Fire Emblem Engage

 Switch
User Score
6.6

Mixed or average reviews- based on 822 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 451 out of 822
  2. Mixed: 154 out of 822
  3. Negative: 217 out of 822
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  1. giannis2001
    Sep 11, 2023
    7
    Very good gameplay but forgettable characters and story. I really liked the combat in this game, it has a great variety in characters, classes, weapons, abilities, and combinations with the emblems. The maps are very good as well. However, the story and the characters are just boring and uninterested. I didn't care that much for the story or the characters throughout the game.
  2. Blueking640
    Sep 8, 2023
    7
    Best gameplay in the series yet, with fun characters, but the story and world bulding is not as good as in Three Houses. This was an anniversary game, before it was delayed, and its clear that game does not take itself too seriously. Still a fun game, and the emblems add great gameplay variety.
  3. TestingFreak
    Sep 8, 2023
    8
    Best Fire Emblem game I played.
    Gameplay is one of the best.
    Story is decent.
    Most Characters are interesting and fun.
    No weapon durability thank god.
  4. Traumvita
    Sep 3, 2023
    8
    Imo one of the weaker entries for Fire Emblem but still a real good game. Feels a little too reliant on the Engage system. Story sucks. Most characters are meh but a good chunk of them are likable. Level design is overall good with some nice variety and hazards. Giving the protagonist (Alear) a voice I feel was a good choice but not executed very well. Visuals are very very nice for switchImo one of the weaker entries for Fire Emblem but still a real good game. Feels a little too reliant on the Engage system. Story sucks. Most characters are meh but a good chunk of them are likable. Level design is overall good with some nice variety and hazards. Giving the protagonist (Alear) a voice I feel was a good choice but not executed very well. Visuals are very very nice for switch game. A big step up from the previous entry FE 3 Houses. Does mostly good but some noticeable annoyances and step backs. I would recommend to any FE fans.… Expand
  5. jamesxpktro
    Aug 30, 2023
    8
    This game is almost perfect for me the thing that I really missed are the romance stories and different ending that kept me from replaying this
  6. turbo_dweeb
    Aug 24, 2023
    4
    this game is a sh*t poopy game and the characters act like f*cking youtubers that make videos for r*tarded infants with ere*tile dysfunton. 4 out of ten poopy game dissapointment
  7. Stepney55
    Aug 20, 2023
    8
    It was a good time, a bit bare bones but it makes me more excited for the next game,
    it was a real good time though.
  8. russellg
    Aug 18, 2023
    8
    I disagree with the haters on this one. Yeah, it lacks the social aspects of 3H. For some, that's a positive thing. I tend to skip those. The story?. Far better than I expected it to be. Simple, but interesting - with a few twists!. 7/10 for the story. The characters range from interesting to irritating. Too many anime trope characters. 5/10 for characters. Graphics are lovely,I disagree with the haters on this one. Yeah, it lacks the social aspects of 3H. For some, that's a positive thing. I tend to skip those. The story?. Far better than I expected it to be. Simple, but interesting - with a few twists!. 7/10 for the story. The characters range from interesting to irritating. Too many anime trope characters. 5/10 for characters. Graphics are lovely, bright and fun. 8/10 for that. Music and voice acting is great. 8/10. The battles are absolutely perfect. Peak FE combat. 10/10… Expand
  9. Wunpleum
    Aug 15, 2023
    9
    Love all the character in the game. And with a beautiful graphic and amazing gameplay, I enjoyed it a lot. Still meh story tho.
  10. fflatburger
    Aug 13, 2023
    6
    To many mechanics in the game, the story was incredibly stupid, and return trips to the Sominel were always tedious, it truly could have just been a menu on the world map and I would have been so much more satisfied.
  11. TruthSeaker
    Aug 11, 2023
    1
    Absolute failure.
    After phenomenal Three Houses, they decided to go with a weird and questionable V-Tuber route while ditching storytelling and characters alltogether.
    Balance is also completely broken if you decide to do at least a little bit of resource/SP farming.
    Even a decent combat system couldn't save this snoozefest of a game.
  12. Totoques22
    Aug 9, 2023
    10
    BEST FIRE EMBLEM EXPERIENCE EVER The gameplay is so so so so good I wanted to replay the game as soon as I finished it the first time, it’s EXTREMELY well balanced as well you can go in hard or maddening blind and not be punished for it, the game also gives you what would be normally game breaking tool but somehow they don’t break the game and it’s still challenging, the map design is alsoBEST FIRE EMBLEM EXPERIENCE EVER The gameplay is so so so so good I wanted to replay the game as soon as I finished it the first time, it’s EXTREMELY well balanced as well you can go in hard or maddening blind and not be punished for it, the game also gives you what would be normally game breaking tool but somehow they don’t break the game and it’s still challenging, the map design is also top notch. Overall best gameplay in the series.

    Don’t listen to the Three houses fans being mad this isn’t three houses 2(and thank **** its not)

    The story is fine outside of a rough start and some cringe moment The characters are fun and enjoyable and after playing it every other FE has bland design in comparison The combat animations are absolutely fantastic they have impact on them like no other game and seing a cavalier go through a fence(because there was a fence on the map) before hitting someone will never stop looking good, there is also customized animations for every niche situations like fighting in stairs for example, sometimes instead of dodging an arrow it will be deflected and a dodges follow well into counterattacks I also love the art style and how the overall world look its colorful and pleasant to look at    … Expand
  13. Ruffikins
    Aug 2, 2023
    2
    My review didn't work, so I lost everything I wrote, thus I'll try to keep this succinct. For reference, I've been playing Fire Emblems for nearly a decade, since Awakening and unironically think that this is the worst Fire Emblem I've even played. Even moreso than Fates.

    Story is strange, overly childish. Too many child soldiers, the cutesy aesthetic and how 'adorable' it tries to be    My review didn't work, so I lost everything I wrote, thus I'll try to keep this succinct. For reference, I've been playing Fire Emblems for nearly a decade, since Awakening and unironically think that this is the worst Fire Emblem I've even played. Even moreso than Fates.

    Story is strange, overly childish. Too many child soldiers, the cutesy aesthetic and how 'adorable' it tries to be clashes with previous games, which have always added a layer of depth and ominous themes, which while not being blatant enough to scare a child, could be enjoyed by mature audiencese. New and improved characters appear in every scene, causing you to become completely apathetic to their lore and stories. I've heard that the combat is amazing, but I disagree, it feels like it's downgraded. Moving throughout the terrain is clunky and each battle goes through the identical trope of, "Click engage, wipe out an enemy, repeat", being so tedious that it feels worse than its predecessors. There's also some weirdo character who is male, yet dresses up like a 'girl' and enjoys 'cute' things because he was groomed or something in youth. For a game that tries so hard to be cutesy and childish, it's just odd. Overall, stick with Awakening.    … Expand
  14. Ira101
    Aug 1, 2023
    8
    I played this game about 30 Hours so far. Really good mechanics and I like the Engage rings it adds more fundamentals to what character or teammates. The story really falls off when you lose Hero marth and the others. Really reminds me of the red wedding since half the rings are in captivity and the daughter of the main antagonist is now on your side. The side activities are just likeI played this game about 30 Hours so far. Really good mechanics and I like the Engage rings it adds more fundamentals to what character or teammates. The story really falls off when you lose Hero marth and the others. Really reminds me of the red wedding since half the rings are in captivity and the daughter of the main antagonist is now on your side. The side activities are just like three houses but the game design and are much better in your base than the previous one. The battle layout however feels quirky but the game really isnt all that bad. Alear is a great protagonist and at first i didn't like the design but the character felt more in tune than byleth in three houses.… Expand
  15. Maradum
    Jul 31, 2023
    7
    FE Engage has the difficult task to come out after Three Houses, which was the first very succesful FE game in the west. Many people that liked 3H might not enjoy Engage as much – while FE veterans are more than happy about the amazing tactic gameplay it offers

    The story and writing is the weakest point here, with the main story being super tropy, nothing special and just a very basic    FE Engage has the difficult task to come out after Three Houses, which was the first very succesful FE game in the west. Many people that liked 3H might not enjoy Engage as much – while FE veterans are more than happy about the amazing tactic gameplay it offers

    The story and writing is the weakest point here, with the main story being super tropy, nothing special and just a very basic narrative. Good writing comes through in the funny and interesting support conversations that bring a lot of color to the characters.

    The art style is extremely colorful, might be a bit to comicy for some. The game itself looks amazing though.

    The shining star is definitely the gameplay, which is absolute peak turn based strategy combat. There is a vast variety of unit types so that each playthrough is unique. The Emblem Rings offer eve more tactic options as each Emblem offers special abilities.

    The Somniel as a hub fulfills its purpose, but there are many activities that just feel annoying, with little rewards, like „polishing your Emblem Rings“ or wyvern riding. Those boring side activities could be removed to put more focus on other aspects as they offer little to none to the game itself.    … Expand
  16. Lani337
    Jul 21, 2023
    8
    While I understand everyone who doesn't like this game, I disagree. Yes, the story is very bad for Fire Emblem standards, however the gameplay might just be the best one in the series. The graphics look amazing, even though the artstyle is controversial, I liked it. Emblems are fun to use and need a lot of calculation to be used efficiently. The OST is great and the battle animations haveWhile I understand everyone who doesn't like this game, I disagree. Yes, the story is very bad for Fire Emblem standards, however the gameplay might just be the best one in the series. The graphics look amazing, even though the artstyle is controversial, I liked it. Emblems are fun to use and need a lot of calculation to be used efficiently. The OST is great and the battle animations have never been better. The Somniel is a way better feature than the monastery, since you aren't forced to be there in 50% of your gametime like in Three Houses. The new Characters on the other hand feel kinda boring and Supports aren't great. You can really feel that the Gameplay was made by people who love Fire Emblem. The Story and the characters however, are not.… Expand
  17. Serperiorgaming
    Jul 8, 2023
    8
    Although the story is bad and the dialogue is cringe the gameplay makes up for it. This is the most fun I've had on a fire emblem game
  18. yangfanhong
    Jul 7, 2023
    8
    The Three Houses is better. But Engage is still a decent game. No need to be too harsh, right?
  19. svileng
    Jul 1, 2023
    8
    My first Fire Emblem game. Overall I'm really enjoying it, it's a solid 8/10 for me. Dialogue between characters is pretty bland at times, and the overall story is average - these are the main downsides for me. Lots of people seem to hate the character design, but I personally like most of the characters and how they look. Not all are great, but the worst ones don't bother me at least. TheMy first Fire Emblem game. Overall I'm really enjoying it, it's a solid 8/10 for me. Dialogue between characters is pretty bland at times, and the overall story is average - these are the main downsides for me. Lots of people seem to hate the character design, but I personally like most of the characters and how they look. Not all are great, but the worst ones don't bother me at least. The combat system and mechanics are fantastic, battle choreography and animations are excellent, maps are interesting. It's fun enough to make me keep coming back after 75+ hours.… Expand
  20. Ripper36
    Jul 1, 2023
    9
    I am a big Fire Emblem Fan and i know there cant be no "Three Houses" again But i have come to really
    like Engage. Yes the name sucks and the red/blue hair on Alear is lame but its still a great game. Story does not pick up until you are 6 or 7 Chapters in then i get decent. Again this is no Three Houses story but the really upd the combat. It really good prob the best in the series.    I am a big Fire Emblem Fan and i know there cant be no "Three Houses" again But i have come to really
    like Engage. Yes the name sucks and the red/blue hair on Alear is lame but its still a great game. Story does not pick up until you are 6 or 7 Chapters in then i get decent. Again this is no Three Houses story but the really upd the combat. It really good prob the best in the series. Now the Graphics really impressed me over.....big time. Its a nice looking game. All said, Its a very good game with alot of hr to put in. Good Job Nintendo!    … Expand
  21. jacktwelve
    Jun 29, 2023
    8
    Fire Emblem engage is a solid game with some weaker writing for the main story especially in comparison to the last 2 mainline games however what matters in video game is the gameplay and this game absolutely gets this right and that something that I actually think games does better than the last 2 games. As I as had much the combat mechanics of this than I did with the last 2 games. ButFire Emblem engage is a solid game with some weaker writing for the main story especially in comparison to the last 2 mainline games however what matters in video game is the gameplay and this game absolutely gets this right and that something that I actually think games does better than the last 2 games. As I as had much the combat mechanics of this than I did with the last 2 games. But one thing for this game is not a 6/10 game it’s definitely a 8/10 game. Also worth noting is that the game has a good cast it just introduces most of the boring party members/Units first before moving on the the more introducing the more better written meme era of the cast towards the middle of the game. Honestly I recommend this game and I think it a solid jrpg and a good addition to the legacy of the fire emblem franchise just go in not expecting much from the narrative prepare yourself for some fun and challenging battles.… Expand
  22. drseven
    Jun 27, 2023
    7
    Comparisons hurt, and compared to its FE 3H predecessor, it feels like an inferior product. Visually it improves and the battles continue to have the essence of the Fire Emblem. everything else, history, progress, level of customization, charisma of the characters is mediocre. The ring system doesn't work and is poorly implemented, it seems more like an excuse to bring back characters fromComparisons hurt, and compared to its FE 3H predecessor, it feels like an inferior product. Visually it improves and the battles continue to have the essence of the Fire Emblem. everything else, history, progress, level of customization, charisma of the characters is mediocre. The ring system doesn't work and is poorly implemented, it seems more like an excuse to bring back characters from the past.

    Conclusion: a fun game that preserves the bases of the fire Emblem but fails in everything around it.    … Expand
  23. SushiMess
    Jun 26, 2023
    6
    At first, I was really excited to get into the game because of the cool looking gameplay. As I keep playing however, the game feels much more like a chore instead of something I enjoy. Characters have like zero development, the castle you walk around in feels really empty and bad, and the story although was engaging in the first 10ish chapters, fell off hard afterwards. I completely lostAt first, I was really excited to get into the game because of the cool looking gameplay. As I keep playing however, the game feels much more like a chore instead of something I enjoy. Characters have like zero development, the castle you walk around in feels really empty and bad, and the story although was engaging in the first 10ish chapters, fell off hard afterwards. I completely lost interest in the game after reaching chapter 20 and thought to myself why I was even still playing as it felt so much like a chore but pushed myself to finish it since I was already so far.… Expand
  24. Snowbell
    Jun 26, 2023
    6
    As a Fire Emblem fan I was disappointed with the story. The writing and "cutscenes" felt very mediocre, which ruined some of the more emotional moments.
    The combat was good and the engage system is kinda fun, but I personally would rather see the pair up system return. Or just all of the systems from Fates and Awakening.
    Yes, this is written by a fan of the 3DS games and I know not    As a Fire Emblem fan I was disappointed with the story. The writing and "cutscenes" felt very mediocre, which ruined some of the more emotional moments.
    The combat was good and the engage system is kinda fun, but I personally would rather see the pair up system return. Or just all of the systems from Fates and Awakening.

    Yes, this is written by a fan of the 3DS games and I know not everyone like the marry/child system. I do however.    … Expand
  25. Keener01
    Jun 25, 2023
    8
    Not as good as Fire Emblem Three Houses, but still a very good game. I had lots of fun with the gameplay, but I wish we could of had more new characters in this game. Decent story too, but I cant grade this game any higher than an 8/10
  26. GamerDad2023
    Jun 18, 2023
    8
    Playing on hard was a joy due to the interesting yet challenging levels and immense depth to the tactics systems. I'd sum up the story, characters, and side content as quantity over quality. The amount of content is overwhelming with much of it mediocre and skippable.
  27. windchipi
    Jun 9, 2023
    0
    First time I see a JRPG without a new game plus.
    It was like a draft that had to be completed quickly to meet the release date. Not worth the price 60$.
    I hope the mechanic will be developed in the next game
  28. GeekCharming
    Jun 8, 2023
    3
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. When it was announced, I was really excited to see what the next generation of Fire Emblem would bring coming off of 3H. The game looked great, at least I thought it did, better than 3H. I got the game late a birthday gift a few months ago and I'm gonna be honest: I can't finish this game. I've invested 50+ hours and have about 4 chapters left until the end but I just can't bring myself to keep going. My issues have been building up over time and I definitely plan to elaborate my gripes below.
    1. The animation in cutscenes feels cheap. I know FE never prided itself on having perfect graphics but it's very jarring when a group of characters are talking about how they need "to rush to the next objective" and all you get from that is a black screen and running sounds before they're all standing around said objective. Character repeat the same 4 animations to express their body language and/or mood and it never stood out to me as bad in previous titles but in this game it's hard not to notice. 2. The maps, although pretty to look at, don't feel well-designed. Too many maps introduce constant reinforcements that feel more like a punishment to players who want to take their time and strategize. Some of the objectives towards rhe end chapters feels so artificially difficult and frankly unfun to play. Some maps introduce a darkness mechanic where you can't tell just how many foes are lurking in the dark. It's a cool concept until you're given a very awkward way to bring in light (temporarily) as well as enemies having ways of warping your characters directly to them, isolating a party member and taking them out. How that information could have been communicated to the player is beyond me but it's still not fun to have happen.
    3. The story is as generic as it gets. The game itself feels very fan-servicey with it being an anniversary title but it was pretty boring to see the obvious "plot twist" at least 8-10 chapters before it happening and the characters making a big deal about it. (Veyle says she's looking for her brother. Veyle being Sombron's "only" child. Whose color pallete resembles Velye? Oh yeah, Alear. Alear is Sombron's child? Who could have possibly guessed that!)
    4. Character Bloat. I know that since the game introduces permadeath, they need a staggering amount of characters to make sure players have a lot of resources. Regardless, the vast majority of these characters have their one chapter introduction and are never heard from again aside from support conversations. The game starts you with a cast of characters and wastes no time shoving more and more at you nearly every chapter which is nice until you have 30+ characters with as much depth as a kiddie pool and only 12 slots to commit to using. The "main cast" tends to favor the lords from every area you visit seeing how they're the only ones who make an appearance in cutscenes and this might be my personal issue but I didn't end up using any of them in my playthrough. 5. Gating off character development to ring proficiency/character class change in general. There comes a point in the story where you lose all of your rings and if you don't have your character's classes changed by then it's a LONG haul before you can get that specific ring/proficiency back. Why that was the design from the get-go is beyond me. Also character class upgrades, after the initial master seal, you spend the rest of the game resetting their level to 1 once they hit max. I did maybe 4 or 5 optional side battles and felt bored with my team already being at their final state way before the game is even close to being over. (Why is there no Assassin for example??? Yunaka stays a theif the whole game???) I know this review probably comes off as more nitpicky than an actual critique but that's because I've never had these exact issues in a previous FE game before. None of my issues have been involved of the character designs, I really think this game does a good job of showing us a wide variety of appearances from the various regions and how that affects things like their clothing and mannerisms. I really love how they fleshed out the weapon triangle, breaking enemies for free damage felt SO good. The Engage system was a really cool addition, I really liked how each character has their own transformation with the Emblems and the combat animations with their signature attacks felt incredibly powerful too. I wanted to like this game but I can't bring myself to finish it after so many gripes so I figured now would be my opportunity to submit my review among the sea of reviews here and leave this as my goodbye to Fire Emblem Engage.    … Expand
  29. Daniela_r2
    Jun 5, 2023
    0
    Boring characters and supports. The writing is almost insulting for human intelligence. You can't experiment on builds without a lot of farming and the lack of NG+ doesn't help. The game relies on massive reinforcements in almost every map to create tension (in a way no other fire emblem game I played did) but it becomes boring very quickly and horribly worsens the experience. The originalBoring characters and supports. The writing is almost insulting for human intelligence. You can't experiment on builds without a lot of farming and the lack of NG+ doesn't help. The game relies on massive reinforcements in almost every map to create tension (in a way no other fire emblem game I played did) but it becomes boring very quickly and horribly worsens the experience. The original fire emblem characters are not always respected in their characterization (expecially Eirika) and they managed to make all their conversations boring and Lyn's paralogue map isn't even from her game. Also the lack of paired endings is something that extremely disappointed me.

    The dlc takes everything I disliked about story and gameplay and made it even worse.

    All of this saddens me because no other fire emblem game disappointed me so much in the past.    … Expand
  30. Arylon
    Jun 2, 2023
    10
    Great character design
    Great art direction
    Great OST
    Best gameplay in the franchise
    Good but simple story
    Good character writing
    Engage is at the very least a top 3 FE.
  31. Eirika
    May 31, 2023
    9
    Great Game. Was fun to play and had some fun mechanics. Is great for FE Fans.
  32. ALLCAPS
    May 29, 2023
    4
    Overall lacking in depth. Story and characters are very shallow. The game doesn't know if it wants to be animal crossing or fire emblem. Lots of time was spent on useless game elements such as the post battle walk around. It's hard to actually get a sense of the different countries when you move through them so fast. Character designs are so over the top it gets annoying. The battles areOverall lacking in depth. Story and characters are very shallow. The game doesn't know if it wants to be animal crossing or fire emblem. Lots of time was spent on useless game elements such as the post battle walk around. It's hard to actually get a sense of the different countries when you move through them so fast. Character designs are so over the top it gets annoying. The battles are fine, but it could have been much much better.… Expand
  33. CooperMarlow
    May 29, 2023
    5
    Core gameplay mechanics have improved. Each encounter requires careful thought and awareness of your unit’s strengths, weaknesses, and abilities.

    Reducing ability slots to only two would be fine if abilities as a whole were much more impactful in battle, and while this can be said for some, there are many that are useless or just not worth investing your precious SP in. They missed the    Core gameplay mechanics have improved. Each encounter requires careful thought and awareness of your unit’s strengths, weaknesses, and abilities.

    Reducing ability slots to only two would be fine if abilities as a whole were much more impactful in battle, and while this can be said for some, there are many that are useless or just not worth investing your precious SP in. They missed the mark with this one, but it’s an interesting idea.

    The story is boring and uninteresting–4’th grade level stuff–the writing is fine, and the main player character design is just embarrassing.

    The game itself also feels lacking in content and perhaps a touch too easy, because I’m blasting through chapters and already at the halfway point. With no alternate paths or endings to look forward to, there’s pretty much no reason to replay this game beyond bumping up the difficulty and trying out different characters–but when the core of what’s there is so utterly average and uninspiring, I don’t see myself doing this.

    Engage is a massive step backwards from 3 Houses and doesn’t inspire confidence in the future of this franchise. Go back to your roots, hire some good writers, and stop trying to appeal to a casual audience that isn’t ever going to manifest for this genre of game.    … Expand
  34. Andrewaps
    May 28, 2023
    5
    So, I've played just about every Fire Emblem game at this point, excluding spinoffs like Warriors/Three Hopes/Heroes, so I'd like to think that I've got some pretty hefty experience in the franchise. My favorites? FE6 (Binding Blade)/FE9 (PoR)/FE15 (Shadows of Valentia). Simple, yet masterfully crafted games that challenged the player to the limit with tightly tuned base mechanics wrappedSo, I've played just about every Fire Emblem game at this point, excluding spinoffs like Warriors/Three Hopes/Heroes, so I'd like to think that I've got some pretty hefty experience in the franchise. My favorites? FE6 (Binding Blade)/FE9 (PoR)/FE15 (Shadows of Valentia). Simple, yet masterfully crafted games that challenged the player to the limit with tightly tuned base mechanics wrapped together with small twists to the formula to keep it fresh. They contain soundtracks that invade my brain to this day without my permission. They had a solid story (with their share of hiccups, mind you) that kept me engaged throughout, with a very likeable cast of misfits and lords. They had proper worldbuilding and set the stage properly, making the continent actually feel alive. Practically every unit was serviceable, with some being clearly better than others, but with just about every unit having a purpose/niche use. Frankly, I still play several of these games today, 10+ years after their release.

    Why am I bringing up other FE games so much? To drive home how lackluster Engage is. Now while Engage was an improvement over Three Houses in gameplay and map design, it did worse in just about every other meaningful category. From resource management, to character design, to character supports, to skill balancing, to character balancing, to sound design/OST, to story design, to the scale of the villains/antagonists, everything else just falls flat.

    In other words, Engage is a disappointment. Despite having polished gameplay and beautiful animation sprinkled throughout, it is so bafflingly horrendous at just about everything else that I have lost interest in playing the game. Solid gameplay is a must for Fire Emblem, but even the worst game in the franchise has been serviceable in that regard. A diamond will be a diamond, regardless of its polish/features. Instead, it is the overall presentation that gives the diamond its allure. In other words, Engage lacks a proper soul, something to draw me into it and keep me, heh, engaged. I am also of the opinion that this game simply has too many mechanics drowning what is otherwise solid gameplay. The Somniel (however you spell it) and all of its gimmicks alone makes the game feel like such a chore at times.

    TLDR; Engage has a few strong points, but overall it is a disappointment to the FE franchise, and a huge step down from the previous installments: Three Houses and Shadows of Valentia. If looking for a FE game on the switch, I would personally recommend skipping this one, and would suggest Three Houses instead. I love Fire Emblem, it is my favorite video game franchise, but Engage was simply not for me. Hopefully the rumored remake of FE4 will wash the bad taste out of my mouth.    … Expand
  35. shadowclaw2303
    May 26, 2023
    3
    Wenn ich ein mittelmäßiges Anime Spiel spielen will, brauch ich dafür nicht 60 Euro bezahlen, das geht auch deutlich billiger. Schade für die ansich ganz tolle Reihe :(
  36. Beefmolester
    May 23, 2023
    2
    The artstyle looks terrible, its more genshin impact than fire emblem and the character design is horrific. The story is medicore at best and the only good thing is the gameplay. I expected more from fire emblem, especially after three houses
  37. Sensou
    May 23, 2023
    6
    Good but Not Good.

    There's a complete hesitation to buy this game and that's why I just borrow it from my friend and I'm glad I didn't purchase it, I don't like it that well. This game is far inferior that Three Houses. To put into a context: Three Houses is my first fire emblem game and I've also finished Engage, so this is not half experience review as I've encounter every content    Good but Not Good.

    There's a complete hesitation to buy this game and that's why I just borrow it from my friend and I'm glad I didn't purchase it, I don't like it that well. This game is far inferior that Three Houses. To put into a context: Three Houses is my first fire emblem game and I've also finished Engage, so this is not half experience review as I've encounter every content this game has to offer.

    The visuals and cutscene of this game is an improvement than the last installment but it also becoming it's weaknesses as well. The cutscene is way too lengthy, believe it or not, the cutscene could take around 10-15 minutes. Completely kill the pacing of this game. I skip every cutscene after Chapter 12 (excluding the cinematic cutscene).
    Another note from the cutscene or art department, the animation is still lacking like in Three Houses and the interaction also hella weird. You can have a normal conversation after the battle with your enemy before they flee. Makes no sense and kill the tension that should be there.

    The game is way more free in terms of time because there's no Day Mechanic like in Three Houses so you can grind and bond as much as you want where in Three Houses you need to plan out how to utilize several days in a month. Sounds great right? Turns out, it's a nope.
    Because of that freedom, the game get tedious pretty fast. Engage couldn't handle it well, the skirmishes will always get generated for you to grind. It's great but for me it becomes annoying as I'm trying to clean the map from those bandits but we'll never be able to clean that out. Exploring around the Somniel also get boring pretty quickly. There's no real value or meaningful activities there. The fact that you can skip going back to Somniel and keep proceeding with the Chapter sort of make Somniel just an extra content.

    The UI of the game is also confusing. One example: I miss the inheritance skill which I think it's auto equipped but turns out you need to press ZR in the inheritance skill to equip it. Completely a bad design.

    The variety of the characters are nice and pretty good but they are truly forgettable, not like the way in Three Houses. Even in their combat abilities, they are also forgettable which makes me lock my unit to the one that I like the most from start to end which makes many characters like a filler for my roster. My Lineup will always consist of: Alfred, Celine, Louis, Ivy, Zelkov, Kagetsu, Alcryst, Panette and Merrin.

    So many things holding this game down which is a shame as this game seems like an Anniversary game for Fire Emblem series but turns out to be a bummer. Luckily the combat is amazing and strategic which is way better than Three Houses.    … Expand
  38. kinsang
    May 22, 2023
    5
    อย่างแรกที่ต้องชมเลยคือเรื่องของเกมเพลย์ที่ยกระดับขึ้นมาจากภาคก่อน การดีไซน์แมพ ทำให้รู้สึกว่าเล่นสนุกขึ้น และนั่นก็คงเป็นคำชมอย่างเดียวของเกมภาคนี้ ส่วนด้านอื่นอย่างเนื้อเรื่อง บทพูด บทตัวละคร กลับดิ่งลงเหวไปคนละทาง ถึงแม้ภาคนี้จะมีตัวละครเยอะก็จริง แต่ตัวละครที่สำคัญต่อเนื้อเรื่องนั้นมีแค่ไม่กี่ตัว ส่วนด้านบทที่เขียนมาก็เหมือนเอาเด็กที่เพิ่งดูดราก้อนบอลจบเป็นครั้งแรกมาเขียนเนื้อเรื่องให้อย่างแรกที่ต้องชมเลยคือเรื่องของเกมเพลย์ที่ยกระดับขึ้นมาจากภาคก่อน การดีไซน์แมพ ทำให้รู้สึกว่าเล่นสนุกขึ้น และนั่นก็คงเป็นคำชมอย่างเดียวของเกมภาคนี้ ส่วนด้านอื่นอย่างเนื้อเรื่อง บทพูด บทตัวละคร กลับดิ่งลงเหวไปคนละทาง ถึงแม้ภาคนี้จะมีตัวละครเยอะก็จริง แต่ตัวละครที่สำคัญต่อเนื้อเรื่องนั้นมีแค่ไม่กี่ตัว ส่วนด้านบทที่เขียนมาก็เหมือนเอาเด็กที่เพิ่งดูดราก้อนบอลจบเป็นครั้งแรกมาเขียนเนื้อเรื่องให้ อีกทั้งการหักมุมต่างๆ บทในส่วนที่สำคัญยัง execution ได้ไม่ดีอีกต่างหาก ถือว่าเสียดายงบจริงๆ… Expand
  39. Aeula
    May 20, 2023
    0
    The single worst entry in the fire emblem series.

    Worst plot. Worst art style. Worst main character. Worst setting. Worst theme. The engage mechanic is genuinely horrible. The weapon triangle was removed for a reason. Also why the hell do random voices yell the title of the game at you whenever you boot it up? A massive downgrade from Awakening, let alone three houses. I    The single worst entry in the fire emblem series.

    Worst plot.
    Worst art style.
    Worst main character.
    Worst setting.
    Worst theme.
    The engage mechanic is genuinely horrible.
    The weapon triangle was removed for a reason.

    Also why the hell do random voices yell the title of the game at you whenever you boot it up?

    A massive downgrade from Awakening, let alone three houses. I hope this isn't fire emblem's future.    … Expand
  40. Kart01
    May 20, 2023
    10
    After Three Houses i thought that series will not return to the path of ONE properly made campaign. But it did! Oh boy what a joy it is to play a game that seems like a concentration of efforts, love and care, without content duplication in the name of lasting playthough like before.
    Graphics are pretty good this time. Battles are intense and interesting. Emblems give you more depths in    After Three Houses i thought that series will not return to the path of ONE properly made campaign. But it did! Oh boy what a joy it is to play a game that seems like a concentration of efforts, love and care, without content duplication in the name of lasting playthough like before.
    Graphics are pretty good this time. Battles are intense and interesting. Emblems give you more depths in tactics. Script in the other hand is a bit naive, but i'll prefer that and all other perks rather than "WE HAVE FOUR CAMPAIGNS! PLAY THEM ALL FOR THEY'R ALL SO DIFFRENT! (no lol)". This game are totaly deserve better userscore no matter the downsides. Especially after new Zelda with all her problems now getting 1210 what is truly an absurd.    … Expand
  41. hackerfrenzy
    May 10, 2023
    7
    really good tactical gameplay, really terrible writing and characters.
    I spent a lot of time in the game due to the fun battles, but I was rolling my eyes so hard at the dialogues and the plot that I started to just ignore it. If you expect Fire Emblem: Three Houses level of story, this is not it. If you don't care about the story and just like this type of combat then this game does a great job.
  42. Phuz
    Feb 4, 2023
    0
    Total junk. I bought this and DLC and would happily swap the lot just for a decent bit of 3 Houses DLC.

    I would love to say total mediocrity but that would be far too generous. It's a total irritation and a terrible FE game.

    The only plus side to this game is that it has made me play the old ports on my WiiU which I had all but forgotten I'd bought.
  43. Madmacx
    May 5, 2023
    3
    Complete letdown after 3H, this feels more like a minor spin-off than a genuine new fire emblem game.

    First off the story is basically none existent, it's really just a black and white story, good guys vs inherently bad guys with next to no plottwists or anything interesting happening. The social aspect was heavily toned down, characters are paper cut walking cliches with no personality    Complete letdown after 3H, this feels more like a minor spin-off than a genuine new fire emblem game.

    First off the story is basically none existent, it's really just a black and white story, good guys vs inherently bad guys with next to no plottwists or anything interesting happening. The social aspect was heavily toned down, characters are paper cut walking cliches with no personality whatsoever. The overall maturity of 3H took a backseat and it's fates all over again, a whiny one dimensional protagonist who is just flat out boring. 3H protag was mute and had basically no personality but still was more appealing. Also the game is heavily CENSORED by treehouse, whole conversation have been changed because they found them offensive.

    In one support conversation a female character complains about gaining weight (she says that in japanese), the english text indicates she's embarrassed because she made a funny face while eating... It makes no sense at all and is plain right stupid. Thing is treehouse found a girl shouldn't be concerned with her weight so they changed that. It's just the tip of the iceberg, a lot more dialogue was altered. The only thing this game has going are the smooth graphics and fun gameplay, but that gets old fast. After all the censorship, butchered dialogue, boring story and flat characters I couldn't finish it, I stopped at chapter 15. I have over 300hrs on 3H because I loved this game to bits. engage on the other hand is an embarrassment, and the people who censored it should never be allowed to translate any kind of Japanese game again.    … Expand
  44. Toska123
    May 2, 2023
    0
    As a huge fan of the Fire Emblem series, this was an extremely disappointing entry. Here are the points I disliked the most:
    -Progression system holds your hand too much, it's too much trouble to get a character out of their predetermined role/jobs, so customization is extremely limited unless you are willing to grind for it.
    -Emblem rings are too powerful, even on harder difficulties.    As a huge fan of the Fire Emblem series, this was an extremely disappointing entry. Here are the points I disliked the most:
    -Progression system holds your hand too much, it's too much trouble to get a character out of their predetermined role/jobs, so customization is extremely limited unless you are willing to grind for it.
    -Emblem rings are too powerful, even on harder difficulties.
    -The story is incredibly bland, I am over 30 hours into this game and I literally couldn't care less about any of the dialogue.
    -The story is very repetitive. Go to a new kingdom, add a prince or princess to your squad along with their two retainers, fight a few monsters, maybe get a new ring, then move on. There's no nuance.
    -Whenever you get new characters, they simply outclass the ones you had before, meaning that the only unit that is even worth training at the very beginning is your main character. Literally everyone else will be replaced by stronger characters by the end of the game. Because of this, a bad progression system becomes completely useless.
    -The animations are re-used between different characters during dialogue sections. Normally, this wouldn't bother me. But they literally have one "girl animation set" and one "guy animation set" that get re-used between literally everyone, and it becomes extremely tacky very quickly. They should have at least created 2-4 animation sets for each gender...
    -The character personalities are incredibly bland. I didn't find myself connecting with nearly any of the characters like I have in previous games. Watching the character bond cutscenes in this one feels like a chore compared to previous games where I looked forward to every cutscene.
    -They got rid of weapon durability for some reason. One of the best parts of Fire Emblem is managing your limited resources inside and outside of combat. Taking that away makes this game lose an entire dimension to combat and the underlying strategic choices you make.

    Now, here are the things I liked about the game:
    -The combat is "don't broke, don't fix it". It's pretty much the same as Fire Emblem Three Houses as far as the actual combat goes, so the combat itself is still pretty solid. Just too bad that everything influencing your character progressions is terrible.
    -The graphics are actually pretty solid. I really liked the art and character designs in this game. It is really a shame that the story is so bad and the character personalities are so bland.

    Overall, extremely disappointed with this one. It's still fire emblem, so it's not a "bad" game. But compared to other fire emblem games, this may be the worst of all time.    … Expand
  45. marcoskalil
    May 1, 2023
    6
    Fire Emblem veterans may like Engage's straightforward design, leaving part of the Persona influence behind, but ultimately both story and gameplay are uninspiring. It seems Nintendo used a formulaic approach, uniting the most cliche profiles for its characters and narratives, but also battlefield variety. For this reason even newcomers may find the franchise to be underwhelming. NewFire Emblem veterans may like Engage's straightforward design, leaving part of the Persona influence behind, but ultimately both story and gameplay are uninspiring. It seems Nintendo used a formulaic approach, uniting the most cliche profiles for its characters and narratives, but also battlefield variety. For this reason even newcomers may find the franchise to be underwhelming. New players should seek other entries to start in the franchise.

    If you can ignore the cringe-inducing story and characters, you should eventually have some satisfying moments with the combo system and the flexibility of the rings and class systems.    … Expand
  46. Stjepan3203
    Apr 30, 2023
    7
    Fire Emblem Engage did improve upon is predecessors in terms of gameplay but sadly took 2 steps back in terms of story. The games story it's very very predictable and anime cliché like. I don't think the story it's necessarily bad but compared to the previous game Three Houses, Engage definitely felt lackluster.

    If you don't mind more predictable stories and you wanted Fire Emblem to    Fire Emblem Engage did improve upon is predecessors in terms of gameplay but sadly took 2 steps back in terms of story. The games story it's very very predictable and anime cliché like. I don't think the story it's necessarily bad but compared to the previous game Three Houses, Engage definitely felt lackluster.

    If you don't mind more predictable stories and you wanted Fire Emblem to improve upon it's already amazing gameplay, then Engage will definitely do the trick.    … Expand
  47. Jcdusss
    Apr 30, 2023
    7
    Great maps and combat mechanics, so it’s not a bad Fire Emblem.
    But the story is really dull and manichean (much more than Tree Houses and Fates). And I don’t like the design of the characters too, I think that a certain amount of them are really problematic.
  48. justfind
    Apr 29, 2023
    5
    It's unbelievable that this game scored 80 points. It has the advantage that the battle is fun, but the other disadvantages are too big. The characters, stories, and characters are piece of trash.
  49. Demostenez
    Apr 27, 2023
    7
    Pros: Combat was fun, and I liked the Engage mechanic. Having the weapon triangle back was nice. I liked the design of the characters. Voice acting was good.

    Cons: it came out after Three Houses. The story and the characters felt less developed after the excellent work done in 3H. Some characters felt unnecessary and just there to pad the roster. I played all four 3H routes, but after    Pros: Combat was fun, and I liked the Engage mechanic. Having the weapon triangle back was nice. I liked the design of the characters. Voice acting was good.

    Cons: it came out after Three Houses. The story and the characters felt less developed after the excellent work done in 3H. Some characters felt unnecessary and just there to pad the roster. I played all four 3H routes, but after finishing the last DLC, I don't know that I'll ever pick up Engage again.    … Expand
  50. Evinith
    Apr 22, 2023
    5
    Weak begging, decent middle, and a terrible ending. Overall a very generic feeling product because of the need to use a god complex and overall loving character without it being earned. It comes across as fates but worse in most ways (though not every way)
  51. FlexosuarousRex
    Apr 19, 2023
    7
    I started playing fire emblem during the gba era and I have to say, engage is a bit disappointing. It has plenty going for it, but as a whole misses the mark. The gameplay is really good, the return of the weapon triangle is very much welcome, and the rings do a lot to diversify gameplay. The visuals are much smoother and the maps in this game I feel are superior to that of three houses inI started playing fire emblem during the gba era and I have to say, engage is a bit disappointing. It has plenty going for it, but as a whole misses the mark. The gameplay is really good, the return of the weapon triangle is very much welcome, and the rings do a lot to diversify gameplay. The visuals are much smoother and the maps in this game I feel are superior to that of three houses in terms of design both artistically and technically. I also really enjoyed the mini arena where the player could could set up duels amongst the cast of the main party for exp - I honestly hope that returns in future titles.

    The social aspect has been toned down very much so from three houses, so anybody who wasn't a fan of the social aspect in that game may find themselves more at home with this title - this may be a good thing to some but also leads to my first complaint.

    The character interactions outside of battle are so bland and abbreviated that their inclusion doesn't feel justified; on top of that, characters are completely forgettable anime arche types so I found myself caring about them far less than in previous titles. When the rest of the story is forgettable at best and downright boring at worst the player will have very little reason to delve any deeper into the story and character lore than what is necessary to progress and, sadly, that is how I felt when playing.

    Other than the combat in Engage, the rest of the game is extremely mediocre. I honestly couldn't bring myself to finish it because it felt, as a whole, to be a stilted experience. It definitely has the DNA of a great game but frankly it fails in too many areas to be considered as such. I think this game would have been much better received if it dropped before three houses but, coming afterward, this game feels like a complete downgrade to the previous title.

    Also, a personal note, i think the main hero design is pretty atrocious as well. Byleth's design was far superior, giving us a classic looking king type from the series with very unique and cool clothing. The new hero just looks like a mess - i do understand that this is a subjective take but I had to mention it.

    TLDR; the game has good combat and combat mechanics but not much more. It misses more than it hits.    … Expand
  52. Shugg
    Apr 19, 2023
    6
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Gameplay: potentially best in the series, few flaws most related to the DLC, or common recurring flaws of the series that don't detract from the fun being had. A true testament to the potential creative ingenuity the fire emblem team can bring to the table. Map design is excellent, and the feeling of power brought by emblems is quite surprisingly balanced very well. Theres no feeling of "i should save this ultimate power until i need it", more of a "fire away, we need it as much as we can use it!" which is a very hard thing to pull off, definitely a favorite gameplay-wise. Highly suggest Hard for a first playthrough as the emblems can trivialize normal mode, and the exp restrictiveness of Maddening can be an uncomfortable challenge to some.
    Music: some tracks are quite good, notably the theme from chapter 25. Theres a recurring leitmotif often present and its enjoyable. Alot of tracks are unfortunately forgettable, but the ones that shine really do. I personally think the worst track unfortunately is the opening 4kids-esque anime intro song. But some people may enjoy what i find to be unbearably cringe.
    [Spoilers] Story [Spolers] : Initially it comes across as a very cut and dry story with little depth and intentionally light hearted that doesn't take itself too seriously. But the suspension of disbelief for the sake of immersion is very quickly thrown out the window by the time you reach the second country. And it only gets worse as time goes on, entire plot points being forgotten, a narrative that seems excessively too fast to feel attached to, eventually culminating in a major antagonists motivations being literally "i wish the Big Bad would get me pregnant so i could have a family". Unironically, and it's narratively intended to be a moment that has you sympathize with the villain who, not even 5 chapters ago, killed a character they considered "family", and mind controlled another.
    Characters: save for very few like hortensia and maybe pandreo, the supports and character development in this story are by far the weakest of the series. every character is not only just a single track trope with no development, they are so insultingly simple it feels as though this game was designed to pull specifically only the FE:Heroes audience that had never played another game. It is achingly difficult to find a character with enough viable depth to actually immerse in, and even the ones with said depth, are disappointingly poorly written or have an incredibly predictable flow. After playing every FE, this was easily the worst case of characters being truly forgettable. I'm also not a fan of their truly hideously clashing color designs, and obviously Vtuber inspired aesthetics. The arguments made in favor of the design choices and characters of this game are frustrating to hear, as they come across as cherry picking at best, and blatantly ignorant at worst.

    The reason this score is so low is because as a long time FE fan, i was looking forward to well designed and likable characters with immersive development and at least a tolerable level of world building, with villains who had interesting motivations and/or memorable moments. As some of the stories in these games can vary wildly, i wasn't hoping for something on the level of PoR or even Three Houses (yes, despite the plot holes and the fandom's vitriolic reaction to certain characters, it's a good story and a good direction the series took).
    It is disappointing to me that i was more invested in a game that was outsourced, than i was in the last two entries by the home developers. I am hoping they can do better in the future, and listen to the majority of players who also took issue with this.    … Expand
  53. Maya_weiner
    Apr 17, 2023
    7
    Mechanically, the game is great! I like the triangle mechanic returning, the maps & missions themselves are fun. However, I'd finished 3h not long before I got this one. The transition from them is grating, honestly. Engage is much more light-hearted, and it shows with the characters depth (or lack thereof), art style, story, etc. This by itself is fine, if you want an experience differentMechanically, the game is great! I like the triangle mechanic returning, the maps & missions themselves are fun. However, I'd finished 3h not long before I got this one. The transition from them is grating, honestly. Engage is much more light-hearted, and it shows with the characters depth (or lack thereof), art style, story, etc. This by itself is fine, if you want an experience different from 3 Houses.
    Big events don't feel meaningful. When you learn about your character, it doesn't feel like it's earned. When important moments happen, they don't captivate me, because I hardly knew the characters to begin with. I don't think I regret buying this, but to me, it's a downgrade from Three Houses. I'd recommend someone to play that instead.    … Expand
  54. JugdralCHAD
    Apr 16, 2023
    0
    Awakening, Fates and Engage are a collective embarrassment to the FE franchise. Go back to making Fire Emblem games please instead of this cringey post-ironic otaku slop.
  55. TippyToes
    Apr 16, 2023
    5
    I have put two hundred hours into this game and played all the dlc maps. Through the shimmers of good gameplay, alright music, and a handful of memorable characters. I was left salty and burnt out by the end of it all. Like looking for that small, glimmer of light in the deepest, ocean abyss. I never found that hook to get me excited to play Engage. Instead, beating this game as close to aI have put two hundred hours into this game and played all the dlc maps. Through the shimmers of good gameplay, alright music, and a handful of memorable characters. I was left salty and burnt out by the end of it all. Like looking for that small, glimmer of light in the deepest, ocean abyss. I never found that hook to get me excited to play Engage. Instead, beating this game as close to a hundred percent as I could felt more like a chore than anything else. I won't drag on with how bad the story is since everyone is pretty much in agreement that it is horrible and uninspired. However, there are other things that I do think bring the game down. Especially after the fourth wave of dlc that I believe is worth talking about.

    First, the avatar pandering needs to stop. When the trailer came out for the fourth wave. I never felt so uninterested, for a series of dlc waves that cost thirty five dollars, for a character I little give no diddily squats about. If it was Diamant, or Ivy, or Yunaka, or a few of my favorite others characters that wasn't the main one. I would definitely care a lot more. Although the four crown princess and princesses and their siblings get something. It is still completely overshadowed by the amount of screen time, pampering, and worshipping that Alear gets. I don't even think that is how emotions work. The evil clones in wave four such as Diamant, Alcrist, Ivy, etc had emotions that made sense for their predicament. Alear is still looked at as a god. A character that can never do no wrong. Even from their enemies, and this kind of writing seriously needs to stop. I believe every avatar since fates had this problem. I honestly hope that maybe after this. IS will consider dropping the avatar for a while. Then again, I asked for the same after Byleth, but Three Houses sold almost three million copies. So clearly, listening to feedback was not the priority after that game came out.

    Next, the dlc. What a complete and utter load. The first three waves consist of nothing but new emblems and rare items which clearly should have been in the game day one. Even still, I hated doing most of these maps. Why do I hate them? It's because no fire emblem map should be thirty five turns or more. Are they insane!? To put that into perspective. I started Camillias map around seven at night. Pushing through and fighting wave after wave after wave of reinforcements using the Diamant and Ike emblem combo until I defeated the boss. By the time I was done. It was ten at night. I had been sitting there for three hours trying to get an emblem of a character that A. I did not like and B. Was completely useless through out my whole play through. What makes this more scummy is that there is no Hoshido rep. In an anniversary title meant to honor all the games. Conquest and Birthright being separate from each other. Besides, we all know why Camilla was chosen over Xander or Leo who actually went through an arc. Fan service, and it's not even good fan service. If IS made a game where you could actually play as past heros and expand on their lore and character development. That would be good fan service. Waving keys in front of our faces to hide your mistakes will only work for so long. Maybe, after the second or third try. IS might finally see this now...emphasis on might.

    Lastly, and most importantly. Even after the dlc. After getting playable characters who died in the main story, and after getting new powers, uninspired story ideas, or whatever IS can conjure up. I am here to say on the record, right now. My soul be damned, that Conquest and Birthright had a overall better story than Engage. The main reason as to why is because those games at least had stakes. There was tension. When a character died in that game. They stayed dead. Engage has none of that. No one is really ever considered dead in this game. There is nothing to be lost. There is nothing to worry about. So why should a player be concerned about anything in this game? I actually miss the drama Corrin had between the Norh and Hoshido siblings despite the flaws those games had. I believe that drama between characters is what worked for three houses and is what's needed for the next game. Fire Emblem Engage didn't feel like an anniversary game to me. It was more so a series of underdeveloped ideas, wasted potential, and a overdone avatar character that you can't make to look like you anymore.    … Expand
  56. iMustang
    Apr 12, 2023
    7
    Fire Emblem Engage was a return to formula for the franchise, backpedalling on new ideas in favor of the traditional storytelling the series is known for. Fell Dragon bad guy, dragon child hero, and parents who proudly wear their death flags with pride as their kids join your party. As I worked my way through the 26 chapter narrative I was hopeful I would find some hook, some great plotFire Emblem Engage was a return to formula for the franchise, backpedalling on new ideas in favor of the traditional storytelling the series is known for. Fell Dragon bad guy, dragon child hero, and parents who proudly wear their death flags with pride as their kids join your party. As I worked my way through the 26 chapter narrative I was hopeful I would find some hook, some great plot twist to make this experience stand out from it's predecessors. And after logging in nearly 70 hours I can confidently say... There's nothing here we haven't seen before. The story was predictable to a fault with very little in the way of plot twists or surprises, and overstayed it's welcome by being unnecessarily long to tell a tale that was fairly straightforward. I know I've not played many Fire Emblem games as I started with the 3DS era, but I would go so far as to say this story was the weakest of any Fire Emblem game I've played.

    The characters have interesting designs and fun personalities, but with a cast of nearly 40 characters you get so little time with any of them. Support conversations return and are a delight, but unless you’re willing to dedicate an insane amount of time to grinding you won’t be seeing even half of them the game has to offer. The main story eventually condenses the cast down to about 6 core characters and shelves most of the others along the way, which is a shame because many of them looked interesting and I would have liked to spend time with them. As is also the case with quantity over quality, many of the characters I did spend time with lacked depth and leave me with few I’ll remember.

    Now to give credit where it's due, mechanically speaking this easily was an achievement in the franchise. The Emblem system greatly impacted every battle with a unique ultimate move of sorts characters could use to influence the tides of battles. They were as pleasing to watch the characters use as they were to actually put them into practice, with each one being dynamically different. This was only made more incredible by the fact that there are so many emblems each with a unique move and skill set that you always wonder what the next thing is you can do. Given that Engage is even in the name, I will say it delivered on that core feature.

    Ultimately playing Fire Emblem Engage felt like playing Fire Emblem Fates Revelations, but without playing two journeys to lead up to the big adventure and just starting there instead. A cast too big to enjoy, a thin story that overstays it’s welcome, and an experience that’s overall forgettable. I’ll remember a few characters I liked, or some of the villains that had surprisingly more depth than most the heroes. I’ll remember how fun the game was to play, or how fantastic the soundtrack was. Overall I will remember that I enjoyed this game… but only just enough to say, “it was alright.”    … Expand
  57. AmiGC
    Apr 9, 2023
    4
    El gameplay está muy bueno, el mejor junto a Fates para mi, la música sí me gustó, pero están ridículos los personajes y la histora, normalmente esas eran las cosas que más me atraían de FE como tal. Que hayan metido a personajes de entregas anteriores fue lo que me llamó la atención y creo que eso es un punto más malo que bueno. Yo lo jugué sin expectativas y aún así terminóEl gameplay está muy bueno, el mejor junto a Fates para mi, la música sí me gustó, pero están ridículos los personajes y la histora, normalmente esas eran las cosas que más me atraían de FE como tal. Que hayan metido a personajes de entregas anteriores fue lo que me llamó la atención y creo que eso es un punto más malo que bueno. Yo lo jugué sin expectativas y aún así terminó decepcionandome… Expand
  58. greninjaX
    Apr 8, 2023
    8
    well, I gotta admit, that was one of the worst stories I've ever experienced in a video game, but it sure was fun to turn the brain off and play it.
  59. Ax3l__
    Apr 7, 2023
    8
    This title of the FE series is not bad at all:
    GAMEPLAY 9/10 The best game of the franchise in this aspect (i only played three houses and the titles on the 3ds)
    STORY 6/10 pretty basic, the characters are nothing special ART STYLE 8/10 It gives me v-tuber vibes, not my favorite title in this aspect but after all is good MECHANICS 10/10 i really enjoy the engage mechanic GRAPHICS    This title of the FE series is not bad at all:
    GAMEPLAY 9/10 The best game of the franchise in this aspect (i only played three houses and the titles on the 3ds)
    STORY 6/10 pretty basic, the characters are nothing special
    ART STYLE 8/10 It gives me v-tuber vibes, not my favorite title in this aspect but after all is good
    MECHANICS 10/10 i really enjoy the engage mechanic
    GRAPHICS 7/10 better than three houses but not incredible    … Expand
  60. randomacc
    Apr 3, 2023
    3
    It is sad to see that Intelligent Systems approved a story and plot with the literary level of a fan hack. While certainly not all fire emblems are known for its story, they try to at the very least make it concise and try to make fun characters. This is a very sad fall from the subtleties the story had in the Tellius and Jugdral games. There is nothing worse than making nostalgic fanIt is sad to see that Intelligent Systems approved a story and plot with the literary level of a fan hack. While certainly not all fire emblems are known for its story, they try to at the very least make it concise and try to make fun characters. This is a very sad fall from the subtleties the story had in the Tellius and Jugdral games. There is nothing worse than making nostalgic fan service integral to the story. The emblems don´t make sense.

    Character designs feel soulless and generic, with no particular trait to make any character represent who they are through designs. The somniel doesn´t work as a hub area to expand or develop characters, only as a way to make half baked mechanics trying to emulate Garreg Mach in fire emblem three houses, most of the time however I get to the somniel and it feels like a chore checklist to be completed.

    While gameplay wise the graphics, animations and map design have been improved over three houses, OP mechanics such as the emblem rings make it hard to feel the units as evenly distributed and balanced given that you don´t actually have a vast number of rings until the latter half of the game, I reached chapter 20 and stopped playing when I realized there was nothing compelling to keep on going other than the fact that I payed 60 bucks for this one.

    I feel like this game was contaminated by the influence of the fire emblem heroes mobile game, entirely based on fan service. If you are going to charge me 60 dollars for this one, I expect a much more deep experience from the fire emblem main series.    … Expand
  61. lemon8418
    Apr 3, 2023
    10
    Had a lot of fun, graphics are the best by far, gameplay is super polished. It's a fun entry.
  62. TmatoCE
    Apr 2, 2023
    2
    Top 3 worst fire emblem. There is little strategy now, emblems are cool but they suck the skills aren't so powerful and I never used most special attacks because they were weaker than a normal attack.

    Older games had some strategy, in this game you only have to run, because most maps have infinite reinforcement and that suck. I miss some things from previous games like secret shop, real    Top 3 worst fire emblem. There is little strategy now, emblems are cool but they suck the skills aren't so powerful and I never used most special attacks because they were weaker than a normal attack.

    Older games had some strategy, in this game you only have to run, because most maps have infinite reinforcement and that suck. I miss some things from previous games like secret shop, real coliseum... Mage got a downgrade, there is no mage triangle, now it's close and range. Almost every enemy use armor in this game so some characters with little damage are useless. Great weapons are not worth it, single attack are worse than double. I also dislike the break system, weapon triangle was ok there was no need for this break mechanic. I also dislike the extra life mechanic. You gotta kill 3 times some enemy and that doesn't add any difficulty just waste three units, a good fighting system wouldn't need it.

    Final boss has 0% hit on my main character, that's a joke I mean it was maxed but wth was that … Game doesn't give you enough resources. I only tried to upgrade s rank weapons the weren't great weapons(1 attack) and after farming a lot of hours didn't have enough so I gave up.

    I almost dislike every part of the game, the friendship conversations are soulless. A 4/10 is probably too high for this game    … Expand
  63. Brugohb
    Apr 2, 2023
    9
    Excelent game. Love all aspects. The changes made from tree houses is so wellcome.
  64. Willwick9000
    Mar 31, 2023
    0
    You need 12 individual amiibo to access all content. Disgusting Nintendo…
  65. Albertomhg
    Mar 25, 2023
    8
    Not as good as Three Houses but still a great game, new combat mechanics are really enjoyable and the new main character is better than the previous one, cons of this one is the plot isn't as interesting and it's a lot more repetitive
  66. Jammy223
    Mar 22, 2023
    7
    It's not awful, not at all. But I think the game overall falls flat of what the previous game (Three Houses) was trying to do. It felt like while this game had polished combat as well as animations in said combat, it lacked in the characters feeling, it felt as if these characters as you're recruiting them and are supposedly your friends you don't feel like you can get close and while youIt's not awful, not at all. But I think the game overall falls flat of what the previous game (Three Houses) was trying to do. It felt like while this game had polished combat as well as animations in said combat, it lacked in the characters feeling, it felt as if these characters as you're recruiting them and are supposedly your friends you don't feel like you can get close and while you can give all of them your "pact" ring, this does not equal in marriage like Three Houses.

    It's unfortunate because it could've been a good game, but it stuck mostly to giving it a feeling of bringing people into the series which was already done by Three Houses and way better.    … Expand
  67. shw079
    Mar 20, 2023
    8
    This is my first fire emblem game and it is overall an enjoyable experience. The animation, voice acting, gameplay, and music are quite good, despite some occasional low frame rate when the map is large and crowded with enemies (still quite impressive for Switch games). I particularly like the personalities of some of the characters and their support conversations, which I find reallyThis is my first fire emblem game and it is overall an enjoyable experience. The animation, voice acting, gameplay, and music are quite good, despite some occasional low frame rate when the map is large and crowded with enemies (still quite impressive for Switch games). I particularly like the personalities of some of the characters and their support conversations, which I find really funny. One thing I don't like is the repetitive activities in Somniel, which I find annoying but I still feel compelled to do it for a few stats boost.… Expand
  68. TeachCooker
    Mar 20, 2023
    5
    I'll get the low hanging fruit out of the way first. The characters and story are really boring. Not much to say other than the plot is uninspired and the characters are just walking tropes.
    The gameplay itself is where I have mixed feelings. For every positive there is a negative holding it back.
    For starters, bringing back the weapon triangle was a good move. The lack of it in the last    I'll get the low hanging fruit out of the way first. The characters and story are really boring. Not much to say other than the plot is uninspired and the characters are just walking tropes.
    The gameplay itself is where I have mixed feelings. For every positive there is a negative holding it back.
    For starters, bringing back the weapon triangle was a good move. The lack of it in the last few entries removed a basic level of depth many players expect.The emblem/ring system is an amazing addition that explodes the level of customization for your units to near absurd levels. Engage is maybe the best FE game when it comes to the ability to make sure your favorite units can clear the game.
    Yet at the same time there isn't very much strategy to be found in this turn-based strategy game. Mainly due to the fact that every enemy on the map attacks with zero regard for planning or tactics, in favor of just swarming your army asap. Some maps suffer greatly from this while others lose any challenge they might have presented otherwise.
    I won't hold the following criticism against the game too much, but with each new FE I hope they choose to make an effort to reduce RNG's influence on the gameplay. FE is always labeled a strategy game, yet ultimately what wins or loses battles are dice rolls. It is a problem that taking an optimal approach to any map can be rendered meaningless by RNG, just as making bad choices can be rewarded by lucky dice rolls. I will give the game credit for adding inheritable abilities that can help minimize RNG for the unit in question, but it is a small band-aid when a system wide solution is needed.

    Ultimately, a game that has many excellent concepts and mechanics gets bogged down by too many flaws to deliver a very middle of the road experience.    … Expand
  69. Snoopy64
    Jan 31, 2023
    7
    The gameplay alone deserves a 10, but the other things like day 1 dlc, gacha mechanics in a full priced game, and weak story hurt engage substantially.
  70. theresno
    Mar 18, 2023
    3
    The good:
    -The gameplay before chapter 20 is the most polished, tense, and well-planned of any FE game I’ve played. Maddening mode is a perfect blend of fair challenge and punishing difficulty. The Engage mechanic is fun and adds a new level of depth to the experience. I do wish the mechanic could have been tied to something other than old characters, though. Ancient, mystical rings with    The good:
    -The gameplay before chapter 20 is the most polished, tense, and well-planned of any FE game I’ve played. Maddening mode is a perfect blend of fair challenge and punishing difficulty. The Engage mechanic is fun and adds a new level of depth to the experience. I do wish the mechanic could have been tied to something other than old characters, though. Ancient, mystical rings with allusions to old characters behind them would have sufficed, and the story might have been stronger for it.

    -The changes made to the weapon triangle and how certain units function are well executed. Armored knights are now useful thanks to the new break mechanic, and overpowered weapons can’t steamroll through enemies regardless of weapon type.

    -The combat animations are fluid and impressive. Critical hits are fun and feel like a return to the stylish critical hits from GBAFE.

    The okay:
    -The graphics, while more consistent and polished than the 2008-2022 entries to the series, are not to my taste. In addition, there’s a large amount of clipping on the models. Lumera’s hair will poke through the back of her cape, Clanne’s braid will swing through his chest/shoulder, any dangling cloth on characters like Timerra or Zephia will clip through their bodies when they move their arms etc.

    -The voice over is good. Not quite on the same level as 3H or Echoes, but much stronger than Fates, Awakening, and the Tellius duology.

    -The music is middling compared to other entries to the series. I can only remember one song after two playthroughs and even then I don’t particularly like that song much.

    The bad:
    -Engage’s story is, as many have pointed out, the weakest part of the game. The attempts at emotion were clumsily handled and I couldn’t help but roll my eyes at some of the more “dramatic” scenes.

    -The cast of characters is the least likable I’ve seen in an FE game. Even Archanea’s roster full of non characters with no personality was better than the roster of irritating characters in this game. Supports range from one note to mildly interesting, but any potential depth was left unexplored.

    -The designs are overdone. The casual clothes are a great idea in theory. In practice, most of it looks too modern.

    -The menus are cluttered and convoluted. The Somniel menu will not alert you if you have new supports ready to watch, and it hides them under a menu called “references”, which is not where I would expect to find them. They should have been their own tab, and the storehouse should have been moved under the inventory tab.

    -QOL is bad in the shops, where bulk purchases are no longer an option. If you thought Anna’s “Is that the one?” “Thanks a bunch!” was annoying last game, be prepared for a whole new level of irritation.

    -The Somniel is lacking. At launch there were very few activities to build supports between units, which can be crucial for combat in maddening mode. This has since been fixed with a patch, which I consider a negative because it should have been in the game at launch. Instead, they prioritized putting out day one paid DLC over basic functionality of the hub world. I didn’t enjoy any of the minigames, but still do them because the bond fragments they give are important if you want to learn new skills. -The multiplayer aspect isn’t fun and I gave up after trying both options. According to the version 1.2 patch notes, random match multiplayer didn’t even work at launch and had to be fixed. IS should have focused on making the base game actually function from the start instead of working on DLC.

    -The cutscene audio mixing is poor and the music drowns out the dialogue. Marth and Alfred’s introductions are prime examples of this.

    -Endless reinforcements aren’t fun or good gameplay design. Prepare to see a lot of them in the endgame chapters as well as the throwback chapters (even in ones that didn’t have it, looking at you, Celica map). This ruins what I considered nearly flawless gameplay, as it doesn’t allow you to prepare or recover from a missed attack in a meaningful way when you’re being boxed in by endless waves of enemies from all angles. At lower difficulties this may have been acceptable, but in maddening, where killing an enemy in a single round of combat is not an easy feat, it only keeps you locked in place for longer than you need to be.

    -The hit rates are FE6 levels of shaky. Your units will consistently miss 80% and up hit rates, while enemy units will consistently hit at 30% or lower.

    TL;DR: the game reaches some very high peaks and some very low valleys, making for a conflicting experience. As it stands, this is one of my least favorite FE games.    … Expand
  71. PMG-Writer
    Mar 18, 2023
    9
    Nintendo and the developers from Intelligent Systems created another must-have game for the Nintendo Switch with Fire Emblem Engage. The storyline can leave you glued to the console for a long time with the damn pretty cutscenes and experienced a small animated movie in places. However, this disturbs the gameplay a bit. On the other hand, the fights in the course of the game have simplyNintendo and the developers from Intelligent Systems created another must-have game for the Nintendo Switch with Fire Emblem Engage. The storyline can leave you glued to the console for a long time with the damn pretty cutscenes and experienced a small animated movie in places. However, this disturbs the gameplay a bit. On the other hand, the fights in the course of the game have simply become more rounded and effective with the numerous improvements. The graphics and sound are also excellent and round off the great overall impression. In addition, the expansion pass is available for a fee and will gradually provide you with more content for the title. If you want to experience another top title on the Switch, you should definitely check out "Fire Emblem Engage".… Expand
  72. Apple5
    Mar 16, 2023
    10
    I’ve put 150 hours plus into Fire Emblem Engage on hard mode/casual. I’m still not finished and have more I want to do. It is a great Fire Emblem game.
  73. Keyston3
    Mar 14, 2023
    4
    Scared for the future of fire emblem. the combat is great, somneil is a waste of time because nobody has anything worthwhile to say. On top of already bad dialogue, the localization team butchered the game with their personal politics (representing roughly half the populous with the "inclusion" agenda) with that being said i'm all good with the changes made to Jean and Anna supports itsScared for the future of fire emblem. the combat is great, somneil is a waste of time because nobody has anything worthwhile to say. On top of already bad dialogue, the localization team butchered the game with their personal politics (representing roughly half the populous with the "inclusion" agenda) with that being said i'm all good with the changes made to Jean and Anna supports its all the other changes they made. can't talk about weight gain and forget mentioning anything womanly or manly. This is what happens when 20+ people are "needed" to translate/localize a game. The game is fun, played through it...… Expand
  74. q420572640
    Mar 8, 2023
    0
    Is this a piece of garbage?Except for the fighting, I didn't have any impressions, which made me very uncomfortable playing.
  75. DaileyBeating
    Mar 6, 2023
    9
    Fire emblem engage is a fantastic strategy RPG weighed down with a story that can rarely be taken seriously and a hub area that can slow down the pace to a crawl if you let it. Engage does a great job bringing back memories from previous games for veterans of the series while helping contextualize some characters past just being that sword guy from smash for new fans of the series. TheFire emblem engage is a fantastic strategy RPG weighed down with a story that can rarely be taken seriously and a hub area that can slow down the pace to a crawl if you let it. Engage does a great job bringing back memories from previous games for veterans of the series while helping contextualize some characters past just being that sword guy from smash for new fans of the series. The story is nothing to write home about, but was fun enough to keep me smiling, whether that be from a genuinely good moment or just laughing directly at the corny dialogue. The thing that matters the most though, the playing of the game, is the best it has ever been in my opinion, and I cant wait to see how the game can continue to surprise and challenge me in the future dlc. So yeah, while not my absolute favorite in the series, engage more than lived up the expectations I had for it, and is more than worth your time if you are a fan of RPGs.… Expand
  76. hyper06
    Mar 5, 2023
    9
    Fire Emblem Engage is an amazing game and the review bombing of this game is ridiculous. It is my favourite FE game alongside Three Houses, but I love Engage for all the different reasons.

    The writing. This is what people are attacking in droves and honestly its nowhere near as bad as they say it is. First off, the story. Yeah if you compare this Engage's plot to Three Houses plot it is    Fire Emblem Engage is an amazing game and the review bombing of this game is ridiculous. It is my favourite FE game alongside Three Houses, but I love Engage for all the different reasons.

    The writing. This is what people are attacking in droves and honestly its nowhere near as bad as they say it is. First off, the story. Yeah if you compare this Engage's plot to Three Houses plot it is way worse but it's not really fair to compare the two. They had different priorities and the plot wasn't Engage's. In my opinion, Engage's plot is way better than anything Fates and Awakening had to offer. The same goes for characters. While Engage has a far less memorable cast compared to Three Houses, they are significantly better than the cast from Fates and Awakening. Honestly, that's all I could ask for.

    Now to what this game excels at, the gameplay. Engage offers a unique gameplay style that no other Fire Emblem game does. The weapon triangle is back and actually serves a purpose for the entire game. Instead of giving hit points, it now comes with the break system which prevents the affected unit to counterattack for 1 turn. The Engage system is super fun, every different Emblem (that isn't DLC, I haven't tried those out yet) are each unique and powerful in their own right. My favourites being Lyn, Lucina and Byleth.

    Up till now I've been praising this game, but now for some of the things that bothered me. First off, Engage's RNG is awful. In my opinion, worse than Thracia's. I raged a good couple of times due to the dumb stuff that the game did to me. So many 70s and 80%s missed by my units and the AI hits anything above 30% regularly. This was during my playthrough so I can't vouch for everyone, but all I have to say is prepare yourself mentally for the terrible RNG. Second the bright and colourful setting of the game. Fire Emblem is a game depicting medieval fantasy warfare and how terrible it is. People complained about Three Houses' gray and washed out setting, but Engage took it way too far with the bright colours and soft tone of the writing.

    In conclusion, Fire Emblem Engage is a fantastic game and a must play for both veterans of the series and newcomers. The plot is nowhere near as impressive as Three Houses' but it's nothing horrendous (it is really cheesy though).    … Expand
  77. Ahoythere
    Mar 5, 2023
    6
    After beating the game, I'm putting a solid 6 due to a personal like of the art style and combat. However, the story was incredibly stupid, and return trips to the Sominel were always tedious, it truly could have just been a menu on the world map and I would have been so much more satisfied. Another reason that I am lowering it, is due to the inability to change the difficulty to higherAfter beating the game, I'm putting a solid 6 due to a personal like of the art style and combat. However, the story was incredibly stupid, and return trips to the Sominel were always tedious, it truly could have just been a menu on the world map and I would have been so much more satisfied. Another reason that I am lowering it, is due to the inability to change the difficulty to higher settings. I feel bad for anyone who started on normal, got invested, then was stuck at it. It was simply too easy of a difficulty, so much so that it should have been called easy mode.… Expand
  78. Mene0
    Mar 5, 2023
    7
    Fire Emblem Engage has the best gameplay the series has had so far. This is complemented by the excelent map design, also some of the best this series has ever had.
    However, this game has a few shortcomings, mostly it's story and characters. The story is generic at best and really, really bad at its worst points(ch 20-22), the characters that the story focuses the most are kind of    Fire Emblem Engage has the best gameplay the series has had so far. This is complemented by the excelent map design, also some of the best this series has ever had.
    However, this game has a few shortcomings, mostly it's story and characters. The story is generic at best and really, really bad at its worst points(ch 20-22), the characters that the story focuses the most are kind of uninteresting, with the rest of the roster being a lot cooler. Also, some of the character designs are really, really weird, not fitting at all in a medieval fantasy setting. I much prefer the simpler design of some characters over the really exagerated ones.
    The soundtrack is also good, but it's great how it dinamically shifts between a more action focused version of the song it's playing when you go into combat.
    The UI of the game is also somewhat bad and clunky, you will spend a lot of time in menus when you are not in battle.
    In the end this is a very worthwhile game if you are a fan of the franchise, but bad story and characters really do hurt the overall enjoyment of and RPG, for obvious reasons.    … Expand
  79. Ophenix
    Mar 5, 2023
    3
    The story is trash, the character and the world have had zero thought put into them, a lot of the mechanics are an absolute bore and the economy is really bad. Like, realllllly bad. You need to grind 4-5 maps to upgrade a late game weapon levels of bad.

    But the combat is a step in the right direction so I’m not giving it a lower score. I think a lot of my complaints can be fixed (why    The story is trash, the character and the world have had zero thought put into them, a lot of the mechanics are an absolute bore and the economy is really bad. Like, realllllly bad. You need to grind 4-5 maps to upgrade a late game weapon levels of bad.

    But the combat is a step in the right direction so I’m not giving it a lower score. I think a lot of my complaints can be fixed (why can’t I see absolute levels? Why are resources so grind heavy?) and it might raise the game to a 6. However, it’s a disappointment and I’m happy I got it second hand so I don’t give my money to IS. I’d be happy to pay for another game as good as Three Houses but I’m not paying full price for the Hiya-Papaya Zappies!    … Expand
  80. Jakedoe
    Mar 4, 2023
    4
    Awful writing, like the worst I've seen in a long time.
    It focuses on combat instead of social which would be fine if the main thrust of the narrative made it actually worth going from encounter to encounter.
    It's so clichè and frustrating, at chapter ten end I wanted to snap my switch in half at how absolutely trash that plot development was. One big thing for me is death in the game,    Awful writing, like the worst I've seen in a long time.
    It focuses on combat instead of social which would be fine if the main thrust of the narrative made it actually worth going from encounter to encounter.

    It's so clichè and frustrating, at chapter ten end I wanted to snap my switch in half at how absolutely trash that plot development was.

    One big thing for me is death in the game, previously you could kill characters and it was impactful... now you can't kill veyle you can't kill anyone so the only people who can die permanently are your companions... great idea morons, you had a great thing that actually stuck with people and you abandoned it.

    Genuinely the combat is great, everything is else is pure distilled bottom of the barrel anime story.    … Expand
  81. Syhlcam
    Mar 4, 2023
    8
    Ainsi Fire Emblem Engage est un très bon jeu, et même un excellent RPG tactique avec son système de combat toujours aussi solide. Un système poussé avec la mécanique des emblèmes qui ajoute un plus non négligeable au côté tactique.
    Sachant qu'il est toujours possible de géré ses unités parfaitement comme on le souhaite pour s'adapté à notre jeu. Néanmoins, il pêche plus sur son univers,    Ainsi Fire Emblem Engage est un très bon jeu, et même un excellent RPG tactique avec son système de combat toujours aussi solide. Un système poussé avec la mécanique des emblèmes qui ajoute un plus non négligeable au côté tactique.
    Sachant qu'il est toujours possible de géré ses unités parfaitement comme on le souhaite pour s'adapté à notre jeu. Néanmoins, il pêche plus sur son univers, son scénario et les dialogues plus plat et moins intéressant que le précédent opus.
    Mais aussi dans ces chargements un peu long et dans l'ergonomie de certain menu. Là où par contre, il excelle dans sa direction artistique réussi mais aussi sa technique ou encore ces musiques. Sans oublié le multi-joueur qui ajoute un peu de rejouabilité au titre via des modes intéressant.

    FULL TEST : https://www.geekexperience.fr/jeux-video/avis/avis-fire-emblem-engage/    … Expand
  82. Exocoex
    Mar 3, 2023
    2
    It's a Fire Emblem game, except the characters are flat and impersonable, plot is cliche and predictable and failure to build mood tends to leave you laughing at the game's feeble attempts to make you sad or upset on behalf of the characters. Returning characters are forcefully stuffed in the game with mechanics that do not provide much of anything and with minimum opportunities toIt's a Fire Emblem game, except the characters are flat and impersonable, plot is cliche and predictable and failure to build mood tends to leave you laughing at the game's feeble attempts to make you sad or upset on behalf of the characters. Returning characters are forcefully stuffed in the game with mechanics that do not provide much of anything and with minimum opportunities to interact with them. Menu system is a mess and the most frequently used menus are buried under rarely used keys and multiple submenus, requiring you to spend a noticeable amount of your gaming time simply clicking through menus.

    Combat remains as fun as ever but if you wanted anything else out of this game, don't.    … Expand
  83. weskergamer
    Mar 2, 2023
    7
    As a Big Fire Emblem fan, Engage left me with a weird taste in my mouth. I loved it buy i also hated a lot of stuff and decision made by Intelligent System. Apparently, this game is meant to celebrate the Fire Emblem franchise, and it succeeds gameplay wise, but in other things it was very disappointed. The gameplay and everything related to gameplay in this game is the only reason why I'mAs a Big Fire Emblem fan, Engage left me with a weird taste in my mouth. I loved it buy i also hated a lot of stuff and decision made by Intelligent System. Apparently, this game is meant to celebrate the Fire Emblem franchise, and it succeeds gameplay wise, but in other things it was very disappointed. The gameplay and everything related to gameplay in this game is the only reason why I'm giving it a 7. It's so damn good. It's the best the series has ever been. But as a AAA game meant to celebrate a 25 yo franchise with a great story and beloved characters, it doesn't have a great story nor beloved characters. Even the characterization, graphics and moments of the heroes from past games it's so bad, giving importance basically only to Marth and characters like Ike, Sigurd and Roy looking so horrible with this game art style. I only hope that if they make a Genealogy or Tellius series remake they use more realistic art style. The story and characters of this game are so boring and cliche, reusing plots from previous game like Awakening and Fates. Outside of the story and characters the music is great, and it's good that we got a place where you can listen to it. The maps are really fun, i really enjoy the last 5 maps and the paralogues, even though i don't understand why my units can die in paralogues when it's basically a training section against the emblems. Even though I complain about the story, fire emblem has always been known for simple stories, but at least the characters were memorable, not the case in this game. I think I will only remember Diamant, Alcryst and Lapis tbh. The Villans were really, really bad in this game. The last thing I really hated about this game, was that, by the time of this review, there is no New Game+. This may be a small issue but still it hurted me a lot to finish the game and wasn't able to restart the game with support and skills already done like in 3H, something that I actually like because it made replayability more fun. Anyway, this game made a lot of bad decision, it doesn't make any sense that a game that follow one of the greatest games of the switch and of this generation of consoles, fells so underwhelmed and a step back in the franchise. They could' work in the bases of 3H and just improve the gameplay and maybe the graphics and we could have had the greatest game in the franchise, since without a doubt Engage has the best and more fun gameplay in the series, not even close. At the end of the day, in a couple of years we'll play a new FE with the same gameplay at this one but improving in the story, characters and art style, and it will be like this game never existed.… Expand
  84. Sunshadow87
    Mar 1, 2023
    8
    Después de completar el juego, lo primero que he de decir es que estoy en desacuerdo con muchos de los puntos negativos que se le han achacado a engage desde el principio, mientras que he de recalcar que, ¡existen otros puntos, que personalmente si que son negativos, a los que la mayoría de reviews no les han prestado la mínima atención!

    En pocas palabras: fire emblem engage es una    Después de completar el juego, lo primero que he de decir es que estoy en desacuerdo con muchos de los puntos negativos que se le han achacado a engage desde el principio, mientras que he de recalcar que, ¡existen otros puntos, que personalmente si que son negativos, a los que la mayoría de reviews no les han prestado la mínima atención!

    En pocas palabras: fire emblem engage es una mezcla de decisiones de diseño, algunas excelentes, y otras horrendas. El resultado final sigue siendo un juego de notable alto, sobresaliente si los puntos negativos que explicare no te importan.

    - Lo positivo: sin lugar a dudas, las batallas. Esto coincido con prácticamente todos. El diseño de los mapas en feg es de los mejores de la saga, y con las misiones opcionales deben rondar las 40 batallas. El juego se siente fresco en esto, introduciendo nuevas mecánicas en la saga, como los jefes con varias barras de vida o ciertos "gimmicks" que aparecerán por primera vez incluso hacia el final del juego, aportando variedad hasta el final. La fusion con los emblemas es la principal forma de personalización de los personajes del juego (el cambio de clases es más costoso que en three houses, así que es normalmente mejor ajustarte a la evolución normal de las clases iniciales) y se recupera el triangulo de armas. También se ha dado a los "healers" un arma: las artes marciales, lo cual añade un nuevo nivel de estrategia al ser efectivos contra magos, arqueros... y, aunque su daño es debil, la mecánica de desarmar a las unidades al golpearlas con una debilidad añade un nuevo nivel de estrategia a esto (al quedar desarmadas no contraatacan y puedes a continuación atacar tranquilamente a un mago con tu general por ejemplo).

    Como otro aspecto positivo estaría... la historia. Y aqui evidentemente difiero con la mayoria. Sin considerar que la saga en general tiene las mejores historias salvo unas pocas entregas, la historia de feg sin ser de las mejores, debo decir que se encuentra por encima de la media. Existen muchos aspectos de la historia que realmente no arrancan hasta casi el final, pero una vez que todo concluye, te das cuenta de cuantas piezas bien puestas hay en ella. También presenta algunos de los mejores villanos, especialmente Griss y Zephia, cuyas acciones no son defendibles, pero si permiten empatizar con ellos cuando los entiendes (defenderlos en ningún caso eso sí). Sin embargo no hay que confundir la historia con otro aspecto que si hablare en el siguiente punto.

    - Lo negativo: los personajes. Sí, no la "historia", lo que es bastante mediocre de este juego son los personajes en sí y sus relaciones entre sí. Existen personajes salvables y algunos realmente buenos, pero el plantel de personajes es enorme (uniéndose ademas de 3 en 3 normalmente), y muchos son cliches sobreexagerados (aunque algunos esconden detrás de esos cliches cosas mas profundas, pero no todos). Otro punto que puede ser clasificado aquí es quizás la narrativa, aunque esto es más discutible: este fire emblem tiene un toque mucho más "naive", inocente y también sobreexagerado en muchas de sus escenas, lo cual pienso que justamente lo hace una entrega fácil para entrar en la saga a generaciones más jóvenes, pero que no será para gusto de todos.

    Y el principal problema con el juego: la economia esta rota y el somniel es un coñazo. El juego tiene multiples funciones online, y aparte de los modos puramente online, la principal forma de conseguir dinero es activar el online y recoger las "almas" de otros jugadores que perecieron en esa casilla durante las batallas (además de otros útiles). Esto, para aquellos que no tenemos online, significa que no hay forma de conseguir más dinero del que obtenemos puntualmente en la historia (no hay pepitas u otros items que podamos vender por mucho). Complete el juego en dificil con permadeath, y esto fue un infierno ya que no pude mejorar una sola arma hasta el final (ahorrando para poder mejorar 3 o 4 armas al final del juego), comprando solo bastones u objetos de promoción, llevando armas de hierro a batallas donde los enemigos ya me sacaban armas de plata como si fueran churros... esto esta francamente mal, y no me quiero imaginar intentar la máxima dificultad en estas condiciones...

    El somniel que es el lobby del juego donde estan los minijuegos y demás... se hace pesado y repetitivo conforme va creciendo. Deberían diseñar minijuegos que cuesten de dominar y te entretengan durante horas, pero una vez completados te puedas olvidar de ellos, y no tener que repetirlos cada vez porque las migajas que consigues en ello son necesarias (en dificil) para estar al día. Esto aumentaba artificialmente la duración del juego a practicamente el doble, ya que hacia el final puedes tirarte una hora haciendo esto entre batalla y batalla    … Expand
  85. Aurok11
    Mar 1, 2023
    10
    Honestly, after reading user reviews of FE Engage, I was a bit sceptical about the quality of the game, but as a Fire Emblem fan, I've decided to give it a chance. And honestly, I don't regret that. I agree that story in FE Engage is not on the same level as in FE Three Houses (it is still quite pleasant), but the game cancels this inconvenience with - in my opinion - one of the bestHonestly, after reading user reviews of FE Engage, I was a bit sceptical about the quality of the game, but as a Fire Emblem fan, I've decided to give it a chance. And honestly, I don't regret that. I agree that story in FE Engage is not on the same level as in FE Three Houses (it is still quite pleasant), but the game cancels this inconvenience with - in my opinion - one of the best gameplay in the whole series. Thanks to removing weapon-breaking mechanics, the skirmishes are more dynamic, the maps are varied with plenty of unique mechanics, and the weapon triangle did come back after it disappeared from FE Three Houses. All of those elements perfectly complement each other.

    Overall - in my honest opinion - if you like Fire Emblem Series for its tactical aspect, you will be rapturous. On the other hand, if the plot is the pivotal element to you, it (contrary to its predecessor) isn't a game with many possible routes, so after every subsequent playthrough, you'll see the same story again. Regardless of that, I would give this game a chance. The main plot should give you approximately 40 hours of solid tactical gameplay (more or less 60 hours with side quests).

    The game is strong 9/10, but due to the review bombing I gave it 10.    … Expand
  86. GNOwlie
    Feb 27, 2023
    3
    Just goes to show that Koei should be making the Fire Emblem games, NOT Intelligent Systems.

    Sure the voice acting is just as good, graphically speaking, it's technically better, and the game play feels good (although feeling too much like a super hero games half the time) The nagging opinion I have is this game is took as many steps backwards as it did forwards. For starters, I    Just goes to show that Koei should be making the Fire Emblem games, NOT Intelligent Systems.

    Sure the voice acting is just as good, graphically speaking, it's technically better, and the game play feels good (although feeling too much like a super hero games half the time)

    The nagging opinion I have is this game is took as many steps backwards as it did forwards. For starters, I can't stand the character design. Everyone looks like children, even the adults. I prefer the mature themes, and while the protagonist is far better than Byleth character-wise, that's not much of a compliment as Byleth was just awful, meanwhile Alear is just a typical teen.

    Graphically the game is better, sure, but they don't do anything special either. At no point did I walk around to take in the scenery like I did in FE3H. Empty locations, with nothing in them.

    Battlefield exploration is dull, and boring. Three Houses' battlefield zoom-in was infinitely better.

    Somniel is basically everything I hated about Sanctuary in Three Houses:
    1. Few characters in Three houses had boring things to say. Here EVERYONE has nothing interesting to say. It isn't even fully voiced.
    2. Activities are a bigger chore than ever. Rather than being built into the narrative (being a teacher, teaching your units, and bonding along the way), somiel is just there to take up your time.
    3. More frequent loading screens

    Character personalities are near non-existent btw. Everyone you recruit has NOTHING to add to the narrative outside their introduction maps. The Emblems are the worst offenders here. They get their own trashy support called "bond" where they tell you that you have nice hair today, or something generic like that, but that's it.

    Game play is the only thing this game did relatively well. The return of the weapon triangle feels really good. And while I think the super hero-style game play behind the emblems is out of place, the abilities are sick, and fun to use. Even if they are definitely OP.

    All-in-all, Intelligent Systems tried to stick with the formula they know, while changing things for the worst in a lot of style, and narrative areas. And man, it's hard to go back to this older, but more childish style of game after the leap forward Three Houses Took.    … Expand
  87. mgao22
    Feb 26, 2023
    6
    The content of Engage is about paying respect to the whole series, which is wierd in first place, because they already did that in fire emblem warriors. Paying respect twice in one generation? What's so respectable about this franchise?

    Fine, I am okay with it. However, while the characters are taken from decades back, the painting style is completely modern, it looks like a cheap    The content of Engage is about paying respect to the whole series, which is wierd in first place, because they already did that in fire emblem warriors. Paying respect twice in one generation? What's so respectable about this franchise?

    Fine, I am okay with it. However, while the characters are taken from decades back, the painting style is completely modern, it looks like a cheap mobile game! I'd played the Genealogy on SNES, in which Sigurd was illstrated with exquisite, handsome 80s darwing style, and now what Engage turn him into? A completely un-identifiable pedestrian. Same thing with Lindis from the Blazing Blade, and many other classic characters. Seriously, get your mind straight. Don't let Nostalgia become a cheap excuse for saving money.

    I'm too loyal to Fire Emblem to give it something lower than 6, but I gotta be honest, the more loyal you are, the more disappointed you will be with this new instalment.    … Expand
  88. ggol1998
    Feb 26, 2023
    7
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. As a die-hard fan ever since shadow dragon. This entry to the series feels like a huge step back.

    Lets start with the positive first.

    Gameplay
    The gameplay is still top-tier and in my opinion the combat is probably one of the best in the entry. I like how fast the character's animation move compare to 3 house the combat was very slow and stiff. It brings back the old classic fire emblem from the 3DS entries. Both the characters and environments are very colourful and well design. I like how they removed the weapon durability because in 3 house that was annoying. The ring pair mechanic is also not bad in this game. They do add some parts of the duo features from awakening/fates but in a more balance way.

    Now to the Negative. As a Huge fan, I have to be honest because I love this franchise and wish the next entry can succeed.

    Story and characters
    Now if you take a step back and look at fates. The game setting copies it. For example at the start, the Queen dies. The MC is a dragon, and each kingdom has a sibling in it. The story is quite bad for the first half of engage, but as you progress on it does get better. However, this is probably the least engaging fire emblem story I have witnessed. They also didn't bother voicing the leveling part where the characters has unique dialogue like only one stat up. This may be a little detail, but little details counts. The most disappointing part is. You can't transform into a dragon. In every Fire emblem game. If you have a dragon character (Manakete). You can transform into a dragon with unique abilities. In engage you have none of that, but a sword. I can see many potentials in the story however the characters and story is clearly rushed, which ruins the game's pacing.

    World Map
    If you look at the World map. Both engage and echoes have map travelling which I really like. Back in Awakening when you travel around the world. Theres area where you can purchase special weapons. In Echoes they improved the formula with dungeon traveling and you are also allow to travel to villages and gain characters and weapons. In Engage there is none of that. In past fire emblem series. As you progress through the story you unlock side maps/quest and characters at the same time. You get that feeling of exploration and the game reward you with a character. Its true you still unlock characters in engage, but all the characters are unlocked in the main story and the side story is replaced with bond expansion. It feels linear and unrewarding.

    Classes
    This time the classes system are just weird. In Engage they segregated the weapon category of the same class into multiple class that are the same. In all the Fire Emblem series. The advance class can wield more than 1 weapon. For example the great knight in battle can wield both sword, lance and axes at the same time, but this time in engage a great knight can only wield 1 weapon in battle, however if you want to switch the weapon you need to switch the class each time before a battle which is called great knight axe, great knight lance or great knight sword. This is egregious. How can they mess this up so badly?

    Skill
    This happens in 3 houses as well. They need to animate all the skills that is ability based. Back in awakening, there is animation for Ignis, Astra, Luna and sol, this makes the game feel engaging, but none of that in the current switch generations.

    Conclusion
    Most of the characters and story is rushed. They tried to implement fates story to engage however it is not as good as fates. The world map is cool and beautiful, but the story is misplaced and the class system needs a revamp. The only part they did right is the gameplay. It is still excellent, but they need to start animating some skills into it.

    With all that said. This game still packs a lot of content and play hours. We are lucky to still get a game like this. I rather play this than play an abomination like Star wars Battlefront 2 (EA) at launch.    … Expand
  89. NeroSaber
    Feb 24, 2023
    9
    A Masterpiece. The tactical aspect has no flaws and the story is a step back from the last games, but in a good way !! The narrative is straight forward going back to the classic formula of the Good vs Evil and its very effective. Personally I would like to play a game with a more complex story, but Nintendo and IS has failed many times in this aspect. The Tatical aspect is near perfectionA Masterpiece. The tactical aspect has no flaws and the story is a step back from the last games, but in a good way !! The narrative is straight forward going back to the classic formula of the Good vs Evil and its very effective. Personally I would like to play a game with a more complex story, but Nintendo and IS has failed many times in this aspect. The Tatical aspect is near perfection being a great contender for the best tactical rpgs

    For the technical aspects the game is very beautiful with fluid movements and epic critical Animation going back to Echoes and GBA animation quality The game is the bets FE in years, it have its own problems of course but I can see a bright future to the franchise    … Expand
  90. Sanick
    Feb 23, 2023
    0
    Pros: Squares and math

    The only positive thing I can really say about this game is that it is a tactical RPG. There are squares to count, and there's math to do. I guess that's fun, but Fire Emblem Engage does very little to make it refreshing or interesting compared to other games in the genre, and it sacrifices a lot of elements from its previous entry, Three Houses. Cons: Dull    Pros: Squares and math

    The only positive thing I can really say about this game is that it is a tactical RPG. There are squares to count, and there's math to do. I guess that's fun, but Fire Emblem Engage does very little to make it refreshing or interesting compared to other games in the genre, and it sacrifices a lot of elements from its previous entry, Three Houses.

    Cons: Dull Setting, Uninteresting Characters, Recycled Plot, Awful Writing, Poor Quality of Life, Bizarre Character Designs, Lackluster Cosmetics, No New Game Plus

    The writing in this game is crap.

    The game is all about rings, so they made the continent a ring. It's divided into four quadrants, each one with the climate of a Mario level. Original. There are some meager attempts at establishing political relationships between the four countries, but it's pretty bad, and doesn't make the setting interesting. Fodlan was infinitely better.

    The characters don't get even a fraction of the effort that the Three Houses cast received. There aren't even paired endings for any characters besides the one who the avatar S ranks. Character writing seems to have been a very low priority in this game and it shows.

    The story is about the main character traveling across the continent to find all the magical items so they can defeat the big evil. It's a story you've seen a hundred times and Engage does nothing to put a twist on it or make it original at all. Some plot points are rushed through with no time for characters to process information. Other times, characters don't even get an ounce of their backstory revealed until they're on their death bed, as though players should suddenly care for this character. At its worst, I found the story outright insulting as it expected me to accept blatantly ridiculous developments with a straight face.

    The game takes several steps back in terms of Quality of Life. Offenses include:
    - Can't rotate the camera 360 degrees around the map anymore
    - Can't remap buttons
    - Can't hide the dialogue box
    - The gallery of cutscenes, music, and Support conversations, is tied to specific save files instead of being on the main menu. This means you don't have a single gallery showing all Supports you've unlocked across multiple playthroughs.

    I greatly dislike most of the character designs. The main character's design is the worst for obvious reasons. Others just have stars or hearts on their face. Is it a sticker? A tattoo? I'm not opposed to a little color in character designs, but many of them cross the line into pure silliness. I can't take them seriously at all.

    The option to keep a character's default outfit in battle is gone. If you reclass them, they WILL use that class's outfit in battle with no exceptions. Cosmetic options in the Somniel (the base outside of combat) are unimpressive as well, often offering plain outfits with little to no patterning and color schemes which don't change between different characters. Oh, and these outfits cost valuable metals that you could be using to upgrade your weapons, so you must play inefficiently to use the cosmetics. Maybe they stay unlocked on New Game Plus? Except...

    There's no New Game Plus. This is inexcusable. Again, several steps backwards on something they already had in their previous entry. With the costs of cosmetics, weapon upgrades, and acquiring new skills so high, the game seems to be built around the idea that you could use NG+ to reach things you couldn't in a single playthrough. Yet, they dropped the ball.

    Mixed: Mechanics, RPG Stuff

    Engage's main brag is new mechanics, such as using the Emblem rings containing old characters, inflicting the Break status, and new aspects of classes. As much as some people are praising these mechanics, I felt that they had a lighter impact than I expected on the gameplay. I definitely wasn't willing to sacrifice all quality in the writing for a couple of mechanical trinkets.

    I felt that the variety in classes was lacking. In terms of magic, the Sage and High Priest classes are mostly clones of each other, leaving only two different magic classes: Sage and Mage Knight. Some classes, like Swordmaster and Royal Knight, are simply obsolete compared to others.

    In terms of customizing units, I would have liked more. Units only get two skill slots to use, and the SP costs of acquiring these skills are extremely high. So much so that some characters will wait most of the game before getting a skill you want for them. There wasn't a ton of variety in these skills either, with some skills standing out as the most obvious choice for nearly every unit.

    Overall, this entry completely lost my interest in the series. I won't pay much attention to future FE games unless they show a huge focus on writing, QoL, and greater customization of units in order to win me back.    … Expand
  91. Lifestranding
    Feb 23, 2023
    5
    Basically an SRPG game, but you only get the ‘S’
    ………………………………………………………………..
  92. Edele
    Feb 22, 2023
    0
    I prioritize the story, performance, character design first, and then gameplay. Although the combat system in Engage is excellent, the other aspects of the game fall far short of Three Houses. Playing the game was a frustrating experience. Each character felt like a soulless tool, and they lacked memorable personalities, making it challenging to recall their names and images.

    The story    I prioritize the story, performance, character design first, and then gameplay. Although the combat system in Engage is excellent, the other aspects of the game fall far short of Three Houses. Playing the game was a frustrating experience. Each character felt like a soulless tool, and they lacked memorable personalities, making it challenging to recall their names and images.

    The story was a significant disappointment, failing to meet my expectations. While some might argue that the combat system in the Fire Emblem series is all that matters, I believe that a good game requires a reasonable story, character design, scene design, and music to support it. Investing all resources into one aspect does not make it a good game.

    Overall, Engage fell short of my expectations. While the combat system is enjoyable, the lack of memorable characters and plot hindered my enjoyment of the game.    … Expand
  93. Lewyn
    Feb 22, 2023
    4
    I'll start by saying, I am a big Fire Emblem fan, my first game in the series being Radiant Dawn. However this game left me being extremely disappointed.

    First the story, uses literal every trope in the series shoehorning them in every second. Making it feel more like that events that happen in the story feel forced. As for this round of characters, I couldn't find a single one I enjoyed,    I'll start by saying, I am a big Fire Emblem fan, my first game in the series being Radiant Dawn. However this game left me being extremely disappointed.

    First the story, uses literal every trope in the series shoehorning them in every second. Making it feel more like that events that happen in the story feel forced. As for this round of characters, I couldn't find a single one I enjoyed, and found myself skipping nearly every Support Conversation. It also doesn't help this batch of characters looks are often overly designed. The new batch of Characters will likely not mash well with others in Heroes either as this game is first to drop Nordic Names in favor of French names.

    Then for the gameplay... Its painfully dull. The new Break System doesn't feel rewarding and often makes it more difficult to level up certain units. The ways skills work, and the finite amount of resources at your disposal makes the new skill system frustrating. Lastly what the games does and doesn't teach up in tutorials make no sense. Like the game will tell you about to shop, pet your pets and few mini games but won't tell you how skills are learned or bond rings work.


    The only positive is seeing some of the older characters again. Kinda wish instead we got a game of Lucina traveling through time seeking help from different characters of past games instead of this weird mess.    … Expand
  94. disposable
    Feb 21, 2023
    0
    Kind of a mess! Really just a game for anyone who still goes "Squee" and gets wet when they see Marth. I guess there's something to being such a FE fan that you get the reference when Sigurd gives you silly move and teleports across the battlefield, but it gets old.

    I've seen a lot of people describe this as solid gameplay, bad story. I think the gameplay is pretty spotty though. Map    Kind of a mess! Really just a game for anyone who still goes "Squee" and gets wet when they see Marth. I guess there's something to being such a FE fan that you get the reference when Sigurd gives you silly move and teleports across the battlefield, but it gets old.

    I've seen a lot of people describe this as solid gameplay, bad story. I think the gameplay is pretty spotty though. Map difficulty is a bit like conquest, not terrible but oddly balanced. The expectation that you will use the rings maximally is baked in, a lot of houses you have to sprint to, etc. Weapon durability is out again, which they do every so often before realizing it breaks the economy and walking it back in the next game. They have this new donation system where you can get some minor map benefits, but it's not really a solution.

    The biggest issue with the gameplay is the break system I'd argue. Getting hit by an opposing weapon locks counters for a turn. This, together with the decreased move, really just slows the game down. Armor knights become quite critical, with the most effective strategy being the "ball of units" one.

    The story is quite bad. It's trying to be a callback to FE1 where Marth had to kill an evil dragon, but it somehow has less plot. Massive step back from Three Houses, one of the best FE stories, and I think a misunderstanding of what the fanbase wants out of these.    … Expand
  95. Kyrephare
    Feb 20, 2023
    5
    Writer: Long time Fire Emblem fan.
    Positives: the upgraded engine looks good, though a bit faded when I was expecting the color to pop a little more. Maps are a little more interesting than 3 Houses. Maybe a touch to many loading screens for my liking.
    Negatives: Gameplay is extremely breakable, in fact the game breaks itself early on by giving your main unit an extraordinarily    Writer: Long time Fire Emblem fan.
    Positives: the upgraded engine looks good, though a bit faded when I was expecting the color to pop a little more. Maps are a little more interesting than 3 Houses. Maybe a touch to many loading screens for my liking.
    Negatives: Gameplay is extremely breakable, in fact the game breaks itself early on by giving your main unit an extraordinarily amount of evasion very early in the game. The new combat wrinkles dont really work that well, except maybe smash weapons. Hard mode isnt even hard (though your view may differ as I am fairly adept at this style of game).
    Story wise, its easily the worst written story Ive come across in any game in a while and the characters are completely one dimensional and flat. They have 0 personality with maybe one or two exceptions. If you enjoyed the social/bond aspects of other games, your going to be disappointed in this one (or at least I was).

    Im not even sure who this game is for? It has a lot of nostalgia factors by introducing old heroes as essentially ghosts who fight along side you, but the game itself seems like its trying to approach a different audience than the series has built up over every entry released in the West by devesting itself from the bond/social system. Ive never cared so little about the characters, which is really bad because it kills any tension if say one character you really like gets in trouble. In old games this would add a nice bit of tension. Here I just kinda say "oh whatever".

    I cant recommend anyone really playing this game since I cant even tell who this is geared for. I guess if you can ignore everything except the gameplay you may enjoy it. But even for fans, Id recommend just starting up an older game for more enjoyment. Its not completely bad, but there are other games you can spend your money on.    … Expand
  96. dmztheone
    Feb 20, 2023
    9
    2nd Review (100 hours gameplay) Score: 9
    I highly recommend this game! I've been playing it almost daily for almost a month now and I am thoroughly impressed. Although the story and relationships may not be as strong as Three Houses, the battle mechanism is top-notch and the game's fluidness is unbeatable. The ring mechanism and various abilities that are unlocked throughout the game are    2nd Review (100 hours gameplay) Score: 9
    I highly recommend this game! I've been playing it almost daily for almost a month now and I am thoroughly impressed. Although the story and relationships may not be as strong as Three Houses, the battle mechanism is top-notch and the game's fluidness is unbeatable. The ring mechanism and various abilities that are unlocked throughout the game are both inventive and fun, adding an extra layer of replayability. Despite the missed opportunities in the story, the game's design is impressive and the battles are particularly outstanding. I encourage you to approach the game with an open mind and focus on the battles, as you'll be rewarded with an enjoyable experience. Personally, I am still exploring the ring mechanism and skills, which has added a lot of fun to my gameplay. I am hopeful that expansion packs will provide even more enjoyment in the future!

    1st Review (20 hours gameplay) Score: 7
    Fire Emblem: Engage is a solid strategy game that offers enjoyable battle mechanics, thanks to the addition of Emblem rings and Break mechanics. However, the game falls short in other areas, particularly in the story and character design. While I haven't completed the game yet and have only played around 20 hours, at this point, I can say that the overall experience is lacking in depth and fails to live up to the standard set by previous entries in the series. In my opinion, the game is worth playing for the battles alone, but don't expect much in terms of a compelling story or engaging characters. Overall, Fire Emblem: Engage is a decent way to pass the time, but I hope that Nintendo puts more effort into storytelling and character design in future games.    … Expand
  97. KonsoriGaming
    Feb 20, 2023
    9
    The story of the game is excellent, it does a good job bringing back old heroes and making them part of the story while giving room for the newer characters to shine. The game does feel a bit long if you do all the paralogues, which can feel repetitive. If you just do the main story it does not feel that way. Overall Alear’s story and family matters really made me feel attached to theThe story of the game is excellent, it does a good job bringing back old heroes and making them part of the story while giving room for the newer characters to shine. The game does feel a bit long if you do all the paralogues, which can feel repetitive. If you just do the main story it does not feel that way. Overall Alear’s story and family matters really made me feel attached to the character and his motivations. Would definitely recommend this if you are an old fan or new.… Expand
  98. deadz3n
    Feb 19, 2023
    9
    FE Engage is a really good game. It's a shame to see so many low scores due to the lack of a good storyline or romance paths. I loved Three Houses for many reasons but gameplay-wise this is more enjoyable. Maps are variegated and enemy placement is improved. Emblem fusion is a really cool mechanic that makes team building fun and satisfying. Characters design may seem too over the topFE Engage is a really good game. It's a shame to see so many low scores due to the lack of a good storyline or romance paths. I loved Three Houses for many reasons but gameplay-wise this is more enjoyable. Maps are variegated and enemy placement is improved. Emblem fusion is a really cool mechanic that makes team building fun and satisfying. Characters design may seem too over the top compared to 3H, but some of them are quite interesting and surprisingly well written. I played on Maddening difficulty and it was much more challenging (as it should be) than its predecessor. After 100 hours and beating the game, I have only two complaints:

    -The main hub has better activities than the previous iterations, but they become almost useless towards the second half of the campaign. There's also no reason to stick around since there's no romance (but you can still improve your bonds by providing gifts to your units)

    -There is no NG+, which is a shame, but I can understand that since there are no narrative paths.

    The online features are a nice addition, but I haven't spent much time with those. Tower of Trials it's very grindy, I guess it can be useful to improve your weapons before entering the Relay modes.

    In conclusion, I would recommend this game to everyone who likes Fire Emblem, even if your first game was FE Three Houses, but… if you are mainly looking for a solid story, deep characters or just the romance, there are chances that you will not like Engage at all.    … Expand
  99. Ksjlmx
    Feb 19, 2023
    10
    I pre-ordered the divine edition for delivery (mistake), so I spent a good week after launch waiting for my copy and seeing all the negativity roll in. By the time my copy arrived, I was dreading trying it.
    I will 100% not be listening to the fandom again.
    Every fire emblem game they crap on everything wrong with the game instead of celebrating any part of it. This game has fantastic    I pre-ordered the divine edition for delivery (mistake), so I spent a good week after launch waiting for my copy and seeing all the negativity roll in. By the time my copy arrived, I was dreading trying it.
    I will 100% not be listening to the fandom again.

    Every fire emblem game they crap on everything wrong with the game instead of celebrating any part of it. This game has fantastic combat, beautiful graphics, and the pacing was spot on. I have played it twice now - once on normal and once on hard, going for maddening now - and am still enjoying it.
    Is the story shallow? Yes. But so is every fire emblem game. Including three houses to a point. The hub of three houses was also absolutely atrocious, the maps were bad, and multiple playthroughs felt like a chore. *Every* game has its flaws, but that doesn't mean you should rate a legitimately good game a 1. That just makes you bitter and dishonest.
    In conclusion, if you like fire emblem games - the combat, the camp of it all, and the aesthetics - I recommend trying this game.

    Would give this game a 8 if not for all the people being immature about scoring.    … Expand
  100. Beubeulti
    Feb 18, 2023
    10
    Once we have established that the story is simpler than in previous games, that the writing of the characters has been partly massacred by lax translators, that the English version is sometimes over-acted, and that the designs characters is uneven and less accomplished. Once you get over all of this you end up with the best fire emblem game that has ever existed. I have exceeded 60Once we have established that the story is simpler than in previous games, that the writing of the characters has been partly massacred by lax translators, that the English version is sometimes over-acted, and that the designs characters is uneven and less accomplished. Once you get over all of this you end up with the best fire emblem game that has ever existed. I have exceeded 60 hours and the game is still fun and enjoyable to play. The quality of its gameplay and the many possibilities it offers make this game the richest FE in terms of strategy. Don't be fooled by first appearances behind this childish-looking game that hides a real gem, a must play.
    I increase my rating to 10 because the review bombing do not honor the real value of this game.    … Expand
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Awards & Rankings

51
#51 Best Switch Game of 2023
2
#2 Most Discussed Switch Game of 2023

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
80

Generally favorable reviews - based on 129 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 102 out of 129
  2. Mixed: 27 out of 129
  3. Negative: 0 out of 129
  1. LEVEL (Czech Republic)
    Jan 24, 2024
    80
    Hogwarts Legacy is definitely a beautiful-looking game that doesn't have a groundbreaking story, but does have a beautiful world, a fun combat system, broomstick flying, and of course an incredible amount of side quests and missions. [Issue#325]
  2. Gamereactor Spain
    Oct 16, 2023
    80
    It’s a title where difficulty isn’t just about advancing mission after mission but doing so with as few casualties as possible. This makes Engage the perfect gateway to the series, as well as a handful of good memories for those already familiar with it. A game which perfectly balances periods of action with quiet, enjoyable interludes in which to chat with other characters, play minigames and try out new weapons.
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  3. Pocket-lint
    Jun 23, 2023
    90
    Fire Emblem Engage is a superb strategy game that has taken a major technical leap forward, graphically superior to its predecessor in every meaningful way.It tells a well-meaning story that still manages to pack in a few surprisng twists, and while its social features are a little extraneous this time, it's still super relaxing to fall into its world.Multiplayer expands things even further, leaving us confident that the future is very, very bright for this excellent series.
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