Fire Emblem Engage is the next installment in Nintendo’s long-running tactical RPG series. It’s the follow-up to the beloved Fire Emblem: Three Houses, the first mainline installment on Switch, and will again be developed by longtime developers Intelligent Systems.
Here’s everything you need to know about the upcoming release.
The Release Date
Fire Emblem Engage will release exclusively for the Nintendo Switch on January 20, 2023. First revealed at the September 2022 Nintendo Direct, it will be Nintendo’s first major new year release.
The Plot
Players will assume the role of Alear, a hero that has been asleep for 1,000 years following an epic battle with a divine dragon on the continent Elyos. Much like Three Houses, Alear can be male or female and will start with little memory of their past. Alear must build an army to defeat the same dragon and its followers.
Past Fire Emblem Characters Will Make Appearances
A key mechanic of Fire Emblem Engage is being able to summon past Fire Emblem characters to use in battle through the use of “Emblem Rings.” The mechanic is central to the game’s plot, as 12 Emblem Rings will be collected to defeat the game’s antagonists. A few of the Emblem Ring characters include Marth, Ike, Roy, Lyn, and Byleth. More Emblem Ring characters, such as the house leaders from Three Houses, will be added throughout 2023 via the game’s $29.99 expansion pass.
There Will Be Less Social Features Than Three Houses
Time spent between missions is something Intelligent Systems has expanded on since they began developing the Fire Emblem series in 1990. For example, players could build relationships with students and recruit units through support conversations in Three Houses. Increasing these relationships provided perks during battles.
Fire Emblem Engage will focus less on visual novel-type gameplay and more on improving battle tactics. A floating compound in the sky will serve as a hub world and host various facilities to prepare and upgrade your army for battle.
The Weapons Triangle Is Returning
Longtime fans of the Fire Emblem series will be happy to know that weapons triangles are back. The combat mechanic has been in nearly every game in the series. The triangles determine which weapon and mana types will be good or bad against each other. Three Houses was the first game in the series not to incorporate these triangles but instead focus on the weapon types’ strength and accuracy.
There Are Over 30 Characters to Recruit in Fire Emblem Engage
There are over 30 known characters that can be recruited to your army in addition to the 12 Emblem Ring characters. These are the characters you will choose to fight in your army, and much like in previous games, each character will have a different skillset to consider for your tactics.
The permadeath feature the series is known for will return, meaning the characters you recruit can fall in battle and never return. The option to turn off that feature will be available as well.
