I can’t deny that Fire Emblem: Three Houses is one of my favorite games of this generation. From challenging the church to restoring a kingdom, I saw all that each route had to offer, but the announcement of Three Hopes left me cautious. Following the success of Hyrule Warriors and, of course, Fire Emblem Warriors, Nintendo has once again teamed up with Koei Tecmo for a musou spin-off, swapping Fire Emblem’s tactical role-playing game for a fight. hack and slash. At first I had my doubts, but after several chapters these fears are fading.
Fire Emblem Warriors: Three Hopes
- Publisher: Nintendo
- Developer: Koei Tecmo / Omega Force
- Platform: Switch is played
- Availability: Available June 24 on Switch
Three Hopes is not just a Three Houses story, nor does it work around existing history. This time, we’re playing Shez, a former mercenary who becomes a student at Garreg Mach Monastery. As before, the house you sign up for determines your story as you choose between Edelgard’s black eagles, Dimitri’s blue lions, and Claude’s golden deer. I would recommend playing Three Houses first, but luckily that experience doesn’t depend on that.
Instead of Garreg Mach, Shez spends his free time on the battlefield, a new center full of different facilities. Because you are directly exploring this camp on foot instead of accessing the facilities from a map, you feel more involved in the war effort than similar derivatives, i.e. Age of Calamity. Support events with other characters still exist, but socialization has slowed down: there are no S-rank options for romance here. Still, Three Hopes replicates the social elements of Three Houses well, allowing you to invite others to camp meals, expeditions, and more.
Just in case … This is still a modern Fire Emblem in the heart.
Once you’re done with the preparations, select a war map mission and choose which units you want to fight with and then you’ll be out. In a way, this is no different from your standard muso games: we are still reducing countless enemy hordes at the push of a button, loading the Warrior indicator to launch deadly attacks. Capturing advanced enemy sites further strengthens your position, there are enemy commanders to kill and adapt to new developments as they arrive is still key. It’s a family cycle and if that didn’t appeal to you before, Three Hopes probably won’t change your mind.
Still, Three Hopes is so much more than Dynasty Warriors with a Fire Emblem skin. Among your troops, anyone who is not under direct control can receive orders to certain targets, saving considerable time. Some weapons are more effective against private units, so archers can still do powerful damage against Wyvern riders or Pegasus knights. Weapon durability only applies to special attacks, which are restarted after each battle, but can be replenished in mid-battle with items. Finally, major battles allow you to choose strategies such as recruiting an enemy commander or sabotaging defenses, such as the “Secret Plans” in Dynasty Warriors 9: Empires.
As a fan of Fire Emblem for a decade, I am enjoying this strategic game. Better yet, I didn’t notice any significant performance issues in portable or docked mode, even when struggling with large groups. I am very much enjoying what I have seen and it is still very satisfying to reap among enemy hordes. Three Hopes looks like a significant improvement over the early Fire Emblem Warriors. He is more refined, his strategy is deeper and everything is pleasantly familiar. I’m excited to see the rest.