Fire Emblem: Three Houses is a tactical role-playing game that places you in the role of the newest professor at The Officers Academy, a school dedicated to training the children of nobility in the arts of war.
Nintendo’s latest entry in the Fire Emblem series is determined to reinvent itself, and for the most part that’s a good thing. The entry adds a ‘slice of life’ aspect that is welcome: you can now take your students to dinner, attend choir practise, or play fishing minigames to your heart’s content leading them to become better warriors.
"The battles are fun and fresh, accessible to both newcomers to the series and longtime fans."
Yet the role-playing elements have come with a downside: the sidequests available are endlessly repetitive, sending you on tedious fetch quests that are rarely more meaningful than empty dialogue. While these quests aren’t necessary for the main plot, completionists won’t want to miss their rewards.
The battles are fun and fresh, accessible to both newcomers to the series and longtime fans. Although it’s easy to see why some fans have made comments about reduced difficulty, the addition of ‘maddening’ mode means that there’s still plenty of challenge to be found.
Three Houses is a fun new direction for the series and a great starting point for anyone new to Fire Emblem.