It's been a couple of years since the release of Fire Emblem Engage, and it feels like the Fire Emblem fandom has lapsed into waiting for the next installment again. Released in January 2023, Fire Emblem Engage was a somewhat controversial entry, though not a bad one. Whereas the prior Fire Emblem: Three Houses focused on developing a dark take on the Fire Emblem world with several story paths, Engage opted for a straightforward story backed up by more mechanics-heavy gameplay and references to past games. Both have their fans, and both have been well served with DLC and publicity.
Only, Fire Emblem: Three Houses still feels like the dominant Nintendo Switch Fire Emblem game. Having Byleth in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate certainly helps, but Three Houses also got its own spin-off, Fire Emblem Warriors: Three Hopes, in mid-2022. Some of that game’s fans do take umbrage with Engage for coming so soon afterward and potentially denying it some much-needed DLC, but Koei Tecmo and Nintendo can reach a different solution that pleases everyone. Fire Emblem Engage is well-suited for its own Fire Emblem Warriors spin-off, and releasing it soon would yield the best results.
Why Now Is The Time For Another Fire Emblem Warriors
Nintendo and Koei Tecmo Both Have Something To Offer A New Warriors Title
Some context is necessary for why an Engage-flavored Warriors game would be at its peak if it was released within the next couple of years. Fire Emblem Warriors: Three Hopes came out three years after Three Houses, and it's only been two years since Engage launched, so a similar schedule should work here. It could be delayed by another year or two due to Koei Tecmo's studios devoting significant resources to the recently-released Dynasty Warriors Origins, but launching as close to that as possible could still benefit a licensed Warriors title due to Origins’ reputation as the parent Musou series’ return.
Regardless of when a new hypothetical Fire Emblem Warriors is released, it should arrive after the Nintendo Switch 2 has launched. Hopefully, it comes soon enough to receive a sales boost from the Switch 2’s launch period, but that's not the only benefit. Even if this new FE Warriors title has a native Switch 1 version, which it ideally would be with Engage, it would benefit from the Switch 2's improved hardware. All the Warriors games on Nintendo Switch have suffered technical problems due to the nature of a Warriors game’s 1-versus-1000 combat, and having one quickly prove that's no longer an issue should turn some heads.
No One Fire Emblem Can Support A Warriors Title Like Engage Can
Timeliness is a major factor why Fire Emblem Engage should see a Warriors spin-off, but there are other reasons that give the idea inherent appeal. For one, Engage’s Fell Xenologue DLC provides the perfect setup for a side story, as it involves the protagonist Alear being summoned to an alternate timeline. This specific detail isn't necessary, but including it could match the alternate history that Three Hopes presented, while also allowing this spin-off to be technically canon. More importantly, the Warriors title would give Engage another chance to tell a good story, which was criticized the first time around.
Fire Emblem Engage’s Emblems Are Ideal For A Warriors Title
Above everything else, however, Fire Emblem Engage is uniquely suited for a Warriors' adaptation due to its focus on nostalgia. Using Emblem Rings and Emblem Bracelets to summon spirits of past Fire Emblem heroes is a core mechanic, and if the Emblems are reinterpreted as playable characters that can be swapped in mid-battle, then this title’s roster could draw on any Fire Emblem character just like the original Fire Emblem Warriors. A Warriors game is best with a huge playable cast, which Fire Emblem Engage should be able to supply better than most.
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 81 /100 Critics Rec: 83%
- Released
- January 20, 2023
- ESRB
- T for Teen due to Fantasy Violence, Mild Language, Mild Suggestive Themes
- Developer(s)
- Intelligent Systems
- Publisher(s)
- Nintendo
- Engine
- Unity
- Franchise
- Fire Emblem
WHERE TO PLAY
- Genre(s)
- Tactical, JRPG
