Fire Emblem Game Review: Engage | Ruetir

What makes the difference is that Fire Emblem Engage has a wow factor: the emblem rings. This precious accessory is capable of summoning heroes from the past, such as Marth, to lend their forces to Alear and his warriors. Engage’s strength is the way these spirits integrate into the game in and out of battle thanks to their charm. It is a story that takes shape from the heroes that revolve around our avatar, and it is precisely the characters who carry the main story on their shoulders, which is actually somewhat weak and full of clichés. Its development works on the same line that places the lineage of the divine dragon above all, but there are events that add some seasoning to the conflicts. We will see all this in cinematic cuts and conversations.

It’s nice to see new characters intertwine with legends from the past because it’s the natural way to combine a modern game with heavy doses of nostalgia. The best of all this happens in the middle of battle with the classic turn-based system and some interesting differences. As usual, we will have to draw a strategy on a grid to defeat a leader, but the objectives depend on each mission.

Move your pieces well

To achieve our goal we will have different units, each one will have a different way of moving on the board and unique abilities. When attacking, it will be important to consider a scheme of strengths and weaknesses, depending on the weapon that is wielded, so it will be necessary to pay more attention in a triangle in the rock-paper-scissors style to decide if it is better to focus on the attack or wait before putting into action. risk some unit. This goes hand in hand with the break system, which can leave the opponent with no chance to counterattack. These interactions look great and add to the unique elements of some maps.

But like I said, Crest Rings are the real wow factor, as they allow a hero to fuse with any unit for 3 turns. The intent is to have features that can turn battles around, such as long-distance movement, healing all units, or instantly transporting to a faraway location. All emblem rings are represented by Fire Emblem heroes, such as Celica or Roy, and we will obtain them as we go. This mechanic is good because it is powerful but fair because it has a use limit. To recharge, it will be enough to defeat enemies or reach specific points on the board, so when we land on that square we can use the emblem ring again.

The break system plays an important role in the battle

This system is very versatile and adds agility to the game because it allows the strategy to change in seconds and it is necessary to make adjustments to have better results, especially in the mode where we lose our units permanently when they are eliminated in battles. On the other hand, it is difficult for someone to just enjoy the story and play without worries, because despite the fact that the difficulty is adjustable and there is the option to choose to lose or keep the units when succumbing in battle, Fire Emblem Engage can corner us and end with our units one by one. The only thing that can counteract this situation is an item that allows you to go back a few turns to correct the plays.

In addition to battlefield strategy, there are several layers of character customization. At an aesthetic level we can get some costumes and accessories, but the most important thing is in their statistics. As a good RPG, we can equip weapons and choose skills as we see fit, but also improve the arsenal by leveling up the weapons or engraving them. It is a good way to adjust the squad to our needs.

Know your allies

We will be able to make most of these improvements in the Somniel, a sacred place that functions as a base of operations. There we can buy and improve weapons; invite some characters to eat; find some items and have other special activities. One of the most important spaces is the emblem room, where, in addition to transferring abilities from the heroes to our units, we can create smaller rings that are a kind of bonus. These rings are represented by characters from the classic games, a nice nod that maintains the air of nostalgia. In the emblem room we can also polish the rings which, in addition to making the heroes groan, creates bonds between the units and the spirits to obtain some improvements.

There are also minigames, other spaces for the social side, but always to strengthen our avatar and his allies. This section is typical of Fire Emblem, which means a dose of mere fan service. Similar situations occur at the end of some encounters, where we can walk freely, chat with some characters and get rewards. In general, the social section is somewhat limited and, although it is not a waste, it is better in previous installments.

You will be able to forge bonds with your warriors by giving them gifts and food

It is curious that Fire Emblem Engage has some good ideas that fall halfway. The most interesting is the tower of challenges, where you will have to win several fights in a row as a horde; It can be in cooperative mode by relays to overcome challenges and a pvp where the confrontations occur on maps created by players. These modalities seemed interesting to me, but they need work to be able to motivate us to leave the main mode. The same goes for activities and mini-games; I think a bit of development could make them more interesting and fun.

All these activities gradually add hours to the game, because although it is repetitive, there are good decisions such as side missions. These events will occur on the map as we follow the main quest, but we can take detours to overcome and recruit new units.

On the other hand, although the game is clean and full of action, the moments dedicated to the links are somewhat neglected. Normally we will walk through very small spaces with some points of interest on the maps. When paying attention to the textures of the settings or the NPCs, blurry textures are noticed. I understand that they are passage spaces, but it would be nice if they kept the quality standard of the rest of the game. And speaking of quality, the music (as always) perfectly harmonizes the high points of the battle. Many will recognize classic themes, but there are also new themes that keep the same direction. As for the voices, I think they did a good job of dubbing in Japanese, with a lot of actors involved.

Although the story is predictable, it has interesting twists.

souls uniting

Fire Emblem Engage adapts to modernity and, at the same time, immerses us in a bath of pure nostalgia. It is a game in which we can spend hours thanks to its battle system that is agile and challenging but takes great ideas from the past and makes them more dynamic with emblem rings. Although the story can take the most faithful players by surprise and some modes sin for their simplicity, Fire Emblem Engage takes a risk with a new proposal that upholds the legacy of a classic of classics.

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