Intelligent Systems has made some bold decisions with Fire Emblem Engage, and I’d argue they’ve mostly paid off. Diverging from one of this generation’s most acclaimed RPGs was always going to be risky, but Engage takes inspiration from older entries while retaining Three House’s social mechanics so what’s here feels more like a sidestep than the next giant leap. This is an exciting bridge between modern and classic Fire Emblem – one that needs a more enticing story, perhaps, but most importantly there’s a robust tactical RPG underneath.
Engage is impossible to assess without comparisons to its predecessors thanks to its premise. 12 of Fire Emblem’s most famous protagonists are back for one last adventure, each representing a main entry from a series whose history stretches back over 30 years. Unlike in the 2017 mobile spin-off, Heroes, you aren’t directly summoning them into this world. Each lord’s spirit is instead housed within an Emblem ring, granting the wielder significant power. As the Divine Dragon Alear, you’re tasked with recovering the 12 rings, which form the centre of a new conflict with the Fell Dragon, Sombron.
We’re back to a singular narrative in Fire Emblem Engage; there are no branching paths, crucial decisions and not even a humorous response to an inconsequential question. My free time is thankful, yet this also feels like a step back. Engage’s story isn’t bad by any means; it just lacks that nuance and moral ambiguity which helped Three Houses thrive. Comparatively, events and character motivations are very black-and-white. Tired tropes like an amnesiac protagonist facing an ancient returning evil don’t do this any favours, either.
