Fire Emblem Engage returns to a more classic Fire Emblem formula, blending strategic combat, engaging characters, and lighthearted fan service. While celebrating the franchise’s rich history through its Emblem Ring system and Paralogues featuring familiar faces, this approach also prevents it from truly innovating. The result is a satisfying, if somewhat safe, experience that caters to longtime fans but may not break new ground.
The game unfolds on the continent of Elyos, a land of four nations enjoying a fragile peace. Players embody Alear, the Divine Dragon, awakening from a millennium-long slumber after a devastating battle with the Fell Dragon Sombron. Alear soon learns that Sombron’s return is imminent, threatening Elyos once more. To combat this looming threat, Alear must gather twelve Engage Rings, each containing the spirit of a legendary hero from another world, and harness their powers.
Veterans of the series (excluding perhaps Three Houses) will find themselves on familiar ground with Engage’s combat mechanics. The core gameplay revolves around the classic Weapons Triangle, where wielding a specific weapon type against another grants an advantage, often resulting in a “Break” status, preventing the opponent from counter-attacking. Familiar elements like bow users’ effectiveness against flying units return, along with new additions like unarmed units breaking daggers, magic, and bows.
The Weapons Triangle heavily influences combat pacing. The AI exploits vulnerabilities effectively, leading to methodical battles where players push forward with stronger units, supported by healers and ranged attackers from the rear. The game’s largely open and uninspired map design further reinforces this tactical approach, offering limited strategic options, particularly on higher difficulty settings with permadeath enabled.
Engage’s innovative feature lies in its namesake system. Equipping an Engage Ring allows a unit to temporarily merge with an Emblem spirit, gaining access to enhanced attacks, stronger weapons, and unique abilities. Building bonds between units and Emblem rings unlocks passive abilities and stat boosts. While rings can be freely swapped between units, each unit has a separate Engage level with each ring, requiring repeated use to unlock full potential. Adding another layer of strategy, players can inherit skills from rings, creating a dynamic decision between maximizing a unit/ring combo or spreading beneficial skills across multiple units.
Character interactions, a hallmark of the Fire Emblem series, deliver a dose of charm. However, compared to the nuanced characters and interwoven backstories of Three Houses, Engage’s cast feels somewhat one-dimensional. While support conversations provide additional character development, many personalities remain disappointingly shallow. Despite visually appealing character designs, unlocking their charm requires more effort than in Three Houses.
The game’s character introduction pace also poses a challenge. In Casual mode (or cautious Classic playthroughs), two to three new, often higher-level or more advanced units join per scenario. This can discourage leveling up earlier characters unless actively experiencing permadeath, although optional skirmishes offer grinding opportunities.
Despite its shortcomings in character development and originality, Fire Emblem Engage is undeniably the most visually stunning entry in the series. A significant graphical upgrade from Three Houses, the game boasts smooth fight animations and impressive character detail, even on the overworld map. This is a visual feast – the best-looking Fire Emblem game to date.
As a series fan, I enjoyed Fire Emblem Engage for what it offered. While the story and gameplay lack innovation, and the heavy emphasis on nostalgia may not resonate with all players (especially those unfamiliar with Japan-exclusive titles), the engaging combat and stunning visuals provide a satisfying experience. Engage sits comfortably in the middle of the Fire Emblem pantheon – a solid entry that will likely please fans but may not convert newcomers.
Rating: 3.5 out of 5
Fire Emblem Engage releases on January 20th for the Nintendo Switch. This review was conducted on a Nintendo Switch OLED using a review code provided by the publisher.
