Fire Emblem: Three Houses is a tactical role-playing game developed by Intelligent Systems and Koei Tecmo, and published by Nintendo. It is the sixteenth installment for the Fire Emblem franchise. It was released for the Nintendo Switch on July 26, 2019.
Development
On January 18, 2017, the then-unnamed sixteenth Fire Emblem game was announced briefly in a special Fire Emblem Nintendo Direct without any footage, and with an estimated release in 2018. On June 12, 2018, the first gameplay trailer debuted during the E3 2018 Nintendo Direct video presentation, and the game's title, Fire Emblem: Three Houses was revealed. The estimated release date was also updated to Spring 2019.
The E3 trailer revealed that the game will feature some manner of free-roaming exploration outside of combat, expanding on the My Castle portions of Fire Emblem Fates and the dungeons of Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia. Cutscenes in the game are depicted in outlined CG animation, also much like Shadows of Valentia, giving off an illusion of hand-drawn 2D animation. The tactical gameplay, however, is depicted entirely with polygonal models, as in previous titles like Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance and Radiant Dawn.
During a Nintendo Direct on February 13, 2019. new information on Three Houses was released. The trailer stated that the central character Byleth will act as a teacher to one of the three houses of the Officers Academy. The plot will in part focus on Byleth's connection to a mysterious figure known as Sothis. The game introduces many new gameplay mechanics and features, as listed below. During the Nintendo Direct, it was also announced that the date for Three Houses was pushed to July 26, 2019. On July 17, 2019, Patrick Seitz announced he served as voice director of the English dub cast. Joe Zeija stated that principal voice recording for the English dub began as far back as Fall 2018 and was finished around January 2019.
Fire Emblem: Three Houses was developed with assistance from Koei Tecmo. The company had previously partnered with Intelligent Systems on Fire Emblem Warriors. Intelligent Systems staff focused on characters and story, while Koei Tecmo's Kou Shibusawa studio, the team behind the company's historical strategy games, performed the bulk of the development effort, with hands in programming, game design, and writing. The character designer for Three Houses is illustrator Chinatsu Kurahana. Sanzigen was in charge of animating the 3D cutscenes.
According to game director Toshiyuki Kusakihara, the premise was partially inspired by the friendship of Sigurd, Quan, and Eldigan from Fire Emblem: Genealogy of the Holy War. Their story of attending the Belhalla Royal Academy in their youth, only to have their friendship tested by war in adulthood was influential to Three Houses.
Gameplay
Three Houses introduced many new gameplay mechanics and made changes to many established series elements. The game itself is not focused solely on a succession of battles interspersed with menus or a world map, but also introduces a school setting which divides the gameplay into two distinct phases.
School Phase
The player will spend time with a portion of the playable cast as a professor, instructing them in the art of war and improving their combat capabilities. This allows the player to shape the playable cast in a manner of their own choosing through Tutoring, leading them down different weapon/unit type proficiencies and ultimately, different class paths when they take Certification Exams.
Players can freely roam Garreg Mach Monastery to interact with the cast of characters, as well as perform tasks and do various side activities to improve stats, form supports, and improve performance in combat. Though a player starts with the eight students from the house they choose to teach, they are able to recruit most students from other houses as well if they reach certain weapon rank, unit type, and/or stat levels. Other non-student characters may also be recruited by the player based on story progress and the player-character Byleth's level.
Combat Phase
Classic map battles featured in all past Fire Emblem games make a return but with many new revamped combat features, mainly involving the usage of Battalions as an additional battle tactic to boost allies or weaken enemies. Unlike previous games, each class is generally free to use any weapon they see fit. For example, Archers are allowed to use Swords and Axes. Weapon proficiency not only provides bonuses to characters when using weapons they have more experience with but also improves the odds of passing Certification Exams for classes proficient in a given weapon type.
The Magic system in Three Houses shares some functional similarities with Fire Emblem: Gaiden and its remake Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia. As characters level up their Reason and Faith skills, they learn magic spells, which they are free to use so long as they are a class capable of doing so. Each individual spell has a set number of usages per battle, and does not require equipping a Tome or expending HP to cast, as in past games. All playable characters are capable of learning magic, but the lists of spells they are capable of learning varies between them.
Setting
- See also: Fódlan
The game takes place on the continent of Fódlan. The landmass is divided into three rival nations who are now at peace: the Adrestian Empire to the southwest, the Holy Kingdom of Faerghus to the north, and the Leicester Alliance to the east. At the center of the continent is the Garreg Mach Monastery, a neutral territory home to both the Church of Seiros and the Officers Academy. The game's "Three Houses" refer to the three boarding houses of the academy, the Black Eagles, the Blue Lions, and the Golden Deer, each populated with students from the three main nations.
In ancient times, a war raged between the Church's titular founder Seiros and the "Liberation King" Nemesis, an era which also saw the establishment of the Empire. In the thousand years since then, the Kingdom split away from the Empire, then the Alliance declared its independence from both powers. A prolonged conflict ensued, with the Church being responsible for maintaining peace. Key to the nations of Fódlan are Crests, magical sigils passed down through families that play key roles in the continent's history and politics.
The game is set during two time periods. The first begins in Imperial Year 1180, during the characters' time as students at the Officers Academy. The story then jumps five years later to the time of a promised reunion between students, only for the three nations to now be seemingly at war with each other.
Plot
- See also: Fódlan timeline
Part I: White Clouds
The game begins with the protagonist, Byleth, dreaming of a great war between the divine Seiros and Nemesis, with the former emerging victorious. Byleth then sees a girl on a throne, who immediately asks who they are, but Byleth is then woken up by their father and leader of a mercenary company, Jeralt. The two begin preparing to head north but are greeted by three students of the Officers Academy; Edelgard, Dimitri, and Claude, who need their help dealing with bandits. Jeralt and Byelth agree and aid the students, but when Byleth takes a fatal wound protecting Edelgard, time stops and Byleth sees the same girl from their dreams. She introduces herself as Sothis and teaches Byleth how to rewind time and rethink an action. Now knowing what will happen, Byleth rewinds time and instead parries the bandit, saving Edelgard and themselves. Not knowing what happened, Jeralt and the students are impressed by Byleth's skills and as the bandits flee the Knights of Seiros come to save the students.
The knights immediately recognize that Jeralt is the famous Blade Breaker and former captain of the Knight of Seiros and insists that he and Byleth return to Garreg Mach Monastery with them and the students. Though relucent, Jeralt agrees and the two return to the monastery, where the head of Garreg Mach and archbishop of the Church of Seiros, Lady Rhea, asks Jeralt to rejoin the Knights of Seiros. Much to everyone's surprise, she also offers Byleth to teach the students of the Officer's Academy as a professor. They both agree to the offers, but Jeralt privately warns Byleth not to trust Rhea. Byleth is then given the choice of leading one of the academy's three houses: the Black Eagles, the Blue Lions, and the Golden Deer, each populated by students from the Empire, Kingdom, and Alliance respectively. Byleth assumes their duties as the teacher for their chosen house, training their students and leading them in mock and real battles on behalf of the Knights of Seiros. Soon, it is discovered there is a conspiracy against the Church when Byleth thwarts an attempt to steal the Church's most valuable Heroes' Relic, the Sword of the Creator. Mysteriously, the Sword awakens when Byleth holds it, and Rhea allows them to keep it.
Byleth and their class are then sent to recover a stolen Heroes' Relic from a bandit clan, but the Relic turns their leader, named Miklan, into a monster, leading Byleth and their students to wonder about the true nature of Relics and Crests.
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Later, a chapel at the monastery is attacked by demonic beasts, and Jeralt is murdered by a student in the confusion; the student is an agent of "Those Who Slither in the Dark", a cult that opposes the Church. Reading Jeralt's diary, Byleth discovers that Jeralt fled from the Church due to Rhea's plans for Byleth when Byleth was born. Byleth pursues the cultists responsible for Jeralt's death, but is led into a trap and sent to a plane of darkness by their leader, Solon. Sothis then explains that she now remembers she is the Progenitor God, implanted into Byleth in hopes she would be reborn. Sothis merges herself fully into Byleth, granting Byleth the power to escape the plane of darkness, though she sacrifices her individuality in the process. Byleth returns and defeats Solon with a newly empowered Sword of the Creator.
Upon returning to the monastery, Rhea leads Byleth to the Holy Tomb, where she attempts to awaken Sothis. Edelgard, revealed to have been the mysterious Flame Emperor the whole time, then attacks the Holy Tomb with her army, accusing the Church of being corrupt and secretly ruling Fódlan from the shadows, and it is revealed Rhea is a dragon in disguise; some routes further reveal her to be Seiros, with her attempts at resurrecting Sothis indirectly birthing Byleth. Depending on Byleth's choices and the house they lead, they may either side with any of the three houses or the Church. If Byleth sides with Edelgard, they help her lead an assault on Garreg Mach. If they side with Rhea, Dimitri, or Claude, then they help in the defense of the monastery. Regardless of the side, Byleth is on, they are knocked unconscious at the end of the battle and wake up five years later, discovering that Fódlan has been plunged into a vicious war as the Empire, Kingdom, Alliance, and Church battle each other. The routes then diverge.
Part II
Silver Snow
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Byleth reunites with their students and learns that Rhea has gone missing and the Church has lost much of its strength. Byleth agrees to help stop the war and save Fódlan. First, they retake Garreg Mach and use it as a base to launch attacks against the Empire. The Church receives assistance from Claude and learns that Rhea has been captured by the Empire. Dimitri takes the opportunity to attack the Empire as well. As the Church builds up its forces, the Empire, Kingdom, and Alliance engage in a three way battle, with all sides suffering heavy casualties. Dimitri is apparently killed and Claude goes missing. Byleth and their students attempt to capitalize on the moment to seize a strategic fort, but it is destroyed by a rain of missiles, forcing them to withdraw. Byleth changes tactics, and instead infiltrates troops into the Empire capital. Byleth defeats and executes Edelgard, and rescues Rhea. They then learn of the threat from "those who slither in the dark".
Byleth and their forces head to the main base of "those that slither in the dark", where they learn that they are the remnants of the nation of Agartha, a technologically advanced civilization that was wiped out by Seiros' kindred in ancient times. Defeated, the Agarthan leader Thales calls down numerous javelins of light to destroy his own base. Rhea turns into her dragon form to protect Byleth and the others but is gravely wounded. After conquering Shambhala, Rhea reveals that Byleth's mother was her twelfth failed attempt to create a vessel capable of housing Sothis' consciousness; she conceived Byleth with Jeralt, but was forced to order Rhea to transfer the Crest Stone in her heart into Byleth to save them after they were stillborn. Rhea is suddenly driven mad by the power she used saving Byleth at Shambhala, and Byleth is forced to defeat her in a final battle. In the aftermath, the Empire, Kingdom, and Alliance are dissolved and Fódlan is unified under the Church with Byleth as its new ruler.
Crimson Flower
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Byleth reunites with their students and Edelgard, and finds out that the Kingdom has allied with the Church while the Alliance remains nominally neutral. Edelgard plans to eliminate the Alliance before moving on to the Kingdom. Byleth is able to quickly seize the Alliance capital and eliminate Claude from the war, either through killing or exiling him. They then advance into the Kingdom, taking a vital fortress. However, Edelgard's uncle Arundel, an ally of "those who slither in the dark", arranges for the fortress to be destroyed as revenge for Edelgard interrupting his own plans. Edelgard keeps Arundel's treachery a secret and tells the others that the fortress was destroyed by Church weaponry. Undeterred, Edelgard continues to lead her armies to the Kingdom's capital. Dimitri meets Edelgard in battle, but is defeated and killed. The Kingdom army is routed and Rhea withdraws to the Kingdom capital with her Knights. In her increasing madness, Rhea sets fire to the city, forcing Edelgard to attack to put a stop to her. Working together, Byleth and Edelgard are able to kill Rhea. Byleth nearly dies, but Sothis's Crest Stone embedded in their heart dissolves, reviving them. In the aftermath, Edelgard unites all of Fódlan under the Empire and abolishes both the Church and the nobility. She then turns her attention to "those who slither in the dark".
Azure Moon
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Byleth reunites with Dimitri, who has been ousted from the Kingdom due to a coup from pro-Empire nobles. In the time since, Dimitri has become bitter, disillusioned, and dangerously unstable as he is haunted by visions of his deceased family and driven to get revenge on Edelgard at any cost. Byleth's students and the remnants of the Church ally with Dimitri and they decide to use Garreg Mach as their base to attack the Empire. Dimitri eventually forces a massive battle between his own army, the Empire, and the Alliance, resulting in heavy losses on all sides. One of Dimitri's trusted vassals sacrifices himself to protect him from an assassin, which in combination with Byleth's guidance causes Dimitri to abandon his desire for revenge.
Having his purpose renewed and guided back on the path of light, he focuses on saving Fódlan and liberates the Kingdom from imperial rule, assuming his rightful place as king. With his own lands secure, Dimitri rescues Claude from imperial forces. Claude dissolves the Alliance and cedes its lands to Dimitri before departing Fódlan. Dimitri then marches for the Empire capital itself. Wanting to make peace with Edelgard, Dimitri arranges a meeting with her and suggest they join forces to realize their goals. Edelgard refuses, however, forcing his invasion into Adrestia. Dimitri is able to defeat Edelgard and once again offers her mercy, but is forced to kill her when she attempts to attack him. In the aftermath, Fódlan is united under the Kingdom with Dimitri as its ruler, while Byleth becomes the new archbishop of the Church when Rhea voluntarily steps down.
Verdant Wind
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Byleth reunites with Claude, who has been waiting for their return. They then occupy Garreg Mach and rally their students and the remnants of the Church to stand against the Empire. Gathering additional allies and support, Byleth and Claude directly invade the Empire. However, as they confront Edelgard and her forces, a Kingdom army led by Dimitri also arrives, resulting in a massive battle. Edelgard is forced to retreat while Dimitri is killed attempting to pursue her. Byleth and Claude press on towards a strategic Empire fort, and receive aid from the foreign nation of Almyra. However, the fort is destroyed by a rain of javelins of light before they can seize it and the Almyrans decide to withdraw. Claude admits that he had secretly opened relations with Almyra, and announces his desire to open Fódlan's borders to the outside world and end the continent's isolationism. Byleth and Claude continue their advance, attacking the Empire capital. Edelgard is defeated and killed, but Byleth and Claude learn that "those who slither in the dark" have been manipulating both the current war as well as the war 1000 years ago. Rhea confirms the existence of the group, and Byleth and Claude set out to stop them. Claude's army defeats the cult in their secret underground city and their leader Thales attempts to destroy them with another series of javelins of light, but Rhea intercepts the javelins in her dragon form and is gravely wounded in the process. Meanwhile, Nemesis is awakened from his tomb by the cult; he and his 10 Elites had merely been a band of thieves who took power from Sothis and her kin after they were slain by the cult in the ancient era. This power was the source of the nobility's crests. Nemesis is resurrected by the cult as a final attempt to destroy Fódlan, but Byleth and Claude destroy Nemesis and his undead army. In the aftermath, Fódlan is united under the rule of Byleth and Claude as they open its borders and start relations with foreign nations.
Returning Features
- For the fifth time in the main series, Three Houses features a playable Avatar character, Byleth.
- This is also the second time the player avatar is also the main character, following Corrin.
- Unlike the three previous titles that featured an Avatar, Byleth is completely uncustomizable aside from their name, gender, and in-game birthday.
- While absent in the past two titles, Weapon Durability returns in Three Houses. Weapons that run out of durability break but are still usable with reduced stats, as was the case in Fire Emblem: Genealogy of the Holy War.
- Weapon Arts, a battle mechanic introduced in Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia, return as Combat Arts. In Three Houses, Combat Arts consume weapon durability instead of HP and are limited by the remaining uses of a weapon.
- Additionally, not only can enemy units use Combat Arts, but Combat Arts can now get critical hits.
- Divine Pulse serves as the Three Houses version of Mila's Turnwheel.
- As featured in Heroes, the player can toggle on Auto-Battle through the battle menu and turn it off via the ZL button.
- Like Gaiden/Shadows of Valentia, the Weapon Triangle is not featured in this game, though certain skills do replicate the sword-axe-lance dynamic.
- Expanding on the free-roaming exploration mechanics of My Castle in Fates and the dungeons in Shadows of Valentia, the player can freely roam Garreg Mach Monastery, interact with NPCs, and take part in side-activities and events.
- However, the Monastery cannot be customized like My Castle.
- Dismounting, Canto, Fog of War, and Casual Mode make a return.
- Certain enemy units can be recruited during battle.
- Supports are featured and romance options are possible, however romance can only occur after the five year time-skip.
- Some supports require multiple conversations to progress between levels.
- Only Byleth can reach S-support with another character.
- Some supports require multiple conversations to progress between levels.
- Three Houses will have dual audio features, supporting both the Japanese and English voice cast. This is the second time this feature has been in a main series title, with Awakening being the first and only other.
- The game features complete voice over for all cutscenes and supports, the second to feature this after Shadows of Valentia,
- All cutscenes and supports are fully rendered and animated rather than standstill portraits and sprites.
- Paralogue chapters are featured, containing optional side stories that grant rewards. Most have no further bearing on the story, but some will change events of the story.
- All playable characters have an exclusive Personal Skill similar to the playable cast of Fates.
- Similar to Fates, the story branches into different paths based on the chosen house.
- There are four distinct story paths.
- Returning classes include: Mercenary, Thief, Knight, Cavalier, Brigand, Archer, Mage, Dark Mage, Priest, Myrmidon, Soldier, Fighter, Monk, Bishop, Wyvern Rider, Wyvern Lord, Pegasus Knight, Bow Knight, Falcon Knight, Dark Knight, Great Knight, Dancer, Warrior, Hero, Assassin, Sniper, Paladin, General (under the name of Fortress Knight) and Lord.
New Features
- There is an in-game calendar divided into twelve seasons that correspond to months that progresses day-by-day with the narrative. Certain events and activities take place on specific calendar days.
- Special events, such as student birthdays, are observed on the calendar and the player can choose to celebrate them.
- Byleth has a Professor Level that increases by earning experience from teaching and other monastery activities. Professor Level determines, among other things:
- The number of activity points they can spend performing actions at the monastery when Exploring.
- The number of auxiliary battles and Paralogues they can tackle in one day.
- The number of adjutants that can be assigned to units during battle.
- Characters can change into a variety of classes, no longer restricted to a set for each character, though certain classes are still gender-restricted.
- Characters must pass Certification Exams in order to reclass. The chances of passing a certification exam are dependent on how well a character meets the prerequisites, and the first time a character promotes or reclasses into a new class, a seal item is required.
- Once a character has passed an exam, they can change into that class at any time without the need of another item.
- Characters learn a variety of weapon types through Tutoring, increasing their skills with Weapons, Magic, Healing, and even special unit types like Riding, Heavy Armor, and Flying.
- A new weapon type called Gauntlets, which has a tie in tutorable weapon skill called Brawl. This weapon class can only be wielded by non-mounted and non-mage units.
- New classes include: Noble, Commoner, Brawler, Grappler, Holy Knight, Dark Bishop (being playable for the first time), War Master, Mortal Savant, Gremory, and Warlock.
- Renown earned can be spent to restore the four saint statues of Cethleann, Cichol, Indech, and Macuil at the monastery's Cathedral to unlock permanent upgrades including skill experience point bonuses to specific skills and additional Divine Pulse charges.
- Improved graphics, visually displaying characters moving within their tile squares when idle and when zoomed in, will display them with the battalion if they are deployed.
- These battalions can be called upon to perform a Gambit, which becomes more effective if done beside adjacent units. The number of times a Gambit can be performed depends on the Authority level of the unit they're assigned to. Battalions take damage alongside their assigned unit and the battalion will be lost if their Endurance reaches 0. Enemies can use Gambits as well.
- In addition to character level and weapon level, it is also possible to earn experience toward the character's assigned battalion.
- Various UI updates including Red "aggro lines" displaying the enemy's intended target on their upcoming turn.
- The Pair Up mechanic has been replaced by Adjutants. When Byleth reaches Professor Level C, undeployed units can be attached to deployed ones and earn experience. Although adjutants ignore the deployment limit, the number of adjutants that can be attached is limited by the Professor Level.
- Adjutants occupy the same movement tile of their assigned character.
- There are new side-activities to take part in, including a fishing minigame.
- Magic has a set number of usages per battle and does not use Weapon Durability as in most previous titles or a certain amount of HP as in Gaiden and its remake.
- The Skill stat has been renamed Dexterity and a new stat, Charm, has been added.
- Three Houses is compatible with amiibo and can be used at the amiibo Gazebo. Using any amiibo grants free items, while scanning a Fire Emblem character amiibo will unlock legacy Fire Emblem music for auxiliary battles.
- Various online features including:
- Special Event Tile-like highlighted squares that display the outcomes of battles from other players also using online features
- Players can assign a character as a traveler, who will appear on the monastery grounds of other players. Travelers can be assigned items to sell to players they visit, and any gold and experience they earn will be received upon their return.
- Online statistics regarding the popularity of activities taken on a given week (Exploration, Battle, Seminar, or Rest) are provided to give the player suggestions on how to proceed.
- Various character popularity rankings are calculated and occasionally displayed during loading screens.
- New Game+ is available upon completion of the story, granting various rewards for completing a route and allows the player to select another house.
Characters
- See main article: List of characters in Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Chapters
- See main article: Chapters (Fire Emblem: Three Houses)
Classes
- See main article: List of classes in Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Quests
- See main article: List of quests in Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Collector's Editions
North America “Seasons of Warfare Edition”
North America Limited Edition
- Copy of Fire Emblem: Three Houses
- Fire Emblem: Three Houses Sound Selection CD (33 songs)
- Fire Emblem: Three Houses Art Book
- Steelbook
- 2020 Calendar
Europe Limited Edition
Europe Limited Edition
- Copy of Fire Emblem: Three Houses
- Fire Emblem: Three Houses Sound Selection USB stick (33 songs)
- Fire Emblem: Three Houses pin badge set
- Fire Emblem: Three Houses Art Book
- Steelbook
Japan “Fódlan Collection”
Japan Limited Edition
- Copy of Fire Emblem: Three Houses
- Soundtrack CD (33 songs)
- Steelbook
- Fire Emblem: Three Houses Art Book
Downloadable Content
As with previous Fire Emblem titles since Awakening, Three Houses features paid DLC. The DLC is in the process of being released in four waves over the course of nine months and is bundled together in an Expansion Pass worth $24.99 USD.
Additional free downloadable content and game updates are also being released, as well.
The Wave Contents are as follows:
- Wave 1 - Released July 26, 2019
- Paid - Officers Academy uniforms for both genders of Byleth
- Wave 2 - Released September 10, 2019
- Paid - Sacred Stat Boosting Items, 5 additional Auxiliary Battles, House Loungewear for Byleth and all students, Glasses accessory for Byleth.
- Free - Male Byleth voice update, Maddening Mode, Renown completion bonuses increased
- Wave 3 - Released November 8, 2019
- Paid - Anna available as a playable character, new monastery facilities, ~10 new quests, an Anna/Jeritza paralogue, new activities including the sauna and the ability to play with dogs and cats, new online features, new costumes including Maid and Butler attire, and new Maid and Butler battalions.
- Free - Jeritza playable on the Crimson Flower story route, new support conversations with Jeritza, new activities and online features. The number of save file slots is increased from 5 to 25.
- The Sothis Regalia - Released December 18, 2019
- Paid - Sothis costume for both genders of Byleth.
- Wave 4 - (to release by 4/30/2020)
- Paid - A new Abyss Mode sidestory, new playable characters, new support conversations, monastery facilities, and online features, four new classes, new enemy monsters, Hero Relics, paralogues, quests, battalions, and gambits.
Promotional Crossovers
Fire Emblem Heroes
To celebrate the launch of Fire Emblem: Three Houses, the game features a cross-promotion with Fire Emblem Heroes. Heroes players will receive a free unit, 'Byleth: Tested Professor', if they register their copy of Fire Emblem: Three Houses in order to receive My Nintendo Gold Points. To be eligible, players must play Heroes on the same Nintendo Account used to earn the points.
The promotion will run through June 29, 2020.
Tetris 99
A crossover event with the Nintendo Switch title Tetris 99 ran between August 23-27, 2019. Participants who played the competitive online mode during this window earned points as they played. Players that earned 100 points permanently unlocked a theme for the game featuring Three Houses artwork, music, and sound effects.
Voice Cast
- See main article: List of Voice Actors in Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Reception
On release, Fire Emblem: Three Houses scored positive reviews, earning an aggregated average on both Metacritic and OpenCritic of 89/100 based on 108 reviews. Common points of praise included the game's characters and story, as well as Fire Emblem's tactical gameplay in addition to the new social elements.
At the 2019 Game Awards held on December 12, 2019, Fire Emblem: Three Houses won the award for Best Strategy Game. It was also the winner of the first-ever Player's Voice Award at the Game Awards, determined entirely by viewers through three rounds of tournament-style voting held on the Game Awards website.
Trivia
- The Japanese title is a reference to a Chinese poem of the same name, which was adopted in Japanese culture. The poem uses the analogy of snow, the moon, and flowers to represent winter, autumn, and spring, respectively. (See the full explanation).
- Three Houses elicits the four aspects in the poem's title, Wind, Flower, Snow, and Moon, through the titles of each of the game's four separate story routes (Verdant Wind, Crimson Flower, Silver Snow, and Azure Moon).
- Three Houses is the first main series Fire Emblem game to see a simultaneous worldwide release.
- The Officers Academy school chime is the opening notes of the Fire Emblem theme.
- Three Houses is the third Fire Emblem game to use 3D character models instead of sprite artwork on the gameplay maps. The previous games were Path of Radiance and Radiant Dawn. Characters are still represented by sprite artwork in the game's menus.
- The loading screen features a small Byleth sprite that moves left and right with the tilting of the Nintendo Switch's gyro controls. Byleth will also jump when B is pressed.
- This is the third main Fire Emblem game to have its English voice acting recorded by Cup of Tea Productions, after Awakening and Echoes: Shadows of Valentia.
- This also will be the second main Fire Emblem game to have full voice acting outside the FMV cutscenes, the first being Echoes: Shadows of Valentia.
- This is the first Fire Emblem game in which no first names of the playable cast received name changes between the Japanese and International releases of the game.
- This is the first Fire Emblem game where it's possible for playable characters to have more than 80 hit points without the use of skills.
- A poll conducted by Nintendo Power Podcast revealed 58% of players chose to play the game in Classic Mode. The sample size was 23,015 respondents.
- Members of the Koei Tecmo development team that worked on Three Houses have also worked on the company's own Romance of the Three Kingdoms strategy game series. Just as Three Houses is about three once-united nations embroiled in war, Romance of the Three Kingdoms is a historical fantasy based on a time period when the nation of China became similarly divided and the three resulting nations fought against each other until their eventual reunification.
Gallery
External links
- Official website (Japanese)
- Official website (English)