The next installment of Nintendo’s historic tactical Japanese roleplaying franchise, Fire Emblem: Engage, launched today January 20 exclusively for Nintendo Switch. The game, announced back in September of last year, is developed by Intelligent Systems and is the 22nd entry in the Fire Emblem series. It is also the first mainline Fire Emblem game since the critically and publicly acclaimed Fire Emblem: Three Houses which released back in 2019. The launch of Fire Emblem: Engage also marks the first major game release for Nintendo’s 2023, a year packed with long-anticipated upcoming titles such as Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom and Pikmin 4.
Fire Emblem: Engage has received favorable reviews so far, scoring an 82 on Metacritic based on 71 critic reviews. Reviewers praised the game’s return to the franchise’s focus on tactical combat but noted a lackluster story and the lack of the dating simulator elements of Fire Emblem: Three Houses. While gamers who loved the socialization elements of Three Houses may be disappointed, Engage‘s renewed focus on its gameplay and combat systems could make this installment a long-time fan’s favorite Fire Emblem yet.
Set on the continent of Elyos, Fire Emblem: Engage stars a Alear, a divine dragon who awakes after a thousand years of slumber and must collect Emblem Rings spread across the land to defeat the Fell Dragon. Elyos is the game’s avatar, and the player will be able to choose their name and gender. Engage also features numerous iconic characters from Fire Emblem’s past entries such as Marth, Lucina, Ike, Roy, Byleth, Corrin and Edelgard, who can be summoned through collecting or purchasing specific Emblem Rings as the player moves through the game.
Fire Emblem: Engage will also receive a comic serialization published in Saikyō Jump and Weekly Shōnen Jump starting in February.