Heroes of the FE series manifest as emblem masters!　Fire Emblem Engage" Play Review

After awakening from a thousand-year sleep, the main character sets out on a journey in search of the 12 rings in which the emblem masters reside. ......

FE Engage" is the latest title in the SRPG "Fire Emblem" series, developed by Intelligent Systems and published by Nintendo, and the first new entry in the series in almost four years, since "Fire Emblem: Fuuka Yukigetsu" released on Nintendo Switch in 2019! and thus attracted a great deal of attention from SRPG fans.

Fire Emblem" has a long history of more than 30 years since the first title in the series, "Fire Emblem: The Dark Dragon and the Sword of Light" was released in 1990 for the Family Computer. Even if you have never played the series, you have probably heard the name "Fire Emblem" before.

Let us begin with a brief synopsis of the story of "FE Engage," the long-awaited new title in the "Fire Emblem" series.

The story takes place on the continent of Eleos, where dragons and humans live together. A thousand years ago, a war broke out on this land against an "evil dragon" that wanted to destroy the world, but with the help of "emblem masters," heroes from the other world, the people succeeded in sealing the evil dragon, the source of evil, after a long battle.

The world was thus restored to peace, but as time passed, the power of the seal weakened, and signs of the resurrection of the evil dragon began to appear. Then, the hero, a "sacred dragon" who had been in a long sleep for a thousand years, suddenly awoke. However, perhaps as a result of his continuous sleep, he has lost all memory of his past.

The person who was more pleased than anyone else to see him awake was his mother, Lumiel, the king of the divine dragons. She was the king of the divine dragons and a hero who saved the continent in the war against the evil dragons a thousand years ago. Inheriting his mother's wish, the hero sets off on a journey into the vast world to collect the 12 rings that house the emblematizers who fought together in the past. ......

This is the general synopsis of the film. The story is filled with many dramatic and spectacular elements, such as "the evil dragon's resurrection after a fierce war," "the hero, a divine dragon awakened from a thousand-year sleep," "his mother's inherited wish," and "the sigilists who reside in the 12 rings," and you will find yourself wondering what will happen next, to the point where you will lose track of when to stop playing. The story is filled with dramatic and spectacular elements, such as the 12 rings of the ring. It is no exaggeration to say that the experience is like reading a profound fantasy novel.

However, the pop and colorful character designs by Mika Pikazo, characters with a rich mix of hard and soft personalities, and the occasional comical scene create a unique worldview that is not just hard-core, making this title a game that can be enjoyed by a wide range of players. This work has a wide range of appeal to a wide range of players.

The most distinctive elements of this work are the "engage" mentioned in the title and the "emblems" mentioned in the synopsis of the story. As will be explained in more detail later, in the battles of this title, players can fight together with emblematics who reside in rings, and these emblematics are heroes who have been active in the past "Fire Emblem" series.

Starting with Mars, who first appeared in the first "Fire Emblem" game "Fire Emblem: The Dark Dragon and the Sword of Light," Sigurd, who first appeared in "Fire Emblem: Genealogy of the Holy War," Lucina, who first appeared in "Fire Emblem: Awakening," Beret, who first appeared in the previous game "Fire Emblem: Flowers and Snow and Moon," and so on, all the stars of the series are represented. The lineup is like a festival of the "Fire Emblem" series, with a lineup of characters that could be described as all-stars of the series. The presence of these emblematics, who are key to both the battles and the story, will be especially exciting and moving for those who have played the series before.

Of course, those who have not experienced the series can enjoy both the battles and the story without any problems. In fact, playing this title will help you to become interested in the past titles, which you can enjoy not only the previous "Fire Emblem: Fuuka Yukigetsu" but also the "Family Computer Nintendo Switch Online" and "Super Nintendo Entertainment System Nintendo Switch Online". Many players may want to try playing the "Fire Emblem" series, which can be enjoyed on "Family Computer Nintendo Switch Online" and "Super Nintendo Switch Online.

Engage" is the key to battle!　Become one with your Monsigner and overturn the battle situation!

Let me introduce the battle system of this title.

Battles in this title are conducted on a map divided into squares, and are based on a turn-based battle system. The player's turn is spent performing actions such as "movement" and "attack" on friendly units, and when the turn is over, it is the enemy's turn to move on. One of the nice features of the game is that information such as the status of selected allied units is displayed at the bottom of the screen, allowing the player to grasp the status at a glance.

The battles in this game have an "affinity" element. In addition to the "three-pronged" relationship where swords are strong against axes, axes are strong against spears, and spears are strong against swords, there are several relationships that are advantageous or disadvantageous, such as heavily armed units being weak against magic, flying units being weak against bows, and so on. These are familiar systems in the "Fire Emblem" series, but this title introduces a new element: the "break" special effect.

If the attacker is the first to strike and has a favorable weapon affinity, a "break" will occur after the attack hits, and the attacker will not be able to counterattack until the next battle. This is a good way to gain the upper hand in a battle, so be sure to aim aggressively, but be careful not to let a friendly unit get caught in a break, as it will put you in a tight spot. The addition of the "break" system makes battles in this title more strategic and thrilling.

The main feature of this work's battles is, of course, the "engage," which is also mentioned in the title. Let me explain the system step by step.

As mentioned in the synopsis, in the world of this work, there is a "ring" in which the herald resides, and characters equipped with this ring are "synchronized" with the herald and stand together on the battlefield. During synchronization, the abilities of the characters are increased, and different "synchronization skills" are released for each herald. For example, when synchronized with the Monsignor Mars, the character can use the "Sight" skill, which makes it harder for the enemy to counterattack, and when synchronized with the Monsignor Sigurd, the character can move again after attacking, which allows the character to move again. In addition, synchronized characters are able to move in a more favorable manner than in the normal situation.

In addition, a character in synchronization can choose to "engage" at any time from a command when the meter called the "engage count" is at its maximum. When a character engages, he or she and his or her ally temporarily become one and the same and can receive a variety of benefits for a limited period of three turns. These benefits include the ability to use special weapons called "Engage Weapons," the release of "Engage Skills" to strengthen abilities, and the use of special moves called "Engage Techniques. In short, in a nutshell, they become "much stronger. However, as mentioned above, the "engage" state lasts only three turns, and it takes a reasonable amount of time to build up the "engage" count again, so it is important to find the right moment to use it.

The "Engage Technique" can only be used once during an engagement, but it is so powerful that it can turn the tide of the battle. These include not only offensive techniques such as "Star Rush" by the emblematic Marus, which inflicts massive damage with an unbelievable series of attacks, and "Warp Liner" by the emblematic Celica, which warps to the location of a remote enemy and unleashes a powerful magic attack, but also support techniques such as "The Great Healing Hand" by the emblematic Mikaya, which can restore the HP of all allies in exchange for the user's HP. There are also support-type engagement techniques, such as herald Mikaia's "Great Healing Hand," which can heal the HP of all all allies in exchange for the user's HP.

Whether you engage early in the battle to reduce the number of enemies efficiently, or save it for a boss fight or in a pinch, you can find out at ....... The main appeal of this engagement system is that it allows players to enjoy a variety of strategies, including choosing which rings to equip on which characters. The combination of characters and rings can lead to unexpected strategies, making it a fun point to experiment with various options.

Normally, the ring must be equipped in order to activate a herald's skills, but as the player fights with the herald and deepens their bond, they can inherit synchronization skills, allowing them to activate skills even when the ring is removed. For example, a player can inherit Mars' skill of "discernment" and equip it, while at the same time equipping another herald's ring, thereby expanding the range of strategies. This skill inheritance also functions as a challenging element, and it would be interesting to spend more time playing the game to deepen the bond with the sigilists and create "my idea of the strongest XX".

This is the best part! My personal recommendation for "Fire Emblem Engage

From here, I would like to introduce some of my personal highlights of "Fire Emblem Engage".

1, "One more battle! You can't stop saying, "One more battle!

The greatest appeal of SRPGs lies in the battles. By carefully observing the terrain of the battlefield and the status of the enemy, and by carefully considering each move while predicting the next move of the opponent, the player can sometimes become a warrior, and sometimes be driven into a corner, but the thrill of victory is a unique feeling that cannot be experienced in any other genre of game. As the latest title in the "Fire Emblem" series, which laid the foundation for SRPGs, this title is so enjoyable and addictive that players will want to keep going and going and going. The battle system is not too complicated, and the difficulty level is set at an exquisite level.

One of the battle features is the existence of the "dragon time crystal. This feature allows players to rewind their actions to a specific point in time and start over. This is extremely useful when an ally has fallen or when a mistake has been made inadvertently.

I mentioned earlier that the real appeal of SRPGs lies in the ability to "think through each move," and this "Dragon's Time Crystal" gives players the feeling that it is okay to play without being overly cautious. This is a very reassuring feature for players who are new to the "Fire Emblem" series or new to SRPGs.

For experienced SRPG players and skilled gamers, there is a "Classic Mode" in which allies lost in battle never return, as well as an advanced difficulty level, "Hard," and the most difficult difficulty level, "Lunatic. The author felt that one of the charms of this title is that a wide range of players, from beginners to experts, can enjoy playing it in their own ways.

2、Serious, cute, and humorous! A group of friends rich in individuality

The main character, a divine dragon, and the "emblematizers" who emerge from the ring tend to be the focus of attention in this work, but the characters of the warriors the main character encounters during his travels are also a point that should not be overlooked. I would like to introduce all of them, but I will pick out a few of my favorite characters.

Clan and Fran, the twins who are the "33rd Dragon Guardians," are the first people the protagonist meets after waking up from a thousand-year sleep. They are so impressed by the main character's words, actions, and reactions to them, that they almost have a stroke! and Fran, who calls herself the honorary president of the "Kamiryu-sama" fan club and struggles (?) to get the main character's attention at every opportunity. Both of them have strong characters, and from the beginning of the story, you are drawn into the story and grow to like them more and more.

Alfred, the first prince of a peace-loving, philanthropic nation, is a fresh, handsome prince with a kind and gentle heart who shows a tough side in battle, but he often talks about "muscles. In fact, when playing the mini-game "Muscle Gymnastics" at the base, he always invites us to join him in the game and cheers for the hero and the hero's muscles (?). They cheer for the main character and his muscles. The character of the muscle-loving prince of a peaceful kingdom of colorful flowers has a quirky personality that is sure to leave a strong impression on the players.

At the base, players can see their friends dressed in different outfits than they wear in battle, spending their time as they please, and can enjoy special conversations by talking to them. The "support conversations" that can be viewed when "support values" are accumulated among allies also offer an interesting glimpse into personalities and relationships that are different from those seen during battle. Since a large number of characters appear in the game, you are sure to find someone you are interested in.

3, "Online Play" and "Expansion Pass" for even more fun

As an element that further expands the fun, this title also features extensive online play support via network functions.

The "Trial of the Linked Battle," in which players cooperate with other players and play a single map in a relay format to win, and the "Trial of the Otherworld," in which players freely compete against other players' armies using maps they have created themselves, allow players to enjoy cooperative and competitive play that is different from ordinary battles. The "Trial of the Otherworld" is a particularly interesting feature of the game. In particular, the "Trial of the Otherworld" includes a battle rating, so players can aim for the top ranking and enjoy the game for a long time.

In addition, the Fire Emblem Engage Expansion Pass, an expansion pack for this title, was released on the same day as the game's release date. This is additional content that, when purchased, will allow players to enjoy additional emblem players, new accessories, additional storylines, etc. The content will be distributed sequentially through December 31, 2023.

At the moment, just after the release of the game, the additional herald Edelgard/Dimitri/Claude and the herald Chiki are available, and they can be added to the game by advancing to certain chapters. I have actually installed the Expansion Pass, and I have the impression that by acquiring the bracelets that allow you to join the above-mentioned heraldic characters, you will have a wider range of strategies, more fun to think about, and more scope for character development.

In addition, the bracelets of Edelgard, Dimitri, and Claude, the emblematics, increase the amount of experience gained, and the bracelet of Chiki, the emblematics, increases the basic ability when leveling up, making them very useful for character development. Players who want to play this game to the fullest should definitely purchase it.

The online play element and the expansion pass, which add new ways to enjoy this title that is already "fun," is one of the major attractions of "Fire Emblem Engage.

Fire Emblem Engage" is full of "thinking fun!

So, that's my review of "FE Engage".

This title is filled with all types of "thinking fun," including the enjoyment of devising your own strategies, thinking about your next move, and developing characters. With its captivating story, fascinating characters, exquisite game balance, and a game system that is easy to play, the author felt that this is a game that makes it hard to find the right moment to quit. I strongly recommend this title not only to those who have experienced the "Fire Emblem" series, but also to those who have not yet experienced the series.

Fire Emblem Engage

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• Title Information
• Fire Emblem Engage" (Nintendo)
• Release date: January 20, 2023
• Price: Packaged version: 7,678 yen (tax included)
• Download version: 7,600 yen (including tax)
• Official website: https://www.nintendo.co.jp/switch/ayfna/

Author: Nero Hyakkabe

Freelance writer who buys too many games. I currently have more than 300 games in my stack. Also a novelist. His works include "Yubisaki Kaidan: 140 Scary Stories" (PHP Kenkyujo) and "Goa-ken: Unrated Edition" (Kodansha).

Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/KINGakiko

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