Video Game Review: “Fire Emblem: Engage”

Platform: Nintendo Switch

Developed By: Intelligent Systems 

Published By: Nintendo

Released: January 20, 2023

Genre: Tactical Role-Playing

During a Nintendo Direct in Sept. 2022, the next major Fire Emblem game was announced: Fire Emblem: Engage. This was an unexpected announcement for enthusiasts as Fire Emblem Warriors: Three Hopes was released just a few months prior. 

The Engaging Story

The game begins on the continent of Elyos, where the player takes control of an avatar named Alear. 

Known as the Divine Dragon, Alear has  just awoken from a 1,000 year slumber to defeat the Fell Dragon, Sombron, by gathering 12  Emblem Rings. These relics have been spread throughout the kingdoms of Elyos and require Alear to encounter and recruit new allies on a quest to find them while still unearthing memories from before the slumber. 

The Rings of Gameplay

Fire Emblem: Engage plays similarly to the other games in the series. The player can move Alear and other characters around the battlefield to fight enemies. A large amount of strategy is involved in the game, as players must be able to remember what units have the best chance of defeating enemies based on their stats, weapon types and movement types. 

The Emblem Rings are the most notable addition to the game. The rings allow characters to “engage” with the spirits of characters from previous Fire Emblem Games, such as Byleth from Fire Emblem: Three Houses, Lucina, from Fire Emblem: Awakening and Marth from Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon. 

Engaging with an Emblem Ring allows the player to receive  battle advantages, additional weapons and a super move their unit can also use when activated. 

When not  battling, the player can interact with  other characters and form bonds with them to increase their stats and gain other perks. Players are also tasked with managing their units’ weapons, Emblem Rings and items to ensure they are ready for battle.

There are multiple difficulty levels the player can take advantage of, including classic mode, where units die upon losing all their health, and casual mode, where units simply retreat after losing all their health and return for the next battle. Engage also has its own version of the Divine Pulse system from Fire Emblem: Three Houses where the player can go back in time to reapproach a battle. This can be activated at any time. 

Graphically, Fire Emblem: Engage is impressive for Nintendo Switch standards, assuming a nice, anime-inspired artstyle. Character models and animation are nicely utilized and no character looks the exact same.

The soundtrack is not very memorable outside of the battle themes, as most themes are atmospheric or simple mood music to fit the cutscenes. 

Fire Emblem: Engage is an engaging experience in its story and unit management system. Currently, it sells for $59.99 and is very welcoming for newcomers to the franchise. Old fans will certainly have a great time with this title, as there are numerous references to previous titles.