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New Fire Emblem Engage Previews are Out

Punished Miku

Gold Member
I can't see hardly anything at work. Someone explain how it's a more traditional FE game please lol (Siliconera article).

I pre-ordered it. I'm hoping for the best. But I do dislike Three Houses a lot and have been hoping for a return to form for the series. I'm expecting very little of that here, but the game sure is pretty visually.
 

MagiusNecros

Gilgamesh Fan Annoyance
But I do dislike Three Houses a lot and have been hoping for a return to form for the series. I'm expecting very little of that here, but the game sure is pretty visually.
It's a easy skip for me. I have my eye on Redemption Reapers. That looks like a Fire Emblem game to me and has Path of Radiance devs involved. Fire Emblem was revived by Awakening but it suffered a terrible price in becoming a waifu farming simulator. It's been success coasting off of it for a while now.

The last good FE game was Shadows of Valentia IMO. Engage just looks like Fire Emblem Heroes 2 to me from a distance and I won't go anywhere near it. Heroes was where Fire Emblem was sent to die.

I'd kill for a good medieval magic and sword story again but I'm just not seeing it after Fates and 3 Houses.

Besides SoV, Radiant Dawn was the last game I was invested in.

I think it's just a case of targeting a newer younger audience though. The love simulator is popular with the new demographic and that's ok.
 
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Punished Miku

Gold Member
It's a easy skip for me. I have my eye on Redemption Reapers. That looks like a Fire Emblem game to me and has Path of Radiance devs involved. Fire Emblem was revived by Awakening but it suffered a terrible price in becoming a waifu farming simulator. It's been success coasting off of it for a while now.

The last good FE game was Shadows of Valentia IMO. Engage just looks like Fire Emblem Heroes 2 to me from a distance and I won't go anywhere near it. Heroes was where Fire Emblem was sent to die.

I'd kill for a good medieval magic and sword story again but I'm just not seeing it after Fates and 3 Houses.

Besides SoV, Radiant Dawn was the last game I was invested in.
I pretty much agree, but I'm going to give it one last shot out of pure stubbornness. The only FE game I didn't finish was 3 Houses. Just ended up really disliking it. January is looking pretty open for me, so I'm going to give it a shot. I'm not buying any of the DLC crap though. You're right, it 100% looks like it's marketed towards the Heroes crowd. You're right about Fates as well honestly.

Never heard of Redemption Reavers, but it looks neat for sure. Will have to keep an eye on that one.

I don't know why they don't keep going with the Echoes line of games. Make the modern ones, but alternate at least.
 
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Chukhopops

Member
Looks good but definitely feeling more casual between the unlimited rewinds and the spirit system.

Seems like another 3H situation where you have to play in Maddening if you want good challenge.
 

Kataploom

Gold Member
I pretty much agree, but I'm going to give it one last shot out of pure stubbornness. The only FE game I didn't finish was 3 Houses. Just ended up really disliking it. January is looking pretty open for me, so I'm going to give it a shot. I'm not buying any of the DLC crap though. You're right, it 100% looks like it's marketed towards the Heroes crowd. You're right about Fates as well honestly.

Never heard of Redemption Reavers, but it looks neat for sure. Will have to keep an eye on that one.

I don't know why they don't keep going with the Echoes line of games. Make the modern ones, but alternate at least.
Maybe because they're not that big to have two teams on separate games and don't want to risk loosing the mainline mindshare they've gotten already... I don't care about the new art style and I like it but definitely the scheduling thing in 3H must go to never come back
 

Madflavor

Member
Unless the reviews and word of mouth is great, I have no interest. I loved Three Houses and Awakening, but this one looks like the needle on the Weeb Meter went too far. The guy responsible for designing the main character should be demoted. Wtf is going on with that hair? Was there nobody that spoke up and said "Hey uh...maybe we should try again?"

The tonal shift from Three Houses to this is. . .jarring to say the least.
I haven't looked into it, but I wonder if they rotate the development team between releases.
 

DonkeyPunchJr

World’s Biggest Weeb
They need to just go all out and let you throw whip cream pies at your squad.
I asked OpenAI about it. It sounds… exactly like something this depraved fanbase would go crazy for:


As soon as the idea was suggested, the Fire Emblem development team knew they had a hit on their hands. The minigame, dubbed "Cream Pie Chaos," would allow players to throw cream pies in the faces of their party members in order to build affinity.

At first, the team was skeptical. Throwing pies in someone's face seemed like a bit of a stretch, even for a fantasy RPG. But as they played around with the idea, they realized that it was actually a lot of fun.

The minigame was simple: players would select a party member, and then aim and throw a cream pie at their face. Each successful hit would earn points, and the more points a player earned, the more affinity their party member would have for them.

But the team didn't stop there. They added in various power-ups and special moves, such as the "Double Cream" which allowed players to throw two pies at once, and the "Gooey Glop" which made it harder for party members to dodge the pies.

As the development of the minigame progressed, the team couldn't help but get a little carried away. They added in all sorts of silly features, like the ability to dress up your party members in ridiculous costumes, and the option to use different flavors of cream pie.

When "Cream Pie Chaos" was finally released, it quickly became a fan favorite. Players loved the silly, light-hearted nature of the minigame, and it became a staple of the Fire Emblem series.

And as for the development team? They couldn't be happier with the outcome. They had taken a risky idea and turned it into something truly memorable, and they knew that "Cream Pie Chaos" would be a game that fans would love for years to come.
 

Rykan

Member
I'm actually very excited about this. It seems that they are reducing the emphasis on the social aspects of three houses, Which were, frankly, absurd and ridiculous. It's insane how much more time was spend doing boring tasks instead of actually participating in strategic combat. It appears the weapon triangle is making a return and they are doing away with weapon degradation, both huge plusses.

It will always remain a mystery how the design of the main character made it all the way through the design phase, however.
 
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MagiusNecros

Gilgamesh Fan Annoyance
I don't know why they don't keep going with the Echoes line of games. Make the modern ones, but alternate at least.
Probably won't sell as much. And I don't think they can pull off FE4 with it's amount of dark themes. FE4 done right could be quite a meaty experience but I just don't think they are up to it.

They are better off making a Tokyo Mirage Sessions 2.

Engage could have a fun gameplay system but I'm not biting this time.
 

Punished Miku

Gold Member
Probably won't sell as much. And I don't think they can pull off FE4 with it's amount of dark themes. FE4 done right could be quite a meaty experience but I just don't think they are up to it.

They are better off making a Tokyo Mirage Sessions 2.

Engage could have a fun gameplay system but I'm not biting this time.
Well I plan on playing it on release and I'll post impressions. If nothing else, I do like how colorful it is and the animations seem smooth and visually pleasing.
 

Nautilus

Banned
Three Houses is the best FE game. Honestly, FE was mediocre at best until Awakening. It was Awakening that ditched what wasn't working and made what FE should have been all along.

So hearing that Engage is a more "old school" FE is disheartening. But I'm assuming that is old school in name alone, because I'm seeing a lot of what makes a good FE, that Awakening and Three Houses introduced, in the trailers.

We'll see.
 

Fbh

Member
Gameplay sounds good, I just wish 80% of the characters weren't weeb bait anime waifus.
YNdA9eV.jpg


I can't see hardly anything at work. Someone explain how it's a more traditional FE game please lol (Siliconera article).

I pre-ordered it. I'm hoping for the best. But I do dislike Three Houses a lot and have been hoping for a return to form for the series. I'm expecting very little of that here, but the game sure is pretty visually.

From the one preview I saw I think the "more traditional" comments just relate to the setup of the plot as well as them toning down the social/boding aspect of it. There's still a hub area you can walk around where you can interact with other characters, do minigames and bonding crap but it seems to take on a more secondary role when compared to Three Houses where it was basically half the game.
But in terms of tone this seems like the most weeb focused one yet.

It's a easy skip for me. I have my eye on Redemption Reapers. That looks like a Fire Emblem game to me and has Path of Radiance devs involved. Fire Emblem was revived by Awakening but it suffered a terrible price in becoming a waifu farming simulator. It's been success coasting off of it for a while now.

Didn't know about Redemption Reapers. Looks pretty good indeed, will add it to my steam wishlist
 
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I only really cared for the tactical combat in Three Houses and felt that the time spent at school in between was boring but necessary.

Is this going to be more of the same? If so, I’ll pass and wait for something that’s just got the combat with a little bit of story whilst that’s happening.
 

Shifty1897

Member
Fire Emblem is my favorite game franchise, soooo of course I'm gonna get this one, even if I hate the look of the main character and prefer the more grounded story of 3 Houses (I can't believe I just typed that 3 Houses has a more grounded story).

Graphics and gameplay look awesome.
 
I haven't looked into it, but I wonder if they rotate the development team between releases.
Three Houses was mostly developed by Koei Tecmo, the studio known for the Warriors games. The art and character designs were done by a woman who draws for a primarily female audience. I think that was definitely noticeable.

This new game seems to completely embrace the waifu-baiting. I've not looked into this game too much, but I'm definitely interested. The main characters' color scheme looks repulsive, but it might grow on me. I'll wait for more info before I decide.
 

Fbh

Member
The character design alone is reason enough for me to pass on this one. In a better timeline Fire Emblem went the FF Tactics route of grounded medieval setting instead of whatever this is.

04yw3eikyzn91.jpg

The main characters looks bad but honestly it's the whole game.
Every time in these previews when they open a party menu it's something like this:
2a6wmYv.png


80% weeb waifus
Look at this silly overdesigned stuff:
fire-emblem-fire-emblem-engage.gif



it's like they took the worst character of Awakening, Nowi, and went "ok that's what your entire party will be like now"
 

TintoConCasera

I bought a sex doll, but I keep it inflated 100% of the time and use it like a regular wife
The main characters looks bad but honestly it's the whole game.
Every time in these previews when they open a party menu it's something like this:
2a6wmYv.png


80% weeb waifus
Look at this silly overdesigned stuff:
fire-emblem-fire-emblem-engage.gif



it's like they took the worst character of Awakening, Nowi, and went "ok that's what your entire party will be like now"
I guess I can understand. Competition is tight when it comes to SRPGs since Triangle Strategy and Tactics Ogre came out recently, so I guess they have decided on going after a different demographic.

Doesn't change the fact that it looks like crap tho. They could have gone down the waifu line but still have well designed characters.
 

Fbh

Member
I guess I can understand. Competition is tight when it comes to SRPGs since Triangle Strategy and Tactics Ogre came out recently, so I guess they have decided on going after a different demographic.

Doesn't change the fact that it looks like crap tho. They could have gone down the waifu line but still have well designed characters.

Still seems weird to me.
Awakening was such a big hit that revitalized the franchise, and aside of a few characters (like Nowi) I think it did a decent job at striking a good balance between staying true to the franchise while "weebing" it up enough to bring in a new audience .
si_3ds_fireemblemawakening_image1600w.jpg


Even three houses which was also very successful had a different but still mostly grounded design.
I don't get why they felt they needed to go this hard on the weeb side.
 
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Gambit2483

Member
Still seems weird to me.
Awakening was such a big hit that revitalized the franchise, and aside of a few characters (like Nowi) I think it did a decent job at striking a good balance between staying true to the franchise while "weebing" it up enough to bring in a new audience .
si_3ds_fireemblemawakening_image1600w.jpg


Even three houses which was also very successful had a different but still mostly grounded design.
I don't get why they felt they needed to go this hard on the weeb side.

Its like they went from

aaNI3ix.jpg


To

ivCpQAw.jpg
 

EDMIX

Member
The main characters looks bad but honestly it's the whole game.
Every time in these previews when they open a party menu it's something like this:
2a6wmYv.png


80% weeb waifus
Look at this silly overdesigned stuff:
fire-emblem-fire-emblem-engage.gif



it's like they took the worst character of Awakening, Nowi, and went "ok that's what your entire party will be like now"

yea a lot of that stuff looks so bland and generic.

Be like "I changed the hair to pink, its a NEW character now" lol

and agreed with the whole weeb thing. Awakening on 3DS is the last title I've played in the series and don't have much of a desire to go back. I used to play this IP a lot back in the day and I've just moved on.
 
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Celcius

°Temp. member
I thought FETH was very average/ok. I was glad to get it on sale and it was an interesting experience. I’m glad that this one is getting rid of the school stuff but I don’t know what they were thinking with the main characters hair. If reviews are good I could be persuaded to give it a try but at the moment I’m leaning towards skip.
 
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Danjin44

The nicest person on this forum
I personally very much looking forward to this game and unlike most people here I’m not really bothered by the artstyle.
 

Madflavor

Member
The main characters looks bad but honestly it's the whole game.
Every time in these previews when they open a party menu it's something like this:
2a6wmYv.png


80% weeb waifus
Look at this silly overdesigned stuff:
fire-emblem-fire-emblem-engage.gif



it's like they took the worst character of Awakening, Nowi, and went "ok that's what your entire party will be like now"

This is repulsive.
 

Kataploom

Gold Member
From the one preview I saw I think the "more traditional" comments just relate to the setup of the plot as well as them toning down the social/boding aspect of it. There's still a hub area you can walk around where you can interact with other characters, do minigames and bonding crap but it seems to take on a more secondary role when compared to Three Houses where it was basically half the game.
But in terms of tone this seems like the most weeb focused one yet.
This seems pretty good in my book, I hate being interrupted by stuff other than the reasons I like FE in first place, I enjoy those stuff a lot when they're not putting a barrier between the main game and me, specially when the game asks me to choose between doing battles or more school shit... and the later is the one that makes my characters actually get better on their masteries...
 

Astral Dog

Member
I mean, I have my gripes with this trying to be more old school, but its tiring seeing the same old criticism of "This looks too anime".

Thank fucking god we have different cultures that leads to different tastes that leads to different artstyles.
This, except i don't agree that Engage being more "traditional" (whatever that means) be used as a poor excuse for criticism from some fans and press , it has some familiar elements like an Evil Dragon and classic characters, so what? 🤷🏻‍♂️imo It still looks better than Three Houses in practically every way , long running franchises always take things that worked from the past to refresh them up, it happens with the best gaming series like Zelda, Mario, Resident Evil, etc. Fire Emblem Engage looks awesome and just because its trying other things than the last entry doesn't make it bad, i believe the ones complaining more were just expecting Three Houses part 2, and are dissapointed because the new one looks too colorful/"Anime" for them
 
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