. As the bond level between a unit and an Emblem Ring hero increases, so do the skills available to purchase, allowing for further customization and optimization of units.
Fire Emblem Engage has a unique and well-balanced combat system that distinguishes it from previous games in the series. Unlike earlier Fire Emblem games, Engage does away with level grinding in favor of a continual stream of better warriors to fill the player’s team. This pushes players to make critical decisions regarding who fights when improving the overall flow of games. The game also includes the Time Crystal mechanic, which allows players to reverse time before committing a fatal error, making it more accessible to gamers who may find it too difficult. Despite these sacrifices, the battles in Engage are furious and give players a rewarding challenge.
While Fire Emblem Engage offers a variety of challenging and rewarding missions such as paralogues, training battles, and skirmishes, some players may find the side content less engaging. The small tasks meant to strengthen bonds with team members, such as the cafe and exercise sections, may not be as entertaining and the task of polishing Emblem rings can feel like a waste of time. However, the mechanics of the game and the intense battles make up for any shortcomings in the story.
The level-grinding system is clever and the stakes of each battle are high, making the game enjoyable. The character bonds also provide a compelling tale on their own. When not in battle there is the possibility to explore the city of Somniel. Players can prepare for missions by purchasing equipment and items, upgrading weapons, and managing social links with comrades. Mini-games are also included to boost stats for the next battle.
In conclusion, Fire Emblem Engage will satisfy the fans of the series who have been looking to get their hands on a new game since the launch of Three Houses. It offers players an age-old tale of good versus evil and allows players to summon classic heroes like Marth and Roy also providing some fanservice elements with it. The new Emblem ring mechanic adds a new level of flexibility to the progression system, allowing players to grant special skills, weapons, and buffs to their units.
The gameplay is well-established and features the return of the weapon triangle, as well as an extra category for other weapon types. The Break function and the capability for heavy units to knock enemies out of defensive positions add new depth to the gameplay. However, the story and characters are cliched, and the unit upgrades and class-changing systems can be confusing and tedious to manage. Overall, Fire Emblem Engage is a solid entry in the series, but with some room for improvement.
Disclaimer: This review was conducted with a review copy provided by Nintendo UK.
Fire Emblem Engage boasts several enhancements to its gameplay, including the introduction of the Engage mechanic, which allows players to tap into the power of hero characters from previous Fire Emblem games. However, the story of the game lacks originality and has a cliche plot. Additionally, the social elements of the game are underwhelming. Despite these issues, the gameplay improvements and traditional rock-paper-scissors formula will likely appeal to fans of the series.