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. snakekill321
    Aug 6, 2019
    10
    After playing through all 4 endings, I can see the appeal of Edlegards more and more Tje Golden Deer ending was cathartic, it was nice, as the ending didnt have alot to do with the turmoil centered around the other 3

    The Blue Kions ending was great, as Dimitri was best boi The Church route, was cliche honestly, and while it was powerful, it didnt touch me the way the others did,    After playing through all 4 endings, I can see the appeal of Edlegards more and more Tje Golden Deer ending was cathartic, it was nice, as the ending didnt have alot to do with the turmoil centered around the other 3

    The Blue Kions ending was great, as Dimitri was best boi

    The Church route, was cliche honestly, and while it was powerful, it didnt touch me the way the others did,

    But the way that Edelgard was written, the way the war played out, how everyone was fleshed out, It felt great. You can tell this was probably supposed to be the big ending, I do wish Dimitri did live, but thats the beauty of this game;

    Its written froma human standpoint. Not everyone will live. Every other Fire emblem was cliche, in the sense that you just battle and battle, the ramifications of war really never showed unless you lost a unit, but here, youre grown to all the units, you bond with them, and then in the second part, you are forced to fight and kill them    … Expand
  2. Anarchy23smith
    Jul 31, 2019
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Hands down a ray of hope in a day and age of incomplete garbage games.Great story and even better gameplay.My game of the year!… Expand
  3. SuperRon
    Aug 1, 2019
    10
    As someone who love FF tactics and JRPG in general, i feel like this game as a bit of everything.
    The mission are paced with some exploration, and social simulator where you can choose to improve affinity or recrut new character, very high customization and replayability, Very long campaign and multiple paths!
    This game stay accesible enough in it's difficulty, even if there is a lot to    As someone who love FF tactics and JRPG in general, i feel like this game as a bit of everything.
    The mission are paced with some exploration, and social simulator where you can choose to improve affinity or recrut new character, very high customization and replayability, Very long campaign and multiple paths!
    This game stay accesible enough in it's difficulty, even if there is a lot to digest at first, you pick up the pace pretty quickly and learn as you do.
    The graphics aren't too impressive, and maybe i would have loved a bit more track, but i put a 10 to counterbalance the stupid day one zero that add no value to explaining you what the game is realy about.
    I can't wait to see this game in final form with all the new difficulties and additional stuff!    … Expand
  4. peepeetime
    Aug 15, 2019
    10
    This is a great game. The narrative/lore are interesting and the gameplay is fun. Be sure to play through the paralogues this time around if you've neglected them in past games. The rewards are almost always worth it.
  5. Tortor
    Mar 15, 2022
    6
    I really do not understand the praise this game gets. This game is really tedious and such a time sink of meaningless stuff to do.

    I really liked some of the story telling aspects but it takes absolutely forever for the story to get anywhere. I think like 35 hours in and was thinking to myself 'wow, absolutely nothing is going on'. I understand build up but the pacing was just awful.    I really do not understand the praise this game gets. This game is really tedious and such a time sink of meaningless stuff to do.

    I really liked some of the story telling aspects but it takes absolutely forever for the story to get anywhere. I think like 35 hours in and was thinking to myself 'wow, absolutely nothing is going on'.

    I understand build up but the pacing was just awful. This really needed to start earlier in the time line then it did. Overall you're dealing with a lot of 'day in the life' type story telling. You're essentially learning characters and their past to get more attached to them. I liked it at first. Then it just sorta only delivers that such a significant chunk of this game. It stops being interesting and feels more like a necessary time sink to level of friendships or characters.

    Some of the characters back stories I felt were completly necessary like for the main leaders. But all these side characters could have been summarized a lot better or just had a lot of useless fat cut. You often get the same character with the same story beats over and over again. Bernadetta for example, how many ways can they show her being an anxious mess? After like the 30th time without really much expansion into her, it gets tired. Only a handful of these plot lines with side characters feel like it matters or you actually learn something.

    The fetch quest situation in the monastery also was incredibly taxing. You have gift giving, lost items and just generic quests where you go talk 'fetch' to a NPC or go to a designated area to find something. All this feels forced and necessary to get the most out of the game too. You can spend hours each in game month just doing fetch quests to increase relationship stats, get much needed items or increase motivation. None of it is interesting and feels disrespectful of my time. None of this added to the story as you always get this generic 'oh i cant believe you found that' response too, so it doesn't feel rewarding story wise either.

    The only saving grace is the combat, it's amazing. I feel smart and love puzzling through them. The rpg mechanics for it are great too. I love seeing a character upgrade and get stronger.

    Unfortunately there is so much monastery junk and not so interesting story beats in between each combat session. You could spend hours with all this monastery stuff, just to get to and finish a 30 minute event to do combat in and then onto more tedious monastery stuff.

    This game exhausted me more then charmed me. In fact, I think I hate it for disrespecting my time. I can't imagine playing through these scenerios the required 4 times to see everything. Once was enough to understand that it's wasting your time.    … Expand
  6. jhuang3
    Jul 31, 2019
    10
    I still remember the first time I played the Fire Emblem 10 years ago when I was a high school student. When I realize the dead character would not come back again, I felt there was a burden in my shoulder, that is, I should be responsible for my peers’ life. Is it funny? I was so serious about a game. I remember this strong feeling which is the reason that I love fire emblem series. ThisI still remember the first time I played the Fire Emblem 10 years ago when I was a high school student. When I realize the dead character would not come back again, I felt there was a burden in my shoulder, that is, I should be responsible for my peers’ life. Is it funny? I was so serious about a game. I remember this strong feeling which is the reason that I love fire emblem series. This can also explain the reason I love THREE HOUSES. I do not care about the weapon triangle, whether dead people can be alive or duration of weapons. What I really care about is a story making me want to be involved and the mechanics making me have strong feeling to those characters, just like the first time I played this series. THREE HOUSES make it, so I’d like to give it 10/10!
    .    … Expand
  7. PolishJohn
    Aug 1, 2019
    10
    Is absolutely my favorite game on Switch. Can't remember the last time I was so excited to get out of work, etc, to play a game. The way I feel about this game is the same way I felt about BotW; the New Donk City portion of Mario Odyssey; my first Splatfest.
  8. yoki76
    Sep 2, 2019
    10
    I'm a long time fan of the FE series, but somehow this game got on me on a different level. Love the characters and the exploration, the dialogues are clever and cheesy and adorable at the same time. Also loving the battles as much as other games in the series. Amazing game.
  9. Shade71
    Jul 30, 2019
    10
    Great game. Just going to give it ten to offset the **** that come on here rating games 0.
  10. Ateumaster
    Aug 31, 2019
    10
    Excelente jogo. Nintendo soube dosar bem as batalhas e as tarefas no monastério. Os tutoriais do jogo ajudam muito os marinheiros de primeira viagem dessa excelente franquia.
  11. MoonKnight_99
    Sep 1, 2019
    10
    This game doesn't deserve anything close to a zero and the Sony Fanboys are just trolling again.
  12. Swerfy
    Aug 5, 2019
    10
    Una buena evolución de Fire Emblem, han sabido dar el salto a la Switch de una manera bastante buena. Casi todo lo hace a la perfección, buena historia, buen combate, buenos personajes... Quizás los gráficos flojean pero por lo demás chapó.
  13. VirgoCave
    Jul 30, 2019
    10
    This game is a SOLID 9, but im giveing it a 10 just for the ps4 rtrds that come here just to troll any good nintendo game (just look at breath of the wild user score).

    The only flaw are graphics are very unpolished and even lax, switch can handle more beautiful graphics than that.
  14. dbomb
    Aug 8, 2019
    10
    This game is so cool, nintendo games are exactly what they tell you they are, I was really hyped for this game and was not disappointed at all, I never thought turn based combat could be this intense. This really is the ultimate Fire Emblem game. This game took this entire franchise onto another level.
  15. HuyChu
    Aug 22, 2019
    10
    I finish my first run through with the church pathway, and I jumped right in for another new game + without any hesitation, and that also was a story of 70 hours play-time ago. The game just keeps getting better and better, the story with every aspect is so good and compelling, make me want to come back for more. And now nearly the end of my second run-through, I am ready for my thirdI finish my first run through with the church pathway, and I jumped right in for another new game + without any hesitation, and that also was a story of 70 hours play-time ago. The game just keeps getting better and better, the story with every aspect is so good and compelling, make me want to come back for more. And now nearly the end of my second run-through, I am ready for my third time, but still waiting for the developer to drop the lunatic/infernal mode in order to push me some more.
    In conclusion, definitely contender for Game of the year for me.    … Expand
  16. 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.
  17. 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
  18. 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
  19. 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.
  20. 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.
  21. tliuusc
    Aug 2, 2019
    10
    Amazing evolution for the series. Really enjoyed the amount of content packed into this game.
  22. JeferLh
    Aug 5, 2019
    10
    Excellent! Best game of the year . I Like can to teach and the students. Its interesting the social media
  23. 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!
  24. 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
  25. 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
  26. Wolfiuzr
    Aug 8, 2019
    10
    It's a beautiful game with a lot of Harry Potter references good job nintendo
  27. 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
  28. 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
  29. 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
  30. 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
  31. 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
  32. 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.
  33. 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.
  34. 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
  35. NerdCrew
    Sep 3, 2019
    6
    This is not a review bomb. I am an avid fan of the strategy genre and enjoy RPGs as well (old and new) and this game is slightly above average at 6/10

    Good: 1.Interesting plot with the story broken up into three perspectives/outcomes adding replay value. 2. Enjoyable cutscenes with beautiful animations 3.Full voice acting that is quite good 4.Combat mechanics are sound although a bit    This is not a review bomb. I am an avid fan of the strategy genre and enjoy RPGs as well (old and new) and this game is slightly above average at 6/10

    Good: 1.Interesting plot with the story broken up into three perspectives/outcomes adding replay value. 2. Enjoyable cutscenes with beautiful animations
    3.Full voice acting that is quite good
    4.Combat mechanics are sound although a bit basic compared to other games
    5. Most characters are decently written adding to the impact of your choices
    6. Interesting class designs although progression needs work
    7. Music was pretty good

    Aaand now the bad

    1. Tedious and boring busy work at the academy that feels shoved in and unnecessary. If you are a completionist this will be a problem as I had to fight myself to keep going (simplistic fishing, scavenging and fetch quests ugh...)
    2. The relationship mechanic feels half baked and unfulfilling given how much focus is placed on this (end game character synopsis is satisfying however)
    3.The worst offense in my opinion is that the game is far too EASY even on the hardest settings. I coasted during battles which is never a good thing. Only one maybe two maps gave me pause which is unforgivable in a strategy game that's famous for difficulty
    4. The tactical maps are overall boring, uninspired and recycled a bit too much. I feel this was the biggest missed opportunity in the game.
    5.Graphics are far too ugly with a lot of delayed pop ins etc for a top tier game such as this. I normally am forgiving but this pushed it.

    That's it. Its an ok experience and introduction into the strategy genre but for more experienced fans it leaves you wanting more. Try harder next time Nintendo.

    Buy it on sale or get XCOM 2 and a dating sim on the side. You'll have more fun.    … Expand
  36. 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
  37. Akin91
    Jul 27, 2019
    10
    I cant stop playing this beautiful game! Much better than expected. Game of the year for me.
  38. 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
  39. 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.
  40. 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.
  41. 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!
  42. 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
  43. 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.
  44. 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!
  45. 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
  46. 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
  47. Ughduty
    Jun 11, 2020
    4
    There is one bad thing that stands out and that is the handheld support. A lot of texts are far too small to be read comfortably.

    Further the tutorial is lacking and the in game documentation too. The learning curve at least for newcomers will therefore be relatively high. Other than that it is a very nice game so far. Currently around 15 hours in. The characters have a lot of    There is one bad thing that stands out and that is the handheld support. A lot of texts are far too small to be read comfortably.

    Further the tutorial is lacking and the in game documentation too. The learning curve at least for newcomers will therefore be relatively high.

    Other than that it is a very nice game so far. Currently around 15 hours in. The characters have a lot of personality and the longer the game goes on the more you are going to care about them. The things you can do between battle missions by exploring the monastery, talking to people, catch fish, grow plants and so on are a welcoming change. The strategic part of the game is demanding if you play the game on the hard difficulty. I chose to play in classic mode which means that if someone in battle dies he will be dead for good. However because you have a time turner to your availability that lets you go back up to 3 turns this is not such a big challenge. Up until now I haven‘t lost anyone.

    If they would make the texts better readable in handheld mode I would give the game a 9 out of 10.    … Expand
  48. 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
  49. 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
  50. 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.
  51. Torshon
    Jul 27, 2019
    10
    Oozing with charm mixed with new mechanics and great support convos = a great game!
  52. PringleMan
    Jul 27, 2019
    10
    I love it, really good strategy turn-based rpg with a bunch of charming, interesting and deep characters
  53. CraftYoshi
    Jul 27, 2019
    10
    It's very very very very very very very very very very very very very very good
  54. 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
  55. Ansatsu83
    Aug 1, 2019
    7
    First of all, there are so many things that are good about this, and a few things that prevent me from really saying its one of the better titles.

    First of all, the different houses are a very unique idea, think kind of like harry potter classrooms, etc, but in fire emblem. You become the teacher for one of the houses, and can train students the way you want to use them in battle. There    First of all, there are so many things that are good about this, and a few things that prevent me from really saying its one of the better titles.

    First of all, the different houses are a very unique idea, think kind of like harry potter classrooms, etc, but in fire emblem. You become the teacher for one of the houses, and can train students the way you want to use them in battle. There is a nice little open roam element, and there is an online setting, if someone has fallen in combat on a specific tile, it can create an xp or gear tile for someone else playthrough. Likewise if one of your units is defeated, it will create one of the tiles for another player. This is a unique element and I actually think its a good one!

    There is also a new brigade system, which reinforces your units with extra abilities that can help others out, this is also a neat system that hasn't been done before. The cutscenes also have the same quality as the CGI from the 2016 berserk series, which means they are relatively well done!

    Now the bad... First, I really do not like the character design, I think its one of the weakest character designs in the franchise. Most characters have the same color hair as their iris, which gives them a creepy feel. Some just look weird/creepy to begin with. I would say half just look odd, and the others look natural, I could get into a list of things for each character, but too long for a review.

    Frankly, my biggest complaint is the sheer amount of solider's I can bring into battle. I am a bit of an impatient person, so when I have to control 20 students at the same time, it gets a bit annoying. I would prefer for them to go back to the system from awakening/fates.

    Also the bond system is not nearly as good as it was in previous entries. I think fire emblem fates actually had the best bonding system out of all of them, but that's just me. Overall, I do like the game, I have sunk 20+ hours into the game and continue to enjoy it... but its not anywhere close to my favorite fire emblem game.    … Expand
  56. 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
  57. 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
  58. Buddhaff7
    Aug 14, 2019
    5
    I am overall very disappointed in this title but dont let my 5/10 score deter you from trying it yourself as some of what I dislike about it many will like and see as positives. I have been very disappointed with almost all fire emblems since radiant dawn on the wii. Fire emblem path of radiance is the pinnacle of this series as well as fire emblem 4 geneology of the holy war but now sinceI am overall very disappointed in this title but dont let my 5/10 score deter you from trying it yourself as some of what I dislike about it many will like and see as positives. I have been very disappointed with almost all fire emblems since radiant dawn on the wii. Fire emblem path of radiance is the pinnacle of this series as well as fire emblem 4 geneology of the holy war but now since the success of awakening on 3ds the focus of the fire emblem games has shifted in a direction I could not care less about. I see fire emblem as strategy games with unit customisation and military style stories with perhaps some magic and fantasy mixed in. However as years have gone by they are turning them into silly dating/life sim/ strategy games. I like the strategy but none of the rest. The game constantly buries you in mind numbingly boring busy work that you need to click through to get to the meat of the game which is the battles and main story segments. As each new fire emblem title comes out there seems to be more and more fat added on and less and less meat. This is the current state of fire emblem 3 houses, half a strategy game with interesting story (it actually is a cool story ) and half boring meaningless chit chat, teaching, fishing, gardening, singing and ...jesus......what were they thinking! so 5/10 seems fair to me, half the game is good, half is bad. Oh and dont get me started on adding in a rewind mechanic if you make a mistake. No more careful pondering over your decisions, just try whatever you like, its fine, if you die you can rewind. can turn permadeath off too, just as that was introduced in the 3ds titles, another unwelcome edition,… Expand
  59. EmperorZoltan
    Aug 18, 2019
    7
    I love fire emblem. After completing a single playthough, thoroughly exhausted and not willing to jump back in for more, I'm left with a single, resounding impressing. 3 houses is... a very gamey game.

    The mechanics of combat maintain their lineage, with the notable exceptions being removal of the weapon triangle and spell tomes (spells now have a limited number of casts per map), but    I love fire emblem. After completing a single playthough, thoroughly exhausted and not willing to jump back in for more, I'm left with a single, resounding impressing. 3 houses is... a very gamey game.

    The mechanics of combat maintain their lineage, with the notable exceptions being removal of the weapon triangle and spell tomes (spells now have a limited number of casts per map), but if you've ever seen combat in a fire emblem game before, you've seen it in this one too. It's good, but the same thing we've seen before; it's starting to suffer from the same lack of evolution that the pokemon games have.

    The story of the game, on the other hand, is an initially interesting departure from series form, and takes place almost entirely in the monastery castle and classroom halls. A vaguely hogwarts like affair with 3 competing houses takes place, with your character having to choose which of the houses to tutor as professor of the house. Depending on the house chosen and several key decisions made over the course of your tenure at the monestary, the story will diverge and branch out into one of several unique paths, each with their own unique story and ending.

    Whilst I praise the approach of attempting to tell multiple stories within the same game, mechanically the story tell and exploration sections of the game are incredibly mechanical. Whether it's the act of tutoring your students by choosing key areas of study for the week, or running around the monastery fishing in the same spot for the 4th time this month, the game lacks any serious depth in any one of its systems; before long, you'll start to notice the cogs literally turning as you have tea with your favorite student for the 3rd time in a day, or attempt to give another student every single lost item in your inventory until hitting the correct one for that reputation gain. It's all very menu driven and feels like picking from a set of favorite preferences toward the same end, rather than making important tactical decision. Its all very... gamey. Nothing feels organic or earned, it's just ticking off events, listening to (practically) one way conversations, delivering piles of presents to curry favor, or performing a stupid QTE fishing game. None of the mechanics jump out at me as interesting design choices.

    It's not a bad game; combat is fine, with as much tactical depth as any other fire emblem. The addition of divine pulses to turn back the turn clock to redo actions is a welcome escape from the hard reset to avoid a key character death. It's just that what is good is just the same thing we've seen in FE before, and whats new isn't very engaging, despite its initial promise.

    I will say that the cast of students contains some great personalities; I would much have gathered battles and events focusing more around student affairs than the grand political stage as time progresses.

    Overall I give it a decent 7/10, with a recommendation only for those whom are either new to FE or those who truly hold FE close to their hearts, and again only if you've 40 or so hours to spare. For others looking for solid turn based strategies, I'd recommend XCOM2.    … Expand
  60. 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.
  61. lvninja08
    Jul 29, 2019
    10
    Best FE game. Taking inspiration from a game like Persona was just beautiful.
  62. 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
  63. 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.
  64. 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
  65. 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
  66. wosilva
    Aug 5, 2019
    10
    Incredible, addicting, epic! Incredible, addicting, epic! Incredible, addicting, epic!
  67. 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.
  68. 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
  69. 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
  70. 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
  71. germanik
    Nov 28, 2019
    10
    10 из 10! Это произведение искусства, созданное мастерами тактики и стратегии. Обожаю!
  72. 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.
  73. 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
  74. Hackattaque
    Feb 20, 2022
    4
    A very good, very solid turn-based strategy game, that only suffers from a hot anime mess of a plot line (which after a great start gets bogged down in endless exposition) and a lack of surprises after the halfway point (there are only a couple of fun maps with unique mechanics like warp points).

    The idea of playing through the game again twice doesn’t appeal — in hindsight I wish the    A very good, very solid turn-based strategy game, that only suffers from a hot anime mess of a plot line (which after a great start gets bogged down in endless exposition) and a lack of surprises after the halfway point (there are only a couple of fun maps with unique mechanics like warp points).

    The idea of playing through the game again twice doesn’t appeal — in hindsight I wish the game had fewer play throughs and one single kick ass consolidated story . But still a v v good game    … Expand
  75. 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 !!
  76. 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
  77. Zenol31
    Sep 2, 2019
    7
    I don't know who is more ridiculous, the blind fanboys giving 10s or the haters giving 0s when none of them played the game (only a few hours at best). This is what always happens and it's why I think that user scores are really useless. Also, looking at the bad graphics and presentation, the teenager and childish writing and all the borderline pedo content in the game, it doesn't deserveI don't know who is more ridiculous, the blind fanboys giving 10s or the haters giving 0s when none of them played the game (only a few hours at best). This is what always happens and it's why I think that user scores are really useless. Also, looking at the bad graphics and presentation, the teenager and childish writing and all the borderline pedo content in the game, it doesn't deserve more anyway.… Expand
  78. 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.
  79. mattyess
    Jun 19, 2021
    1
    Why is it so hard to find a challenging, or at least ‘balanced’, strategy game these days? There is no point in using strategy in this “strategy” game. The AI is as dumb as dirt. And it is far too easy to level up your players and end up with a team that is near invincible, at which point you can spam auto-battle on each turn and just roll over your opponent. It’s such a pity because thereWhy is it so hard to find a challenging, or at least ‘balanced’, strategy game these days? There is no point in using strategy in this “strategy” game. The AI is as dumb as dirt. And it is far too easy to level up your players and end up with a team that is near invincible, at which point you can spam auto-battle on each turn and just roll over your opponent. It’s such a pity because there is so much great customisation and thought that has been poured into the skill and character class creation. But what is the point when the AI just rushes head first in to each battle and throws themselves on to your sword?

    Hugely disappointing game.    … Expand
  80. 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
  81. 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
  82. 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
  83. 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.
  84. 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.
  85. 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
  86. 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!
  87. lkkvtm
    Sep 4, 2019
    7
    Too huge, I liked FE more when it was compact handheld 20-hour experience, not 100h grindfest with dating and school like persona 5. Still good game though, if you're looking for something to dive into for a long time, definitely worth your money.
  88. 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
  89. 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.
  90. 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
  91. 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
  92. 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
  93. 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.
  94. 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
  95. 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
  96. 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.
  97. 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.
  98. Tabdelno
    Sep 3, 2019
    10
    Easily the game of the year. The best strategy RPG ever made. Incredibly well conceived.
  99. Knight_Arcturus
    Sep 1, 2019
    10
    Pretty good game. Only rating to help with the review bombing, hope it gets cleared up.
  100. truck
    Sep 2, 2019
    7
    It’s a good game. However, I do think people give it a bit too much credit. The story is good, easily better than Awakening & Fates, but it suffers from some serious pacing issues in the second half of the game. It feels odd to have to wait so long for your next mission, and unlike Awakening & Fates, where this down time is when you buy & forge weapons, you can just do that on the battleIt’s a good game. However, I do think people give it a bit too much credit. The story is good, easily better than Awakening & Fates, but it suffers from some serious pacing issues in the second half of the game. It feels odd to have to wait so long for your next mission, and unlike Awakening & Fates, where this down time is when you buy & forge weapons, you can just do that on the battle prep screen. And speaking of battles, I have some problems with them. First, they’re way too easy. The warp spell in this game, while it pales in comparison to Gaiden & Thracia, is overpowered, allowing you to clear most maps in a single turn. And the maps, while not bad, are very repetitive. On my second play through, I didn’t encounter a single unique map until chapter 20, almost the end of the game. They even reused the final map from one of the other routes, and I thought that they would at least give the final chapter a unique map. My last big problem with the gameplay is the balance of classes. To put it bluntly, it sucks. There is little reason to not train your whole army to be a wyvern lord, as they can fly, have the highest movement stat in the game, and are incredible combat units. And to end this review on a positive note, Three Houses is one of, if not the most replayable games in the series, with 4 different stories & the ability to make any unit any class you want. Overall, it’s a solid game with some big flaws that keep me from rating it higher.… Expand
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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

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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.
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  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]
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