Fire Emblem Engage is available, bringing with it a new chapter in the history of an already legendary franchise. We summarize everything about it for you.
[Mis à jour le 20 janvier 2023 à 15h36] For more than thirty years, Fire Emblem has laid the foundations of the turn-based RPG genre, establishing itself as a staple of the genre, and even as one of the most recognized franchises in the history of video games. Nintendo continues this success story today with the release of Fire Emblem Engage, the seventeenth episode of the series available for a few hours on Nintendo Switch. A novelty acclaimed by the press and dubbed as worthy of its glorious heritage, good news for all fans who wish to once again immerse themselves in this turn-based tactical RPG among the most complete of its kind.
Barely a few hours before its release, Fire Emblem Engage has already won the hearts of the video game press. The game peaks at an excellent 83/100 overall rating on Metacritic (average from a total of 66 critics as of January 19, 2023), making a release just below its predecessor Fire Emblem Three Houses (89/100). The game is generally acclaimed for its risk-taking and the depth brought to the fights by the Emblems system, although the ergonomics of its menus are once again slightly criticized. The fluidity of the fights and the fan service provided by the appearance of former heroes of the franchise also make it an excellent release, according to several reputable newspapers.
On the French side, we can cite JVC, which gives it a very good 17/20. The newspaper praises the game for its relevant style adapted to the Nintendo Switch, while praising the fluidity and accessibility of the fights: “With Fire Emblem Engage, the Nintendo Switch offers itself a first quality exclusivity at the start of 2023. Like Three Houses, the fights are always fluid and accessible, and even benefit from spectacular animations which reinforce the pleasure of play. It’s more by its not always practical menus and its classic and more commanding story than Three Houses that the experience is a bit shaky.“
Across the Channel and across the Atlantic, the opinions are also very positive. IGN gives it 9/10: “Fire Emblem Engage proves itself to live up to its legacy, a legacy it honors so well.” while the renowned Destructoid also gives it 9/10: “When Fire Emblem Engage was announced, I was worried about its visual style, but I quickly grew to like it as soon as I saw it in action. The strategic passages are fluid, the customization elements are deep and I am definitely sensitive to the finesse of the fan-service offered to us with the appearance of former heroes of the franchise.“
If Fire Emblem is the seventeenth chapter in the history of its franchise, it still intends to shake up conventions by bringing new elements to its gameplay. Of course, the game retains its traditional turn-based formula with movement, with two visual layers during combat, the tactical map seen from above and combat animations more realistic than ever. Fire Emblem Engage also adds the principle of Emblem Rings allowing you to summon and bind some of the franchise’s most famous heroes to your characters. To do this, you will need to collect the twelve Rings during your journey. These rings give you more options in battle and especially allow you to find Marth, Ike, Celica, Roy and many other fan favorite characters.
Fire Emblem Engage will be available on January 20, and you can still pre-order the game to enjoy various benefits. Nintendo has already put this new release on sale by offering players who wish to pre-order to collect a poster or a pin in addition to their game. The A2 poster is available free of charge in addition to your pre-order on the Fnac website.