Fire Emblem Engage review: A little less talk, a little more action

So there is this evil dragon, right? And an amnesiac hero. And a bunch of rings to collect so you can save the world.

ngage doesn’t skimp on the clichés in this latest entry in the turn-based tactical Fire Emblem series but the story carries less weight than usual while maintaining a high level of engaging gameplay.

Released just seven months after the final installment of the classic Fire Emblem – a hack-and-slash action title – Engage returns to the more conventional setting of the series, in which a group of warriors take turns battling each other. an evil villain and his minions. Unfortunately, however, the narrative framework leaves a bit to be desired, bogged down in anime mediocrity and unconvincing voice performances. Even the costumes – some looking as if they were borrowed from the Rio or Mardi Gras carnivals – proved more distracting than appealing.

The hero needs to assemble a team of characters – seemingly drawn from the greatest hits in Fire Emblem’s history – and chase the rings of power, each containing a spirit ally. strong. These spooky new friends (or Symbols as they are named) can be paired with one of your characters and summoned on the battlefield for superpowers, though the limit is three turns.

Between battles, Engages engages a little less in the socialization and engagement that are hallmarks of the series but compromises with a series of mini-games that level up the character. However, like me, you may find it difficult to care as much about this group of warriors as you used to.

Redemption comes in the intricate push and pull mechanics of tactical skirmishes. Engagement yields a rock-paper-scissors triangle in attacks, meaning you need to carefully choose whether to deploy a character with a sword, ax, or lance depending on the enemy’s weapon. Not choosing wisely will leave your fighter vulnerable and unable to counter attack.

More nuances – especially the pleasant depth and animation of the spirit ally’s special moves – mean that battles are rarely straightforward and neither are waves of attrition. boring.

You may want to skip some of the more tedious chatter between groups to get into the new battlefield confrontations sooner. By my calculations, you won’t be missing much and will love this Fire Emblem even more.