Fire Emblem Engage: Everything We Know

.Fire Emblem Engage is a highly anticipated upcoming entry in the critically acclaimed series. The tactical RPG will allow players to do much more than combat this time around. The question on many players' minds is, will this entry live up to the strength of its predecessors, and what can players look forward to? Furthermore, what can we expect from this title when it releases? Fret not, as we have all of your questions answered with Fire Emblem Engage: Everything We Know.

Story

As is the case with many games within the franchise. The story of the upcoming entry appears to be shaping up to be one of the most drawing factors to the game. This is fantastic as it shows that while featuring a heavy focus on tactical-style combat. The game still wishes to tell an in-depth narrative. From what we can tell about the game, it will prominently feature many familiar faces from throughout the Fire Emblem franchise. Again, this is great as it incorporates many different story elements and character arcs from previous games and rolls them over into this newest entry.

The newest entry is set on the continent of Elyos. Players are cast in the role of the grand champion, Alear, a warrior of tremendous power. Players must gather the Emblem Rings throughout the world in order to stop the evil Fell Dragon. The Fell Dragon is looking to cause chaos after they have awakened from their thousand-year slumber. They have the power to summon past heroes from the series and use it to do battle with enemies. All in all, the story of Fire Emblem Engage is shaping up to be a fantastic entry into the series as well as a worthy title in its own right.

Gameplay

The gameplay for the game appears to be your standard Fire Emblem fare. However, this comes with a few tweaks and improvements to the formula. This is great to see, as it allows players who aren't as familiar with the series to jump in and have a great time easily. Players will be able to control each individual unit and build them in a way that suits their team's needs. A fantastic feature of the game is the customizability of its combat system. This customizability allows players to approach combat in a number of ways.

Players are able to equip quite a few different types of units, which is sure to make for some engaging combat scenarios. There are dozens of classes to choose from, and while a bit unclear of how many times you can use it, you can rewind your moves. The main new feature of this game is Emblems which can be summoned in combat. Using rings, you can summon past heroes like Marth into battle to help you unleash powerful attacks.

Unsurprisingly, relationship building also returns. Outside of battle, you will be growing close to companions and visiting Somniel.  This is a location that allows you to use Amiibos, fish, farm, and switch outfits. You will also meet Sommie, the mascot of the game there who will be your pet in the game. There is also mention of a crafting system and several training mini-games that you can take part in. It's not clear how some of these mechanics will work or whether or not you can fully romance characters yet.

Development

Critics praised Fire Emblem: Three Houses for the soundtrack, narrative and replay value.

The game is about to be released this coming Friday. The team behind Fire Emblem: Engage is being developed by Intelligent Systems. Intelligent Systems has been working on the series since 1990, when they released Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon and the Blade of Light. They also are the developer behind other popular Nintendo titles like Paper Mario and Metroid. Most recently, they worked on Warioware: Get it Together, Fire Emblem: Three Houses, and Paper Mario: The Origami King.

The game was originally announced on September 13, 2022, and likely has been in development for a few years. This was a quick announcement from Nintendo and caught many players off guard due to the game only having a few months left before release.

Trailer

The developer has released plenty of trailers showing off the different parts of Fire Emblem Engage. The most recent trailers show off the game's story and the expansion pass. There is also a trailer that goes over all the details of the leisurely Somniel. In the Somniel trailer, players are shown how to unlock costumes, tend to animals, and even use Amiibos. A trailer on Emblem summoning and mechanics is also available to give players a taste of what the combat will be like.

The content shown isn't widely different from what we witnessed in Fire Emblem: Three Houses. Many prominent features return, while others, like the more relaxing game mechanics, seem to be greatly improved. The game is shown to be a fair balance of combat, story, and side activities.

Release Date Platforms & Editions

Fire Emblem: Engage will be releasing on January 20, 2023. Since the title is made licensed by Nintendo, it will only be available for purchase on the Nintendo Switch. The game will likely never get a release outside of this console as Nintendo doesn't port their titles to PC. In addition, the game has two different editions to choose from the regular and Divine editions. The Divine edition comes with a collector's box, steel book, art cards, poster, and an art book.

If you pre-order the game from GameStop, you can also get a free tarot card deck when you pick up your game. There is also an expansion pass available for purchase that will come with four waves of DLC, starting with additional items, characters, and outfits being released on the 20th alongside the game. Nintendo has a release map up for the other three waves and the entire expansion pass will run you $29.99 on the Nintendo eShop.

So, what's your thought on the upcoming Fire Emblem: Engage? Let us know over on our socials here or down in the comments below.