Fire Emblem Engage Review, Fire Emblem Engage Romance
by Ushapriyanga | Updated Feb 25, 2023
Fire Emblem Engage Wiki
Intelligent Systems developed Fire Emblem Engage, a tactical role-playing game for the Nintendo Switch, which was published by Nintendo on January 20, 2023. The game has received positive reviews from critics for its innovative gameplay, visuals, and score, but some felt that the story and social sim elements were not as developed as its predecessor, Fire Emblem: Three Houses. Tsutomu Tei, the game director from Intelligent Systems, simplified the story structure in Engage compared to Three Houses, with a focus on one major goal to allow players to concentrate on tactical gameplay. Meanwhile, Genki Yokota, the producer from Nintendo EPD Group No. 2, explained that having multiple story paths can be overwhelming for players, so the decision was made to focus on one path for this title.
The Emblem system in Engage was inspired by the marriage system in previous Fire Emblem games such as Genealogy of the Holy War, Awakening, and Fates. The developers wanted to create a more casual pairing system while also experimenting by merging characters from previous games with new ones. Kenta Nakanishi, the director from Nintendo EPD Group No. 2, was involved in the discussions that led to the creation of the Emblem system.
Fire Emblem Engage Review
In 2019, Fire Emblem: Three Houses diverged from the typical optimism of Fire Emblem games, featuring a more realistic portrayal of military life and interpersonal tragedy. Despite its popularity, the latest game in the series, Fire Emblem Engage, returns to the fairytale roots of earlier titles. The game draws inspiration not only from Fire Emblem Heroes, Nintendo's first billion-dollar mobile game but also from the gacha game's mechanics. Unfortunately, what worked well for a mobile game does not necessarily translate to a console gaming experience.
Fire Emblem Engage is a tactical RPG that follows the story of Alear, an amnesiac dragon in human form who has been asleep for a millennium. When an evil dragon wakes up and seeks to take over the world with the help of powerful minions, the goddess of the world chooses Alear to save it. Unlike previous Fire Emblem games, Alear fuses soldiers with spirits known as "Emblems," which are the protagonists from earlier titles in the series. These Emblems are attached to physical rings called Emblem Rings, which can be lost, stolen, or hidden in inconvenient places. While some of these rings are obtained through the course of the story, others can be obtained through an in-game gacha system.
Fire Emblem Engage Romance
Nintendo and Intelligent Systems are bringing in new gameplay mechanics to make Fire Emblem Engage more engaging for players. One such mechanic involves bringing back classic heroes from previous games. The game also features romantic options for the main protagonist, Alear, with the ability to increase support with other characters through shared meals, gift-giving, and combat. The new game does not have any gender limits on relationships, and players can choose any character to partner with after reaching S-rank. However, romantic options are limited to the new characters in the game, and not available for returning characters from previous Fire Emblem games. Some S-rank scenes are not romantic, and some characters are not eligible for romantic options due to their relationship with the protagonist or their age.
Fire Emblem Engage Characters Ranked
Seadall
Seadall, a unit of the Dancer class, is incredibly useful in Fire Emblem Engage as he can allow units who have already taken their turn to move again. This is particularly helpful for healer units who can only heal one unit per turn. However, players won't get to meet Seadall until Chapter 15 of the game.
Hortensia
Hortensia's playful personality may be intimidating as an enemy, but she is a fun and valuable addition to any player's team. She can use both magic and staves, making her a versatile unit, especially when it's unwise to have a team of mostly Flying units. Hortensia is definitely worth keeping around.
Yunaka
Yunaka is a thief encountered early in Fire Emblem Engage, appearing in Chapter 6 of the story. Despite being a thief, she becomes a valuable asset to players when she is found to have one of the Emblem Rings. Players will eventually recruit her to their team, and she is paired with the Emblem Ring of Micaiah from Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn.
Chloe
Chloe is one of the strongest Flying units players can recruit in Fire Emblem Engage. She is encountered when players recruit Céline, the princess of Firene, in Chapter 4 of the game. Despite the weaknesses of Flying units, Chloe is a formidable addition to any team by the halfway mark of the story.
Veyle
Veyle is a crucial character in the story of Fire Emblem Engage. Initially encountered as a stranger who the protagonist bonds with, it's revealed in a midpoint twist that Veyle is the daughter of Sombron, the Fell Dragon, and the assassin who murdered Lumera, the player's mother. This revelation adds depth to Veyle's character and her role in the story.
Anna
Anna, the wily merchant, is a recurring character in Fire Emblem games, and Fire Emblem Engage is no exception. While she usually serves as a merchant and helper to players, she is also a recruitable unit. Anna's presence in the game adds a touch of familiarity for fans of the series.
Alfred
Alfred is an early recruit in Fire Emblem Engage, joining the player's team in Chapter 3 during an attack on Lythos Castle. As a horse-riding unit and Lance-wielder, he is a good counterpart to the axe-wielding Cavalry unit, Vander. However, Alfred has two attributes that make him an even better unit than Vander.
Diamant
Diamant is a strong and speedy unit with enough bulk to last many turns without taking too much damage. His emotional crisis following the midpoint of the game's story adds depth to his character and may make players more attached to him. Pairing Diamant with Emblem Ike, another popular Fire Emblem character, may prove useful for players.
Ivy
Ivy's recruitment in Fire Emblem Engage comes with the bonus of two brand-new Emblem Rings, which is especially valuable since the protagonist has lost the rest. Ivy herself takes possession of Emblem Lyn, a surprising pairing for a Flying unit with the use of tomes and staves. Nevertheless, players will find Ivy to be a useful member of their team.
Alear
In Fire Emblem Engage, players have the option to change the name of their player character, but canonically their name is Alear. Like past protagonists Robin and Byleth, Alear plays a significant role in the game's story despite having no memory. Players may become attached to Alear throughout the game's early chapters.
Fire Emblem Engage Missable Characters
In every Fire Emblem game, there is a group of characters that can be recruited to join your army and fight alongside you. While Fire Emblem Engage doesn't have a social system as extensive as its predecessor, it still features several characters that can be missed if not recruited at the right time. Although the recruitment process is not complicated, if you fail to do so during the allotted time, you will not be able to recruit them later. To ensure that you don't miss out on any potential team members, refer to this guide on how to recruit all the easily-missed characters in Fire Emblem Engage.Fire Emblem Engage Review
Fire Emblem Engage Review - FAQs
Missable characters are characters that you can recruit into your army during specific chapters of the game. If you fail to recruit them during those chapters, you won't be able to recruit them later on.
Recruiting missable characters usually involves fulfilling certain conditions during specific chapters of the game. For example, talking to a character with a specific unit, defeating a boss with a specific character, or visiting a village with a certain unit. The conditions can vary for each character.
Yes, you can recruit missable characters on subsequent playthroughs as long as you fulfill the recruitment conditions during the correct chapters. However, some characters may only be available in specific routes or difficulty levels.
If you miss recruiting a character, you won't be able to recruit them for the rest of the game. This may limit your team composition and make some chapters more difficult.
Yes, there are several guides and resources available online that provide a list of missable characters and their recruitment conditions. These can be helpful in ensuring you recruit every possible character.