Fire Emblem: Three Houses

 Switch
User Score
8.8

Generally favorable reviews- based on 2891 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 2,540 out of 2891
  2. Mixed: 124 out of 2891
  3. Negative: 227 out of 2891
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  1. PanicPenguin
    Jul 29, 2019
    9
    A great return for this franchise. Mixing elements from the previous games but also adding some new elements like teaching mechanics, battalions, an academic calendar and much more. The graphics and frame rate are not the best, but the gameplay and story are so entertaining that you'll let it slide. It's fantastic tactical RPG.
  2. Iswim100
    Jul 30, 2019
    9
    About 10 hours in, and I'm loving Three Houses! The last FE game I played was Fates, and I remember being disappointed to the point of never completing it. But this so far seems to be not only a triumphant return to form, but a great new direction for the series with the introduction of Persona-like elements. They do not seem out of place but rather more of a natural evolution for theAbout 10 hours in, and I'm loving Three Houses! The last FE game I played was Fates, and I remember being disappointed to the point of never completing it. But this so far seems to be not only a triumphant return to form, but a great new direction for the series with the introduction of Persona-like elements. They do not seem out of place but rather more of a natural evolution for the series. My only complaint so far is that the backgrounds and environments seem to be coming from a different place art direction wise when put next to the great character design. Will update as I get deeper in the story, but so far I am beyond pleased.… Expand
  3. Faint
    Jul 31, 2019
    10
    This game is easily the best fire emblem game to date and a perfect game for newcomers of the series. For the fire emblem fans who are rating this game a 0 because of the relationship mechanics: you all should be ashamed. This game is pretty much four games for the price of one. When fire emblem releases so much content with so much replay value and you give it a poor grade without evenThis game is easily the best fire emblem game to date and a perfect game for newcomers of the series. For the fire emblem fans who are rating this game a 0 because of the relationship mechanics: you all should be ashamed. This game is pretty much four games for the price of one. When fire emblem releases so much content with so much replay value and you give it a poor grade without even playing it, shame on you guys. This is easily one of the best fire emblem games and without a doubt has the most content.… Expand
  4. Nanometrapix
    Jul 31, 2019
    10
    didn't have played too much of the game, but from what I saw there is a simple improvement for the battle mechanics. It also constantly gives you more and more quests that are really good story written and keeps you busy for hours and hours and never gets boring.
  5. Ksterner
    Aug 1, 2019
    9
    This game is absolutely phenominal. It finally does away with the “friendship wins!” Phenomena of the last few games and introduces adult themes. Love it.
  6. tliuusc
    Aug 2, 2019
    10
    Amazing evolution for the series. Really enjoyed the amount of content packed into this game.
  7. JeferLh
    Aug 5, 2019
    10
    Excellent! Best game of the year . I Like can to teach and the students. Its interesting the social media
  8. Noah_Foxx
    Aug 5, 2019
    10
    It is my first FE game, but after one week I have already 40 playing hours and I am on my second playthrough. I love that there are 4 different routes so you can play the game four times which will last 140-180 hours. The battle elements are confusing at the beginning, but really awesome when you are into them. I also love the exploration of the monastery and the teaching elements!
  9. sendlewds
    Aug 6, 2019
    10
    This game brings the series to a happy medium between the waifu 3DS games and the more serious oldschool entries, as well as SoV. While the graphics leave room for improvement, I never felt anything was too outrageously bad. The models of the characters are excellent despite no AA. At the time of writing I am about to enter the timeskip. The teaching portion of the game has been absolutelyThis game brings the series to a happy medium between the waifu 3DS games and the more serious oldschool entries, as well as SoV. While the graphics leave room for improvement, I never felt anything was too outrageously bad. The models of the characters are excellent despite no AA. At the time of writing I am about to enter the timeskip. The teaching portion of the game has been absolutely enjoyable every step of the way. The diversity in the gameplay will keep you invested, from exploring the monestary, tutoring, or battling. Voice acting for the characters in English dub is professionally done, as well as translation from what I can tell. You can thank Nintendo for not giving this job to Treehouse again. The support conversations are nowhere near as bad as fates, but deliver the same amount of tropes you'd expect. Character design and art direction for the characters and their classes is remarkably thematic. There are no more over designed "maid with a battle axe in a cage dress" ladies or "backstreet boys reject" looking lords. This was what swayed me to buying this game to begin with. Shadows of Valentia is presentation perfection, and I'm glad to see some of that has rubbed off on this game. Classes feel remarkably balanced as of mid game. The music is appropriate to the moments in the game but has not left a song in my head. I felt surprised by some characters I "like" that I didn't previously anticipate to care for. There is a lot of love put into this game and I highly recommend it to any series fan, or those into tactics and visual novel games.… Expand
  10. Radicles
    Aug 7, 2019
    10
    It's a fun tactical rpg game and in my opinion one of the best fire emblem games in the series. Teaching all my students how I wanted to teach them was a fun and new aspect of the game I can really appreciate. Also in onl school for emblem manor S support with your units can result in a love/marriage scene that I can really appreciate. The style and the way the game is played out makes itIt's a fun tactical rpg game and in my opinion one of the best fire emblem games in the series. Teaching all my students how I wanted to teach them was a fun and new aspect of the game I can really appreciate. Also in onl school for emblem manor S support with your units can result in a love/marriage scene that I can really appreciate. The style and the way the game is played out makes it unique and fun to play again and again trying all 3 houses.… Expand
  11. Wolfiuzr
    Aug 8, 2019
    10
    It's a beautiful game with a lot of Harry Potter references good job nintendo
  12. Jahearn
    Aug 13, 2019
    10
    Just when you think you know what is happening they pull a plot twist out of nowhere. The main story and development of characters continues till the very end. Not to mention the fantastic editions to combat that make you forget that there is no weapon triangle. Lastly the pure amount of control you have over your different characters class and even who you recruit to your class trulyJust when you think you know what is happening they pull a plot twist out of nowhere. The main story and development of characters continues till the very end. Not to mention the fantastic editions to combat that make you forget that there is no weapon triangle. Lastly the pure amount of control you have over your different characters class and even who you recruit to your class truly makes each play through feel like something new. I could not put this game down. Nothing but good things to say.… Expand
  13. jsmassey123
    Aug 14, 2019
    10
    I've played many Fire Emblem games in the series before this one and I gotta say, this one tops them all. The story is fantastic and the characters are all three dimensional. None of them feel like they are just reused tropes you find in anime or JRPG's. Even characters who start out seeming like terrible people have more sides to them than what you see at first. The combat feels just likeI've played many Fire Emblem games in the series before this one and I gotta say, this one tops them all. The story is fantastic and the characters are all three dimensional. None of them feel like they are just reused tropes you find in anime or JRPG's. Even characters who start out seeming like terrible people have more sides to them than what you see at first. The combat feels just like Fire Emblem should. It's been tweaked to look nice on the Switch but other than that it's still Fire Emblem and honestly why fix what's not broken?
    After 86 hours for my first playthrough I can't wait to jump right into a second one and try out the other storylines.    … Expand
  14. VeneoxDE
    Aug 16, 2019
    10
    It's one of the best and most emotional games I've ever played. The music is great and the story even more
  15. SuperH577
    Aug 17, 2019
    10
    Honestly The best fire emblem game to date amazing story fun gameplay great music and lovable characters since i’ve picked the game up i can’t put it down it’s that good i played it for over 100 hours now and i can easily say it deserves a 10/10
  16. Drhoward
    Sep 1, 2019
    10
    Fun strategy game, I love the blue lions campaign and story.
    I wish the negative reviews wasnt just asssjole tellius fans demanding another POR game. It just shows how stupid user scores are, and troll can easily **** it up
  17. Chloe-demi
    Sep 1, 2019
    10
    Has the fun of the fire emblem battle system, but adds much more gameplay by allowing Byleth to wander the campus and complete quests. Most the characters are designed well and interesting. Loved the story and music.
  18. JessH
    Sep 1, 2019
    10
    Honestly this game is great! Has a nice look and feel to the game while still maintaining all that charm and strategy that you expect out of a FE title! Love it.

    Don’t listen to the copy and pasted reviews. I am not saying that some are not genuine, but please don’t base a game off a review or score system. Play it. Decide if YOU like it. That is what is most important.
  19. numbingVoid
    Sep 2, 2019
    10
    Ignore all the trolls giving this 0 or 1 those guys are sad PS fanboys. That said, this is an excellent entry for people new to the series. The characters have great back stories and the main plot is really compelling. The combat is fun to strategically place your units for victory. Overall a must buy
  20. Mando44646
    Jul 29, 2019
    9
    I love Fire Emblem, and Three Houses really moves the franchise forward in so many ways. The battles are great, the story is great, and the characters are great. I love taking time in the monastery to interact with everyone too.

    My only issue, and the only reason I didn't give it a 10, is the lack of inclusive romance options. In a cast with ~40 romance options (~20 each for male or    I love Fire Emblem, and Three Houses really moves the franchise forward in so many ways. The battles are great, the story is great, and the characters are great. I love taking time in the monastery to interact with everyone too.

    My only issue, and the only reason I didn't give it a 10, is the lack of inclusive romance options. In a cast with ~40 romance options (~20 each for male or female Byleth), they could only include a single gay male option? That's incredibly low-effort and Nintendo should be ashamed for such little effort put into it. Otherwise, that's the only annoyance I have    … Expand
  21. Akin91
    Jul 27, 2019
    10
    I cant stop playing this beautiful game! Much better than expected. Game of the year for me.
  22. Julpyz93
    Jul 28, 2019
    10
    Well it's my first fire emblem and I m in love with the character adn the world he gives us
  23. thekylekurtz
    Jul 29, 2019
    10
    The culmination of the series so far. The only slight complaint is the backgrounds sometimes look poor, but everything else is sublime. The characters, story, gameplay and music are all wonderful and memorable. The review bombs are a shame, as it's unlikely they even purchased the game they detest on some sort of principle.
  24. Ben37
    Aug 3, 2019
    10
    Loads of great characters and character development, interesting story with secret routes and endings based on what house you choose. Engaging battles and good music plus all the actual dlc with content that's coming and no dumb micro transactions. This is a great game you need on your switch.
  25. YeetusMcGeetus
    Jul 29, 2019
    10
    One of the best games of the summer, and easily the best Switch release of 2019. Great story, compelling characters, a rich world, and engaging combat makes Fire Emblem Three Houses a game I will play again and again!
  26. Levyx
    Jul 31, 2019
    10
    Absolutely amazing, I had some reservations going into this simply because I wasn’t sure if the whole 3 route thing would go well or be taken well by the community considering last time it was done but no they executed it wonderfully. Truly now is one of my favorite fe games
  27. vicente252
    Jul 27, 2019
    10
    This game is one of the best games i played on my nintendo switch good graphics and very good rpg style the strategic fight's are so good and the game is so long i played 20h and still surprising me how long is this master piece. Very recommend 10/10.
  28. rlosey13
    Jul 27, 2019
    9
    This is my first Fire Emblem game and I’m loving it so far! The story is engaging and you actually end up caring about the characters. I also really like the fact that you don’t have to play the previous games to understand the story; each game is independent of the others. Must buy for RPG fans!
  29. Boblysan
    Jul 29, 2019
    10
    The game has an engaging story, introduces an open exploration are that's done right unlike fates, that allows for a need break and relaxation between battles and story missions. Support conversation feel naturally paced and earned and character development is more deep compared to previous entries. Only problems are not having higher difficulties available right off the bat, and thisThe game has an engaging story, introduces an open exploration are that's done right unlike fates, that allows for a need break and relaxation between battles and story missions. Support conversation feel naturally paced and earned and character development is more deep compared to previous entries. Only problems are not having higher difficulties available right off the bat, and this games really looks like it was developed by koei techmo sometimes.....that is not a good thing....overall AMAZING!!!… Expand
  30. RPGatWill
    Jul 27, 2019
    10
    Firstly, yes this game is not perfect. The frame rate can be somewhat choppy, load times in the monastery leave a little bit to be desired and the environments aren’t drop dead gorgeous.

    However I believe fully this is the BEST Fire Emblem experience to date. Plenty of options that people can do or completely ignore if they prefer, for both stat leveling and learning more about your    Firstly, yes this game is not perfect. The frame rate can be somewhat choppy, load times in the monastery leave a little bit to be desired and the environments aren’t drop dead gorgeous.

    However I believe fully this is the BEST Fire Emblem experience to date. Plenty of options that people can do or completely ignore if they prefer, for both stat leveling and learning more about your compatriots. A lore rich world centered by the main hub, spectacular characters in each and every house all hiding nuances that make me love and adore them. Not to mention that timeskip. If you have even a passing interest in Fire Emblem, strategy RPGs or just good games, you owe it to yours yourself to pick up this game. Immediately took my current game of the year spot and may even make it on to my favorite games of all time. That is why it earns a 10 from me.    … Expand
  31. Ukato
    Jul 27, 2019
    10
    I’m 10 hours in and this is my first fire emblem game, so I’m no expert on what I’m saying here, but:

    The gameplay feels incredible The social aspects remind me of persona, which I love

    Almost everything is fully voiced, with a great dub

    I’ve just got no negatives
  32. Rpg89
    Jul 27, 2019
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This game is great. Only for intelligent minded individuals, simpletons should look elsewhere, cause this game isn't for you to play.… Expand
  33. mrme5
    Jul 27, 2019
    10
    I love this game, it's so fantastic. Characters are fun, the fighting is clean and polished, the interactions are wholesome. Everything about this game is great and it's giving me not only the same but more joy than awakening. I'm just having a blast playing this.
  34. Torshon
    Jul 27, 2019
    10
    Oozing with charm mixed with new mechanics and great support convos = a great game!
  35. PringleMan
    Jul 27, 2019
    10
    I love it, really good strategy turn-based rpg with a bunch of charming, interesting and deep characters
  36. CraftYoshi
    Jul 27, 2019
    10
    It's very very very very very very very very very very very very very very good
  37. japesy176
    Jul 27, 2019
    10
    Characters are always engaging and most are completely surprising, Music kept battles engaging right to the very end of the game, and I can’t wait to try out the Black Eagles and golden Deer though if the game was just the Blie Lions story it would still be fantastic
  38. Xeomonk
    Aug 4, 2019
    9
    Before I properly get into this I need to address some of the lunacy from trolls rating this a 0. Firstly: no this is not a dating sim game anywhere near to the extent of Awakening or Fates. One character can get married and it happens at the end of the game. Plus you can always ignore that feature. Secondly: of course the game has anime-like designs. It's a Japanese game made by aBefore I properly get into this I need to address some of the lunacy from trolls rating this a 0. Firstly: no this is not a dating sim game anywhere near to the extent of Awakening or Fates. One character can get married and it happens at the end of the game. Plus you can always ignore that feature. Secondly: of course the game has anime-like designs. It's a Japanese game made by a Japanese company for a Japanese console. Look at the old design of Marth and you'll see that Fire Emblem has long had designs similar to anime trends.

    Now, the game itself is phenomenal. While battles often lack the complexity of the Conquest route of Fates, the challenge ramps up nicely as you get more used to how the game is played. Generally you take 10-12 units on the field and thank merciful Christ the pair-up mechanic is gone! The Divine Pulse mechanic is useful for reversing mistakes or countering unlucky critical hits on your characters but again, you are more than welcome to ignore it for the more classic Fire Emblem experience. The new combat arts and battalion mechanics add an extra layer of thought to battles as you weigh up whether to potentially take a hit to double attack or use a gambit to do less damage but debuff the enemy and guarantee not getting counter-attacked. Fire orbs, ballistae and onagers make a return allowing massive ranged attacks on your troops thus demanding aggressiveness where you may wish to play defensive. Luckily you can return the favour straight back at your enemies.

    Next we come to Garret Mach Monastery which is the central hub of the world. Each calendar month gives several opportunities to teach, give seminars, explore, battle or rest to restore students motivation. If you're so inclined you can ignore all of that but doing so does yourself and the game a massive disservice. While the mechanics are usually just voiceless cutscenes, seminars and lessons improve the skills of your units and here is where the two gameplay styles of the game come together beautifully. Exploring allows you to interact with your units and build further support or engage in lessons from faculty to improve your own skills. There's nothing particularly incredible on the mechanics but it gives the opportunity to briefly chat with units about events. As a premise they can build on this in the next title and out some more meat on the bones.


    You can take a unit strong in swords for instance and focus on sword lessons for him to become a swordmaster and have him perform excellently on the battlefield. Or you can put a little more effort in teaching him magic to train him into a mortal savant later in the game this making him far more versatile and covering enemy types with high defense. You can take a character destined to be a Paladin and turn her into a warlock and you can do this with every single character if you wish with varying degrees of success. I myself replaced a dead warlock by doing this and later reclassing them into a holy knight to get the best of both worlds. This is by far the most customisable your units have ever been in Fire Emblem and you have a lot of freedom to experiment.

    The story is by no means groundbreaking (I've only finished one playthrough at 68 hours however) but it is a huge step up from the simplicity of Awakening and the utter garbage of Fates. There are definitely still hideous and relentlessly evil characters but the major antagonists of the second half are often just enemies of circumstance whose motivations run opposite to yours. It's not particularly nuanced but it certainly tells a deeper story than many of the 'heroes of light vs irredeemable evil' story tropes of most of the prior titles.

    On the negative side, some of the missions at least on hard mode can be tests of trial and error more than strategy. On the Blue Lions side two missions in particular had enemy placements that seem to require a slow methodical approach to avoid being overwhelmed while simultaneously having units with absurd attack range basically demanding you to charge to avoid taking 30+ or even 40+ damage a turn that you have no defense against. It's always possible to place your units and pick your attacks to finish missions without deaths but missions like this didn't require me to strategize as much as just pray RNG was in my favour.
    The framerate is also not very stable when there's fire effects going on in the background leading the game to stagger and chug a little. Not game breaking but definitely jarring To cut a very long story short this is an absolute must-own for fans on grid-based tactical games like Xcom. Fire Emblem has truly never been better and I can't wait to start my other two playthroughs    … Expand
  39. EnixSquared
    Aug 3, 2019
    9
    Great game in just about every respect. The gameplay is a bit easier than prior games, even on hard mode, but it still provides a game that requires strategy and forward thinking to keep everybody alive. The characters and side stories are a lot of fun(I've only been playing Golden Deer so far, but I'm sure the other houses have just as interesting characters) It is rather disappointingGreat game in just about every respect. The gameplay is a bit easier than prior games, even on hard mode, but it still provides a game that requires strategy and forward thinking to keep everybody alive. The characters and side stories are a lot of fun(I've only been playing Golden Deer so far, but I'm sure the other houses have just as interesting characters) It is rather disappointing that you can't flesh out the relationships of most of the characters like you could in previous installments, but there is still plenty there in that respect to keep you busy and invested.… Expand
  40. FoxFire22
    Jul 31, 2019
    10
    Absolutely amazing. The game starts quickly, letting you experience the action without the typical hour long tutorial and it hooks you almost right away. The opposite segments of school and combat are perfectly balanced so that it won't even feel like time is passing by. The story is excellent as well, with a sense of mystery that's very exciting.
  41. lvninja08
    Jul 29, 2019
    10
    Best FE game. Taking inspiration from a game like Persona was just beautiful.
  42. Death2121
    Jul 29, 2019
    9
    Absolutely great game. Story so far is good, mechanics are great, and the classroom management means there's a lot of replayability and variation. The only thing really keeping me from a 10 is the LGBT representation in the romancable supports. Gay men get one (the other two same-sex options for men are non-romantic, with one having you marry a woman) while straight people have almostAbsolutely great game. Story so far is good, mechanics are great, and the classroom management means there's a lot of replayability and variation. The only thing really keeping me from a 10 is the LGBT representation in the romancable supports. Gay men get one (the other two same-sex options for men are non-romantic, with one having you marry a woman) while straight people have almost everyone available to them. As a gay man this is a bit of a let-down. There could have been more options, or done like many other games and not put gender limits on who can be romanced or something. It hurts the immersion quality for me a little knowing that I have one option and it's not the person I would go for otherwise.… Expand
  43. MistakeZ
    Aug 3, 2019
    10
    The game is fantastic! I have never play a fire emblem game before and I was a bit hesitant, but when I started playing I immediately fell in love with the game. I have it for less than a week and I have already 30+ hours in the game.
  44. NexusYuber
    Aug 2, 2019
    8
    Main Takeaway: I'd say it's a very solid entry into the Fire Emblem franchise. Not perfect, but, to me, worth the large investment of time it takes to play it through to the end.

    Fire Emblem: Three Houses offers a solid storyline seen through one of three nation-aligned houses in a warrior-school, knight-creating Hogwarts. Although I only played through one of the three possible houses,    Main Takeaway: I'd say it's a very solid entry into the Fire Emblem franchise. Not perfect, but, to me, worth the large investment of time it takes to play it through to the end.

    Fire Emblem: Three Houses offers a solid storyline seen through one of three nation-aligned houses in a warrior-school, knight-creating Hogwarts. Although I only played through one of the three possible houses, I was given an emotional, well-written (if strangely paced) experience that I definitely enjoyed.

    The biggest positives of the game for me were:

    - The updated tactics system that did away with the rock-paper-scissors style of previous Fire Emblem entries.
    - The level of faith the writing had in the intelligence of its audience, dropping more terminology, names, and locations than many previous games.
    - The game's willingness to tackle topics of politics, fealty, religion, war, and the unique perspectives one could have on any one of those issues.
    - The depth given to characters that seem extremely gimmicky at first, but have meaningful and believable motivations once their personal stories and interactions are explored.
    - A very interesting and emotionally rewarding way of separating chapters and acts.

    The biggest negatives of the game for me were:

    - The sometimes strange pacing, both in the story and in the functional aspects of the game (if you plan well, you may run out of things to put time into while exploring the 'home' area far sooner than you'd imagine, leaving completionists or people who like unlocking/exploring feeling a little empty for the latter stages of the game).
    - The writing frequently falls into exposition tropes, particularly of the 'I have something important to tell you, but only after this next thing' variety.
    - The full CG stills seem much lower in quality compared to the character busts, and they somewhat drain from the emotion intended during their scenes.

    All in all, I had a good time while playing this game, even if, by the end stages, I was mostly speeding through the story as I had exhausted all of the other features. It isn't perfect enough to get me to invest the time into exploring the other two houses and their paths, but at no point did I feel like I had wasted my time playing it. I suggest checking it out.    … Expand
  45. Villainy
    Aug 4, 2019
    10
    I'm just going to put this out there: Most of the reviews that give a 0 out of 10 are either from salty old-school fans who decided the game was trash without even playing it as evident with how they lament that "the waifus and husbandos take over the game" even though the avatar is the only character that even CAN marry and there hasn't even been a single fan service scene that II'm just going to put this out there: Most of the reviews that give a 0 out of 10 are either from salty old-school fans who decided the game was trash without even playing it as evident with how they lament that "the waifus and husbandos take over the game" even though the avatar is the only character that even CAN marry and there hasn't even been a single fan service scene that I encountered 80 hours into the game, or leftover some passing salty Smash Bros fans who got too annoyed by the marketing push.

    Fire Emblem: Three Houses had a RIDICULOUS amount of effort put into it. An entire Persona-like time management mechanic was integrated into the game in a manner that if you had never played another game in the Franchise before, you'd swear it's as it was always supposed to be.

    With several branching paths actually coming up to the length of- as far as I've heard from people even further along than me- the very exaggerated sounding 200 hours promised, and characters that have actual depth and motivation to them this time as well as the feeling of "No matter what you do, in some ways you definitely are a bad guy" the plot gives you, It's genuinely up there with the greatest of the franchise such as Genealogy of the Holy War (In terms of tone it's actually quite similar to that one in the second half...).

    All in all, I kept my expectations in check after Fates, but this game has restored my faith in the franchise completely. It is different than before, yes, but sometimes change is good, guys!

    10/10 from me    … Expand
  46. wosilva
    Aug 5, 2019
    10
    Incredible, addicting, epic! Incredible, addicting, epic! Incredible, addicting, epic!
  47. Limnir
    Aug 12, 2019
    10
    The best in a long run of Fire Emblem games. Unfortunately the marriage aspect, while it still exists, is not nearly as prevalent as in Awakening for example. Other than that, every single detail is an improvement.
  48. qagen
    Aug 14, 2019
    10
    to be honest, most of the people giving this game less than 8 are complaining about the tactical gameplay.

    you don't have to review a game when you can't even accept the gameplay. you don't see me reviewing sport games because I know I won't be fair when reviewing them. to me this game has got everything right. Story? check! Gameplay? check! Replayability? CHECK! I have    to be honest, most of the people giving this game less than 8 are complaining about the tactical gameplay.

    you don't have to review a game when you can't even accept the gameplay.

    you don't see me reviewing sport games because I know I won't be fair when reviewing them.

    to me this game has got everything right.

    Story? check!
    Gameplay? check!
    Replayability? CHECK!

    I have played and reviewed over 10 fire emblem games and I know that I love tactical rpg, but I'm not being biased when I gave this score. this is by far the best fire emblem game I have ever played.    … Expand
  49. rodericrinehart
    Aug 21, 2019
    10
    This is the best Fire Emblem game ever and my favorite turn-based strategy game (surpassing XCOM, Tactics Ogre, Final Fantasy Tactics, Into the Breach, Advance Wars, and all the rest).

    Great storyline and well-developed characters. Superb replay value with the three houses and branching storylines. I love the direction Nintendo has taken with the last three Fire Emblems, and so    This is the best Fire Emblem game ever and my favorite turn-based strategy game (surpassing XCOM, Tactics Ogre, Final Fantasy Tactics, Into the Breach, Advance Wars, and all the rest).

    Great storyline and well-developed characters.

    Superb replay value with the three houses and branching storylines.

    I love the direction Nintendo has taken with the last three Fire Emblems, and so happy to finally have it back on my TV *and* on the go at the same time!    … Expand
  50. CrazyRah
    Aug 1, 2019
    10
    - OST and Visually it's up there with the best. Now by visually I mean the art style they went with is one that the Switch got no problem handling and is a massive step up from what Awakening and Fates had with them being on handheld. Animations are great with surprisingly few mistakes which is great to see. OST is.. it's Fire Emblem so of course it's fantastic.

    - Combat is mostly like    - OST and Visually it's up there with the best. Now by visually I mean the art style they went with is one that the Switch got no problem handling and is a massive step up from what Awakening and Fates had with them being on handheld. Animations are great with surprisingly few mistakes which is great to see. OST is.. it's Fire Emblem so of course it's fantastic.

    - Combat is mostly like it's been in Fire Emblem and it's still as enjoyable as ever. Missions are overall the best out of Awakenings and Fates. Not every mission is mega memorable but they gradually got better and better as the story and narrative progressed.

    - Characters are improved upon in comparison to the ones in Awakenings and Fates, By that I mean that the ones in 3H are in general more fleshed out, more reasonable and less reliant on "unique" character traits that replace any semblence of the character being an actual person. Still a few of those characters are there and that's fine, they are minority now and not the main portion    … Expand
  51. germanik
    Nov 28, 2019
    10
    10 из 10! Это произведение искусства, созданное мастерами тактики и стратегии. Обожаю!
  52. Markyh76
    Aug 5, 2019
    10
    I won't repeat what you can read about the plot, mechanics etc in other reviews. What I will say is this game has a incredible hook. It nails a great balance between the strategy RPG battles and the Persona 5 influenced daily life. They are integrated perfectly so that everything you do seems worthwhile. If you have a switch and like RPGs this is an essential purchase.
  53. ziffgetsmeta
    Nov 29, 2020
    10
    As someone new to both SRPGs and the Fire Emblem series, I was surprised how immediately hooked I became after the first few hours. I thought that meticulous planning before each battle would feel like a burden (I'm not usually a fan of menus upon menus in RPGs), but I was wrong. This might be my favorite Switch game, behind only BOTW.

    As the professor of one of three houses, you start    As someone new to both SRPGs and the Fire Emblem series, I was surprised how immediately hooked I became after the first few hours. I thought that meticulous planning before each battle would feel like a burden (I'm not usually a fan of menus upon menus in RPGs), but I was wrong. This might be my favorite Switch game, behind only BOTW.

    As the professor of one of three houses, you start to care so much for each of your students and become invested in their stories. Battles just feel more personal, because these are YOUR students, and you want them to bond as a team and grow individually. The story is one of the deepest and most interesting you can find on Switch, and battles are still fun (after logging 60+ hours). I never replay games, ever, but I can't wait to finish the game with my first house (I chose Blue Lions) so that I can start on the next one!    … Expand
  54. Lift_M
    Aug 1, 2019
    10
    Game of the year to Switch!! Persona game style x10. There were doubts looking at the reviews, but they were not confirmed! Best Anime Game of the Year !!
  55. A0I
    Aug 1, 2019
    9
    Not the Fire Emblem I expected, yet a very worthy one. I thought the inability to get children characters would be a letdown, but you don't really mind so much. The gameplay got improved with the special skills, and being bond to certain weapons or classes on your characters gives you the chance to actually build the army you wish for.

    They really invested in the support conversations,    Not the Fire Emblem I expected, yet a very worthy one. I thought the inability to get children characters would be a letdown, but you don't really mind so much. The gameplay got improved with the special skills, and being bond to certain weapons or classes on your characters gives you the chance to actually build the army you wish for.

    They really invested in the support conversations, since there are a ton of them, every character has a a couple of special scenes (or even more) with everyone else, making it virtually impossible to get them all on a single run, making every person's experience different from others, and adding more replay value.

    Fire Emblem Hogwarts was a risky gamble, and it nailed it. Probably not the best Fire Emblem ever, but it is pretty close to it.    … Expand
  56. nadelock
    Jul 29, 2019
    9
    This is the best fire emblem to date. Graphics have greatly improved, and supports are no longer just 2 pngs talking. They're actually animated! There's obviously lot of trolls on here giving this game hate for some reason, but I can tell you this game is what fire emblem needed.
  57. Diugo
    Mar 18, 2022
    9
    The adrenaline rush you get from starting a battle, looking around the map and seeing stronger enemies than you anticipated is like no other. It didn't feel like the (by many) so called "dating sim mechanics" were dating sim mechanics, but more like bonding mechanics. Making the losses on the battlefield even more tragic. So i recommend playing on classic normal or classic hard. ThisThe adrenaline rush you get from starting a battle, looking around the map and seeing stronger enemies than you anticipated is like no other. It didn't feel like the (by many) so called "dating sim mechanics" were dating sim mechanics, but more like bonding mechanics. Making the losses on the battlefield even more tragic. So i recommend playing on classic normal or classic hard. This really makes the game better and more enjoyable. The story is also very good. With a lot of choices that actually have a LOT of impact on the story.
    I never get how people give games a zero. This game is by NO means worth a zero. The only thing this game has against himself are the graphics. While the graphics in battle are fine, in cutscenes and conversation they are not on par with any other AAA game on the switch.
    All by all a great Fire Emblem and a great game. A good starter if you want to play the fire emblem franchise.    … Expand
  58. Kallenovsky
    Jul 31, 2019
    10
    FE3H is a fantastic game with some minor issues. The most glaring issues come in visuals with some slow down in areas of the monastery. The most significant is when you approach the online visitors section of the map. In addition to the slow down there, seeing students with different names "visiting" the monastery can be immersion breaking for some, so I suggest avoiding it since theFE3H is a fantastic game with some minor issues. The most glaring issues come in visuals with some slow down in areas of the monastery. The most significant is when you approach the online visitors section of the map. In addition to the slow down there, seeing students with different names "visiting" the monastery can be immersion breaking for some, so I suggest avoiding it since the payoffs are often not worth the effort anyway.

    Voice acting and dialogues between characters are fantastic, for the most part. My only gripes are with repetition for a few and the direction for the character Petra. People that struggle with a foreign language do not speak the way she does. It is really immersion breaking and makes you want to ditch the character all together, which is a shame because her design is fantastic. Other than that, in my play through with the Blue Lions I thoroughly enjoyed just about every character—some more so the more I got to know them, such as Dedue.

    The art in the game is great if you're into that type of anime style. The transitional artwork between chapters is my favorite so far. I love those sections each time I pass a major battle to finish a month.

    As for gameplay, if you're new to Fire Emblem be aware that the higher difficulty will be quite tough to manage, so start at normal. If you're okay with losing characters, go ahead and skip casual mode. There are plenty of students to recruit and you always have the ability to rewind time if someone dies, so long as you use your tactics wisely. Maps are mostly good, though some can be a mess to get around. People will complain about the weapon triangle being gone, but the way the battles work it just doesn't matter. If anything, they're less predictable now, so I see that being where most of the complaints are coming from.

    I understand the Persona comparisons, but aside from the art style FE3H's monastery feels more like Mass Effect 2 to me. Like ME, you're building relationships in one area that changes character positions after each major objective in the story. There are also support building paralogues with characters to complete, just like ME2 in the lead up to the finale. The major difference here is that instead of a space ship you're in a giant monastery and there are far less loading times.

    For those of you looking to start this series, and you're into long playthroughs with a lot of depth and character building, then give this one a go. Think of FE more like a chess game with cool battles each time pieces move on the board. If you like that type of strategy, don't pass this one up.

    If you're looking at the negative reviews on here stating that this game detracts from the older FE titles, don't bother with them. Games cannot remain the same, just as music or art do not. If they remain the same then they will become stale and a series will lose interest and die out. That's why the Awakening release was so popular. This is another natural change and a welcome one for the FE series.    … Expand
  59. guizaum
    Aug 24, 2019
    10
    I already have 25 hour of gameplay, and Im loving it! They created a amazing mechanics to improve your unitis using the schol. But the surprising history makes the game no repetetive and surprizely
  60. Darkfire10
    Aug 3, 2019
    10
    Juegazo, tenía algo de experencia con otros Fire Emblem, pero la verdad es que este me está pareciendo el mejor. Una historia muy buena, y el combate a un nivel increible. Completamente recomendable.
  61. Jasonlove110
    Jul 31, 2019
    10
    This game is huge. The amount of consent will drain your time. I got only one of the endings and can’t really wait to get back. I mainly play rpgs or action games, but this game is simply too good.
  62. PrImevibrations
    Aug 7, 2019
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. The best Fire Emblem game I have ever played (and I have played them all). The storyline was so much darker than it usually is, and everything was just much more adult. The schooling system was an incredible way of improving on the base system they had in fates. The removal of the waifu Sim and kids was awesome as well. Best game I have played in a long time.… Expand
  63. KerJO
    Aug 13, 2019
    10
    one of the best games coming out in 2019 and for nintendo switch, I also recommend it to those who have never played it, so many hours of play await you!
  64. Cwilson870
    Dec 22, 2019
    10
    By far my choice for game of the year for 2019 and given the competition it has to go against, that is definitely saying something. The amount of content offered in this game up front almost feels like it should be across multiple games. Even after multiple walkthroughs I still have the urge to go through and create a more optimized team. The bonds you create with each of your units makesBy far my choice for game of the year for 2019 and given the competition it has to go against, that is definitely saying something. The amount of content offered in this game up front almost feels like it should be across multiple games. Even after multiple walkthroughs I still have the urge to go through and create a more optimized team. The bonds you create with each of your units makes each encounter have so much weight behind it. I have truly never felt such a sense of loss as I have in this entry than when I had a unit fall in battle due to overall carelessness or lack or preparation. Whether you're a die hard fire emblem fan, or new to the series. This is a must play for any Nintendo switch owner.… Expand
  65. Ginko-the-gamer
    Aug 1, 2019
    8
    Since this section seems to be just a battle between 0's and 10's, Imma leave an 8.

    Balanced, as it should be.
  66. Ilanos
    Jul 31, 2019
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Very good game, a story less previsible than fates , characters are not very interesting in term of artwork in post time skip but after time skip we see an evolution of each characters, personnaly i dont think the game is ugly, i'm almost find it beautiful in some map… Expand
  67. Nickvp95
    Jul 31, 2019
    10
    As someone who has played most western Fire Emblems, this one takes the cake for the most engrossing and moving story as well as having engaging tactical gameplay. Battles are varied in terms of settings, enemies, and map-strategies, and the paralogues provide a great deviation from the normal objectives. I am playing on hard/classic and I feel that it provides the perfect challengeAs someone who has played most western Fire Emblems, this one takes the cake for the most engrossing and moving story as well as having engaging tactical gameplay. Battles are varied in terms of settings, enemies, and map-strategies, and the paralogues provide a great deviation from the normal objectives. I am playing on hard/classic and I feel that it provides the perfect challenge without being overbearing. The school setting provides for a needed break between battles, allowing for character development and character progression. I didn't think I would love this aspect of the game, but wandering around the monastery doing various activities (and trying to recruit students) has been a blast. I couldn't recommend this game enough for fans of strategy games or JRPGS like Persona. My opinion, however, is completely subjective and what may be a 10/10 game for me may be a 6/10 for someone else. It's the perfect game for me, and i'd recommend giving it a shot for someone who has never played a fire emblem game before. P.S. the story is independent from other Fire Emblem games and you do not need to have played ANY of the other games to understand what is going on!… Expand
  68. ThatOneChick
    Aug 1, 2019
    9
    This game is wonderful in the sense that it's completely different from any other Fire Emblem game before. It took the best of Awakening and Fates and combined it. The ability to travel the entire school and interact with the students and instruct them is wonderful. The combat is so well thought out. I do think that taking away the weapon triangle is good in some ways and bad in others,This game is wonderful in the sense that it's completely different from any other Fire Emblem game before. It took the best of Awakening and Fates and combined it. The ability to travel the entire school and interact with the students and instruct them is wonderful. The combat is so well thought out. I do think that taking away the weapon triangle is good in some ways and bad in others, but still so well put together. The use of battalions is unique and even adding monster battles to it is a nice change. It's like they took a strategy game and combined it with an MMO or RPG. It's wonderful.

    The ONLY reason this isn't a 10 is that you lose the ability to customize your avatar and the graphics threw me off a little bit. There are some small details that aren't as good as they should be in the art but it's still a wonderful game.    … Expand
  69. Schlorbz
    Aug 1, 2019
    10
    15 hours in and I love all of my sweet children. They shall grow and love each other. They shall grow strong and destroy mine enemies.

    This is the advancement from the Awakening formula that I didn't know I needed.
  70. DanteDmc3
    Aug 5, 2019
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. The game was honestly really good it was everything I wanted from a new Fire Emblem and more. I enjoyed this game a lot it was awesome.… Expand
  71. joealejos
    Aug 6, 2019
    9
    Ok this review is in the context of Fire Emblem games.

    The game is awesome! I'm 40 hours in and loving it. So if you're on the fence about this one, get it! You won't regret it. The strategy gameplay is on point, this is the first time I'm playing this game on hard, and for veterans of the series I really recommend it, it keeps every fight really exiting. There's so much to do in    Ok this review is in the context of Fire Emblem games.

    The game is awesome! I'm 40 hours in and loving it. So if you're on the fence about this one, get it! You won't regret it.
    The strategy gameplay is on point, this is the first time I'm playing this game on hard, and for veterans of the series I really recommend it, it keeps every fight really exiting.

    There's so much to do in between fights, but if you're really not into that you can skip most of those activities. Visually the game is not impressive, but it works well enough. Fights are really fast and fluid.

    This is my 4th game on the series so I'm not confident in saying this is the best, but is certainly my favorite so far.

    I'm docking a point because there are things on the UI that could be improved, starting with font size, it's way too small. There are so much information on the screen at any given moment, it's overwhelming sometimes, I feel like I'm just getting the hang of everything. But that's just a minor gripe with an otherwise fantastic game. I wholeheartedly recommend it to any strategy or JRPG fan.    … Expand
  72. Evewx
    Aug 17, 2019
    10
    The classic returns with many new features! It's absolutely brilliant and I'll just stop writing this review and jump back to the game.
  73. Coastal2009
    Aug 29, 2019
    10
    An absolute masterpiece. Best AAA game on switch not developed by Nintendo. I loved Persona 5 and I actually like this game better. It’s extremely ambitious with gut wrenching story twists and deep characters. Highly recommended.
  74. Tabdelno
    Sep 3, 2019
    10
    Easily the game of the year. The best strategy RPG ever made. Incredibly well conceived.
  75. Knight_Arcturus
    Sep 1, 2019
    10
    Pretty good game. Only rating to help with the review bombing, hope it gets cleared up.
  76. dillypickle
    Sep 2, 2019
    10
    Fantastic addition to the series! I feel that there were many improvements to the standard system, as well as new mechanics to spice things up. I feel that the class mastery skills could have been different for some, but it is what is. Besides that, I really had fun with the characters and and their stories. Definitely worth buying!
  77. zch13
    Sep 2, 2019
    10
    This is by far my favorite Fire Emblem game. The combat is as fun as ever but the three factions to choose from, relic weapons, and the training mechanic push it over the edge of awesome.
  78. Totalmage56
    Sep 2, 2019
    10
    Amazing game if you are huge fan of the fire emblem series this game great voice actors and intresting characters throught out whole game there are many plot twist and things you wont exspect when you play the game, there are varying difficulties for any type of casual player or a hardcore fan, this is a must buy if you have a switch its a 10/10
  79. B7san
    Nov 8, 2019
    10
    What a great game! Really love this series. Highly recommended entry for new players to the FE series. Two big thumbs up!!
  80. Talcor
    Jan 31, 2020
    10
    This is a new chapter in Fire Emblem, it brings so much new content to the table it's almost absurd. From the four different routes you can take that are completely unique to the sheer hours you can get lost in around garreg mach this game is like a breath of fresh air in a dozen plus game franchise. The music is some of the best I've heard in Fire Emblem.
  81. Growlith
    Mar 31, 2020
    10
    This game is my favorite game of all time! It has awesome characters and an epic storyline!
  82. Jullai
    Jul 10, 2021
    10
    Fantastic gameplay and story. By far my favourite game on the switch! Three houses has great replay value, and the turn based battle system and management is very addictive.
  83. Kostas_Spirou
    Mar 27, 2023
    9
    The Apex of the tactical role playing strategy genre.
    Three Houses was my very first Fire Emblem game, and surprisingly, it's very beginner friendly, the gameplay itself is smooth, simple and straight to the point, and the overall difficulty is quite easy. As for the combat mechanics, they're very well made, everything works as intended, overall it's a blast.
    The social simulation    The Apex of the tactical role playing strategy genre.
    Three Houses was my very first Fire Emblem game, and surprisingly, it's very beginner friendly, the gameplay itself is smooth, simple and straight to the point, and the overall difficulty is quite easy. As for the combat mechanics, they're very well made, everything works as intended, overall it's a blast.

    The social simulation aspect is very enjoyable, I really liked exploring the Garreg Mach Monastery, bonding with the characters, doing side activities and interacting with the things around me. It does get slightly repetitive after a while though, because the amount of things you can do are limited, but it never really bothered me.

    I also want to point out the fact that the music is great, Japanese Role Playing games usually tend to have an exceptional soundtrack and this game is no different, especially when it comes to the battle themes.

    And now, arguably one of the most interesting parts of the game, the story... it's pretty good, but the pacing is questionable, some plot points are solved very quickly, which results in confusion. The lore is intriguing and deep, every House has a different story to tell, you will meet new characters and learn more things about the world.

    The characters are cool, every single one of them is likeable and they all have their own little personalities and quirks. You can also recruit some of them in your team, and even change their class to make them play however you please, which I really appreciated.

    Fire Emblem: Three Houses is a fascinating game, it was enjoyable from start to finish even with the pacing issues, and I genuinely had a phenomenal time playing it. I definitely recommend it to anyone who wants to get into the series, even if you've never played a Fire Emblem game before, this is the best place to start, probably the best strategy game I've ever played.

    Final Rating: "Amazing" ~ 9/10.    … Expand
  84. Nintendist
    Jun 29, 2022
    10
    this game is SO GOOD. one of the best game on Nintendo Switch and the BEST from Fire Emblem series
  85. BetaPlayer
    Aug 1, 2022
    10
    This is an excellent game not only for the switch but for the franchise in general, all the story are amazing, the four routes brings something special, that means that every playthrough is different to the last. One of the best games I've played in my life.
  86. lucinhagamer
    Aug 26, 2022
    10
    this game is awesome, you can do very fun things. the music is so good, love it
  87. PunchBunnie
    Feb 17, 2023
    10
    i'm not very good at strategy games but Dimitri was hot and i got to romance him so 10/10
  88. TruthSeaker
    Aug 11, 2023
    9
    There are very few games that I can return to and enjoy one more playthrough.
    This game is one of them.
    Great world-building, memorable characters, engaging combat system, phenomenal music.
    Shame that they dropped the ball with Engage after this masterpiece.
  89. Konstantos
    Jul 27, 2019
    9
    Brilliant game so far. Fun characters, well written support conversations, great customization and interesting story. Only issue is some textures are poor quality and occasional fps drops that are easily ignored once you get used to them.
  90. DarkF
    Jul 26, 2019
    10
    Excellent game, I love ever minute of it. I don’t know why people are review bombing it
  91. Jhomelma
    Jul 26, 2019
    10
    Fire emblem three houses is a good ass games it will be nominated as one of the best games of the year and to all the haters trying to get the metacritic score down suck my bbc.
  92. irrael
    Jul 27, 2019
    10
    It was good and enjoyable. I liked the graphics and the water looked good. Buy it
  93. Yunus_Edros
    Jul 27, 2019
    10
    The game is absolutely amazing 10/10 and for all those kids ranting about how it's got bad graphics and got a bad story probably dont even have the game because this game is a masterpiece and they must have lost it in there heads.
  94. QueenAegis
    Jul 26, 2019
    10
    I think it's completely ridiculous people are rating this game a 0 just cause they can't get passed th overhaul of the old style, as played most fire emblem games I think it's a good game for old and new fans alike
  95. Javen
    Jul 26, 2019
    10
    I love this game! The gameplay is good ,but story is not bad which is rich But the the graphic is not good.
  96. Jhox
    Jul 26, 2019
    10
    10/10 goty enough said
  97. Ryft
    Jul 27, 2019
    10
    It is a very fun and entertaining game with good chatacters and good story.
  98. Tylerjj
    Jul 27, 2019
    10
    Some of these fire emblem elitist are insufferable. Just ignore them like everyone else and try the game for yourself. Im about 8 hours in and its by far my favorite fire emblem game already.
  99. Livault
    Jul 27, 2019
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I love how every character is unique. Everyone has its own hobbies, interests, likes, dislikes and stories to tell. Who they are, where they’re coming from, what they did before, why they’re in the academy now etc. I started to love everyone right.

    In the library of the academy, you can read TONS of books about the history of Fodlan and all its houses, kingdoms, religion and more.

    The lore and environment in this game is crazy!    … Expand
  100. Khearm
    Jul 26, 2019
    10
    Epic storylines with action packed strategic battles. There are too many likeable characters to nurture. Besides this game allows users to play at least three times!
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Awards & Rankings

4
#4 Best Switch Game of 2019
4
#4 Most Discussed Switch Game of 2019
4
#4 Most Shared Switch Game of 2019

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
89

Generally favorable reviews - based on 102 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 98 out of 102
  2. Mixed: 4 out of 102
  3. Negative: 0 out of 102
  1. Nintendo Force Magazine
    Apr 28, 2020
    95
    There may be too much content here for busy adults to tackle! I don't know when I'm going to find the time to do full playthroughs of the other two Houses that I didn't choose to begin with! [Issue #41 – September 2019, p. 74]
  2. Universo Nintendo
    Oct 29, 2019
    90
    Fire Emblem Three Houses is one of Switch's best games of 2019 and a breeze of fresh air to this franchise. Unfortunately, its poor animations preclude any possibility of being the game of the year.
    Read full review
  3. Game World Navigator Magazine
    Oct 11, 2019
    86
    Large selection of classes, good AI and wide variety of missions make Fire Emblem: Three Houses one of the best turn-based tactics. [Issue#240, p.50]
See all critic reviews »