Fire Emblem Engage Reviews
A more traditional Fire Emblem experience than Three Houses, but one that's filled with fun new features and emphasises deep and varied gameplay over dating mini-games.
Fire Emblem Engage's story might be shaky, but the tactics game excels in every other way.
It's essential to remember that just a little over 10 years ago, Fire Emblem Awakening saved the franchise and brought it to the mainstream. Now, in the present, Fire Emblem Engage represents a series that now no longer needs saving. It's a series that has blockbuster appeal, with people eagerly anticipating every announcement. Fire Emblem is Forever, and I'm overjoyed to see friends and colleagues take to it so passionately, something I didn't think would happen.
Intelligent Systems' latest introduces dozens of new heroes alongside some of the nearly 600 playable characters from earlier games. Read on.
Fire Emblem’s tradition of focusing on character relationships hit a peak in Three Houses, and we all kind of assumed that would continue into Engage. Sadly, that’s not the case. Fire Emblem Engage scales its social interactions down to a bare minimum, leaving a cast of underdeveloped characters in its wake. At the same time, it features some of Fire Emblem’s best tactical combat, making the game feel as sharply divided as its protagonist’s over-discussed red-and-blue hair.
Fire Emblem Engage is a great strategy game, but we don’t think it’s a great modern Fire Emblem game. Whether the reverence for the social elements of Three Houses came as a surprise to the team or not, the dearth of those moments in Engage makes it feel like it’s missing half of its core at times. While the anniversary cameos will please the hardcore fans at first, we worry that, much like the weak social aspects, their largely minor impact on the game itself will disappoint.
It's a solid Fire Emblem, but lacks the lasting impact to rank as a classic.
Fire Emblem: Engage falters as a follow up to what I consider to be the best the series has to offer thus far. However, despite its failings with its lackluster story and characters, the deep customization and enjoyable combat makes it one well worth experiencing anyway.
In combat, Fire Emblem Engage is the best in the series. Classic game mechanics coexist with new clever, if gimmicky, elements of entertaining but painfully unforgiving combat. Outside of the battles, however, the adventure doesn't engage as much and is a noticeable setback alongside its predecessor. But if you're primarily after strategic combat, Fire Emblem Engage is a perfect fit.
Review in Swedish | Read full review
Fire Emblem Engage feels like a step backward in ways that this writer appreciates. Gone are the lessons, and in their place is a genuinely affecting story with plenty of whimsy and epic tactical conquests. It’s a great way to kick off the year for the Switch, and also happens to be one of the best-looking games on the platform, too.
Between novelties and various refinements, Fire Emblem Engage's combat system is perfectly polished and exciting. Not all of the campaign is full of twists and turns, and the shadow of socializing at all costs might make the more grumpy digital generals nervous, but overall Fire Emblem Engage is a recommended chapter.
Review in Italian | Read full review
While Engage didn’t win me over with its story, the mechanics are a different matter. I’m pleased that level grinding is being sidestepped in such a clever manner, though I still miss it. I loved how intense the battles are, every single time. Even with the Time Crystal, the stakes feel terribly high. Sure, the narrative feels more cliché than I’m used to. I wish it wasn’t a good vs evil fetch quest. But the character bonds still tell a compelling tale all on their own. And though I didn’t love the side content this time around, I’m still happy there’s so much of it available. Overall, Fire Emblem Engage is an excellent entry in the franchise. You won’t want to miss this one.
Fire Emblem Engage’s story is derivative JRPG nonsense and its social elements are skippable, but the game’s battlefield heroics largely make up for its shortcomings. Classic Fire Emblem combat mechanics make their welcome return here and are nicely elevated by the new Engage system and a slate of varied, surprisingly-challenging maps. Fire Emblem Engage won’t be everybody’s favorite entry in the series, but it should be a critical hit with many seasoned generals.
Ultimately, Fire Emblem Engage is an excellent game that contains one of the finest tactical systems in recent memory, and it's well worth a look for that reason. Just don't expect to remember much about Elyos once the journey ends.
Fire Emblem Engage has a lot of great elements, from its striking visuals to the classic Fire Emblem turn-based strategy gameplay. The story being told, however, does not live up to the bar set by other games in the series, while some battles drag on to the point where I'm fighting off a nap just as hard as I'm fighting the enemy armies. I enjoy the game in spurts, but before long I find myself wondering when I can stop engaging with this Fire Emblem. There's enough here to enjoy Fire Emblem Engage, but only the most dedicated will be able to see this through to the end.
All in all, Engage is a fun game, particularly those who have a history with the franchise. Folks who have been with the series for a while will appreciate the inclusion of classic favorite characters, as well as the nods to past game soundtracks and maps on the Paralogue maps. Those who play for engaging maps and mechanics will not be disappointed, but if you’re wanting more dating-sim in your chess match, you may find this game’s characters lacking.
Fell Xenologue is a half-successful DLC.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Fire Emblem Engage represents a return to the more singular storytelling of past games prior to Fire Emblem Fates. Gone are the multiple stories experienced through various factions. Instead, you have one main story to go through that's more centered on the protagonist. The streamlined experience is a common theme that pervades other aspects of the game. The new Somniel hub gets rid of extracurricular activities such as teaching and serves more as a base for services, unit training and development, and PVP. Combat, meanwhile, while still rock solid, also gets a rewind mechanic so players no longer have to waste time reloading saves. Some might decry the changes as a watering down of the game as well as features from Three Houses. Others will see them as much needed quality-of life additions that strip out the fluff and allow players to concentrate on battles. As such, your mileage and enjoyment of Fire Emblem Engage depends on which side of this debate you fall under.
What makes Fire Emblem Engage especially frustrating is that, even for all of its glaring issues, there’s an undeniable joy in successfully conquering a difficult battalion through a mixture of skill, luck, and good timing. That, or spamming a series of well-placed special moves and calling it a day. But since the infrastructure around these battles is so lacking, this latest entry in Intelligent Systems’s long-standing series amounts to not much more than a glorified chess match, albeit one with a few more fire-spewing dragons running around to spice things up.