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| Corey Hall |
Take up arms, build bonds, and uncover mysteries in this new strategy RPG.
04.26.19 - 10:27 PM
An abundance of new information about the story, characters, and some of the gameplay systems in Fire Emblem: Three Houses has been shared in the latest issue of Famitsu. This article may contain information which could be considered spoilers, so proceed with caution if you are hoping to enjoy this experience without any prior knowledge.
The story of Three Houses and the three ruling powers of Fodlan:
The story of Fire Emblem: Three Houses follows a selectable male or female protagonist who is soon to uncover their destiny. Every day following intense battles as part of their father's band of mercenaries, the protagonist has a dream about a mysterious girl, named Sothis, voiced in Japanese by Tomoyo Kusawa.
After experiencing this recurring dream several times, they encounter a group of young people being attacked by thieves. The hero enters the battle, placing themselves in front of the assailants when suddenly time grinds to a halt. The strange girl from their dreams appears before them, presenting her power to manipulate time to aid the hero. Sothis then gifts her ability to the hero before quickly disappearing.
The protagonist later learns that the group of young people from the skirmish were the future leaders of Fodlan's three major powers, as well as the leaders of Garreg Mach Monastery's three houses, Edelgard, Dimitri, and Claude. Given the protagonist's heroic acts, and recognizing their unmatched talent, they are extended an invitation to teach at the Officer's Academy at the monastery. The protagonist then journeys to the school along with their father, Jeralt, widely known as the strongest knight in history, who then enlists with the monastery's protectors, the Seiros Knights.
The houses of Gerreg Mach Monastery and their respective leaders:
Edelgard von Hresvelg, voiced by Ai Kakuma, is the leader of the Black Eagles and hails from the Adrestian Empire. The oldest of the three powers in Fodlan, the Adrestian Empire is home to many skilled magic-users.
The Blue Lions, representing The Holy Kingdom of Faerghus, are lead by Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd, voiced by Kaito Ishikawa, and are adept spear users.
Finally, the Golden Deer, lead by Claude von Riegan, voiced by Toshiyuki Toyonaga, are gifted bow users from the Leicester Alliance. By comparison, the Golden Deer have the highest number of commoners among their ranks.
Gameplay, teaching, relationships, and more:
Gameplay is divided into two parts: battles and teaching students. Where previous Fire Emblem games featured many units on a field but with battles which were progressed using one-on-one fights, Fire Emblem: Three Houses will feature brawls with a multitude of soldiers battling simultaneously. Terrain Effects will offer new advantages including healing areas in fortresses, and increased evasion in forest terrain.
A rewind mechanic much like the one found in Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia will also make an appearance, now called the Heaven-Time Pulse, and will allow players to rewind fights up to a few turns to achieve better results or to undo grievous injuries. This mechanic has a limited number of uses and will require a cooldown period to keep gameplay fair and balanced.
Teaching segments will allow players to work directly with the students from their respective house, forming deep bonds which will offer yet-unannounced boosts during battles.
During Officer's Academy segments, players will be able to move about the Monastery with full 3D visuals as they interact with students and develop their abilities. Students at the Officer's Academy will be able to train and increase their Proficiency Level. As they progress, characters at the academy will be able to us an Exam Pass corresponding to their class rank to take Qualification Exams which will allow them to change classes. The higher the skill level, the more likely they are to pass the exam, but keep in mind that each student will have their own set of strengths and weaknesses!
Many exams are also open to the protagonist, allowing players to change classes at any time after passing these tests. Unlike previous games, units which undergo a class change are no longer reset to level 1 and will retain their ability to use the same weapon type. You can see a list of Main Abilities and Main Learnable Skills which can be cultivated through the Officer's Academy below.
Main Abilities:
Swordsmanship – Proficiency for wielding a sword.
Spearmanship – Proficiency for wielding a spear.
Axemanship – Proficiency for wielding an axe.
Archery – Proficiency for wielding a bow.
Science – Proficiency for using black and dark magic.
Faith – Proficiency for using white magic.
Flying – Proficiency required for Flier classes.
Heavy Armor – Proficiency required for Armored classes.
Horsemanship – Proficiency required for Cavalry classes.
Main Learnable Skills:
Swordsmanship Lv. 1 – Hit Rate +5, Avoid +7, and Critical Avoid +5 when using a sword.
Swordbreaker – Hit Rate and Avoid +20 when using a spear and defeat an enemy wielding a sword.
Axemanship Lv. 1 – Hit Rate +7, Avoid +5, and Critical Avoid +5 when using an axe.
Close Counter – Counterattack when attacked from a square away.
Science Lv. 1 – Hit Rate +7, Avoid +5, and Critical Avoid + 5 when using black or dark magic.
Faith Lv. 1 – Hit +5, Evade +7, and Hissatsu Evade +5 when using white magic.
At the start, the protagonist and students will be assigned either the Commoner or a Noble class, depending on their birthplace. By raising their Proficiency Level and undertaking the corresponding Qualification Exam, each unit can change to a wide range of advanced classes, like the Myrmidon, Soldier, Fighter, or Monk classes.
Longtime fans can choose to challenge themselves with the signature perma-death mechanic, while others can opt to enjoy the story in casual mode, which has been a staple since its introduction in Fire Emblem: Awakening on the Nintendo 3DS.
With many returning and new mechanics, a colorful cast of interesting characters, and the turn-based battles expected with the series, Fire Emblem: Three Houses is shaping up to be a must-play title when it arrives for Nintendo Switch on July 26th.
