After the massive success ofFire Emblem: Three Houses, fans were left lost in a labyrinth of uncertainty on how the series was to continue the gargantuan achievement of the last entry. After all, Three Houses is the best-selling entry in the Fire Emblem series, and it was celebrated with handsome criticisms, nominations, and awards.
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Fire Emblem Engagecarries a heavy weight on its shoulders to fill in the great-knight-armor-like legacy of Three Houses. Did Engage revolutionize the Fire Emblem Experience, or will Three Houses remain the revered, colossal edifice of the ongoing series?
9Battle Mechanics – Engage
Engage reintroduces a Fire Emblem staple—the weapon triangle. It was a questionable decision for Three Houses to remove a mechanic that is the signature of the series. Engage surpasses a mere rehash of a known formula by making each character viable no matter their weapon—which explains the eponymous Engage mechanic.
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This system is fluid because any unit can wear and pair withan Emblem Ring, opening myriad possibilities. Compared to the Relic Weapons from Three Houses, those allow a unique combat art only when they match the proper crest. Sadly, units without crests cannot access these weapons; worse, the bony weapons don’t glow.
8Visuals – Engage
Given that Engage had more time for development, it is obvious it would take leaps and bounds with its graphics. The game’s characters are pleasant to look at, with lively environments and stills ripped straight from a painting. The best part is that these treats run seamlessly on the Nintendo Switch without issues.
On the other hand, Three Houses has a somber approach that fits its mature theme. It could get a little dark and hazy, but that’s where the charm of Three Houses lies. Compared to Engage, the combat environment is a little blocky and untextured, making the surroundings dull.
7Characters – Three Houses
Three Houses is the home of magnificently written, if not the best, characters of Fire Emblem. Not only are the main characters a magnum opus of the writers, but even the side characters have the motivation that ties them in with the war. Even the silliest character has deep, dark backstories that pique your interest in unraveling their baggage.
Engage is a substantial disappointment compared to the nuanced characters of Three Houses. What the characters lack in depth, they compensate for in their appearance. Sadly, even the character design contradicts the intended character trope. The cast is one note, and they quickly become irrelevant. They’re in a war becausethey’re overdesigned soldiersand nothing more.
6Music – Engage
This one is a tight match because it’s about quality or quantity. Three Houses’ music is coherent with its general theme, thesetting being a monastery, and the religious themes mystifyingly translate well in its music. Aside from the ambient music, Three Houses also employs Anime-esque theme songs such as “The Edge of Dawn (Seasons of Warfare)” with its crowd-pleasing, memorable hook.
Engage is successful in producing a hard-hitting soundtrack opening that hypes you while spoiling the game’s plot. But what gives Engage the win is how it breathes new life into music from previous games. Accompanying the heroes from the past are their mashed-up signature soundtracks, and it is nostalgia galore for old fans.
5Social Simulation – Three Houses
When war plagues your continent, having time tosocialize with the other soldierscan be a nice change of pace. Three Houses lets you delve deep into the characters’ backgrounds through little activities like having tea. There’s even a prom where you can watch your students dance. This bond you forge with them affects your decisions in-game, as you wouldn’t want to kill a unit you had an after-prom talk with.
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Contrarily, Engage doesn’t let you have as much fun with the other units. They are merely disposable pawns in the game. For one thing, having more than three characters with the same loud personality can annoy you from socializing. Furthermore, it’s not socializing when the other party is talking ASMR-style while you sleep to their monologues.
4Narrative – Three Houses
It is superb how Three Houses converges three branching pathways into one marvelous storyline without getting lost or making each course too divergent from the main plot. Each chapter is a step closer to the final resolution, while the narrative significantly develops the story and the characters.
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Sadly, Engage failed in this regard. The chapters are a bit regressive and sometimes unnecessary. Fighting the same enemies over and over and looking for a princess who was allowed freely to possess a powerful ring and go on a picnic get old fast. The paralogues are more of an additional gameplay content rather than adding to the plot.
3Progression - Three Houses
Engage allows you to get as many stat points as possible by using a second seal after level 20 and returning to level one of the same class. The problem here is that the skirmishes are far more complex than the actual chapters, and it’s either you play god in normal chapters or get deleted by a thief during a skirmish. Ultimately, the growth rate and personal skills matter, given that equipping an Emblem Ring overrides the unit’s current class and weapon proficiency.
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Level 99 is not infinite leveling in Three Houses, but enemies become trivial once you’re near the level cap. Equipping a crest in your blood and a unique weapon to match already strikes fear in the enemies, even without the level advantage. Unlike the bond system in Engage, which you can practically buy by using in-game bond fragments, Three Houses leans more toward the classic learn-by-application mode of gaining weapon proficiency in addition to your instructions as the school’s beloved professor. A little effort in tutoring your students can make them shine in battle.
2Replay Value – Three Houses
If you want to experience Engage anew, then your only option is to play in maddening. Not an enriching experience, but you might get your money’s worth by playing at a more serious difficulty. What makes this worse is the DLC for the game was released simultaneously with the main game, and even then, the first wave only offered new Emblem Rings and one new paralogue battle.
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Dmitri, Claude, and Edelgard offer three perspectives and branching narratives you’re able to take (with the latter choosing between two routes). Each has its own playable students with separate endings too, so you’re in for a treat. There are also the higher difficulty levels and the DLC with a new and separate house and a world underneath.
1Verdict – Three Houses
You already saw this coming. Three Houses wins by a vast margin. While Engage is a great experience, more is needed to surpass its predecessor. Indeed, Engage focuses more onreacquainting players with the rootsof Fire Emblem, but at this point, the only way for the series is forward. There were gameplay improvements, but the experience may be better without banking on nostalgia.
Three Houses rightfully claims its seat in the Fire Emblem hall of fame. But, ironically, it may have engaged more old players and solidified new fans compared to the latest entry. Engage remained at the roots while Three Houses soared. Engage was a wild abandon, but Three Houses is sublimely heaven.
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