Fire Emblem: Three Houses Reviews

Fire Emblem: Three Houses is ranked in the 98th percentile of games scored on OpenCritic.
Jul 25, 2019

Fire Emblem: Three Houses is a triumphant RPG experience and one of the greatest games you can play on Nintendo Switch right now. It takes the series' formula and propels it forward with some fascinating new changes, and every single system works in tandem to create something rather stunning. Technical blemishes aside, Intelligent Systems has really outdone itself here.

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9.5 / 10.0
Jul 25, 2019

I have never beaten a sixty-hour game and immediately wanted to jump back in for round two. Fire Emblem: Three Houses pulls you in with its rock-solid grid-based combat. But it keeps you invested by offering rich characters, deep squad customization, and an enthralling story that keeps you guessing. It’s is easily the best RPG of 2019—so far.

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9.8 / 10.0
Jul 29, 2019

Fire Emblem: Three Houses is a true masterpiece of strategy game design. If this is where the franchise is going, I'm very excited for its future.

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88 / 100
Jul 25, 2019

Demanding lap strategy, loveable characters and great story. But you have to like the social simulation.

Review in German | Read full review

9.5 / 10.0
Jul 26, 2019

This is a fantastic installment for returning fans or newcomers playing for the first time.

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9.5 / 10.0
Aug 2, 2019

Fire Emblem: Three Houses blends together its masterfully refined social and battle systems to create one of the best in the series.

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95 / 100
Aug 5, 2019

A story that fills you and keeps you on the edge of the seat at all times, endearing characters that grow before our eyes, battles full of adrenaline, a master map design, relationship system worthy of a separate game and other elements, make this new Switch exclusive an adventure that I am sure, we will not forget in a very good time.

Review in Spanish | Read full review

8 / 10
Aug 6, 2019

Fire Emblem: Three Houses features the finest game world, plot and gameplay of the series and even if certain aspects of its execution do raise some questions, its varied and rich world, high quality writing, exquisite soundtrack and the way its characters are shaped by the plot mean that nobody will be left untouched by this marvelous work, even if it might not be the ultimate Fire Emblem game that many expected.

Review in Portuguese | Read full review

Aug 10, 2019

Fire Emblem attains an especially epic, moral grandeur with this game's focus on the interplay between education and religion.

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9 / 10.0
Sep 17, 2019

Fire Emblem: Three Houses marks another stellar entry in a beloved series that continues to find ways to keep the experience fresh even after three decades. From its improved presentation and solid voice acting to its deep combat system and compelling narrative, Three Houses serves up a lot of meat that fans of the long-running franchise will gobble up. The main character admittedly can feel wooden at times and the school life part peters out a bit toward the end. Nearly 30 years after its humble beginnings, however, Three Houses is proof that Fire Emblem's flame continues to burn brightly.

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Unscored
Jul 26, 2019

For all the little ways I can nitpick Fire Emblem: The Three Houses, there is no denying the elegance with which so many of the gameplay systems are intertwined. I enjoyed micromanaging the progression of my students on and off the battlefield. I just wish I was able to think of them as more than colorful pawns.

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RPG Site
Top Critic
8 / 10
Jul 25, 2019

A very ambitious game with thorough lore and interesting characters, although it won't often challenge you if you are familiar with strategy RPGs.

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8 / 10
Jul 25, 2019

Fire Emblem: Three Houses features some of the most refined and enjoyable battle mechanics the series has seen since its successful renaissance with Awakening. But the renewed focus on support relationships gets in the way of what some may have valued most from the franchise – the strength of its strategic design and the battles themselves. Regardless, it's hard to argue that Three Houses is the best Fire Emblem since Awakening, so it's still worth your time, even if you'll have to spend it wisely.

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Stevivor
Top Critic
9 / 10.0
Jul 26, 2019

The series found a comfortable stride in the handheld world, and moving away from that isn’t always a strong step – so it’s a good thing that the Switch is a little bit of both worlds. The game is great for playing in short bursts, with even ten to fifteen minutes feeling like enough to really get something done, even if it’s just returning a bunch of lost items to your units in the monastery to boost your support links. The characters are endearing and help draw you into the world and its story, complete with divine mysteries to carry you through the school year.

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8 / 10.0
Jul 24, 2019

There are a few prerequisites you have to meet in order to enjoy Fire Emblem: Three Houses for dozens of hours: you can't be weirded out by the Japanese weird, you have to accept the unique visual style and hundreds of silly (but mandatory) conversations and activities, including fishing, growing plants and eating soup. If you think you lack at least one of the above skills, we recommend finding another game.

Review in Polish | Read full review

4.4 / 5.0
Aug 3, 2019

I could honestly spend a while explaining all the mechanics in Fire Emblem: Three Houses and probably not touch on everything. What is important is to understand what you're getting into. It's not a simple game or one that is overly combat driven like Disgaea. You can easily go hours without seeing a battlefield and then agonize about arguably tedious mechanics. This isn't to say it's a bad game, I'd say anything but, it's just important to understand it isn't meant for everyone and that is alright.

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Aug 6, 2019

Fire Emblem Three Houses had a lot to live up to, but in the end, the game is deep on every level imaginable. Great story, great characters, great customization and freedom to choose your teams how you want to, and more. If you love Fire Emblem, or have been meaning to try it out, get Three Houses and start your LONG journey!

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8 / 10
Aug 14, 2019

Fire Emblem: Three Houses is a fine example of brutal turn-based combat involving people you love. Get going in the game and you'll struggle to stop.

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Liked-a-lot
Jul 25, 2019

...interesting maps and epic military adventures from older titles, while building on the newer aspects we’ve come to expect from the 3DS games.

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RPG Fan
Top Critic
95%
Aug 28, 2019

Fire Emblem: Three Houses is Fire Emblem at the top of its game. Only a few games in my life have ruined my sleep schedule like Fire Emblem: Three Houses. Getting back home late after work, playing until I saw the sun rise, agonizing over in-game decisions, laughing and crying alongside the cast… this is what it means to truly fall in love with a game. Three Houses should be a part of any Switch owner’s library at some point. It has pretty much everything you could possibly want in a video game: good graphics, great music, an epic story and, of course, top-notch gameplay. Fire Emblem has a new, higher bar moving forward, and hopefully we’ll see this effort replicated for future titles.

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