Genre: Tactical role playing dating sim… thing | Released: July 2019 | Platform: Nintendo Switch | Developer: Intelligent Systems | Publisher: Nintendo | Language: English | Length: 40-60 hours, but you could play all the rotes and spend 200+ hours. | Difficulty: Moderate, but there are great rewind and accessibility modes. You can also make it as hard as you want. | Do I Need To Play Anything First: No, this is a stand alone game in it’s own universe | Accessibility Options: Not terrible, it helps that the game is turn based, but the text size can not be modified | Monetization: Single purchase | Microtransaction: DLC add on, but nothing egregious | Gambling Elements: None | Content Warning: Mild fantasy violane, mild blood and language, themes of war death and mortality | Parenting Guide: Rated T for teens, and I agree | How Did You Play It: On my switch | Did you need a guide: I used a guide to help me choose how I wanted to level my team, but I never got ‘stuck’ | Mods: None
Is It Good: Yes, it’s a great tactical fire emblem game. And the only one I’ve ever finished (although it did take me nearly four years of trying)
Back of the Box: Look, dating your students is NOT creepy, okay? Don’t think about it. Please.
Fire Emblem is a series that fills me with shame. I have played many of them, but have never, ever finished one. When I was younger I found the tactical battles + your friends dying permanently if you so much as sneeze in the wrong place too frustrating. I would hit a mission in the late game, be unable to proceed without someone dying, and lose interest.
Three Houses is a Fire Emblem game for me, a filthy filthy casual. You can generously rewind time if you make a dumb move. There are clear visuals as to who is going to attack you, and where you can move to be safe. There is no perma death (if you want). I can see why Three Houses took over the zeitgeist when it came out, the idea of picking from one of three battling classes while teaching at school is a very clever premise.
It's just too bad I found a great deal of this game plodding and dull. The writing and character interactions often felt like a chore, and I groaned every time I had to run around the school to chat with people on the off chance they might say something of note. BUT! I finished it. And now I want to go back and try the other games again, so Three Houses did something right.
Is It Good: Yes, it’s a great tactical fire emblem game. And the only one I’ve ever finished (although it did take me nearly four years of trying)
Back of the Box: Look, dating your students is NOT creepy, okay? Don’t think about it. Please.
Fire Emblem is a series that fills me with shame. I have played many of them, but have never, ever finished one. When I was younger I found the tactical battles + your friends dying permanently if you so much as sneeze in the wrong place too frustrating. I would hit a mission in the late game, be unable to proceed without someone dying, and lose interest.
Three Houses is a Fire Emblem game for me, a filthy filthy casual. You can generously rewind time if you make a dumb move. There are clear visuals as to who is going to attack you, and where you can move to be safe. There is no perma death (if you want). I can see why Three Houses took over the zeitgeist when it came out, the idea of picking from one of three battling classes while teaching at school is a very clever premise.
It's just too bad I found a great deal of this game plodding and dull. The writing and character interactions often felt like a chore, and I groaned every time I had to run around the school to chat with people on the off chance they might say something of note. BUT! I finished it. And now I want to go back and try the other games again, so Three Houses did something right.