Fire Emblem Fates: Conquest

 3DS
User Score
8.0

Generally favorable reviews- based on 606 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 449 out of 606
  2. Mixed: 78 out of 606
  3. Negative: 79 out of 606
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  1. Ragnellrok
    Mar 1, 2016
    9
    Challenging, more subtle story, definitely worth playing through for any Fire Emblem fan.

    Problems may include the localization not being as great as it could have been.
  2. SuperMatt777
    Feb 26, 2016
    9
    Between Birthright and Conquest, it's clear that Conquest would challenge you and it certainly did for me. I started playing Fire Emblem with Awakening so I was used to having free opportunities to train my units and build support conversations so it made this game much trickier. I'll admit, I do like being a bit more free in what I do, but I can respect the path they chose to take thisBetween Birthright and Conquest, it's clear that Conquest would challenge you and it certainly did for me. I started playing Fire Emblem with Awakening so I was used to having free opportunities to train my units and build support conversations so it made this game much trickier. I'll admit, I do like being a bit more free in what I do, but I can respect the path they chose to take this game down. However I'm not going to say I was huge on not giving training opportunities. I appreciated the game's level of difficulty, but I still would've like some opportunities to train so I can better prepare for the challenges set before me. But that aside, the game's story and characters were great in their own sense. The story didn't have as many twists as Birthright did, but the twists it did have were brilliant. Overall, I very much enjoyed Conquest and even though I liked Birthright more, Conquest is a great game for anyone interested in a challenging strategy RPG.… Expand
  3. javiandre10
    Mar 4, 2016
    10
    Fire Emblem en su máxima esencia, la dificultad de que se perdió en Awakening regresa y hace satisfactoria cada victoria, el modo castillo nos dan un respiro luego de las duras batallas estratégicas, las interacciones entre personajes, la historia y sus momento épicos, hubieron algunos recortes en las versiones occidentales, pero son cosas externas a lo que realmente es la esencia delFire Emblem en su máxima esencia, la dificultad de que se perdió en Awakening regresa y hace satisfactoria cada victoria, el modo castillo nos dan un respiro luego de las duras batallas estratégicas, las interacciones entre personajes, la historia y sus momento épicos, hubieron algunos recortes en las versiones occidentales, pero son cosas externas a lo que realmente es la esencia del juego, para todo usuario de 3DS que busque un juego Hardcore y que de muchas horas de duración, esta es la mejor opción.… Expand
  4. EpicLadySponge
    Feb 29, 2016
    8
    And again, here comes the part where there's more negative ratings than mixed ratings. Conquest is a good game, I can thank that. First of all, who cares about some whiny content? Second of all, you must be insanely crazy if you're going to think giving a negative rating would help you get any support.
  5. kiaxxl
    Feb 27, 2016
    10
    This is actually about an 8.8, but I raised it to balance out the blatantly unfair reviews by the anti censorship crowd, some of whom admit they don't even have the game. :)))))

    Gameplay is tight and even normal can be a challenge at times. Conquest has much more interesting maps and victory conditions than Birthright, so take that into equation if picking a side. Characters are mostly    This is actually about an 8.8, but I raised it to balance out the blatantly unfair reviews by the anti censorship crowd, some of whom admit they don't even have the game. :)))))

    Gameplay is tight and even normal can be a challenge at times. Conquest has much more interesting maps and victory conditions than Birthright, so take that into equation if picking a side. Characters are mostly interesting, there's a few tropey characters but a lot of enjoyable ones as well. Supports can range from fantastic to terrible; characters who don't really interact or connect in the story usually have substandard supports.

    The music is excellent and the graphics are quite nice for 3DS; the 3D also works pretty well if you like to see the portraits of the characters pop out.    … Expand
  6. blawren4
    Feb 25, 2016
    10
    I'll make an equally stupid review to one I just saw that said excellent gameplay, graphics, and story, but gave a zero for localization. I've not played the game yet.
  7. r_lobo
    Feb 26, 2016
    10
    Just amazing. So emotional, and well done that I had a really hard time choosing sides....
    This game, and Awakenings, stand at the top with the very best, in any console in any generation.
  8. jasongaarder
    Feb 26, 2016
    10
    This game is excellent. Remarkably challenging and intriguing. I care about the characters. The atmosphere is impeccable. Everything I loved about Fire Emblem on GBA. Definitely a "do not miss" title for the 3DS. Nintendo is once again proving its might.
  9. LannerBlack
    Feb 22, 2016
    10
    Fire Emblem Fates Conquest es el resultado de mas de 20 años de perfeccionamiento a nivel de gameplay teniendo un enfoque en lo tactico que nunca antes se había visto en la franquicia, una dificultad digna de las épocas lejanas de la SNES y la era en la que la dificultad dejo de ser relleno y culpa del juego para pasar a ser culpa del jugador por actuar sin pensar, y un enfoque en lasFire Emblem Fates Conquest es el resultado de mas de 20 años de perfeccionamiento a nivel de gameplay teniendo un enfoque en lo tactico que nunca antes se había visto en la franquicia, una dificultad digna de las épocas lejanas de la SNES y la era en la que la dificultad dejo de ser relleno y culpa del juego para pasar a ser culpa del jugador por actuar sin pensar, y un enfoque en las relaciones de los personajes que dan paso a una enorme cantidad de diálogos de lo mas interesantes en los que se desnuda la personalidad de cada uno de los personajes disponibles, lamentablemente la influencia de Nintendo Treehouse y sus extrañas politicas se hicieron presente cortando parte del contenido del juego como diálogos y el minijuego de caricias (elemento no del todo necesario pero que ayudaba mucho al momento de mejorar la relación entre personajes) con tal de disminuir la calificacion en la ESRB de un juego que en su tierra de origen era Cero/Mature y asi lograr mas ventas (ignorando que el juego mas vendido de la generacion es un juego Mature y que nadie se preocupa de la calificacion) pero dejando de lado los ridículos cambios del equipo de localización mas odiado del mundo del gaming es un excelente juego y vale totalmente la pena adquirirlo.… Expand
  10. NikoAmii
    Feb 21, 2016
    9
    I'll start off by saying it was a pretty easy decision for me to choose Conquest over Birthright. The reason why I did is because I like darker, European styles and the Noir family definitely more my style. Conquest is a bit harder, and has darker themes, it's like picking the Sith over the Jedi. Ignoring that, I really enjoy playing Conquest. The plot is by far some of the best storyI'll start off by saying it was a pretty easy decision for me to choose Conquest over Birthright. The reason why I did is because I like darker, European styles and the Noir family definitely more my style. Conquest is a bit harder, and has darker themes, it's like picking the Sith over the Jedi. Ignoring that, I really enjoy playing Conquest. The plot is by far some of the best story telling I've seen in a video game in a long while. The idea of two families fighting to the death isn't a very creative one, but the storytelling behind it is. Not only is the plot great, but the graphics are by far the best I've see on the 3ds. The imagery in this game is fantastic. Play style wise, it's not much different than the average fire emblem game. It's a strategy RPG that is very, very intense. I've been playing on the regular mode, not the casual mode. This means when my soldiers die, they die for good. This adds an extra element of intensity in the game, which I appreciate. Overall, I prefer this game over Awakening, better graphics, a more intense story line, a pretty enjoyable multiplayer. It isn't miles better, but it's an improvement nonetheless. I really enjoyed playing this game, and if you enjoyed RPGs, i'm sure you will too.… Expand
  11. jholden3249
    Feb 19, 2016
    10
    Birthright and Revelations are a perfect 10. But Conquest, despite having a slightly weaker story, deserves an 11 for sheer gameplay brilliance. This is quite possibly the best video game I have ever played. I love all the games in the Fire Emblem series, but Fates is superior in nearly every aspect. Engaging, emotional story, gamely tuned to perfection, diverse maps, lovable and relatableBirthright and Revelations are a perfect 10. But Conquest, despite having a slightly weaker story, deserves an 11 for sheer gameplay brilliance. This is quite possibly the best video game I have ever played. I love all the games in the Fire Emblem series, but Fates is superior in nearly every aspect. Engaging, emotional story, gamely tuned to perfection, diverse maps, lovable and relatable characters, interesting new mechanics like Dragons's Vein and the new weapon triangle... And some of THE best art and music your senses have experienced to date.

    It's also an incredible value- all 3 paths are quite literally a full game- in fact, each path has more content than many $60 console games. All 3 paths are varied and unique with different characters, different story, different map objectives, the works. And what's more, the second and third game come at half price!

    Fire Emblem Fates nails it. It just nails it. Don't listen to any of the sourpuss reviews spouting a bunch of biased garbage- this is truly one of the greatest video games ever crafted.    … Expand
  12. saltyponiesgo
    Feb 19, 2016
    10
    Do you like hard games that are strategic? Look no further this game is for you. You will get dozens upon dozens of hours on content out of this games. Its perfect for people on a budget that could only afford a handful of games a year. Thhis game will eat up your time. Perfect distraction for when on the go.
  13. Metaru
    Feb 22, 2016
    9
    Fire Emblem Fates is the last title released for Nintendo's handheld console, Nintendo 3DS. In this 14th installment of the saga Fire Emblem wide tells of a war between two kingdoms Hoshido & Nohr in which a young prince called Corrin (or any other name depending on who plays him) tried to stop anyway, but should be decided between one of the two ways, defend "Hoshido" or fight withFire Emblem Fates is the last title released for Nintendo's handheld console, Nintendo 3DS. In this 14th installment of the saga Fire Emblem wide tells of a war between two kingdoms Hoshido & Nohr in which a young prince called Corrin (or any other name depending on who plays him) tried to stop anyway, but should be decided between one of the two ways, defend "Hoshido" or fight with "Nohr". Once coming into play we see that tells the story of Corrin, born in "Hoshido" and was kidnapped & raised by the royal family of Nohr, as chapters advances reveal more of the past of Corrin and the true intentions of king Garon, the tragic events in Hoshido and the beginning of the war in this part of the decision begins to take our destiny in one of the two kingdoms. I am going to focus more on Nohr is the Fire Emblem Fates: Conquest.
    Conquest is the way which will test for the most challenging and the most veteran of the Fire Emblem series, we reduce the amount of money and the amount of experience, to take the path of Nohr, our main objective is to conquer hoshido, through various places, to know more about the Yato, discovering the truths of those who accompany us in our adventure, there is no doubt that history shows us how Nohr Corrin and brothers Nohr to conquer Hoshido & stop this war.
    The game itself is quite good, nicely renovated 3D models, much better 3D environments of the awakening, but in the case of the voices are more or less, the Japanese version is noted more work than the North American version some voices they fit and expressions are not the astonishment of many people and in the case of the mini-game, in personal opinion it seems silly that NOA did when locating the game, after the controversy and censorship came only sufficient enough to change dialogues, in addition to not put the audio from the Japanese version among other more, if I had tried harder had given him the note "10" but that "10" will be the Japanese version, the North American receives a "9" .    … Expand
  14. Rtheom
    Feb 21, 2016
    8
    People aren't kidding when they say Conquest is unforgiving. It's the first time I've ever had to drop a difficulty level in a Fire Emblem game. If you want something more like Awakening, go get Birthright. If you're looking to hate life for a little while, get Conquest.

    Overall, a good game, but I'd say overall Awakening was better. If you have played Awakening, get Birthright, then    People aren't kidding when they say Conquest is unforgiving. It's the first time I've ever had to drop a difficulty level in a Fire Emblem game. If you want something more like Awakening, go get Birthright. If you're looking to hate life for a little while, get Conquest.

    Overall, a good game, but I'd say overall Awakening was better. If you have played Awakening, get Birthright, then this. If you haven't played Awakening, go find a used copy of it first/instead.    … Expand
  15. VonSeux
    Feb 19, 2016
    9
    Fates is the New Fire Emblem game that come to us as the accomplishment of everything this franchise fought to be; a big, epic game, on the path of Shinning Force III it also offers 3 full-blow scenarios, that might seem like milking too much, but's actually a game with so much beef that can last you a whole year. In Conquest you play as the "villains" on a harder path. The new classes,Fates is the New Fire Emblem game that come to us as the accomplishment of everything this franchise fought to be; a big, epic game, on the path of Shinning Force III it also offers 3 full-blow scenarios, that might seem like milking too much, but's actually a game with so much beef that can last you a whole year. In Conquest you play as the "villains" on a harder path. The new classes, maps and gimmicks will keep your FE heart beating fast.… Expand
  16. LoneWolfSones
    Feb 23, 2016
    9
    Fire Emblem Fates: Conquest is a worthy followup to the critically acclaimed Fire Emblem Awakening. It needs to be said however that Conquest is designed to be more difficult. If you want a challenge? Conquest will test even the most seasoned FE fans.

    It needs to be said that FE:Fate's presentation is top notch. The cutscenes and character animations are well done. The character models    Fire Emblem Fates: Conquest is a worthy followup to the critically acclaimed Fire Emblem Awakening. It needs to be said however that Conquest is designed to be more difficult. If you want a challenge? Conquest will test even the most seasoned FE fans.

    It needs to be said that FE:Fate's presentation is top notch. The cutscenes and character animations are well done. The character models themselves actually have feet! In areas like my castle you can tap the L shoulder button to zoom down and see your surroundings in 3rd person. In battle the camera shifts from top down to also zoom in on your surrounding terrain.

    Conquests' story can be best described as siding with your adopted family the Nohr empire. Birthright on the other hand has you siding with your blood relation of the Hoshido. But as any Fire Emblem vet can tell you; its a bit more nuanced than that. Birthright and Conquest essentially start the same. At mission 5 you will then branch off into that version's storyline. Birthright is the easier more accessible version. It allows you to grind and fight random battles to build up your party. Conquest on the other had requires careful thought and planning to succeed.

    Fates introduces some new mechanics that shake up some classic Fire Emblem staples. Weapons no longer take durability damage (aside from staves and rods). The map can be altered using what are called Dragon veins. These spots can create bridges, level mountains and more.

    The game also introduces a new area called My Castle. You can build buildings such as shops, mess hall, fishing pond and more. These often offer items that you can use in a number of ways. In my castle you can also invite party members to your private quarters to boost your relationship. The dating sim elements of Awakening have been expanded here in that once you marry you will have new options within your private quarters. You may also have to use the stylus to wake your significant other for instance.

    My castle also has a little bit of online multiplayer in it that allows you to siege other player's castles and defend your own as well.

    Its advisable to play Birthright first followed by Conquest and then Revelation. Buying physical copies of both is essentially a waste of money because you get the others at a cheaper price as a download once you own one version.

    Overall Conquest is an excellent part in one of the most expansive Fire Emblem tales to date.    … Expand
  17. lostinthefacts
    Feb 19, 2016
    10
    This game is hard as fuhhh... Check it out if you like hard games and a fan of this series. If new I would recommend rebirth. Good soundtrack and fun gameplay mechanics. Good character designs.
  18. Rykoupad
    Feb 19, 2016
    10
    Conquest it's way more difficult than its counterpart, Birthright but nonetheless a very satisfying experience. The game it's packed with lots of content such as new classes and maps. Despite the fact i enjoyed my experience with Conquest, it's not a game i would recommend to anyone. Youngers players can frustrate easily due to the ommision of grinding.
  19. BasilZero
    Apr 18, 2021
    9
    Game: Fire Emblem Fates Conquest
    Genre: Strategy RPG
    Developer: Intelligent Systems Publisher: Nintendo System: Nintendo 3DS (3DS) Year of Release: 2016 Length of Playthrough: 56 Hours Total Score: 92/100 Value Score: 9.2/10 • Story: 10/10 • Characters: 10/10 • GamePlay: 9/10 • Graphics: 9/10 • Sound: 7/10 • Music: 8/10 • Length: 10/10 • Replay Value: 9/10 • Player    Game: Fire Emblem Fates Conquest
    Genre: Strategy RPG
    Developer: Intelligent Systems
    Publisher: Nintendo
    System: Nintendo 3DS (3DS)
    Year of Release: 2016
    Length of Playthrough: 56 Hours

    Total Score: 92/100
    Value Score: 9.2/10

    • Story: 10/10
    • Characters: 10/10
    • GamePlay: 9/10
    • Graphics: 9/10
    • Sound: 7/10
    • Music: 8/10
    • Length: 10/10
    • Replay Value: 9/10
    • Player Value: 10/10

    Pros
    +Great story and character interactions
    +Self contained story with a choice that affects characters being available or not
    +Marriage system in tact from Awakening
    +Art and character design as great as Awakening
    +Customizable town system
    +Sidequests available that are free and also from marriages

    Cons
    -Voice acting limited compared to Awakening
    -Full story divided into two other games and as separate DLC
    -No maps to grind for money or exp unless you buy them as DLC

    ---

    Series Scorewise comparison sake

    Fire Emblem Awakening (3DS): 94
    Fire Emblem Fates Birthright (3DS): 93
    Fire Emblem Fates Conquest (3DS): 92
    Fire Emblem Echoes Shadows of Valentia (3DS): 90    … Expand
  20. marvs869
    Mar 11, 2017
    9
    I love this game because of the fact that it returned to its roots in regards to the challenges of each chapter. Chapters usually have a gimmick to gives an advantage/disadvantage to the players but this isn't apparent in Conquest. I was especially surprised in Chapter 10 which required you to defend the line for a number of turn.
    Gameplay is a 10, however Story is a sad 6 for me and    I love this game because of the fact that it returned to its roots in regards to the challenges of each chapter. Chapters usually have a gimmick to gives an advantage/disadvantage to the players but this isn't apparent in Conquest. I was especially surprised in Chapter 10 which required you to defend the line for a number of turn.
    Gameplay is a 10, however Story is a sad 6 for me and everything else like characters, QoL improvements eventually led me to a9    … Expand
  21. Rstiles7
    Apr 17, 2017
    8
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This is probably the game that I seem to have the most mixed opinions on. While I can say with no doubt in my mind that Conquest is an excellent game, there are most certainly quite a few problems with the game. First off and most important: the story. I'm not going to beat around the bush here, I'm just going to say it: the story sucks. The main villain, King Garon, is the most one-dimensional villain in the entire franchise, as he is basically evil for the purpose of being evil and no other reason. Also, there are no interesting plot twists to give the story variety, and even when a plot twist shows up it is executed terribly. For example, when Takumi shows up out of nowhere as the final boss of the game it is played out horribly and feels very anticlimactic. The story is nothing but a predictable, boring mess that desperately needs rewriting. Another major problem is the all-out broken RNG system of Fates. What I mean by this is that the hit percentages in this game always seem to go against you in every way possible, as I have had units miss with a 99% chance of hitting and had enemy units hit with just a 10% chance of hitting. It gets insanely frustrating and eliminates any fun real fast. Alright, now lets talk about the good parts, as there are definitely a lot. First off and most important, Conquest introduces some really fun and interesting gameplay elements that help to bring in quite a bit of variety, such as the dragon veins and greater involvement that the units can have within the maps. Speaking of which, Conquest has some really excellent level design with maps that feel very open-ended and free roam, like chapters 8, 11, 13, and 22. As far as the characters go, Conquest did introduce some great new characters, including Odin, Leo, Keaton, and Camilla, though there are some characters that are pretty lackluster. Well, in conclusion, even though it is flawed, Fire Emblem Fates Conquest is a really great entry into the franchise that all long time veterans of and maybe even newcomers to the Fire Emblem franchise should give a try.… Expand
  22. Wake_loms
    Apr 27, 2017
    9
    Despues de cambiar la formula en aweakaning, Fire emblem fates es una entrega que la toma y la mejora exibiendo una jugabilidad muy enriquesida en base a los mapas, esto, una historia increible y todos los elementos que hacen que te enarmores de un FE, mas una interaccion online muchisimo mejor que en la entrega anterior de la franquisia
  23. XV_
    Aug 5, 2018
    9
    I like that Conquest doesn't f*ck around, from beginning to end it offers you a thrilling and challenging experience where a simple bad choice can lead you to say goodbye to your favorite unite or waifu if your'e in that kind of thing or even restart your game from zero. The music if not amazing is really good and as any FE game it has a ton of characters that are interesting for the mostI like that Conquest doesn't f*ck around, from beginning to end it offers you a thrilling and challenging experience where a simple bad choice can lead you to say goodbye to your favorite unite or waifu if your'e in that kind of thing or even restart your game from zero. The music if not amazing is really good and as any FE game it has a ton of characters that are interesting for the most part, the game play is brutal and you can't grind so you better choose a balanced team and stick with them till the end or be like me and use everyone and suffer from that. The thing is that the story and that was my only issue also with FE Awakening, at least for me doesn't match the heights of the game play or the characters it has, it feels so generic that you see everything coming from miles away, also the English dub is not that bad because there are a lot of lines but is kinda annoying and you can't switch it to Japanese. In the end Conquest offers a pretty solid game play and solid experience that puts you in the shoes of an strategist, if only the story was at least a little more original and interesting this game could be a masterpiece.… Expand
  24. ArcanaThe4th
    May 28, 2019
    8
    i'm not a long time fan of the series, so I haven't really felt the heavy disappointment some of them did, but I was always a fan of the strategic gameplay of Fire Emblem and I was glad to play this particular game. it was engaging and interesting as far as gameplay and some of the character relationships go, though I'll say, a lot of characters, especially the main one, leave things to bei'm not a long time fan of the series, so I haven't really felt the heavy disappointment some of them did, but I was always a fan of the strategic gameplay of Fire Emblem and I was glad to play this particular game. it was engaging and interesting as far as gameplay and some of the character relationships go, though I'll say, a lot of characters, especially the main one, leave things to be desired, and they come off pretty Mary Sue-ish, but the feel of the game and the challenges it present aren't half bad and I had quite a lot of fun playing through it. i was still sold on the addition of same sex relationships and I hope Fire Emblem will keep doing that because Niles' romance was amazing.… Expand
  25. Fenny86
    Mar 7, 2016
    9
    First off, my rating of the game is under the condition by which I had no knowledge of the censorship in the content released in the Japanese release. I am rating the game as it is.

    Let's not assume that the censorship is a product of Nintendo thinking Western consumers are "stupid" as some other user reviews have suggested. Rather, the rating of the game would have been Mature based    First off, my rating of the game is under the condition by which I had no knowledge of the censorship in the content released in the Japanese release. I am rating the game as it is.

    Let's not assume that the censorship is a product of Nintendo thinking Western consumers are "stupid" as some other user reviews have suggested.

    Rather, the rating of the game would have been Mature based on the judgement of the ESRB. As such, though Nintendo decided to make changes on its own accord, there is a cultural coercion through capitalistic punishment (Mature rating) which would negatively impact game sales. Since, the target audience is ages 10-30+. Is it really Nintendo's fault that they would like to make games that a wide audience will be able to purchase? If anything we need to be critiquing the ESRB and American culture more generally with respect to social conservatism. The same has been said for movies which are coerced through ratings biases (same-sex relations,

    As a standalone game, this is by far my favorite 3DS game, ever slightly positioned above Fire Emblem: Awakening, Pokemon XY, Bravely Default, and Zelda: Link Between Worlds. All of these games are in the 9 range.

    Of course, I would have liked to see additions of the bonding, dialogue, and DLC, but without this knowledge I thoroughly enjoyed this game.

    New Mechanics:

    Weapons do not break
    Castle customization
    Online castle battles
    Greater customization of clothing
    New seals (partner, offspring, heart seals)
    Higher difficulty!
    Same-sex Marriage (Disappointed with lack of adoption or surrogate choices though!)

    Storyline:
    I am usually left a bit underwhelmed with the gravity of death and strains on characters' relationships in RPGs. However, The cut-scene in which the player must turn his or her back onto one of his families gives at least some sense of realistic anxiety and gravity to the story-line. Therefore, the story feels more compelling, thrilling, and satisfying as a true ROLE playing game.

    The character designs and personalities are MOSTLY good.

    Favorites (conquest)
    Camilla!!!!!!!

    And Xander, Elise, Corrin, Leo, Azura, Niles, Peri, Kaze, Effie, Arthur, Felicia, and Charlotte.

    Some characters were a bit underwhelming like Silas and Nyx. But, then again, there are plenty enough characters to build a team with.

    This game is just hands down the best on the 3ds, and likely to be one of my favorite games of all time. With that said little flaws would deduct .5 points off the 10/10 rating, plus the bit of censorship (which has been overstated, though it is justifiably disappointing).

    I will give this a 9/10.

    I honestly don't know any game that deserves a 10...maybe PM: TTYD, GTA:V, or Mario RPG?    … Expand
  26. FWordFizz
    Mar 7, 2016
    9
    It's really good. It's the classic Fire Emblem formula polished up with a few new shiny wheels, but everything you liked about the old games comes back. The characters are interesting enough to keep you occupied and the story is goofy (you essentially take a temp job for Satan while no one, including Satan himself, ever expected you to be working for him) but interesting enough to keep youIt's really good. It's the classic Fire Emblem formula polished up with a few new shiny wheels, but everything you liked about the old games comes back. The characters are interesting enough to keep you occupied and the story is goofy (you essentially take a temp job for Satan while no one, including Satan himself, ever expected you to be working for him) but interesting enough to keep you playing til the end. I know it got a well deserved beating for being heavily "Localized" (read censored) but it still holds up as a game, even if a more direct translation would have been better or whatever. Still worth your time and attention.… Expand
  27. Nodke
    Mar 7, 2016
    8
    Fire Emblem Conquest dissapoints with a abudance of features that have no use in the game such as the Capture command being useless such as any character worth capturing is killed by the story for no reason even if they are not your enemy an Incomplete story unless you purchase revelations the game ends with your avatar simply wondering why this why that and no explanation whatsoever ifFire Emblem Conquest dissapoints with a abudance of features that have no use in the game such as the Capture command being useless such as any character worth capturing is killed by the story for no reason even if they are not your enemy an Incomplete story unless you purchase revelations the game ends with your avatar simply wondering why this why that and no explanation whatsoever if you wish to play FireEmblem Fates Buy FireEmblem Revelations, Revelations Shows you more of the Fates universe by chapter 7 than both BirthRight and Conquest by End Game Ch27.
    In the end this game is incomplete and your payng for half or even less than that worth of story and enjoyment if you purchase this game without the DLC.
    Good Money Steal Nintendo Good Money Steal    … Expand
  28. kyle_hyde
    Mar 27, 2016
    10
    Even if this game has some content removed, this is easily one of the best 3DS of all time, even better than Awakening. the core elements that make fire emblem a great series are there, the gameplay is awesome, the difficult is more than welcome, I want to be challenged and this game gave me than challenge. The Nohr folks are funnier than the Hoshido Folks, certainly the european settingsEven if this game has some content removed, this is easily one of the best 3DS of all time, even better than Awakening. the core elements that make fire emblem a great series are there, the gameplay is awesome, the difficult is more than welcome, I want to be challenged and this game gave me than challenge. The Nohr folks are funnier than the Hoshido Folks, certainly the european settings are more fitting to the series. Don't let the nerdrage fool you, this is a must have for the 3ds… Expand
  29. iipotato
    Mar 28, 2016
    9
    I'm really taken aback by the user score, 6.8? I feel that this game deserves a much higher score!
    To clear anything up, I must say that I have only played Awakening before this game.
    Conquest was my first game out of the three in Fates, and I will not lie that there is a slight difficulty. However, the many reviews stating that Conquest is immensely difficult is a major exaggeration.    I'm really taken aback by the user score, 6.8? I feel that this game deserves a much higher score!
    To clear anything up, I must say that I have only played Awakening before this game.

    Conquest was my first game out of the three in Fates, and I will not lie that there is a slight difficulty. However, the many reviews stating that Conquest is immensely difficult is a major exaggeration. What I adore about Conquest is that it really DOES push you to think critically and precisely about your movements in battle in order to receive the best results. It is true that this game does not allow you to grind extra levels on the world map, so it is very crucial that you fight as much as you can on the chapter and paralogues. There are many cases in which enemies will keep spawning if you do not rout the boss, so I have no qualm about the absence of extra map battles.

    The My Castle map is a nice addition to the game, because it gives you more ways to grow attached to and understand your units. Your units run the shops, and some may even give discounts depending on who they are. There are things for entertainment, such as the arena or the hot springs, in which your units will have friendly conversations and banter with one another. The My Castle definitely brings the characters more to life--I feel like the characters are much more interesting than most of the Awakening characters. They all have these little quirks that stand out.

    The story is also very solid, and I think that the creators have done a great job at slowly building up the tension and drama as each chapter goes on. There are only 27 chapters, but there is just so much to take in. However, the things you have to take in is very spread out. So don't worry about becoming lost on the storyline.

    Censoring--oh man, that's such a trivial topic. It's only something that bothers you if you've paid so much attention to it before even receiving the game. I don't believe that the censorship has decreased value in gameplay. You'll still end up with over 40+ hours of gameplay, and there's still fun features that allow you to know the characters more. You don't necessarily need the ability to pet your units..or anything for that matter.

    So don't pass up this game. It's really worth it.    … Expand
  30. Twin2712
    Jul 1, 2016
    9
    + Great difficulty level with some amazing level design, its always fair and rewards tactical thinking, and turning off perma death is great for new players
    + watching your units relationships with eachother develop is rewarding and fun
    + Replay value, you can play through any of the campaigns again and have a new experience by favouring different units, trying out different romance    + Great difficulty level with some amazing level design, its always fair and rewards tactical thinking, and turning off perma death is great for new players
    + watching your units relationships with eachother develop is rewarding and fun
    + Replay value, you can play through any of the campaigns again and have a new experience by favouring different units, trying out different romance paths or upgrading units to different classes
    + Emotional story with believable characters...

    - ...Even if the dialogue is stilted at times    … Expand
  31. opinionman6
    Apr 8, 2016
    8
    I love Fire emblem, I love a challenge, you would think I enjoyed Conquest more than Birthright, you're wrong. While Birthright was too easy, Conquest got way too hard way too fast. Don't get me wrong, challenge is a great thing to have in video games, but i felt that it was hard for the wrong reasons. Still worth a purchase though.
  32. iMustang
    Mar 26, 2019
    9
    I honestly loved it even more than Birthright. While Birthright told a more straightforward story, Conquest's story was not only more emotional, it was also filled with characters that were much more colorful and fun that I found myself getting much more attached to. And because I played Birthright first, certain scenes were REALLY emotional (some of you know the ones). The levels wereI honestly loved it even more than Birthright. While Birthright told a more straightforward story, Conquest's story was not only more emotional, it was also filled with characters that were much more colorful and fun that I found myself getting much more attached to. And because I played Birthright first, certain scenes were REALLY emotional (some of you know the ones). The levels were also more fun and challenging, which made the whole experience of beating them more rewarding. Overall this was just the better game of the two, and I loved it a lot, even if it broke my heart several times.… Expand
  33. elyse14
    Mar 23, 2016
    9
    Great game, one of my favorites for the 3ds at the moment. I was interested in this path because of the gameplay, and it is in fact really good! Fun game, makes you think. The game is not "too hard" as some people claim it to be. If you're having trouble, just accept it and lower the difficulty. My only complaint is the story, which is bad, I have to admit, but I don't really play the gameGreat game, one of my favorites for the 3ds at the moment. I was interested in this path because of the gameplay, and it is in fact really good! Fun game, makes you think. The game is not "too hard" as some people claim it to be. If you're having trouble, just accept it and lower the difficulty. My only complaint is the story, which is bad, I have to admit, but I don't really play the game for the story, so I don't really care.… Expand
  34. DanHazy
    Apr 7, 2016
    9
    Concept: Build your team from a big selection of recruits and strategically win battles on a grid based battlefield. 

    Story: The story is about what any Fire Emblem fan would expect meaning it's not on Final Fantasy's standards but it still has some good moments thrown in. Graphics: The graphics have been slightly improved since the last Fire Emblem title but there are some frame    Concept: Build your team from a big selection of recruits and strategically win battles on a grid based battlefield. 

    Story: The story is about what any Fire Emblem fan would expect meaning it's not on Final Fantasy's standards but it still has some good moments thrown in.

    Graphics: The graphics have been slightly improved since the last Fire Emblem title but there are some frame rate issues during the battle scenes. The cg's look incredible but there aren't many. 

    Voice acting:: Voice acting is good meaning every voice fits each character,  but there is so little of it. I'd say only about five to ten percent of the dialogue is voiced. 

    Gameplay: This is where Fire Emblem shines and the this latest entry doesn't let us down. I'll delve more into this further down in this. 

    Gameplay time: If you  only intend to play one path, you can expect twenty five hours of gameplay time. If you intend to play all three, expect seventy five hours of gameplay time. Each path is about twenty five hours long. 

    Music: Fire Emblem Fates had the best music that has been in any Fire Emblem game to date. It is all instrumental type songs with the exception of one vocalized song. Most of the music has a medieval feel. 

    In depth review 

    From the first Fire Emblem game to be released in the U.S. to Fire Emblem Fates, the Fire Emblem games have constantly evolved. These games have stretched from the Gameboy Advance console to the Nintendo 3ds, with the Gamecube, Wii, and Nintendo ds having their own Fire Emblem titles as well. Unfortunately, the series had been experiencing declining sales which had destined Fire Emblem Awakening to be the final Fire Emblem game to ever be made. However, Awakening garnered an astonishing amount of sales which has led Intelligent Systems to make another game entitled Fire Emblem Fates. So let's us continue with this review and see what Intelligent Systems has brought to us with Fire Emblem Fates. 

    The gameplay has always been what Fire Emblem fans love most and Fates will give fans an extraordinary amount of gameplay time. With three paths to play, Fates will keep gamers busy for quite some time. The gameplay itself has changed since Awakening. One of these changes is a castle that you can build an arena, armory, and other helpful building on. You can also battle other players castles wirelessly, which grants various benefits upon victory. 

    Another newly added element concerns weapon durability. Remember how you would constantly have to change out weapons when durability ran low in Awakening, well give that a friendly wave goodbye. The weapons in Fates have no durability and can also be forged together to create a slightly more powerful weapon. Staves and healing items still have durability in Fates though. 

    The three paths differ in several ways. I'll list the most important points of each path here. Conquest is the most difficult path as there is no way to earn experience points outside the story missions and paralogues, which means you have to be careful to not let your higher level recruits steal all the exp points as the higher the level the recruit, the less exp obtained. Birthright is the easiest of the three as you can level up on levels outside the campaign. Revelations difficulty is in between Conquest and Birthright. This path essentially combines the other two which means players get every recruit from both of the other paths. This is considered to be the final path and should only be played after playing both Conquest and Birthright. 

    The gameplay consist of choosing a team of your favorite recruits and battling on a grid based battlefield. There is much strategy involved as certain recruits have weaknesses, recruits can be paired up for a stat boost, and certain weapons fare better against others. New classes have been added to the mix including ninjas ,maids, and samurais. Ninja's can debuff the enemy which comes in quiet handy on boss fights. Leveling up recruits to level ten or above allows the recruit to change into an advance class. The player will have two classes to choose from when changing class, each with their unique qualities. 

    There are some problems with this game including the customization of the main character, and the penalty you face if you decide to marry your main character to someone of the same gender.. The customization is very minimal which makes it hard to create the character you want. Marrying someone of the same gender will knock you out of a recruit because your main character won't be able to have a child with that recruit. 

    Closing comments: This is a game I would reccomend to anyone from child to adult. Buying the game and the two additional paths will cost about eighty dollars but you get enough playtime to make it worthwhile. 

    That wraps this review up, hope it helps.     … Expand
  35. CallMeKevin
    May 8, 2016
    9
    The game has some flaws like the awkward missions and sudden spikes in difficulty (Ch. 10 for example). Aside from that, the game is great. Though, I do prefer Birthright over Conquest.
  36. Invader9
    Jul 9, 2018
    10
    In case you're wondering, yes I have played " Birthright " as well and...it was alright, a little too easy for me but not bad. With that out of the way, let's talk about " Conquest " . This game is amazing! In fact, I'd even say that it became one of my new favorite video-games of all-time. The story follows your avatar ( Corrin ) who was raised in the kingdom of Nohr, ruled by King Garon.In case you're wondering, yes I have played " Birthright " as well and...it was alright, a little too easy for me but not bad. With that out of the way, let's talk about " Conquest " . This game is amazing! In fact, I'd even say that it became one of my new favorite video-games of all-time. The story follows your avatar ( Corrin ) who was raised in the kingdom of Nohr, ruled by King Garon. After a while, you run into the Hoshidans, who claim to be your birth family. It's up to you to make the ultimate choice, fight with your birth family, or side with the Nohrians who have raised and loved you for years. This game has a decent storyline that is very heart-felt. The game is one of the few games to actually pull at my heartstrings and make me tear up. The gameplay is great, it's easy to get the hang of and it is very addictive. Unlike the missions in " Birthright " ( rout the enemy or defeat the boss ) the missions in this one are very unique and they don't make the game feel repetitive ( defend the area, escape with all units, defeat all bosses in 20 turns, etc. ). The soundtrack is flawless ! It fits the tone of the game perfectly and they are very pleasing to listen to ( " Lost in thoughts all alone " is one of the best songs I've heard in a game. ). So overall, this game is a masterpiece. I can't think of one thing I had a problem with ( despite some plot-points I won't spoil. ). This game is smart, well-crafted, emotional, and highly addictive. One of the few times I would call a game perfect. 10/10… Expand
  37. ricklongo
    Apr 21, 2016
    9
    Following the success of Fire Emblem: Awakening in finally making Nintendo's storied strategy series popular in a large scale, it was inevitable that we'd get more Fire Emblem action on 3DS. This came true in the form of Fire Emblem Fates, an exciting follow-up that keeps a lot of what made Awakening great and brings its own new ideas to the fold.

    To further help capturing a more    Following the success of Fire Emblem: Awakening in finally making Nintendo's storied strategy series popular in a large scale, it was inevitable that we'd get more Fire Emblem action on 3DS. This came true in the form of Fire Emblem Fates, an exciting follow-up that keeps a lot of what made Awakening great and brings its own new ideas to the fold.

    To further help capturing a more 'casual' audience while keeping hardcore fans happy, FE Fates was initially released as two separate games: Birthright, tailored to be more forgiving and simple, and Conquest, which features harder and more intricate objectives. I chose the latter, as the unforgiving aspect is what made me connect with the series in the first place.

    While this Pokémon-like release could be seen as a cash-grab, it does make sense in that both games feature completely different campaigns, each with its own recruitable characters. No matter which one you choose, you can get the other as downloadable content for a fraction of the price, which is a nice touch. There's also a third game, called Revelations, which was released exclusively as DLC and works as a mixture of Birthright and Conquest. Bottom line: there's plenty here to sink your time in, provided you don't mind paying a bit extra.

    Even if you want to get only one of the games, you won't be wanting for gameplay time: I spent over sixty hours to get to the end of Conquest. The gameplay is classic SRPG, consisting of several separate battles in different maps. As you progress through the game, you unlock more and more characters to add to your army, and it's loads of fun to fine-tune each of them with different classes, weapons and stat-boosting items.

    As usual, the game features permadeath, meaning that dead characters stay dead. This can be turned off, but in my opinion doing so undermines the emotional connection and the battle tension that make the series so great. There are also several difficulty options, which can be toned down (but not up) at any time during the campaign, meaning the game definitely finds a nice middle ground when it comes to accessibility.

    A returning feature from Awakening is the ability to make children. By making characters fight alongside each other, you can boost their relationship, which can eventually lead to marriage. Doing so will generate children, who can then join your army. The fact that each child inherits abilities from both parents is a great way to try and 'engineer' perfect characters, adding to the strategic depth. It's a bit awkward, from a storytelling standpoint, how children can immediately join the fray; in Awakening, this was explained by time travel, but Fates makes such a mess out of its own explanation that it's better to just ignore it.

    Speaking of which, this has to be said: the story in the game is the one element that is veritably atrocious. Awakening didn't exactly feature stellar writing either, but here things get taken to another level entirely. Several plot points are so incredibly convoluted as to stop making sense altogether, along with drab dialogue that made me wish the game spent less time trying to establish the tale before each battle.

    Luckily, there's one new feature that's great, and it's called My Castle. In it, your army gets to sit back at your own custom castle in between battles, where you get to walk around, build structures, harvest crops, buy items, and partake in several small activities. You also get to fight online against other player's armies, either by visiting their castle or having them visit yours. This is not really online multiplayer, as the armies are computer-controlled, but it's still loads of fun. All in all, this is a great addition to the series that can be exponentially expanded upon in future entries.

    Even though it's not as groundbreaking as Awakening before it, Fire Emblem Fates nevertheless carries the series's torch more than admirably. Being in fact three different games, it potentially offers even more playtime than usual for the franchise, while still making you feel quite satisfied if you only want to go through one of the adevntures. Just choose your path and let the fun begin.

    Rating: 9.0    … Expand
  38. ZHR
    Jul 28, 2016
    8
    The game is a fun tactical RPG with fun levels, great difficulty and a pretty good story. However, their are some negative things about the game as well, such as the limited levels. I know that Nintendo wanted to make the game hard by providing limited opportunities for exp, but the problem with that is that unlike Awakening, their are barley any paralogues beside Mozu's and the children.The game is a fun tactical RPG with fun levels, great difficulty and a pretty good story. However, their are some negative things about the game as well, such as the limited levels. I know that Nintendo wanted to make the game hard by providing limited opportunities for exp, but the problem with that is that unlike Awakening, their are barley any paralogues beside Mozu's and the children. And besides Mozu's level, most of them have high level enemies, making it extremely hard to level up your low level characters. Also, a lot of things about the plot don't make sense unless you play Revelations and/or the DLC, like Azura vanishing at the end. But those little things, I believe, don't matter when the rest of the game is so good. The game isn't perfect, but still good enough to be one of my favorites.… Expand
  39. rodericrinehart
    Jul 10, 2016
    10
    Fire Emblem is definitely one of my top 5 franchises ever, and I think superior to XCOM as the best turn-based tactical strategy game, and with far better story and character development on top of better tactics. Conquest is the more difficult of the three and will demand your attention and caution, even on normal difficulty. It expands and improves on everything in Awakening and keeps allFire Emblem is definitely one of my top 5 franchises ever, and I think superior to XCOM as the best turn-based tactical strategy game, and with far better story and character development on top of better tactics. Conquest is the more difficult of the three and will demand your attention and caution, even on normal difficulty. It expands and improves on everything in Awakening and keeps all the good stuff, exactly what a sequel in a long-running game series should do. I really hope they make amiibo for the top 5-6 characters from the trilogy. I would buy them all!… Expand
  40. Gwyndolin
    May 31, 2016
    9
    I don't really get all the hate for this game.

    Gameplay wise this is a step up from Awakening. The story is bad but it's not like Awakening was much better. Character banter is still entertaining. My Castle is a great feature for casuals like me. I don't really get the feeling that I'm only getting half or 1/3rd of a game either. This game lasted me almost 90 hours. And that's just    I don't really get all the hate for this game.

    Gameplay wise this is a step up from Awakening. The story is bad but it's not like Awakening was much better. Character banter is still entertaining. My Castle is a great feature for casuals like me.

    I don't really get the feeling that I'm only getting half or 1/3rd of a game either. This game lasted me almost 90 hours. And that's just playing on Hard/Casual (No death run of course but that's nothing to brag about when you can manipulate RNG to an extent by using Battle Save)....hardcore FE players probably log hundreds of hours retrying maps on Lunatic/Classic.    … Expand
  41. lambor
    Aug 8, 2016
    9
    A great game, I have sunk so many hours into this that I can't even complain that it made me buy the optional alternate paths and DLC as even including those into the cost, it has still been great value. I prefer the characters in this to Birthright and there was more variety in the missions making this the better game but I would recommend playing Birthright first as inevitably you'llA great game, I have sunk so many hours into this that I can't even complain that it made me buy the optional alternate paths and DLC as even including those into the cost, it has still been great value. I prefer the characters in this to Birthright and there was more variety in the missions making this the better game but I would recommend playing Birthright first as inevitably you'll want to see the story from that side and it serves as a good warm up.
    Conquest is hard, even on it's lowest difficulty. I have no idea how people defeat it in hardcore mode.    … Expand
  42. nonchalantgamer
    Jun 26, 2016
    8
    Fire Emblem Fates: Birthright is a great game with tactile combat, and a great campaign.

    First off is the combat which is focused on strategic movements, and combining different abilities/characters to give you the advantage. This system allows for challenging moments, and interesting situations, although after awhile it can get tedious. what is a pleasure is being able to upgrade your    Fire Emblem Fates: Birthright is a great game with tactile combat, and a great campaign.

    First off is the combat which is focused on strategic movements, and combining different abilities/characters to give you the advantage. This system allows for challenging moments, and interesting situations, although after awhile it can get tedious. what is a pleasure is being able to upgrade your base throughout the game, and level up your character, and his relationships with others, which in turn boosts your skills on the battlefield. This is one of the best blends of story, and gameplay, that feels organic.

    The best part of Fire Emblem is the story, and more importantly, the characters. They evolve throughout the game, and stay with you throughout combat making your relationships with them by the end feel meaningful, and the way the story comes to a conclusion is satisfying. The way the characters pull the story up is what makes this a truly great game.

    The visuals are solid for a 3DS title, and the cut scenes, although brief, are gorgeous, and done well. Throughout the game I didn't experience any glitches, or any technical issues.

    Overall Fire Emblem Fates: Birthright is a fun game that blends Characters, and combat in a satisfying way, with a story that has a great ending.    … Expand
  43. DocMortensen
    Jun 17, 2016
    8
    After having finished hard/classic heres my review (took me a while, this game kicked my behind.... in a good way) :

    Gameplay (10/10) This is where this game really shines. If you were dissapointed with the last entry to the series (FE:Awakening), because maps almost everytime consisted of large enemy groups bum rushing your team, you will be glad to hear, this is almost non-existant    After having finished hard/classic heres my review (took me a while, this game kicked my behind.... in a good way) :

    Gameplay (10/10)

    This is where this game really shines. If you were dissapointed with the last entry to the series (FE:Awakening), because maps almost everytime consisted of large enemy groups bum rushing your team, you will be glad to hear, this is almost non-existant in FE:Conquest. Many maps feature unique elements like Dragonveins (new to the series) that some of your Units can exploit to alter the Battlefield to your advantage. One change i really liked is the introduction of personal Skills, which give each unit a special quirk that is exclusive to them. While not gamechanging on their own, they help to let your units feel unique and very often underline the units personality. A great Addition to the series is the My Castle feature, that lets you build your own stronghold with shops and various other buildings and contraptions, that doubles as a map, other players can challenge your squad in during online play.

    Note because of Censorship: In the western version some additional features like Skinship, a mini game that allowed to "touch" your armies units in your mainbase has been almost completely been cut (The exception being the unit you chose to marry). While some may take offense with this, i personally didnt feel like sth. of value was lost. On the contrary i would prefer IS would steer away from the heavy fanservice that is in the game at times. While its not overwhelmingly present like in Agarest for example it sure is notable (Your units still can have children, but its non sensical in the way its implemented.... because maigc... ill get to that later)

    Also: Higher Difficulties offer a higher challenge and nevery truly feel cheap like in awakening. A nice step forward !

    Music (9/10)

    Although the iconic Fire Emblem main theme is notably absent, the Soundtrack is definitely fit to stand on its own. Especially during the later chapters the tension it creates during critical plotpoints is a joy to listen to. Consider using some earphones for an even better experience.

    Story (5/10)

    Why not 10 points, while my overall review is overwhelmingly positive ? Well... The main plot is where things start to feel sloppy. While the support conversations are very good and offer many self-contained sidestories, the overarching story falls flat on many levels. Without wanting to spoil anything beforehand (since you should definitely expirience the game yourself), here are my main gripes with the story:

    - Corrin (your self created avatar) is one of the worst examples of a Mary Sue/Gary Stu i've come across in a game. Why? For once, almost everyone you met in the game outright trusts you or is helplessly in love with you (Camilla/Felicia i.e.). Theres even a major reveal/twist about your Character in chapter 5 that is never spoken of again during the whole campaign, while it certainly should.

    - The usage of "Blood Pact" like elements, a plot elemented introduced in FE:Radiant Dawn, that let major characters act in irrational ways because.... magic. Please IS... coming up with something like this is ONLY ok, if you either use them VERY sparingly or if they are fleshed out. In Conquest i repeatedly hit my head on a table because the explanations of many major actions that strongly influence the direction of the story was.... magic.

    - The cheap deaths of some characters. Yes, the game takes place in a war after all, but the amount of seemingly random deaths or deaths that occur because characters throw themselves in front of corrin is comically high. Also, why IS didnt have the Balls to show an execution that takes place after a mission is beyond me (besides maybe the fear of maintaining a low PEGI rating. However Radiant Dawn almost had a hanging and still got 12... so yeah....)

    Summary: If you can look over the (at times) weak Story you shouldn't pass this one up. The strategic gameplay is still here and more fun than ever. If you look for a good challenge, definitely play on classic where lost units stay dead. (Sadly, some of my units didnt survive the finale, but it made the ending so much more meaningful. Having had to sacrifice units that brought me so far in the game, really underlined the bittersweet ending)

    Note: Since this game is split into 3 parts (Conquest/Birthright/Revelations) some of my criticism about the
    plot may not be waranted, since technically Revelations is the true finale. But ill get to that one later.    … Expand
  44. TearsMacabre
    Aug 1, 2016
    9
    Both Fates games improved on or matched Awakening in the best ways possible. The gameplay was fun - I personally prefer the challenge Conquest provides, but all three routes were enjoyable by themselves. If you're new to the series, Birthright is probably better to wade into.

    The story and characters are what really hit it home for me. I got so attached to many of them, and the story    Both Fates games improved on or matched Awakening in the best ways possible. The gameplay was fun - I personally prefer the challenge Conquest provides, but all three routes were enjoyable by themselves. If you're new to the series, Birthright is probably better to wade into.

    The story and characters are what really hit it home for me. I got so attached to many of them, and the story was great. I played through Conquest first, and when I played through Birthright, I felt so guilty for betraying the Nohrians.

    There weren't quite as many choices as Nintendo was implying, but honestly, I didn't mind. I was too preoccupied by the game itself to notice until I was done playing.    … Expand
  45. madehenrads
    May 12, 2016
    9
    It's like playing Dark Soul the strategy game! One of the main reason Intelligent System decided to divide their game into two version its because Birthright are for beginner and Conquest are for veteran. One wrong moves and its L+R+Start to soft reset the game. I completed on hard difficulty in 40 hours+10 hours of reloading save point.
  46. Lone_Wolf_Sones
    Aug 7, 2016
    9
    Fire Emblem Fates: Conquest is a worthy followup to the critically acclaimed Fire Emblem Awakening. It needs to be said however that Conquest is designed to be more difficult. If you want a challenge? Conquest will test even the most seasoned FE fans.

    It needs to be said that FE:Fate's presentation is top notch. The cutscenes and character animations are well done. The character models    Fire Emblem Fates: Conquest is a worthy followup to the critically acclaimed Fire Emblem Awakening. It needs to be said however that Conquest is designed to be more difficult. If you want a challenge? Conquest will test even the most seasoned FE fans.

    It needs to be said that FE:Fate's presentation is top notch. The cutscenes and character animations are well done. The character models themselves actually have feet! In areas like my castle you can tap the L shoulder button to zoom down and see your surroundings in 3rd person. In battle the camera shifts from top down to also zoom in on your surrounding terrain.

    Conquests' story can be best described as siding with your adopted family the Nohr empire. Birthright on the other hand has you siding with your blood relation of the Hoshido. But as any Fire Emblem vet can tell you; its a bit more nuanced than that. Birthright and Conquest essentially start the same. At mission 5 you will then branch off into that version's storyline. Birthright is the easier more accessible version. It allows you to grind and fight random battles to build up your party. Conquest on the other had requires careful thought and planning to succeed.

    Fates introduces some new mechanics that shake up some classic Fire Emblem staples. Weapons no longer take durability damage (aside from staves and rods). The map can be altered using what are called Dragon veins. These spots can create bridges, level mountains and more.

    The game also introduces a new area called My Castle. You can build buildings such as shops, mess hall, fishing pond and more. These often offer items that you can use in a number of ways. In my castle you can also invite party members to your private quarters to boost your relationship. The dating sim elements of Awakening have been expanded here in that once you marry you will have new options within your private quarters. You may also have to use the stylus to wake your significant other for instance.

    My castle also has a little bit of online multiplayer in it that allows you to siege other player's castles and defend your own as well.

    Its advisable to play Birthright first followed by Conquest and then Revelation. Buying physical copies of both is essentially a waste of money because you get the others at a cheaper price as a download once you own one version.

    Overall Conquest is an excellent part in one of the most expansive Fire Emblem tales to date.    … Expand
  47. Arturismo
    Dec 12, 2016
    10
    Improves the already incredible Fire Emblem Awakening in the most important aspect it lacked: difficulty. No longer a great game which ends up in the try a quest- fail- farm until you are OP as **** then retry. This time, you really need to play strategic and almost perfect turns in order to advance. That alone will justify the flaws : story and such.
  48. leonardo2360
    Mar 21, 2016
    10
    buen juegoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
  49. cloudskynine
    Apr 19, 2016
    10
    Ignore the bad reviews and hate for the censorship . I played and finished conquest,birthright and revelation. These games are awesome without the sexual pandering.
  50. SNESStarter
    Sep 17, 2016
    10
    Amazing. Incredible. Unmatched. The Fire Emblem series is the greatest strategy game franchise in history and Conquest proves what we already know. It's a step down in quality from Awakening, but even then it is still the game of the year.
  51. Rex2G
    Jul 17, 2016
    10
    This game is practically flawless. The gameplay is excellent, and provides a true challenge on hard/classic mode, as well as a no-grind experience. I couldn't care less about the "censorship" of this game, since I'm not that interested in supports, and the cut minigame feels like a weird waifu stuff, already all too present in the game anyway. But as I said, in my opinion the point of theThis game is practically flawless. The gameplay is excellent, and provides a true challenge on hard/classic mode, as well as a no-grind experience. I couldn't care less about the "censorship" of this game, since I'm not that interested in supports, and the cut minigame feels like a weird waifu stuff, already all too present in the game anyway. But as I said, in my opinion the point of the game is the game itself, which is excellent and probably the best thing that could come to the late years of the 3DS, not the relationships between characters.
    Overall, I'm truly grateful to Nintendo and to Intelligent Systems to have revived those series, even if on handheld, and I hope that we will get more of the same vein in the years to come.    … Expand
  52. DCGamer
    May 23, 2016
    9
    Fire Emblem Fates Conquest is an amazing game in many ways. When it comes to game play, it is some of the best in the series and many of the chapters are great experiences. The challenge is also hard, but fair. One chapter that immediately springs to mind is Chapter 10, in which you have to defend an area for 11 turns, it's tense, keeps you on your toes, and is very rewarding. Also theFire Emblem Fates Conquest is an amazing game in many ways. When it comes to game play, it is some of the best in the series and many of the chapters are great experiences. The challenge is also hard, but fair. One chapter that immediately springs to mind is Chapter 10, in which you have to defend an area for 11 turns, it's tense, keeps you on your toes, and is very rewarding. Also the changes presented to the game play compared to past Fire Emblem titles allow for a more streamlined experience while at the same time presenting new strategies to be considered.

    The presentation is fantastic, with some fantastic music and aesthetically pleasing. The main theme song being a stand out for me.

    However the story is a mixed bag. I've heard people say the story is fantastic, and others say it is the worst story in the series. Though I will commend Conquest for having some great ideas and powerful moments, the execution is sloppy. Many things happen mainly for the sake of convenience, the villains are one-dimensional, and some of the characters are either clueless to certain things or are just contradictory to themselves. Also, Conquest presents a lot of questions which can only be answered if you play the other sides, so if you only plan on playing Conquest, be prepared to have many questions at the end. One could say the same for Birthright or even Revelations, but they for the most part can stand on their own in terms of story better than Conquest can. While I don't think the story is horrible, it definitely could have been better.

    All in all, ignoring nit picks like censorship issues (which shouldn't be taken into consideration in the first place) Conquest offers an experience that is challenging yet rewarding, and I would heavily recommend it on terms of game play, music, graphics, and content alone. However, the story may be a mixed bag due to great ideas but sloppy execution. Once more I also must stress this, Conquest gives a lot of questions that will only be able to be answered if you get the other 2 versions. Otherwise, it is a game I heavily recommend you pick up and try.    … Expand
  53. Dark_Winston
    Mar 21, 2016
    10
    OBVIOUSLY A 10.0!!!!

    A true masterpiece. The talk of localization issues or censorship are overblown. This game has amazing gameplay, aesthetic, story, content, and all around replay value. To those complaining about multiple version; I spent 60+ hours on Conquest alone. They are full games on their own. I will be playing this game for years and years to come, I already know it    OBVIOUSLY A 10.0!!!!

    A true masterpiece. The talk of localization issues or censorship are overblown.

    This game has amazing gameplay, aesthetic, story, content, and all around replay value.

    To those complaining about multiple version; I spent 60+ hours on Conquest alone. They are full games on their own.

    I will be playing this game for years and years to come, I already know it now. The best game to be released in years, these people giving it a 0 for no reason should be getting banned from here for biased reviews and not knowing what they are talking about in the slightest.    … Expand
  54. birdman3
    Oct 7, 2016
    9
    You'll notice the negative reviews due to censorship- while I disagree with the concept of censorship, I'm glad they did it in this case. The scenes that you spend with your spouse are awkward enough as it is- I'm glad that they removed the minigame that was in the Japanese version. It would have been terribly cringe-worthy. I know next to nothing about the missing dialogue (and I canYou'll notice the negative reviews due to censorship- while I disagree with the concept of censorship, I'm glad they did it in this case. The scenes that you spend with your spouse are awkward enough as it is- I'm glad that they removed the minigame that was in the Japanese version. It would have been terribly cringe-worthy. I know next to nothing about the missing dialogue (and I can vouch for the fact that the voice acting is absolutely minimalist), but the writing that is present in the game is on par with that from Awakening- no better, no less.

    With that said, the actual game is one of the most exciting things to happen to Fire Emblem since I've been a fan. The game retains its strong strategic/RPG roots, but it also mixes up its strategic balance to make things seem fresh. You no longer have weapon durability, but now you have to determine which weapon is best for each situation. You now auto-attack with neighboring units, unless you decide to pair up with another unit to increase your stats. Do you want damage, or survivability? I love the inclusion of shurikens/throwing knives, which are designed to weaken your opponents. Soften them up with a ninja attack and then finish them off with a coordinated follow-up. These kinds of strategies mix up everything that I implemented in Awakening. I loved how this game was also very challenging- I started off on Hard, and about 2/3 the way through I had to tone down the difficulty. That last bit of the game was very easy, but I'd had enough of a challenge by that point. The beautiful animated cutscenes return (although I will always wish they had more of these), but I felt like the fan-service given by Camilla was absolutely over-the-top and unnecessary. I have to be wary of playing this game around my wife.    … Expand
  55. SRNathanfan279
    Sep 7, 2016
    10
    Hey V-sauce, Michael here! I'm going to be reviewing the newest addition to the nintendogs series of games, **** emblem: tales from the viet congs. In this game, you assume the role of Tupac, the prince of the Iz Israel kingdom with the power to turn into a gay rattle snake. Tupac is the supposedly the son of suge knight but is later beleived to be a clone created by mr Shigeru miyamoto toHey V-sauce, Michael here! I'm going to be reviewing the newest addition to the nintendogs series of games, **** emblem: tales from the viet congs. In this game, you assume the role of Tupac, the prince of the Iz Israel kingdom with the power to turn into a gay rattle snake. Tupac is the supposedly the son of suge knight but is later beleived to be a clone created by mr Shigeru miyamoto to counter the god awful sales of twillight **** Tupac then joins the power rangers as they proceed to find the **** emblem. Overall, I give thus game a 10/10… Expand
  56. ZachClapps
    Sep 26, 2016
    9
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This one is my personal favorite. Rather then being a numbers game like Awakening was and Birthright is, it instead focuses on making the levels like a challenging puzzle. The story is incredibly written and the game feels a lot more satisfying then Birthright and even Revelations; the path I'd take if I were in the actual game. Overall 9/10, mostly due to somewhat annoying clothing clips, removed japanese features, and no Zola recruitment.… Expand
  57. MCV
    Nov 16, 2016
    10
    Excellent game. While the story is not exactly the best, the characters are great and gameplay is amazing. The level design is top-notch and the music is definitely a plus. Its a must have for anyone who likes Fire Emblem or strategy games.
    If you are reading this, please understand that many of the other negative reviews are incredibly childish and are not even related to the core of the    Excellent game. While the story is not exactly the best, the characters are great and gameplay is amazing. The level design is top-notch and the music is definitely a plus. Its a must have for anyone who likes Fire Emblem or strategy games.
    If you are reading this, please understand that many of the other negative reviews are incredibly childish and are not even related to the core of the game. People like them want to be treated like adults, but act like children when complaining about missing features that only deprived losers would enjoy.    … Expand
  58. VirgonoShaka
    Dec 10, 2016
    8
    As a longtime Fire Emblem fan, I always have liked the more difficult games of the series, so I picked this one up hearing that it was going to be difficult. It lived up to this claim. The game is tough, although the level of difficulty goes on from unfair to easy, and that can hurt the game. The story is fun, dark, and has some full emotion moments, but some of the interactions betweenAs a longtime Fire Emblem fan, I always have liked the more difficult games of the series, so I picked this one up hearing that it was going to be difficult. It lived up to this claim. The game is tough, although the level of difficulty goes on from unfair to easy, and that can hurt the game. The story is fun, dark, and has some full emotion moments, but some of the interactions between the characters are really not good. I know that in japan the features are more into fan serive and I know that is what drives in a lot of the fans over there, but I've never very into that stuff, so it annoys me that resources where put into that instead of more interesting interactions or more item variation, or skills. Nevertheless, I've had a lot of fun, and have good hope for the future of this series. If you enjoy Fire Emblem, strategy games, or good story drive games, this is definetily recommended.… Expand
  59. ItsACookie
    Jan 7, 2017
    9
    Conquest is a must have for those Fire Emblem fans who want to prove that they are more than just casual fans of the series and up for a fun challenge. Some maps (for inexperienced players) can be notoriously challenging. But with that comes the satisfaction in micromanaging each units move during the mission and finally finishing it after a myriad attempts. If you find yourself easilyConquest is a must have for those Fire Emblem fans who want to prove that they are more than just casual fans of the series and up for a fun challenge. Some maps (for inexperienced players) can be notoriously challenging. But with that comes the satisfaction in micromanaging each units move during the mission and finally finishing it after a myriad attempts. If you find yourself easily frustrated and have little experience playing Fire Emblem games, I really recommend Birthright, or if you insist you want to side with Nohr: to only play on Normal+Casual mode on Conquest.

    Fire Emblem Fates is an excellent follow up to Awakening on the 3DS. It boasts a *very* powerful soundtrack, eye-candy cut scenes and a polished battle system. The small loss in quality that some people accuse it of having in terms of plot/dialogue it makes up in the quantity of having Conquest, Revelations and Birthright. It does suffer from serious localisation issues, resulting in some very obsolete and pointless game features (ex: private quarters/character bonding outside support dialogues).
    The castle system introduced in this game is not perfect but is extremely enjoyable for those who want to customise their team to the max, and although its been abused, offers some interesting aspects to the game.

    As a side note - Please ignore anyone complaining about localisation. Yes, a few features were lost but boo hoo we aren't playing fire emblem so we can pet/marry our favourite characters, that's a completely different genre people. Please appreciate the wonderful game we have been granted by our friends at Nintendo.    … Expand
  60. BoydTheReaver
    Jan 26, 2019
    9
    Conquest is a game that I think a lot of people give too little credit over. Everybody knows by now that the story is a mess, but I'd go as so far as to say that's the only bad thing about the game proper. Everything else, I'd say, is superb; the graphics are gorgeous, the characters are lovable, the gameplay is - hands down - the best in the franchise, and I even enjoyed bits and piecesConquest is a game that I think a lot of people give too little credit over. Everybody knows by now that the story is a mess, but I'd go as so far as to say that's the only bad thing about the game proper. Everything else, I'd say, is superb; the graphics are gorgeous, the characters are lovable, the gameplay is - hands down - the best in the franchise, and I even enjoyed bits and pieces of Fates' extremely flawed narrative.

    If you want to pick up this game, I recommend you do so gauging it by its own merits and not paying the story too much heed. Even if it's not a good FE game (which I disagree with, but understand the mentality), it's still a good game overall that I strongly recommend.    … Expand
  61. DatBoi27
    Dec 6, 2020
    10
    Clearly the best of the fates trio. Great difficulty imo (I played in normal casual but am a bit of a noob) and the story was incredible. Birthright feels like a more obvious path, but this also leads to a more obvious story. Conquest feels more fleshed out - although I will say that the deaths in Birthright are more emotional.
  62. lrn2review
    Mar 27, 2020
    9
    Probably one of my favorite games. Highly recommend if you like turn-based strategy games. If you care a lot about story though, this game may not be for you.

    Pros: -Challenging, largely fair gameplay that mostly avoids giving unique advantages to the enemy -Dragon veins give a lot of variety to approaching a chapter -Lunatic mode isn't just stat inflation and slapping a couple OP    Probably one of my favorite games. Highly recommend if you like turn-based strategy games. If you care a lot about story though, this game may not be for you.

    Pros:
    -Challenging, largely fair gameplay that mostly avoids giving unique advantages to the enemy
    -Dragon veins give a lot of variety to approaching a chapter
    -Lunatic mode isn't just stat inflation and slapping a couple OP skills; groups of enemies change as does how they behave
    -One route has enough content to make a satisfying game on its own
    -Rework of the pair-up system is welcome and largely well done
    -Personal skills are a great touch to make even the worst units viable
    -Classes are no longer gender-locked; opening up options for reclassing units without being so open that you can spec every unit into one overpowered class
    -Method of gaining access to classes is complex and appropriately restricted behind how you play with a unit in battle
    -UI is excellent and takes full advantage of dual screens
    -CG cutscenes look quite amazing given the hardware running it
    -Music is pretty good
    -Enemy capture system is fun to play with and offers alternatives if a unit falls too far behind
    -Large variety in victory conditions
    -Many maps are designed to discourage turtling and low-manning; much appreciated considering these strategies are a common cheese in FE
    -The process behind building a good child unit is actually pretty involved and adds replay value

    Cons:
    -Nonsensical plot
    -Plot-wise, child units felt tacked on
    -Mostly one-note characters
    -There is one unique enemy advantage that cheapens the final chapters on Lunatic a little bit since it allows debuffs to stack
    -Extremely poor localization that cuts content
    -Extra routes cost money
    -Weapon system makes many weapon types undesireable even though they're traditionally better
    -Defense stance is a little too broken compared to attack stance    … Expand
  63. hector_bcn98
    Nov 4, 2022
    8
    La vía difícil de los Fire Emblem Fates. No entiendo cómo se les va la mano con la dificultad.
  64. KNX2501
    Jul 17, 2021
    9
    Definitivamente el mejor de las tres partes que componen a Fire Emblem Fates. Personalmente creo que si no puedes adquirir los tres juegos que componen Fates solo adquieras Conquest. El desarrollo de los personajes, su historia y el nivel de juego lo hacen una compra obligada.
  65. Lani337
    Jan 31, 2023
    9
    Definitely the best Fire Emblem Fates Game. The story is arguably the worst, however, it is terrible in all of Fates. The Gameplay of Conquest is great though. Even on normal Difficulty, it is not a cakewalk. But even on the hardest difficulty, it is beatable, however, you cannot switch your brain off once, this will be punished. If you expect a good story, this Game is not for you. If youDefinitely the best Fire Emblem Fates Game. The story is arguably the worst, however, it is terrible in all of Fates. The Gameplay of Conquest is great though. Even on normal Difficulty, it is not a cakewalk. But even on the hardest difficulty, it is beatable, however, you cannot switch your brain off once, this will be punished. If you expect a good story, this Game is not for you. If you want entertaining Turn based Strategy though, it is a fantastic experience.… Expand
  66. ssjkale1987
    Apr 21, 2022
    10
    Conquest had the best gameplay and the story was better handled than in Birthright. It was also the hardest version but enjoyable. Some plot holes but nothing too bad. The original soundtrack was also very good.
  67. Thumaz
    Apr 24, 2023
    10
    My favorite Fire Emblem, best maps ever made, challenging, fun to build your characters, relationships and your castle, you cannot go wrong. The pair up system is much more balanced compared to Fire Emblem Awakening a must have for every fan of the franchise, for starters i would recommend his counterpart Fire Emblem Birthright, which is pretty good too.
  68. Plumbo2000
    Jan 29, 2023
    8
    The most solid gameplay experience in the series outside of Thracia. Unfortunately it suffers from an irritating cast and downright bizarre story.

Awards & Rankings

5
#5 Best 3DS Game of 2016
3
#3 Most Discussed 3DS Game of 2016
3
#3 Most Shared 3DS Game of 2016

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
87

Generally favorable reviews - based on 40 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 39 out of 40
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 40
  3. Negative: 0 out of 40
  1. Stevivor
    Jun 26, 2016
    90
    If you’re aiming for a steeply difficult strategy game that really makes you think ahead, Conquest is the way to go. I’d still recommend playing the Birthright path first, to be honest – the difficulty curve between the two works well, and Nohr’s story works well as an extension of your experience in Hoshido.
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  2. games(TM)
    Jun 26, 2016
    80
    A tough tactical adventure. [Issue#175, p.78]
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  3. NZGamer
    Jun 9, 2016
    90
    If you have a 3DS, Fire Emblem Fates is a must-buy; if you don’t, it’s yet another reason, on top of so many others, to get one. Just be sure you do your research, and stick to Birthright unless you’re absolutely ready for the challenge Conquest has to offer.
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